| DENTAL CARE - FOR LIFE! Submitted Jan. 06' |
Dental health is a critical but often overlooked aspect of the overall health of our beloved
pixie-bobs. Many people cringe at the idea of brushing their cats teeth, but if a routine is started
early in kittenhood it can be just as simple as trimming nails or grooming the coat, and it has
even greater benefits! It's remarkable that dental care has been neglected for so long in our
feline family members. Imagine not brushing your own teeth for 15 years! Yet we all hope our
pixie-bobs will live at least that long. Poor dental care interferes with our relationships with our
pixie-bobs because it results in bad breath, making those little pixie-kisses a
less-than-pleasurable experience. Over time, it can result in tooth loss, diseases of the oral
cavity and of the surrounding structures of the head and face, and diseases of various organ
systems. Overall, inadequate dental care will diminish your relationship with your pixie-bob,
decrease their quality of life - especially in their later years - and will shorten their life span BY
SEVERAL YEARS!
Still not convinced of the importance of dental health? Consider the following oral health
problems that can be minimized with good dental care. Tooth loss and tooth-rot abscesses in
cats are common. Unfortunately they often go unnoticed for prolonged periods of time. I
recently treated a cat whose tooth root abcess had caused dramatic loss of bone throughout the
entire right lower jaw. The tissue of the right lower jaw crumbled away.
Lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis is an aberrant response of an individul cat to the bacteria
in its mouth. It causes painful, malodorous inflammation and ulcers of the oral cavity. In
exterme cases all teeth in the mouth have to be extracted. We don't yet understand all the
causes and different treatments have varying degrees of success, but in milder cases excellent
dental care to keep the bacteria in the mouth to a minimum can achieve disease remission and
preserve the teeth. We also find fractured crowns in the mouths of cats. These broken teeth
often have exposed dental pulp which is excruciatingly painful. Root canal, pulpectomy, or
extraction is urgent in these cases to prevent needless suffering. These are just a few examples
of conditions that can be prevented or palliated by good dental hygiene.
Dental care is also critical for overall health and longevity of our pixie-bobs. When calculus and
tarter build up around teeth, periodontal disease develops. Inflammation of the gingiva and
eventually loss of the teeth. When compromised tissues around the teeth start to bleed and/or
abscesses develop bacteria can be translocated (carried) to other parts of the body. Two of the
most commonly affected tissues are the kidney and the liver because of the high blood flow
through the organs. Bacteria from the teeth can even cause infection of the heart! Imagine
being able to prevent a major cause of liver, kidney , and heart disease in your treasured pet -
just by caring for its teeth!!
Brushing your pixie-bobs teeth daily is just one part of good dental care. It's also critical to
have a veterinarian check your pixie-bobs teeth regularly. The oral health of our beloved cats is
not easy to evaluate. They don't pant and we rarely get a good look at their mouths.
Furthermore, cats have evolved with strong instincts to hide any sign of weakness from us.
They can literally have a tooth root abscess so severe it causes the eye above it to bulge out,
yet not indicate to us they are in any pain. Sometimes the first sign of dental disease is a
decrease in appetite. Another sign is cat that picks dry food up in its mouth, then shakes its
head and/or drops the food, often over and over again. When these abnormal behaviors are
noticed, be sure to take your pixie-bob to see a veterinarian immediately.
Certain conditions, such as Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs), are probably
only going to be identified by a veterinary professional. In this disease, a process similar to that
causing osteoporosis in humans causes the surface of the tooth to actually resorb over time.
Little by little the tooth is eaten away. Recent studies indicate as many as 1/2 of all cats over 5
years of age may be affected, and it is extremely painful! Without a regular dental checkup,
you probably won't even know your pixie-bob is suffering from this pain day in and day out.
Now that you are convinced of the importance of excellent dental care, what should you do?
First, brush your pixie-bob's teeth daily. There are little brushes made just for cats. My
personal favorite is the rubber finger brush that fits over your finger tip and has ridges to brush
the teeth. Flavored toothpastes make the experience more enjoyable for your cat and can
potentiate the benefits of brushing. Once a day brushing is best, but even three times a week
can be beneficial. Dental diets, rinses, treats and toys have varying degrees of efficacy and
some can help reduce build-up of tarter. Annual dental check-ups by your veterinarian are just
as important for your pixie-bob as dental check-ups are for you, with dental cleaning, x-rays,
and treatment when needed. Dental health IS an achievable goal; the key is to start early, be
consistent, and maintain excellent dental care throughout life. The pay-off? Happier, healthier,
longer lives for our beloved pixie-bobs!!!
