4 reasons why a cat has yellow teeth - how to deal with the problem

Deposits on the surface of teeth in animals and people of calcareous origin form tartar. Growths on teeth contain a whole mixture of substances of organic and inorganic origin (usually phosphates and calcium carbonate), as well as a large number of bacterial microorganisms.

Tartar can be yellow in color, sometimes reaching a dark brown color. The shade of limescale deposits on teeth is determined by the type of food entering the animal’s body, bacteria, microelements, and phosphorus salts.

Lack of teeth. Is it harmful for cats?

Not all owners take proper care of their pets.
It happens that veterinarians have to remove teeth because treatment is simply useless. Of course, complete absence of teeth can be frightening for a cat owner. It seems that it will be very difficult for the pet to eat, and starvation is already close. In fact, the situation is not as hopeless as it might seem at first glance. In nature, felines need teeth to perform a lethal chokehold on their prey. They do not use them to chew food. They need their teeth in order to tear their prey to shreds and then simply swallow the piece whole. A cat’s digestive system is designed in such a way that it can digest food just fine.

Modern ready-made cat food is soft, so even without teeth the pet will easily get enough. Domestic cats do not need to hunt. Meals are delivered to your home. But, despite the fact that the toothless cats are threatening me with starvation, it’s not worth letting the situation get to that extent.

If you notice that your cat’s teeth are falling out, and there are no natural reasons for this, then you urgently need to consult a veterinarian. The specialist will determine the cause, make a diagnosis, and prescribe treatment. As a rule, dentistry for cats consists of two parts. Firstly, these are procedures performed by a doctor in a veterinary clinic. Secondly, further care falls on the shoulders of the animal owner.

At the clinic, they can give you an intramuscular injection of antibiotics, give you special tablets for inflammation, and rinse your mouth with special solutions. In more complex cases, surgical operations are performed.

Diagnostic methods

To make the correct diagnosis

For your “yellowed” pet, the veterinarian will definitely interview you in detail about the cat’s condition, nutrition, and behavior. Then he will prescribe laboratory tests such as blood biochemistry, blood sugar, coagulogram, general blood test, tests for viral infections, toxoplasmosis, parasitic infestations, and urinalysis. An ultrasound and x-ray may be necessary. Sometimes a liver biopsy is required. Thanks to these tests, the doctor will reveal where the “culprit” of jaundice is hiding and determine the disease. Having made a prompt diagnosis, a veterinarian will most likely be able to cure jaundice in a cat.

Teeth indicate a cat's age

The correct structure and the absence of any pathological signs generally indicate the health of the oral cavity. In addition, by looking into the animal's mouth, you can find out the cat's age by its teeth. Determining how old or young a pet is is quite simple, being aware of some nuances:

• The furry baby is apparently not even a month old, if his incisors have just begun to erupt.
• In an older kitten, the beginning of the process of losing baby teeth indicates that he is approximately 3-4 months old.
• If a kitten already has a full set of 30 teeth, it is probably at least six months old.
• An adult one-year-old animal has a snow-white grin and practically no plaque.
• By the age of two, the lower central incisors of cats begin to wear off, the enamel noticeably turns yellow, and the first tartar appears.
• At five years old, pets already have fairly worn out upper incisors and mandibular canines.
• After another couple of years, pigmentation occurs on the surface of the enamel.
• By the age of 10, cats' incisors often fall out.
• In older animals - 15 years and older - even their fangs fall out.

The structure of the teeth does not always allow one to accurately determine how old a cat is. Sometimes improper oral care of an animal or lack of it at all leads to the fact that the pet’s dental system begins to age prematurely. Periodic brushing of teeth and a balanced diet will help your cat maintain a satisfactory level of oral health and prevent the development of diseases.

Prevention and care

To prevent the occurrence of dental pathologies, veterinarians recommend starting to monitor your cat’s oral cavity from an early age. Kittens should eat well; their diet must include complete protein in the form of white meat, cottage cheese, eggs, and dairy products. Specialists at the Zoovet veterinary clinic recommend periodically giving your pet special dietary supplements that replenish the deficiency of useful micro- and macroelements and vitamins.

Don't forget about keeping your mouth clean. To prevent the development of pathologies such as caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, and tartar, it is recommended to brush your pet’s teeth with a special brush and toothpaste 1-2 times a week. The animal removes plaque on its own using roughage. But hard foods should not predominate in the diet, because they injure the gums, which leads to dental diseases.

DO CATS TEETH HURT?

Most often this happens due to the animal’s unhealthy diet, poor lifestyle, and there may also be a disease of the internal organs. In any case, if a cat has dental problems, you must contact a veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment. There are special medicinal lines of food for the oral cavity.

