What Causes Cats To Lose Teeth
If your cat is losing teeth there are likely three main causes.
What causes cats to lose teeth. In fact dental disease is such a common feline ailment that approximately two thirds of cats over 3 years of age have some degree of dental disease. Of course not all tooth loss is caused by dental disease and not all dental disease results in tooth loss. Felines unlike humans do not have bite surfaces on their permanent teeth which allow chewing. You will need to give a thorough history of your cats health onset of symptoms and possible incidents such as recent injuries that might have preceded this condition.
The most common feline dental problem is periodontal or gum disease. If your adult cats teeth are falling out take a trip to the veterinarian to find out whats wrong. The cornell feline health center estimates that 85 percent of cats over age 6 have periodontal disease. There are two main culprits for tooth loss.
While its possible your cat may have broken a tooth like a person does after an unfortunate bite of peanut brittle more likely his tooth loss is due to oral disease. Assuming your cat didnt sustain. Disease injury or diet. The main factor associated with loss of teeth in adult cats is feeding.
As with humans cats accumulate bacterial plaque on the surface of their teeth. Periodontal disease or gum disease is the most common feline dental ailment. For a wild cat this is not usually a problem as their diet consists of almost solely raw meat. Cats with chronic tooth infections are at increased risk.