Whats up with my Cat's tooth?

Hi,

First time poster here...

My cat is 10 years old, he was at the vet about 9 months ago and they said his teeth were in great shape.  The other day we noticed an issue on one of his teeth, see below.  (the other canine tooth is fine, no issues).

Any idea what is going on here?  Trying to determine if this is something to just monitor and see if it gets better, or is a vet visit needed?

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Gingivitis or a resorptive lesion.  Either way, the best thing is to get him in for a dental cleaning.  You'll both be happier.

I agree. It looks very much like a resorptive lesion to me, which is the number one cause for tooth loss in cats, and given his age it certainly fits. Resorptive lesions are also quite painful. If he goes much longer without vet care he will stop eating which can do irreversible damage to his liver.

Get him into your vet and let us know what he or she says.

Hello,

Quick update -- Just returned from the vet, your diagnosis was spot on... resorptive lesion.  My vet said that it is not life threatening, treating it (extracting the tooth) is purely for the cat's comfort.  He said that we could leave it, and over the course of the next 9-12 months the tooth will deteriorate until it breaks off, or we can have it extracted now.

What are your thoughts on treatment? Based on what my vet says, it seems like a no brainer to have it extracted.  I just need to stomach the $800 vet bill, uff!  Any alternative methods of treatment?  Is my cat at a greater risk factor to have this happen again to another tooth?

Thank you very much for the help!
 

MattHouse said:

 
Hello,

Quick update -- Just returned from the vet, your diagnosis was spot on... resorptive lesion.  My vet said that it is not life threatening, treating it (extracting the tooth) is purely for the cat's comfort.  He said that we could leave it, and over the course of the next 9-12 months the tooth will deteriorate until it breaks off, or we can have it extracted now.

What are your thoughts on treatment? Based on what my vet says, it seems like a no brainer to have it extracted.  I just need to stomach the $800 vet bill, uff!  Any alternative methods of treatment?  Is my cat at a greater risk factor to have this happen again to another tooth?

Thank you very much for the help!
 

Click to expand...

Hi, I have had two cats with resorptive lesions.  Both had the teeth extracted, and immediately following extraction were x-rayed to be certain there were no tiny parts of the roots left in.  Your vet's comment that the tooth will deteriorate until it breaks off was, hopefully, not given to you as an option.  The cat would be in a lot of pain and you would ultimately be faced with surgery anyway to extract the roots, according to my own vet.  Is your vet going to charge you $800 to extract one tooth?  That seems excessive.  And yes, it could happen to another tooth.  My vet checked all of the teeth in my two cats while they were under anesthesia to have the one tooth extracted.  If the cat flinched under anesthesia, the tooth came out. My male had three teeth extracted, and my current little female, who has a number of health problems due to her background before adoption, had three teeth extracted during her first surgery and seven extracted during the second surgery.  All cats are different, but the seven teeth at once was very difficult for he and recovery was brutal.  I had them note on her chart that she is never to have more than three extracted at one time. She bounced back the next day after having three teeth out.  I don't know if she will have to have more extractions, but many cats with absorptive lesions do develop others and some have every tooth extracted.  My girl has no problem with the missing teeth and eats well.  I highly recommend getting that tooth extracted asap.