DENTAL PROBLEMS IN CATS: SYMPTOMS

If a cat has toothache, he will certainly let you know about it. Dental diseases in cats are manifested by the following symptoms:

• the cat rubs its cheek with its paw or rubs against objects;
• gums become inflamed and swollen;
• Bad breath may appear;
• partial or complete loss of appetite;
• possible darkening of teeth;
• the cat is acting restless;
• increased salivation.

DENTAL DISEASES IN CATS

What types of dental diseases do cats have?

• caries
• osteomyelitis
• pulpitis
• periodontium
• stones on teeth
• and etc.

Only a veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis. Also, the condition of a cat’s teeth is an indicator of the animal’s health. Often, timely care for a kitten and an adult cat will help to avoid many problems in the future.

THE CAT HAS PALQUET ON THE TEETH

Plaque on a cat’s teeth appears when the pet is 1.5 years old.

As a rule, when a cat has a cat, this does not cause any inconvenience to the animal, but if the cat still shows anxiety, you just need to brush his teeth, it is enough to do this once a week.

THE CAT HAS YELLOW TEETH

If a cat has yellow teeth, this is primarily an indication of insufficient dental care. Now there are many treats for cats, which, when eaten and chewed, mechanically clean the teeth. If a cat's teeth turn yellow with age, then, in principle, this is the norm. A cat's teeth become yellow after 3-5 years.

STONES ON THE TEETH OF CATS

Stones on the teeth of cats can appear both with age and with insufficient good care of the pet. If we are talking about a minor manifestation, an excellent way to combat and prevent it is to brush your cats’ teeth. If this is an already advanced case, you need to go to a veterinary clinic and have the teeth cleaned of tartar, especially if this causes inconvenience to the pet.

THE CAT'S TEETH ROTS

If your cat's teeth are rotting, then first of all you need to undergo an examination by a specialist. Remove completely bad teeth, put fillings on those that still need to be treated, clean your teeth and try to prevent reoccurrences. It also often happens that if a cat has rotten teeth - this is evidence of certain diseases, you should definitely contact a veterinarian; the cat may need additional treatment. If one of your cat’s teeth is rotting, treat it and provide prevention.

BLACK TEETH IN A CAT

Black teeth in a cat most often indicate the presence of caries or pulpitis, which can be treated by simply installing a filling. If, in addition to a black tooth, the cat has additional symptoms, a veterinary dentist will make an accurate diagnosis.

INFLAMMATION OF TEETH IN CATS

Dental inflammation in cats is quite common and is usually the cause of gingivitis and stomatitis. If gum inflammation in cats is not treated, periodontal disease may develop. If your cat's teeth are bleeding quite heavily and red, swollen gums are visible, contact your veterinarian immediately. To avoid complications and further inflammation, you need to brush your teeth and remove tartar.

HOW TO TREAT A CAT'S TEETH?

You can treat a cat’s teeth only in cases where this is the very first stage, and the most you can do is brush the cat’s teeth and rinse the gums with oak bark tincture. Dental treatment for cats, as a rule, requires the skills of a specialist who will correctly diagnose, prescribe treatment or remove a cat’s tooth. A cat's teeth must be treated under general anesthesia.

Anesthesia for ultrasonic teeth cleaning is used because the animal will be frightened by the sound of the device, and the oral cavity will not be able to open as much as necessary to clean the painters’ distant teeth. Under anesthesia, the animal relaxes and all teeth can be reached without problems. You can’t explain to a cat that you need to be patient and your teeth will be healthy. Arriving at the clinic is stressful, and then there’s the unfamiliar procedure.

Before anesthesia, a blood test will be taken from the animal and an ultrasound of the heart will be performed.

This is especially important for the following breeds - British, Scottish fold, Maine Coon and the like. If everything is fine with the tests and ultrasound, then the procedure can be carried out; if there are questions, the veterinarian must explain everything, cancel or reschedule the teeth cleaning

Cleaning lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. The animal must not be fed 12 hours before the procedure, and water must not be given 1 hour before the procedure.

Symptoms

It is not difficult to notice problems associated with the appearance of yellow plaque on a kitten’s teeth. It is enough to regularly examine the oral cavity - a change in the color of the teeth from predominantly white to yellowish cannot go unnoticed.

In addition, an unpleasant, putrid odor from the mouth will be an alarming symptom. If plaque turns into tartar, then symptoms such as redness, inflammation, and bleeding of the gums will likely appear. Changes in the pet’s behavior may also appear: due to constant discomfort (at a later stage – pain), the cat experiences anxiety, refuses to play, eats slowly and carefully, or even refuses food altogether, and may rub its muzzle on sharp objects.

It is not necessary that all these signs will appear immediately, but if any of the listed symptoms are observed, the owner should immediately contact a veterinary clinic.

