After multiple inquiries about teeth cleaning and being told it wasn't needed, my cat has lost 2 teeth

[thisiscourtney]

This will be a bit long-winded because I'm pretty upset so please bear with me.

So my former feral boy has been to 3 different vets in two states. He has been with me since about 1 year old. I've always been very proactive and consistent with his care, food, etc because of his feral early stages of life, so when I inquired about teeth cleaning at his appointments each vet has told me, "his teeth look good, I wouldn't do a teeth cleaning." I would look at them a bit puzzled and ask, "are you sure?" because it doesn't make sense to me that humans need our teeth cleaned at least once a year to maintain and treat any problems so why wouldn't cats?


He's been a patient at his new (cat-exclusive) vet for 18 months now. His last visit was 10 months ago and his vet, just like the other 2 previous vets, said his teeth looked good and didn't recommend a cleaning, yet again.

Well fast forward to this morning and my now-almost 7 year old kitty went to his vet for his annual checkup, blood work and vaccines. As the vet was giving him his exam and doing his dental check, she not only said he had a bit of plaque and tartar and would recommend a teeth cleaning within the next year, but that he's missing a few teeth! Of course my reaction was a shocked "what?" I asked her if she remembers him missing any teeth 10 months ago. She replied "no" and proceeded to check her visit records for any notes she made about him having missing teeth in previous visits. There were none made, thus they have probably been lost within the past 10 months.

So I'm sitting there (and still upset now) thinking, "I asked you at every visit if he needs his teeth cleaned because he's never had one done and I was worried. Every vet has checked him and assured me he didn't need it and I would be doing something expensive that he didn't need. And now in the past 10 months he's lost 2 teeth and likely is in pain (that I could have avoided had I just ignored your opinion and gotten his teeth cleaned anyways)?!"

An I justified in being p*ssed off? I also feel like I failed my boy somewhat because I believed all three of these vets when they respectively reassured me his teeth were fine and have probably unknowingly let him live in pain for at least 10 months. Luckily, his diet is 95% wet food because he has FLUTD, so any pain he might be experiencing when eating should be minimal.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - I'm so sorry. Granted, my angel Poppycat had a couple of years where he didn't need any dental work, or a cleaning. I was amazed, especially at his age which at the time was about 14 or so.

(I changed veterinarians three times before finding one who was competent. Unfortunately, she has retired )

Find a Veterinarian and Practice | The Cat Community

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I don't necessarily think you should be upset. I've had nine cats, and seven of them have all seen the same Vet. Only three of them ever needed dentals. Cats are kind of like humans in that aspect...some have bad teeth and some don't. Some humans never go to the dentist at all and still have perfect teeth. Of my three cats that need dentals, only one has resorptions. And two of those three don't need dentals every year. One of my nine was 16 when she passed, and her teeth were always perfect, no tartar or plaque. Breath was always good.

Now the one who has resorptions just started getting them around age 12, out of the blue. So you just never know.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It has been a while ago, but one of my cats lost some teeth along the way (no one knows when - or where, for that matter) and he was just fine. There was no pain involved that anyone could decipher, and no reason seen to clean his teeth. He ate and acted fine and had no other issues. He died at 15 - unrelated to anything having to do with dental problems.

 

[Renne]

I'm a bit late to reply, but I just read your story and have to say that I find it unrealistic that your cat lost 2 healthy teeth within a 10 month period (unless he fought other cats in the streets or something equally radical). E.g. if he had gum infection, there should've been signs like tartar 10 months ago. Or his teeth moving in their sockets slightly. I'd pin the blame on whoever checked him at that time for not spotting any problems. Unless he lost teeth while fighting, or doing something else that could mechanically displace them.

 

[skiptomylou]

I am not a vet but I do have some experience with tooth resorption, which is most likely why your kitty is missing two teeth seemingly out of the blue. Plaque and tartar won’t usually make teeth fall out in a cat but resorption does and it starts under the gum line and is usually hard to see when it is starting. Some cats show obvious pain (reluctance to eat, hiding) while it’s happening, some don’t. At this point the veterinary community doesn’t really know what causes resorption in cats but it is relatively common, unfortunately. Basically the body attacks the tooth like it’s a foreign invader for no particular reason.