Question:
My cat (7 years) suffers from chronic gingivitus according to my vet and I
consider having her teeth extracted.Does anyone have experience with this
problem?
Answer:
There is a poster here whose cat had to have his teeth extracted...I understand
he did remarkably well. Apparently he's still a piggish eater, just like he
always was, and didn't seem to suffer too much post-surgery. He has actually
gained weight since.
I think she means my Grant. He is 5 and had all his back teeth extracted in
December due to chronic gingivitus. I had a hard time finding people with
this experience, though it is not an uncommon procedure. My vet has
purchased a special instrument for extractions and went to a symposium
devoted to dental problems and the extraction procedure which really
convinced her that trying to control the problem with steroids and
anti-biotics is not as beneficial. Grant spent two days in hospital for the
operation and observation. He had to eat soft foods for a while. It was
supposed to be at least a week, but ended up being more like 4 days. He was
very hungry and for the first couple of days I gave him tuna juice with baby
cereal mixed into it to fill his tummy. Then we went to canned food (which
is hard because there is little that he likes) and he ate dry food again
with in a week (although I suggest getting a small kibble form of dry food
like Royal Canin or even Purina One, if you feed them dry.)
I didn't realize that full extractions do not mean the front teeth (unless
there is an extreme problem). The canines have deep roots that go very close
to the delicate sinus cavities. Usually, there isn't a problem up front.
The problem is back teeth on the outside pocket. Inside, the rough tongue
keeps the teeth pretty clean, but on the outside that pocket by the cheek is
a breeding ground for plaque and bacteria. Many cats are allergic to their
own bacteria (a current theory that is gaining acceptance among vets).
The only thing I have noticed since the op is that he will sit in relaxation
with his mouth open just a little. I suppose it's kind of wierd not having
those teeth back there. But he is very happy otherwise it seems. He does
dribble a tad drinking water nothing big though. It was well worth the
operation IMO.
I have a 10 year old tabby who just had a full mouth extraction
(everything behind the canines) this past week. For the past 3 years,
Mau has had regular dentals and has always had one or two teeth pulled.
He was on antibiotic pulse therapy (antibiotic drops the first 5 days of
every month), too. However, it had been less than a year since his last
dental when I noticed he was having trouble eating his canned food, he
was pawing at his mouth and had started drooling more often. When the
vet examined him she said that all his back teeth were bad and that's
when we decided to go for the major extractions. Up until this point,
whenever he had a checkup, it was only one or two teeth that were bad.
Within 15 minutes of bringing him home, he wanted dinner. He had to
wait till the evening and that first evening he would eat a few bites,
wait a while, come back for a few more bites, until all his food was
gone. From the second day on he's been doing just fine, eating well and
I think he may have even forgiven me by now for bringing him in for this
procedure.
My vet said that in rare cases, the canines will also be affected by the
chronic gingivits but that she hasn't seen that very often. Hopefully
this will be the end of Mau's problems.