Causes of periodontal disease

One animal may have several reasons for its dental problems.

Lack of oral hygiene

Simply put, the cat does not brush its teeth. Over the course of life, teeth become increasingly covered with soft plaque. Plaque is 80% a bacterial colony. The remaining 20% ​​is the epithelium of the oral cavity, saliva, and food particles. When saturated with calcium salts, plaque turns into tartar - a hard brown mass that cannot be removed with any brush.

The waste products of bacteria trigger a strong inflammatory process in the gums (gingivitis). The gums gradually “dissolve”, move away, and pockets and subgingival tartar form. Periodontal pockets are already a sign of destruction of the jaw bone around the tooth.

The older the cat, the greater the likelihood of developing periodontitis.

Infectious diseases

Inflammation of the gums and mucous membranes of the oral cavity (gingivostomatitis) is sometimes caused by viral diseases of cats:

• immunodeficiency (FIV) and leukemia (FeLV);
• calicivirus;
• rhinotracheitis (herpes virus).

If left untreated, gingivitis gradually progresses to periodontitis.

Non-communicable systemic diseases

• Diabetes. Diabetes inhibits the healing of any tissue, including those destroyed by infection. Decreased immunity in diabetic cats provokes increased proliferation of bacteria in the oral cavity.
• Kidney failure. Toxic products of protein metabolism are not excreted by the kidneys and begin to be released in the form of ammonia through the mucous membranes, corroding them. In older cats, you can see not only severe inflammation of the gums, but also ulcers on the tongue and cheeks.
• Irregularity of teeth. It is found in certain breeds - Persians, Exotics, British. Flat-faced (brachiocephalic) cats have a jaw that is too short to accommodate the natural number of teeth. As a result, the teeth are crowded, crooked and at random. They cannot be cleaned naturally and quickly become overgrown with tartar. Teeth can grow unnaturally for other reasons: jaw fracture, malocclusion (overshot, undershot).
• Genetic predisposition. Some cats can live 15-20 years without serious dental problems. In others, massive tartar and loss of molars are observed as early as 8-12 years of age. When this cannot be attributed to other factors, it is obvious: dental and oral health can be inherited.

Improper feeding

Eating only soft foods does not put stress on the teeth when chewing. In animals, teeth must work, this strengthens the ligament of the tooth and gum tissue. Wet canned food or cereal accumulates on teeth, accelerating the development of tartar. Soft food does not clean teeth mechanically, as happens when chewing cartilage or dry food granules. The composition of the feed itself is also important.

Removing stones at home

Weak and loose plaque can be removed independently. The most difficult thing in this matter is to cope with the cat, which clearly will not like this procedure.

Special treats and dry food

At the moment, pet supply stores offer a fairly wide range of special treats. The principle of their operation is to soften when exposed to saliva. The consistency of the hard treat becomes like plasticine. It is recommended to treat your pet to such a delicacy at least twice a week.

Veterinary feeds have a special composition and structure of granules. Unfortunately, they cannot remove tartar, but they can remove plaque.

Toys designed to clean a cat's mouth are impregnated with catnip. They have a rough surface that polishes the teeth when the cat bites into the item.

Veterinary wipes

There are many home remedies for removing tartar in cats. One of the most popular is veterinary wipes. Typically, they are soaked in a solution containing baking soda and peppermint.

Wipes have an antimicrobial effect and are also able to soften loose stone (at its initial stage). The principle of operation is very simple - take a napkin, wrap it around your finger and wipe your pet’s teeth.

Of course, it will not be possible to completely remove tartar at home, but this remedy has proven itself to be effective as a preventive measure.

Special means

You can try to remove tartar in cats using special products that soften the plaque and allow you to remove it with a brush or scaler. One of the most popular folk remedies is hydrogen peroxide. It can remove plaque from your teeth, but you must be careful not to touch your gums. Take a cotton swab, moisten it with peroxide and treat the tooth where plaque is visible.

To soften plaque, you can use a variety of gels, pastes and sprays from a veterinary pharmacy. They are applied to cats' teeth using a dispenser. Over time, the stone “moves away” from the tooth enamel.

Not all animals allow you to brush your teeth. In this case, liquids will help - you can add them in the form of drops to a bowl of water. There are also products for oral administration. Tartar under the influence of the product becomes porous, loosens, and can be easily removed from the surface of the teeth - just let the cat chew on a special treat or dry food.

Mechanical cleaning

You can remove plaque at home, but you need to have the skills to work with a scaler. The plaque is pre-softened with a special product from a veterinary pharmacy or hydrogen peroxide. You need to use peroxide as carefully as possible - you need to apply it so that it does not get on your gums. A cotton swab is generously moistened with the solution and applied to damaged teeth.

