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Dental Disorders & Diseases
Dental Neck Lesions in Cats
Feline dental neck lesions
(Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions)
are a
dental
disorder in which portions of the teeth
dissolve or are resorbed at the
gum line. It is caused
by inflammation of the lining
(periodontium) of the socket
that surrounds and houses
the root of the tooth.
It
may be severe enough to destroy the exposed portion
(crown) of the tooth,
leaving only the tooth roots. In such cases, the
sensitive internal structures of the
tooth remain exposed, and the cat experiences
considerable pain and discomfort.
Signs can include refusal to eat, loss
of weight, chattering of the teeth,
drooling,
and depression. It has been estimated that 20% to 60% of
all cats are
affected, with 2 to 5 teeth involved in individual cats.
It is possible for cats to
experience this disorder without the gums showing any
outward signs. Generally,
however, the gum line is reddened, swollen, and tender.
The premolars and molars
are
most often affected, followed by the canines (fangs) and
smaller front teeth
(incisors).
Removing tartar accumulations by regular
dental hygiene at home and
periodic, professional dental cleaning plays a very
important role in preventing the
disease.
Important Points in Treatment
If blood tests have not been recently
performed, they may be required,
especially for individuals over 8 years of age. A cat of
any age may require blood
studies to assess general health before undergoing
general anesthesia or to make
certain other underlying disorders do not exist.
Treatment includes dental restoration procedures or
extraction of the diseased
teeth. The severity of the condition, the age and
general health of the animal,
dictate the
method of treatment.
Tooth extraction is the most common treatment, but
your veterinarian will
discuss the different choices with you.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
Enamel Hypoplasia
Enamel hypoplasia refers to incomplete
development of the enamel
of the tooth. The enamel of permanent teeth is formed
during your pet's first 5
months of life. Diseases such as distemper or other
disorders that are
accompanied by high fever could affect normal tooth
enamel production. In addition
to
high fever, other damaging disorders, such as serious
worm infection or poor
diet, may have the same effect.
A tooth with enamel hypoplasia appears
pitted, grooved, and discolored.
It
is weaker than a normal tooth and is more easily broken
or more readily worn
down from chewing hard objects.
Epulides
Epulides are non-cancerous (benign)
tumors or masses that develop
in the mouth of some pets. They arise from the gums (gingiva)
and may appear
as one or more smooth reddish-pink or dark masses of
various sizes along the
gum line of the teeth. It is not certain why they form,
but long-term gum irritation
by tartar accumulation is often associated with their
formation. Some breeds of
dogs, such as the Boxer, develop them more than others,
which suggests a
genetic influence.
An epulis may take one of three forms.
The most common is the
reddish-pink smooth fibromatous epulis. A second type,
ossifying (bone formation)
epulis,
is more serious. It is of a bony nature and adheres
tightly to the gum. It is
more difficult to remove. The third type is an
acanthomatous epulis. Although it is
a non-cancerous growth, it may infiltrate the
surrounding tissue like a cancerous
growth, which complicates removal. The masses may appear
similar to certain
types of cancerous tumors, and a biopsy may be
recommended by your
veterinarian. Regular dental hygiene becomes even more
important in pets that
develop epulides. The masses often grow to cover part or
all of the crown of the
tooth or teeth. They make eating painful and increase
gum irritation, which,
may
lead to gum infection and increased formation of epulides.
Important Points in Treatment
Treatment includes surgical removal under general
anesthesia.
Epulides may but do not always return after surgical
removal. Their removal is
beneficial to the patient, and tartar may be removed
during the same procedure in
many instances. If dental tartar and accompanying gum
infection are very severe,
dental cleaning and pre-medication may be necessary and
should be done before
epulides removal.
It may be necessary to change your pet's diet for a
few days after surgery to
reduce additional irritation to the gums.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
Gingival Hyperplasia
Gingival hyperplasia
(Gum
Overgrowth)
refers to an
increase in the
amount of gum tissue
in your pet's mouth, causing the gums to appear greatly
thickened. Usually the
condition occurs in dogs over 5 years of age, but
younger
dogs can be affected.
The extent of the disorder may be limited to a small
area or may involve the gums
throughout the mouth. This is not considered a tumor or
cancer, but occasionally
a biopsy may be suggested as a precaution in some cases.
Gingival hyperplasia is the result of
long-standing inflammation with or
without the presence of tartar accumulation. There may
not be signs of noticeable
gingival inflammation present, and the thickened gum may
be a normal healthy
reddish-pink
color instead of the intense reddened color of
inflammation.
This disorder is noted in large breeds
of dogs, such as the Collie,
German Shepherd, and others, more often than in smaller
breeds. This suggests
that the gingival hyperplasia is the result of some
inherited tendency.
Important Points in Treatment
Some cases of gingival hyperplasia may not require
treatment,
particularly if
there is no discomfort and other associated conditions,
such as tartar
accumulation.
Extended or over-hanging gum tissue may hide other
dental disorders or may
serve as a collecting area for bacteria, food, and other
debris. In these instances,
surgical removal of the excessive gum tissue would be
beneficial to your pet. A
general anesthetic is required.
