August is dental month at Hall Vet Surgery.
Bring your cat in for a free dental check this month and learn how to keep her mouth and teeth clean and healthy.
Phone us a few days ahead to make an appointment.
Dental health is essential to overall health in our cats. Learn more about cat teeth problems and keeping cats' mouths healthy on this blog.
Cats hide pain from us. Often they have just got used to a level of dental pain and infection that soon cripple us!
Make sure your cat is happy, healthy and pain free. Phone for an appointment during Hall Vet Surgery dental month
Showing posts with label dental health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dental health. Show all posts
Aug 3, 2011
Apr 27, 2011
Tooth decay
Many cats suffer holes in the teeth where the teeth meet the gums. These neck lesions, or FORLS, are intensely painful.
Cats with bad mouths show less interest in food. Some approach the food bowl eagerly but then pain overcomes hunger and they leave most of the food. They chew cautiously, drop food from the mouth, or swallow with difficulty. Dribbling, blood-tinged saliva, and bad breath are common.
Reluctance to eat leads to weight loss.
Tartar builds on the holes and rubs the inside of the cheek causing further pain. Severely affected cats paw their mouths or shake their heads.
The only effective treatment is extraction of the affected teeth under general anaesthesia.
Most people comment that their cat is much happier and more relaxed afterward. The short-lived pain of extraction is much less severe than the chronic and intense pain of the tooth neck lesions. We can prevent the pain of extraction but not the pain of neck lesions.
The cause of neck lesions is unknown. However, good dental health and a healthy diet help preserve teeth as long as possible. Regular veterinary checks reveal and treat neck lesions early.
Chunks of meat and small bones such as gravy beef, rabbit or chicken carcasses, kangaroo, chop bones or chicken thighs encourage chewing and prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar. Greenies are a palatable treat that clean the teeth as well. A bowlful of special dental foods such as Royal Canin dental or Hills t/d several times a week prevent dental disease.
Chewing meat and dental biscuits stimulates the production of saliva, which contains natural antibacterial substances, and scrapes plaque and tartar from the teeth.
Calicivirus vaccination helps prevent gingivitis.
May 27, 2010
Surprising seniors!
Our cats are living longer lives than ever before because of desexing, better diet and improved health care. Many of Hall Veterinary Surgery’s feline patients live well into their teens and your cat could too.
Cats are very good at hiding illness and discomfort. It is easy to overlook subtle changes in appetite and behaviour. Changes in bodyweight are often the first sign of disease. Regular examinations of the mouth, joints and eyes pick up some signs of disease. Increased blood pressure warns of kidney or thyroid disease. Many serious health problems in cats are only picked up with blood and urine tests.
Diseases commonly seen in older cats include arthritis, dental disease, kidney insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus and bowel disease. Often cats have several of them at a time. If we detect problems early and manage them appropriately then our feline friends can enjoy longer, happier and more comfortable lives.
The key to detecting and managing most of these diseases is regular monitoring of body weight, body condition and blood pressure. Urine and blood tests are important in kidney and thyroid disease while serial examination of joints, eyes and teeth triggers early preventative strategies.
Annual checkups are adequate until 10 years of age. Because cats age four times more rapidly than humans we recommend twice a year checks from 10 years of age on.
Cats are very good at hiding illness and discomfort. It is easy to overlook subtle changes in appetite and behaviour. Changes in bodyweight are often the first sign of disease. Regular examinations of the mouth, joints and eyes pick up some signs of disease. Increased blood pressure warns of kidney or thyroid disease. Many serious health problems in cats are only picked up with blood and urine tests.
Diseases commonly seen in older cats include arthritis, dental disease, kidney insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus and bowel disease. Often cats have several of them at a time. If we detect problems early and manage them appropriately then our feline friends can enjoy longer, happier and more comfortable lives.
The key to detecting and managing most of these diseases is regular monitoring of body weight, body condition and blood pressure. Urine and blood tests are important in kidney and thyroid disease while serial examination of joints, eyes and teeth triggers early preventative strategies.