Next, the scaler is carefully passed from the base of the tooth, that is, from the gums, downwards, scraping off plaque. You need to be very careful not to damage the delicate mucous membranes. In this case, it is better to enlist the help of a relative: one will hold the cat, and the second will carry out the procedure.

After completing the manipulation, it is advisable to treat the pet’s mouth with a weak chamomile decoction. If you have never removed plaque yourself, you can consult a veterinarian about this.

Oral diseases: list and characteristics

Cats suffer most from gum disease that develops as a result of feeding poor quality food. Symptoms: hyperemia, swelling, ulcers, similar to signs of scurvy.

Inflammation of the gums.

A strong odor from the mouth indicates tartar, an accumulation of food particles between the teeth. During the inflammatory process, there is a danger of tooth decay and the development of periodontitis.

Upon examination, reddened, swollen gums are visible, painful with areas of bleeding. If left untreated, the gums gradually recede from the tooth, forming pockets in which food accumulates. Putrefactive inflammation, caries, and periodontitis develop. The cat refuses to eat, becomes weaker, has unkempt fur, and saliva may flow from its mouth.

Inflammation of the tongue.

Infectious pathology, glossitis, indicates immunodeficiency conditions, feline leukemia, acute respiratory disease, viral immunodeficiency syndrome. Sometimes the inflammatory process appears when exposed to external factors, licking highly irritating substances. Symptoms: profuse salivation, sometimes foamy, anorexia, pain. Externally, the cat looks unkempt. After healing and disappearance of the inflammatory process, the surface of the tongue is smoothed, it becomes varnished, smooth without a hard brush. Erosion and ulcers often form.

Stomatitis.

Oral disease is manifested by severe salivation and inflammation of the mucous membrane. The cat refuses to eat, inspection of its mouth is difficult, it rubs its face with its paws and shakes its head.

Redness and swelling are noticeable on the mucous membrane, gums bleed, and there is a strong odor from the mouth. The cat seems to be “ruffling up”, looking unkempt and disheveled. In young cats, candidiasis (thrush) is diagnosed; the disease becomes more pronounced when treated with antibiotics, steroids, with low immunity, or after a serious illness. Symptoms of thrush: a whitish film on the tongue, gums; if left untreated, ulcers form on the mucous membrane.

Pharyngitis.

This is a rare disease of the oral cavity, occurring as a secondary pathology against the background of a viral infection, diseases of the mouth and pharynx. With pharyngitis, the temperature rises, pain, cough, and nausea appear. No appetite.

Tonsillitis.

Inflammation of the tonsils is rarely diagnosed in cats. Hyperthermia (above 39.4C), lethargy, and anorexia are observed. The underlying cause of the disease is a bacterial infection.

In case of recurrent tonsillitis, removal of the tonsils is indicated, since greatly enlarged tonsils interfere with the normal passage of air into the lungs, cause attacks of suffocation, and interfere with food intake.

Neoplasms of the salivary glands.

Cysts and tumors form under the influence of external factors. As a rule, the salivary gland is damaged in cat fights, when a foreign object enters. The accumulating fluid ruptures the duct and a cyst is formed - a mucocele.

The submandibular gland is most often affected; when palpated under the tongue, a smooth, large cyst can be detected. Neoplasms disturb the animal, making it difficult to breathe and swallow. More often, complete removal of the damaged salivary gland is required; punctures and rinses do not give the desired effect.

In older cats, tumors are (usually) malignant and appear as hard, slow-growing lumps on the side of the face or neck.

Foreign bodies.

Needles, bones, fragments, chips, thorns, threads get into the oral cavity. The specific structure of the tongue with papillae curved inwards does not allow a foreign object to fall out. It is easy for a breeder to understand that something has got into the cat’s mouth; she shakes her head, meows, and tries to reach with her paws what is bothering her. Severe drooling, restlessness, refusal to eat.

Particularly dangerous are the bones from fish, which dig into the soft tissues of the mouth and pharynx and “sit” there without causing signs of concern. After a few days, the bone rots, a strong odor from the mouth appears, intoxication, weakness, and apathy develop. If the outcome is successful, the bone comes out with a ruptured abscess and pus.

Jacobs ulcer.

It is found in the middle of the upper lip, sometimes on the lower or oral mucosa. It looks like a yellow or reddish shiny spot that turns into a weeping erosion without pain or itching. Diffuse growth: the ulcerated surface increases, teeth and gums are exposed. Jacobs ulcer has a tendency to develop into cancer or fibrosarcoma. The cause of the pathology is not clear; a connection is suggested with dental infections and the feline leukemia virus.

