Cats and Gum Disease

by Cheryl Waterman, CVPM

Questions:
• What is the No. 1 disease seen in general veterinary practice?
• What’s the most under diagnosed and untreated disease seen in veterinary?

Let me give you a clue, the answer is the same for both questions! It is periodontal disease.

85% of Cats Affected
Unfortunately, periodontal disease affects 85% of all cats older than 3, according to the American Animal Veterinary Dental Society. Yet only about 1% of affected cats receive proper dental care, according to the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) Compliance Study. And, unfortunately, the diagnosis and control of this disease is often the ONE BIG THING that can make a difference in your cat’s overall health and well-being.

Your Responsibility
Your first responsibility, as a good cat owner, is to make certain that your veterinarian is doing a thorough and complete oral assessment during your cat’s annual or semi-annual wellness exam. He or she should be able to give you an assessment ranging from Grade 1 through 4, as to the level of dental disease in your cat’s mouth. No. 1 being the mildest gingivitis to No. 4 being extreme periodontal disease with a need for extractions. If your veterinarian is not checking your cat’s mouth, ask him or her to do it and to give you some type of assessment.

It Is A Big Deal
You may ask “why is this such a big deal?”  It’s a “big deal” because periodontal disease plays a huge part in your cat’s overall health. It can have a strong negative effect on not only your cat’s ability to eat pain-free and his breath, but on his or her essential internal organs, such as heart, kidneys, and liver. Unchecked plaque in your cat’s mouth (as in your own) allows harmful bacteria to flourish and overgrow, which causes periodontal disease.
These harmful bacteria enter the bloodstream through lesions in your cat’s gums. And the worst thing about it is that it doesn’t always take the presence of advanced disease for this to take place. Of course, once in the bloodstream, these bacteria travel throughout the body, and can have an extremely harmful impact on your cat’s organs. Kidney disease, heart disease and liver disease are all things we want to avoid, if at all possible.

A Huge Impact On A Cat’s Health
To illustrate my point that dental health is so important, I want to share a story that Dr. Schomacker shared with me recently. As we all know, cats are extremely stoic animals and do not show symptoms or pain, even when they may feel really bad. This particular patient was new to our clinic, and in fact, had not seen a veterinarian in quite some time. The owner apologized for her kitty’s grumpy behavior, saying that he used to be great, but since he’d gotten older he was getting very grumpy. (By the way, we don’t look at old age as a disease.)
Dr. Schomacker wasn’t concerned, she’s used to unhappy patients, however, she actually wasn’t able to examine him without using a little gas anesthesia. Once she was able to proceed and began the examination, Dr. Schomacker, starting at the tip of his nose. She opened his mouth and there she found that he not only had severe periodontal disease, but 8-9 teeth needed to be extracted. (A panoramic x-ray would show us exactly what was going on beneath the gum line and clarify any questionable need for extractions.)
The owner felt bad that they hadn’t known he needed the procedure, and promptly made the appointment for the dentistry and extractions. The procedure was done and the owner was scheduled to bring her cat in for a follow-up exam. Upon seeing that this kitty, which had been totally untouchable, was coming in for his follow-up post dental appointment, Dr. Schomacker was somewhat concerned.
We really don’t like to have to anesthetize a patient for just a follow-up. However, when the owner arrived with her kitty and Dr. Schomacker went into the exam room (expecting the worst), Mr. Grumpy had turned into Mr. Sweetie. He was walking around the room with his tail up, and immediately walked over and began rubbing against Dr. Schomacker’s legs. The difference in his attitude? He was no longer in, what must have been, horrendous pain! She was able to examine his mouth with no problem whatsoever.

Story Speaks for Itself
The above story speaks for itself. I cannot stress this point enough, if your kitty hasn’t had a thorough oral exam in the past year, do him or her a favor, make an appointment and get them into your veterinarian as soon as possible. You will thank yourself, and your faithful companion will be very grateful that he or she isn’t in pain any longer. And, most important, your cat will be living a healthier, happier life.


Cheryl Waterman is the Hospital Administrator at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County and a long-time cat lover. She has been with the Clinic for the past 13 years, and in 2007 received Certification in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) designation. She is a member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. You can contact her directed at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County, (913) 541-0478.