pixie-bobs. Many people cringe at the idea of brushing their cats teeth, but if a routine is started
early in kittenhood it can be just as simple as trimming nails or grooming the coat, and it has
even greater benefits! It's remarkable that dental care has been neglected for so long in our
feline family members. Imagine not brushing your own teeth for 15 years! Yet we all hope our
pixie-bobs will live at least that long. Poor dental care interferes with our relationships with our
pixie-bobs because it results in bad breath, making those little pixie-kisses a
less-than-pleasurable experience. Over time, it can result in tooth loss, diseases of the oral
cavity and of the surrounding structures of the head and face, and diseases of various organ
systems. Overall, inadequate dental care will diminish your relationship with your pixie-bob,
decrease their quality of life - especially in their later years - and will shorten their life span BY
SEVERAL YEARS!
Still not convinced of the importance of dental health? Consider the following oral health
problems that can be minimized with good dental care. Tooth loss and tooth-rot abscesses in
cats are common. Unfortunately they often go unnoticed for prolonged periods of time. I
recently treated a cat whose tooth root abcess had caused dramatic loss of bone throughout the
entire right lower jaw. The tissue of the right lower jaw crumbled away.
Lymphocytic-plasmacytic stomatitis is an aberrant response of an individul cat to the bacteria
in its mouth. It causes painful, malodorous inflammation and ulcers of the oral cavity. In
exterme cases all teeth in the mouth have to be extracted. We don't yet understand all the
causes and different treatments have varying degrees of success, but in milder cases excellent
dental care to keep the bacteria in the mouth to a minimum can achieve disease remission and
preserve the teeth. We also find fractured crowns in the mouths of cats. These broken teeth
often have exposed dental pulp which is excruciatingly painful. Root canal, pulpectomy, or
extraction is urgent in these cases to prevent needless suffering. These are just a few examples
of conditions that can be prevented or palliated by good dental hygiene.
Dental care is also critical for overall health and longevity of our pixie-bobs. When calculus and
tarter build up around teeth, periodontal disease develops. Inflammation of the gingiva and
eventually loss of the teeth. When compromised tissues around the teeth start to bleed and/or
abscesses develop bacteria can be translocated (carried) to other parts of the body. Two of the
most commonly affected tissues are the kidney and the liver because of the high blood flow
through the organs. Bacteria from the teeth can even cause infection of the heart! Imagine
being able to prevent a major cause of liver, kidney , and heart disease in your treasured pet -
just by caring for its teeth!!
Brushing your pixie-bobs teeth daily is just one part of good dental care. It's also critical to
have a veterinarian check your pixie-bobs teeth regularly. The oral health of our beloved cats is
not easy to evaluate. They don't pant and we rarely get a good look at their mouths.
Furthermore, cats have evolved with strong instincts to hide any sign of weakness from us.
They can literally have a tooth root abscess so severe it causes the eye above it to bulge out,
yet not indicate to us they are in any pain. Sometimes the first sign of dental disease is a
decrease in appetite. Another sign is cat that picks dry food up in its mouth, then shakes its
head and/or drops the food, often over and over again. When these abnormal behaviors are
noticed, be sure to take your pixie-bob to see a veterinarian immediately.
Certain conditions, such as Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs), are probably
only going to be identified by a veterinary professional. In this disease, a process similar to that
causing osteoporosis in humans causes the surface of the tooth to actually resorb over time.
Little by little the tooth is eaten away. Recent studies indicate as many as 1/2 of all cats over 5
years of age may be affected, and it is extremely painful! Without a regular dental checkup,
you probably won't even know your pixie-bob is suffering from this pain day in and day out.
Now that you are convinced of the importance of excellent dental care, what should you do?
First, brush your pixie-bob's teeth daily. There are little brushes made just for cats. My
personal favorite is the rubber finger brush that fits over your finger tip and has ridges to brush
the teeth. Flavored toothpastes make the experience more enjoyable for your cat and can
potentiate the benefits of brushing. Once a day brushing is best, but even three times a week
can be beneficial. Dental diets, rinses, treats and toys have varying degrees of efficacy and
some can help reduce build-up of tarter. Annual dental check-ups by your veterinarian are just
as important for your pixie-bob as dental check-ups are for you, with dental cleaning, x-rays,
and treatment when needed. Dental health IS an achievable goal; the key is to start early, be
consistent, and maintain excellent dental care throughout life. The pay-off? Happier, healthier,
longer lives for our beloved pixie-bobs!!!
| © Wild At Heart: The International Journal of the Pixie-Bob. All Rights Reserved |
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