Development of periodontitis

This disease involves inflammation of the tissues around the root and develops due to many factors. The most common are bruises, inflammation, cracks in the pet’s mouth. The main symptoms are swelling of the area around the teeth, pain, as well as refusal to eat, changes in behavior. A tooth located in the area of ​​inflammation may become loose.

Therapy involves the use of special disinfectant solutions. The pet’s mouth is washed with such liquids. A good effect can be achieved using an infusion of calendula flowers - the herbal preparation effectively eliminates inflammatory processes and kills microbes. With purulent-diffuse periodontitis, tooth extraction is most often resorted to.

Caring for your cat's teeth

It is useful to sometimes look into the mouth of a domestic animal for a general assessment of the condition of the teeth and oral cavity as a whole, even if outwardly there is no hint of problems with the chewing apparatus. There are no special conditions for caring for a cat’s oral cavity, other than proper nutrition in accordance with age.

Advanced case of tartar in a cat

One of the most common problems with cat teeth is tartar. In nature, predators do not have this problem. Pets who receive dry food or food in large pieces do not have it either. With regular feeding of soft foods, when the procedure of self-cleaning of the oral cavity is excluded, plaque forms on the teeth, which under the influence of bacteria, salts and food debris turns into tartar. The launched process will require cleaning with special tools in veterinary clinics and under anesthesia.

To prevent this problem you should:

• brush cats’ teeth at home with special brushes with rubber (silicone) fingertips at least once every 3-4 weeks;
• periodically feed with special dry food for self-cleaning of teeth;
• Do not feed soft food in the form of small pieces.

For preventive sanitation of the oral cavity in cats, as well as to prevent the formation of plaque and tartar, as prescribed by a veterinarian, you can use the drug “Stomadex” C100 in courses of 10 days (cost: 400-450 rubles/pack with 10 tablets). The tablet from the package is glued with your finger onto the dry surface of the cheek closer to the toothless edge (top or bottom). Dry the cheek with a clean, dry paper towel. After attaching the tablet, the animal should not be given food or drink for 20-25 minutes. It is better to do the procedure before bed, half an hour after the last feeding (the period when the amount of saliva produced decreases).

Toothbrush for a cat

To clean your teeth, you can use special mixtures sold in pet stores or veterinary pharmacies or prepare it yourself (½ teaspoon of soda without top is moistened with red wine to the consistency of a paste and used to clean premolars and molars). The use of human cleaning pastes on cats is prohibited!

The formation of the chewing apparatus in cats occurs according to the general laws of animal physiology and does not require human intervention. But this does not exempt owners of fanged pets from monitoring this process and preventive examination of the oral cavity.

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How does the removal take place?

Tartar removal is a fairly painful procedure that lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. As a rule, cleaning is carried out in three stages; only compliance with all stages will help to efficiently clean the resulting growths on the teeth. If the procedure was performed poorly or without any point, then the stone will form again, and the animal will have to go through this unpleasant procedure again, which includes:

• Mechanical removal of large stones using dental instruments.
• Ultrasonic cleaning is performed to remove small stones.
• Grinding and polishing of teeth is done using special pastes.

If the animal is old or sick and cannot withstand general anesthesia, then the veterinarian develops a step-by-step treatment of the growth, which is carried out without the use of anesthesia, under the influence of painkillers. In this case, the stone is removed gradually, over several visits to the clinic.

Is it possible to remove tartar at home?

Tartar treatment can only be done in a clinic. Removal at home is impossible, since this is a rather complex procedure, which is done mainly under anesthesia in a veterinary clinic.

Under no circumstances should you remove tartar at home, as this can cause severe pain to your cat and damage its health.

How to prepare a cat for surgery

If, after an examination, the veterinarian prescribed surgery using general anesthesia, the owner must prepare the pet for this unpleasant event at home:

• The young animal must prepare by fasting, which lasts from 12 to 24 hours.
• Elderly cats, or those pets that have any health problems, should be prepared before surgery using laboratory tests and a careful examination by a veterinarian.

Caring for your cat after removal

After treatment has been carried out, the cat will need careful care, which includes:

• Painkillers that can be given at home.
• Food should be semi-liquid, gentle and lukewarm.

What do cat teeth and gums normally look like?

Like most mammals, cats have 2 sets of teeth - milk and permanent. Kittens are born toothless, but after a few days they begin to cut their first milk teeth.

The change from a temporary set to a permanent one begins 6–8 weeks after birth. This is a gradual process, so for most owners it goes unnoticed, given the small size of the teeth. By 8 months, all baby teeth should be replaced by molars. Since cat saliva contains the enzyme lysozyme, which has an antibacterial effect, the change occurs painlessly.

An adult cat normally has 30 teeth: 16 in the upper jaw and 14 in the lower jaw. There is a congenital feature - oligodontia, which is inherited, in which the dental set is incomplete.