Annual checkups are adequate until 10 years of age. Because cats age four times more rapidly than humans we recommend twice a year checks from 10 years of age on.
May 5, 2010
Senior health care
Why is it that dogs are taken to the vet twice as often as cats? Dogs average 2.3 visits per year while cats are only taken 1.1 times per year.
I don’t think it’s because their owners care less about them, but I also don’t think that they are inherently healthier!
Signs of illness in cats are often subtle. An unwell cat will often curl up away from you, reducing the chance of you noticing anything amiss. Cats pride themselves on their hardiness and self-reliance and are stoic in the face of chronic pain or illness.
Sometimes the only obvious sign of illness and pain is weight loss. Gradual loss of appetite and behaviour changes are harder to identify unless you are very observant.
Cats age FOUR times faster than us at equivalent ages. A 2-6 year old cat is in her prime. By 11 years of age she is starting to show signs of age but is not considered geriatric until 15. At 15 years of age she is equivalent to a 76 year old human. Many cats live up to 20 years with regular health checks and veterinary care.
To ensure that those years are healthy and happy we recommend an individualised preventative health care programme.
From about 10 years of age all cats deserve at least two wellness exams a year. This lets us detect and treat chronic diseases like bad teeth, failing kidneys, arthritis and hyperthyroidism early and reduce long term health care costs.
We will also discuss changing dietary requirements and any supplements that might improve your cat’s health and happiness.
Regular visits ensure that your cat’s quality of life is maintained and that she shares many comfortable and happy years with you.
I don’t think it’s because their owners care less about them, but I also don’t think that they are inherently healthier!
Signs of illness in cats are often subtle. An unwell cat will often curl up away from you, reducing the chance of you noticing anything amiss. Cats pride themselves on their hardiness and self-reliance and are stoic in the face of chronic pain or illness.
Sometimes the only obvious sign of illness and pain is weight loss. Gradual loss of appetite and behaviour changes are harder to identify unless you are very observant.
Cats age FOUR times faster than us at equivalent ages. A 2-6 year old cat is in her prime. By 11 years of age she is starting to show signs of age but is not considered geriatric until 15. At 15 years of age she is equivalent to a 76 year old human. Many cats live up to 20 years with regular health checks and veterinary care.
To ensure that those years are healthy and happy we recommend an individualised preventative health care programme.
From about 10 years of age all cats deserve at least two wellness exams a year. This lets us detect and treat chronic diseases like bad teeth, failing kidneys, arthritis and hyperthyroidism early and reduce long term health care costs.
We will also discuss changing dietary requirements and any supplements that might improve your cat’s health and happiness.
Regular visits ensure that your cat’s quality of life is maintained and that she shares many comfortable and happy years with you.
Mar 1, 2010
Teeth and tartar
A healthy mouth equals a happy, healthy cat. In nature cats hide pain so that predators and rivals cannot better them.
In our homes this is a huge disadvantage. We don't often look in our cats' mouths so we don't realise that they are hiding holes in their teeth, loose teeth, tartar or gum disease.
Cat's teeth are prone to decay at the gumline. Rough teeth gather plaque and tartar which rub against the gums and cause inflammation and infection, resulting in loose teeth.
Cat owners are often surprised when we recommend dental work for their cats They are even more surprised - and delighted! - at how happy and playful their cats are after bad teeth are removed and the remainder scaled and polished.
A good Australian pet dentistry site is:
Sydney Pet Dentistry
The staff at Hall Vet Surgery are happy to talk teeth any time.
In our homes this is a huge disadvantage. We don't often look in our cats' mouths so we don't realise that they are hiding holes in their teeth, loose teeth, tartar or gum disease.
Cat's teeth are prone to decay at the gumline. Rough teeth gather plaque and tartar which rub against the gums and cause inflammation and infection, resulting in loose teeth.
Cat owners are often surprised when we recommend dental work for their cats They are even more surprised - and delighted! - at how happy and playful their cats are after bad teeth are removed and the remainder scaled and polished.
A good Australian pet dentistry site is:
Sydney Pet Dentistry
The staff at Hall Vet Surgery are happy to talk teeth any time.
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