How Do I Know If My Cat’s Teeth Hurt? – 6 Signs

One of the causes of toothache in cats it is, as in babies, when they start to come out.

Cats are born without teeth and around four weeks, sometimes sooner, they begin to grow. first milk teeth. Later, at 4 months or more, they begin to change them for what will be their permanent teeth.

They will have a total of 30 pieces composed of 12 incisors (6 upper and 6 lower), 4 canines or fangs (2 upper and 2 lower), 10 premolars (6 above and 4 below) and 4 molars (two above and two below). However, there are 26 milk teeth and the molars will not come out until the definitive ones.

They use their incisors to tear food apart and unravel their hair and fangs to drive them into prey or tear food as well. However, the molars do not use them to chew as we do, but as scissors that cut the meat and separate it from the bone, that is, they use them to cut. In fact, their molars oppose us. In fact, if you notice, many times when eating they turn their heads to the side. This is to help you cut the food better.

At 8 weeks the cat will have all its milk teeth and a year later it will have its definitive ones.

The cats dental pain it is usually in most cases of teeth. Also, older cats can get cavities.

Dental pain can manifest itself in different ways in cats and not all cats will have the same symptoms. You can look at the following signs and symptoms that indicate that your cat has a toothache:

• Some cats stop eating or just move the food around in their mouth without chewing it. They may also seek out the moister or softer food.
• A toothache can change your cat to become more aggressive or irritated due to the pain.
• If you touch its teeth or mouth it will growl and even try to bite or scratch you. It is important to look at his teeth to see if there are any abnormalities such as broken or serrated teeth or swollen or bleeding gums.
• If it is an infection, you could see its inflamed mouth or even that the animal has a fever. Your face may also be swollen, all or just on the side where you have the problem in your mouth.
• You can see if the cat is drooling and if its saliva has blood in it.
• In some cases of dental disease or infection it will change their breath. If you notice a strong odor from his mouth, he probably has some kind of infection.

It is very important to take care of your cat’s dental health to avoid diseases and that it can feed itself correctly.

Some causes of tooth pain in cats They are the following, but there may be more and for this reason it is important to take them to the veterinarian and that he can diagnose the origin of the problem:

• Any trauma or blow: for example, with an object or if you have suffered a fall.
• Infection or inflammation (gingivitis): periodontal disease is a clear example of this. There may be tartar buildup or inflammation of the gums or gingivitis.
• Viral diseases: these may be related to the gums or teeth.
• A tumor: You may have a tumor in any area of ​​your mouth or structures that is causing pain and even some of the symptoms we have seen such as bleeding gums.

It is important to take your pet to the vet at the slightest symptom so they can diagnose the cause and give the best treatment. It should not be missed since an oral condition could cause another more serious one if left untreated, especially when they are infections.

Depending on the cause that is causing the pain, the treatment of tooth pain in a cat will be one or the other. In most cases, the veterinarian will recommend an analgesic for pain, an anti-inflammatory for inflammation, or an antibiotic if it is an infection.

However, there are certain diseases or conditions that must be treated in the clinic, for example, to repair the bone structure, remove a tumor, perform a dental extraction if necessary or do some cleaning of the mouth.

If you want to read more articles similar to How do I know if my cat’s teeth hurt? we recommend that you enter our Pets category.