The structure of the teeth is determined by the diet of cats. Cats are predatory animals; they use their teeth to hold prey and tear meat. Description of the dental kit:

• Incisors. Small teeth that are located in the front of both jaws, 6 pieces on each. Unlike herbivores and omnivores, the cat does not bite off food with them; they serve to hold pieces of food.
• Fangs. The longest and sharpest teeth, 2 fangs on both sides on each jaw. They have the deepest root canals. Designed to kill prey - with them the cat bites through the area near the victim's spine, damaging the spinal cord, and with them it tears off pieces of food.
• Premolars. The 6 upper and 4 lower molars are designed for grinding dense foods, such as meat.
• Molars. 4 molars on both jaws. Also used for chewing food.

Cat's dental system

How many teeth a cat has is a question that interests many owners. Pets are born toothless. The first incisors are cut around the 2nd week of life. Then the canines and molars grow. They are cut from the pet until the end of the 1st month of life. In total, the kitten develops 26 teeth, of which 14 are on the upper jaw, and 12 on the lower jaw.

Milk teeth in cats, like in humans, are replaced by permanent teeth. This process begins at the age of 4 months. The change of teeth in cats is completed at 8 months. 4 additional teeth also grow, and there should be 30 in total (16 on the upper jaw and 14 on the lower jaw). The arrangement of a cat's teeth is quite simple. The dental system of an adult pet includes:

• incisors, located in the front and used to capture prey;
• fangs designed for tearing prey;
• premolars involved in chewing food;
• molars, which are also involved in grinding food.

Types of Tartar

Tartar, as a rule, forms in places where saliva is washed; incisors and molars are susceptible to it. Sometimes these formations cover not one, but several teeth in a row. Dental stones are divided according to their location. They are:

• Supragingival. This type of deposit is located above the gum. It can be noticed during examination of the animal's oral cavity.
• Subgingival. These deposits are located on the root of the tooth, under the gum. It is impossible to notice it during inspection. It promotes the formation of places in the cat’s gums where bacteria accumulate. As a result, loosening and loss of the tooth occurs.

Internal illnesses

Various lesions of the oral cavity can cause tooth loss in cats of any age. These can be pulpitis, periodontitis, tartar, gingivitis and stomatitis.

Pulpitis is an inflammation of the soft inner part of the tooth. It develops more often due to the breaking off of part of the tooth crown. Caries is practically never found in cats, because they do not have a love for sweets. Carious microbes require sugar and an acidic environment to live.

Periodontitis in humans is often called inflammation of the tooth root. In cats, this term refers to inflammation of the ligaments that hold the tooth in the socket of the jaw. With this disease, the ligaments easily tear off and the tooth falls out.

The development of tartar occurs due to the accumulation of dental plaque. Normally, most cats, even fifteen years old, have only a slight brownish coating on their teeth. However, in some individuals, deposits build up very quickly on their teeth, which become compressed and become very hard. Over time, such a stone moves the gum away from the neck of the tooth, and it falls out.

Tartar deposits often lead to gingivitis and stomatitis. Gingivitis in cats is inflammation of the gums, and stomatitis is the entire lining of the oral cavity. These diseases are painful for the animal. An attentive owner will be able to see that his cat has begun to chew on one side of his mouth or is refusing dry food. And these diseases are accompanied by an unpleasant odor from the mouth. With severe damage to the mucous membranes of the mouth, periodontitis occurs.

Infections that cause inflammation of the gums are also common in cats. These are viral immunodeficiency and feline viral leukemia, as well as calicivirus and herpes. Unfortunately, the vaccine currently only exists for feline leukemia.

In addition, some cats have a genetic predisposition to gingivostomatitis, which cannot be cured by any method. Often these poor people have to have all their teeth removed, even at a young age. For them, this method turns out to be the only way to get rid of constant pain.

Gingivostomatitis in cats can develop in the presence of kidney disease, as well as diabetes. And here you have to deal with the underlying disease.

Sometimes tooth loss in a cat occurs for a trivial reason - due to a lack of vitamins and minerals supplied with food. Long-term vitamin and mineral deficiency leads to metabolic disorders in bone tissue. Often this causes destruction of not only teeth, but also other bones, which is manifested by fractures. Long-term and uncontrolled use of certain medications can also cause tooth loss.

Modern conditions for keeping animals contribute to their longevity. Over the age of 20, a cat may lose teeth simply from old age.

Reasons for fossils

Dental problems can be caused by the following factors:

• lack of timely hygienic treatment of the oral cavity;
• trauma, extensive deep caries, gum damage;
• the absence of a neighboring tooth on the opposite jaw, which provides friction when chewing food;
• malocclusion or curvature of the jaw bones;
• metabolic disorders in the animal's body;
• incorrectly selected diet;
• drinking tap water.