Older pets or those with other health problems may
require blood tests to
determine the risks of general anesthesia. These tests
will help increase safety
of the surgery by exposing any hidden, abnormal
conditions your pet may have.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
Glossitis
Glossitis is an inflammation of the
tongue. It may be caused by injury,
chemical irritation, chewing on foreign objects, or
infections of the mouth, gums,
or teeth. Such diseases as distemper or kidney
infections can also cause
glossitis.
Your pet may be reluctant or unable to
close its mouth and may eat
or drink with difficulty. Drooling is usually evident
and often the breath has an
unpleasant odor.
Important Points in Treatment
Diet: Your pet may have trouble lapping liquids or
eating. If your pet has
difficulty eating or drinking, please notify the doctor.
A special diet is necessary.
Medications: Give all medications as directed.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
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Your pet refuses to eat or drink
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Your pet's breath
has a bad odor or bad smell
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If there is
bleeding or an unusual discharge from the
mouth
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The
conditions seems to worsen
Pharyngitis
Pharyngitis (inflamed throat) may be
caused by infections in the throat
or elsewhere in the body, such as the ears, nose,
tonsils, or anal sacs. Infectious
diseases, such as distemper, may also cause pharyngitis.
Foreign bodies
(splinters, bones) and chemical substances may also be
involved. Your pet may
refuse to eat and may cough or vomit. Laboratory tests
may be required for
effective treatment.
Important Points in Treatment
-
Remove all chew toys until your pet has recovered.
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Restrict exercise and excitement until your
pet has recovered.
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Prevent barking as much as possible.
-
Give all medications as directed.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
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You
are not able to administer the medication as directed
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Your pet continues to vomit or cough
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Your pet coughs
or gags up bloody mucus
Retained Deciduous Teeth
The deciduous (baby or temporary) teeth
are smaller than the
permanent teeth. As the animal grows and the jaw becomes
larger, the baby
teeth are shed. Normally, the baby tooth is lost before
the permanent tooth
appears. But on occasion, the root of a baby tooth is not resorbed and the tooth
remains "anchored" within the tooth socket.
Retention of baby teeth favors tartar
accumulation, which may lead to
more serious gum disease. Also it may cause an abnormal
bite (malocclusion). Retained baby teeth should be extracted
as early as possible.
The Feline
The deciduous teeth of cats can be seen as
early as 2 weeks of age, and all
26 temporary teeth should be visible by 7 weeks of age.
By 7 months of age, all
30 permanent teeth should be in full view.
The Canine
The deciduous teeth
of dogs can be seen as
early as 2 weeks of age, and all 28 temporary teeth
should be visible by 8 weeks
of age. After 16 weeks of age, shedding of the deciduous
teeth begins and usually
continues until around 6 months of age. Adult or
permanent teeth should be in
full view by 8 months of age.
Salivary Cyst
Saliva from the salivary glands travels
through ducts (passageways) to
the
mouth; occasionally a duct ruptures, and the saliva
escapes into the
surrounding tissues. In the passage of time, a soft,
saliva-filled cyst
slowly develops in the neck region, under the lower jaw
or under the tongue.
Surgical removal of the salivary gland
filling the cyst is the best
treatment. In some cases, the cyst is also removed,
while in other cases it is
merely drained. Recurrence of the cyst is possible, and
sometimes additional
surgery is necessary.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
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Unable to administer any prescribed treatment
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Pet has trouble eating or swallowing
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Pet scratches or damages the incision
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You notice a change in your pet's general health
Stomatitis
Stomatitis is an inflammation of the
tissues lining the mouth.
A few of the many causes may be: injuries, infections, allergy,
immunologic disease, eating irritating
substances, and kidney disease.
There are many
possible
causes, various laboratory tests and/or radiographs
(x-rays) may be needed to
find the underlying abnormality. Dental disease often
accompanies stomatitis,
and treatment may be recommended as a portion of
therapy for stomatitis.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
Stomatitis in Cats
Stomatitis in cats
(Plasmacytic-Lymphocytic Gingivitis)
is an inflammation of the mouth. Signs may vary due to
one portion of the mouth
may be more deeply inflamed than the other. The disease
can produce a very sore
mouth, which can make eating very difficult.
The exact cause is not known; however,
several different diseases can cause oral or mouth
inflammations of this severity. Less than 2% of all cats
are affected by this condition.
Alleged causes include: infections with various
bacteria, the feline
leukemia virus, feline calicivirus, and the feline
immunodeficiency virus.
Hypersensitivity (allergic reaction) to various agents
has also been suggested,
based on the types of antibodies found in diseased cats.
A physical exam and laboratory
tests are usually used to discover the
cause of stomatitis. Ruling out any of the above diseases is an
important part of
diagnosis.
Important Points in Treatment
Periodic laboratory tests may be required to monitor
your pet's progress
during and possibly after treatment.
Your cat's diet may need to be adjusted. Also a
thorough, initial dental
cleaning is often a major requirement to treat this
condition. Dental calculus and
plaque contain high percentages of bacteria and teeth
cleaning can be very
beneficial.
Antibiotic therapy and anti-inflammatory
medications are often an
essential part of the treatment plan.
It is common that one treatment does not resolve the
problem; in fact, control,
rather than total cure may be the final outcome.
Notify Klima Animal Clinic Doctors if
any of the following occur:
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