If your cat is at risk, do not neglect preventive visits to your veterinarian.

Description of possible causes

If the yellowing of teeth is not accompanied by any accompanying symptoms, then you can observe the process without interfering. But, at the first alarm bells (the appearance of a foul odor from the mouth, bleeding gums, pain while eating), it is necessary to exclude the following possible options that can provoke the listed symptoms:

1. Tartar. The most common reason why a cat's teeth turn yellow at any age. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to completely eliminate its occurrence even with daily brushing of your teeth. But, you need to understand that there are options in which tartar will not be pathological in nature and even a slight yellowing of the enamel will be nothing more than a cosmetic defect. However, we must also not forget that it is tartar in most cases that causes caries and most gum diseases. At risk are pets that have congenital problems with bite and eat from the owner’s table (eats what the rest of the family does). Tartar can form directly on the enamel or under the gum. Because of this, many owners do not immediately detect problems with their pets. In most cases, animals are brought in with a characteristic foul odor from the mouth, bleeding, red and swollen gums. With such symptoms, it is imperative to remove all deposits on the teeth and in the gum pockets. Some deposits can be easily removed with a special dental instrument. But most of the deposits have to be removed using ultrasound. The procedure is painful, therefore, in order not to torment the animal and the doctor has the opportunity to carefully perform his work, anesthesia is used. Cleaning duration ranges from 15 to 25 minutes. After this, the oral cavity is sanitized and the enamel is covered with a special protective paste. For some cats, it is enough to do this procedure 1-2 times throughout their lives, while for others it is indicated on a regular basis (at least once a year).
2. Caries. At the initial stage, it can also manifest itself as yellowing of the teeth. The canines are most often affected in cats. If the issue is not addressed in time, the yellow color gradually gives way to brown, more and more teeth are affected and superficial caries transforms into deep ones. The reason for the development of caries may lie in poor nutrition, lack of oral care (regular brushing of teeth and removal of tartar are not carried out), malocclusion and chips. If carious teeth are not treated in time, then over time serious problems with the gums will appear, which will invariably lead to pain while eating.
3. Peculiarity of the breed. Owners of flat-faced toy breeds need to know that their pets are at risk for many diseases associated with teeth and gums. It's all about the anatomical structure of the jaw, which almost always results in a malocclusion. In Persians, Siamese, Persian, Scottish and British cats, you can often notice how the teeth pile up on each other. Because of this, food debris often gets stuck in the interdental spaces, which over time transforms into plaque. Yellow teeth in Persians or exotics are not considered some kind of curiosity even at a young age. Sphynxes and Maine Coons have another problem - loose gums, which often cause all teeth to be removed at a young age. Breeds that are at risk of tartar are recommended to use special food designed for cleaning teeth from early childhood. It would also be a good idea to accustom your pet to brushing its teeth from childhood with a special brush that is placed on your finger.

Finally, I would like to remind you about age, which also needs to be taken into account if the cat has yellow teeth. After 10 years, yellow-brown areas can be seen in areas of chips and the greatest pressure (fangs). In animals after 10 years of age, teeth are rarely brushed under anesthesia (only if there is a risk of developing periodontitis); instead, they are usually limited to sanitation of the oral cavity, which reduces the risk of developing inflammatory processes (gingivitis and stomatitis).

Periodontal disease

Symptoms:

1. Bad breath. One of the main reasons for visiting a veterinarian. The smell from the mouth becomes unbearable, putrid in nature, and can be felt from afar (when the animal enters the room).
2. Decreased appetite. The cat wants to eat, but cannot. Refuses the once-favorite “crackers”, preferring soft food.
3. Strange behavior. Owners notice how the pet shakes its head, rubs its muzzle with its paw, as if trying to get something out of its mouth. Sometimes you can clearly hear teeth grinding. The cat slurps when chewing. After eating, the lower jaw may tremble.
4. Constant discharge from the mouth. A sick animal will drool profusely. Blood or pus may occasionally leak from the mouth. The fur on the chin is wet all the time, the skin becomes inflamed.
5. Tartar and gum inflammation. If the cat is calm, you can move the upper lip and look into the mouth without opening its mouth. It is easy to notice yellow-brown tartar - massive hard deposits that sometimes completely cover the tooth itself. The gums are bright red or bluish in color and bleed. When pressed, a pus-like gray mass may come out from under it.

Treatment:

1. Hygienic cleaning of teeth from plaque and tartar at the initial stage of the disease. After this procedure, the crowns are coated with a fluoride-containing protective varnish. I treat the gums with antiseptic solutions and dental ointments (for example, Metrogil Denta).

2. Surgical intervention.

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What to do if your cat has yellow teeth

Pets also need hygiene, just like people. This is especially true for oral care. Owners often discover that their cat has yellow teeth. Why does this happen and what to do about it?

The first reasons why a kitten's teeth turn yellow may be plaque, tartar or caries. Plaque occurs due to the fact that food remains on the teeth, which are considered half-life products. As a result, a favorable environment for active reproduction appears.

Also, the following phenomena can be attributed to the causes of yellow teeth in cats:

:

Domestic cats develop plaque on their teeth much more often than indoor cats, who chew grass and gnaw bones, which cleans their jaws. If the pet is under the full care of a person. Then the responsibility for dental health is shifted to the owner.

How to deal with the problem?

If the owner promptly pays attention to the appearance of plaque in the cat and takes all measures to eliminate it, then it will be possible to prevent the development of many oral pathologies. Tartar is a hard deposit on the surface of fangs and other teeth, so it cannot be removed simply by brushing.

Veterinarians use special instruments or an ultrasound method for this.

Tartar is a hard deposit on the surface of fangs and other teeth, so it cannot be removed simply with a brush. Veterinarians use special instruments or the ultrasound method for this.

If the pathology is not advanced, then a gel that is designed to dissolve such deposits on the teeth can help. If tartar has affected the gums, then manipulations are carried out under anesthesia.

You need to understand well that the development of many dental pathologies can be avoided by taking preventive measures and immediately contacting a specialist if changes in tooth enamel occur.

Newborn kittens require special attention.

Injuries as a consequence of communication with.

Along with medicinal methods of struggle.

Change in cat stool - .

Causes of yellowing teeth

We can identify the main reasons why a cat’s teeth become yellow:

1. Feeding on cheap commercial economy class food.

You need to understand that such food (Whiskas, Kitiket, Friscus, etc.) is poison for cats, almost literally. They do not contain any vitamins, minerals or nutrients, but they are generously added with dyes, which contribute to the appearance of a yellow coating.

Read about different classes of food: What food to feed your cat

1. Eating exclusively soft foods.

It is highly not recommended to feed your cat only something soft, even if it is high-quality food (canned food, pates, pouches) - unless, of course, there are special medical instructions. The diet should also include dry food, as solid food helps clean teeth.

1. Presence of other oral diseases.

Some inflammatory processes (for example, calcivirosis) contribute to increased formation of tartar.

More about calcivirosis: Symptoms and treatment of calcivirosis in cats

1. Advanced age.

Over time, in any case, the cat's teeth become yellow - to a greater or lesser extent. With age, the color of enamel changes in people too. Maintaining hygiene will help delay this process and make it less pronounced.

Complete list of dental diseases in cats

Most dental pathologies in cats are similar to humans, so treatment methods are not much different. To easily distinguish dental diseases in cats, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the photos and symptoms of each of them.

Among the pathologies in the oral cavity, gum (periodontal) diseases can be identified, which are manifested by inflammation of the tissues of the surrounding teeth. The cause of such ailments is poor oral hygiene, infections, and a large accumulation of various bacteria in the form of plaque at the border of the tooth and gum. There are two periodontal diseases – periodontitis and gingivitis.

The endodontic category of dental ailments includes diseases that directly affect the tooth itself: tartar, caries, plaque, pulpitis, osteomyelitis, etc. The causes may be tooth decay, for example due to caries, as well as trauma to the face and jaws.

Among the problems with the growth and evolution of teeth, it is advisable to note a broken bite, abnormal development of teeth and defects in tooth enamel, which are often hereditary.

Danger to the animal

Tartar is dangerous not only for the teeth and gums, but also for other organ systems of the cat. Let's discuss the most common complications:

• First of all, the oral cavity suffers. The enamel is destroyed, the constant presence of bacteria causes decay processes and provokes pathological processes (periodontitis, gingivitis, stomatitis, caries, periostitis). This is accompanied by redness and pain. Over time, if left untreated, teeth will begin to rot and fall out.
• Inflammation of the roots of the teeth can develop into gumboil or an abscess in the muzzle area.
• Painful chewing will reduce appetite, and the animal will not receive enough nutrients, which will affect its health.
• Bacteria from the oral cavity constantly enter the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract, which increases the risk of diseases of these organ systems (enteritis, pneumonia, etc.).
• Eye diseases. The cat licks itself, and bacteria from the mouth constantly gets into the mucous membranes of the eyes, which can cause inflammation.
• Rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis. The nasal cavity is located in close proximity to the oral cavity; they communicate in the pharynx. Thus, inflammatory processes in the mouth can easily provoke rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages). And rhinitis can turn into conjunctivitis due to the nasolacrimal duct, which runs between the nose and the inner corner of the eye. It is not uncommon for animals with advanced cases to have chronic discharge from the eyes or nose.