Maxwell Update + Vimtag Winner

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers for Maxie yesterday as he had his annual dental cleaning.

Unlike us humans, a feline dental is usually done under anesthesia, so it's a bit more involved and causes a bit more concern than a human's trip to the dentist!

And this time, it became especially worrisome when we received a call after they had Maxie anesthetized and began to see exactly what they were dealing with.

Maxwell has a condition our veterinarian is convinced was exacerbated by Maxie's poor health as a kitten. Although veterinary medicine has been unable to prove the link between chronic respiratory infections and stomatitis, our doctor has seen far too many to believe it's mere coincidence.

And Maxwell had it all as a kitten: he fought respiratory infections, calicivirus and kennel cough, along with all the ear issues we recently told you about.

Allie: Hrmpf. I had to endure the vet yesterday too, but no one's asking how I fared! I think I'll just leave.

Some day, our boy will be completely toothless. Yesterday, he lost three more. (they wanted to take 4 teeth, but decided to wait and watch the fourth one.)

And two of them were A Big Deal.

The left lower fang (or canine) had severe bone erosion and had abscessed. Despite Marty's persistent attempts to argue for keeping it, eventually he was even convinced it had to come out.

Maxie, this morning. He's on buprenorphine for pain, but otherwise acting like his usual cheerful self.

Taking a lower canine in a feline can be a very challenging thing, and can end with a fractured jaw. Just ask CHo over at Naked and Hungry blog - it happened to her "naked" sphynx cat Jake when the last of his teeth came out.

Our veterinarian, Dr. Eberhardy, told us late yesterday afternoon that Maxie had provided his dental challenge for the month - he said he was sweating bullets during the careful procedure ... but all went well.

The other Big Deal was the big molar in the back. Historically, we've had issues with these incisions getting infected in Faraday and Allie, so we're watching it carefully.

All 3 teeth were on Maxie's lower left side, so he's pretty bare over there now!

How's he feeling? We'll let him tell you himself. ;-)

 
***
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
.

Rafflecopter has spoken, and the winner is:

Concatulations to Sharla, Angel and Isabella over at Beaded Tail!

***

Update on Allie

Today our little princess had her very first dental cleaning ever.  I (wrongly) assured her it would be a piece of cake.

And it was, to begin with. The veterinarian told us it was a total breeze: very little plaque, and as easy as could be...until they got to the very last tooth.

That's when we began to feel like we were in the movie Groundhog Day: she,too, had tooth resorption. And it was the very worst kind - almost 100% of the roots of her back molar had been reabsorbed into the bone.

These back molars are the most difficult to extract, and Allie is going to be on pain medication for a few days (Bupronorphine, a morphine derivative for cats). And antibiotics, to stave off infection.

Poor little girl. She didn't have much fun today.

Monday Medical: Pet Dental Health Month

As you may have already heard, February is Pet Dental Health Month.

Did you know that many experts believe dental disease is the number one disease seen by veterinarians? Almost all adult dogs and cats have some form of it.

Inflamed gums around fang & molars from plaque
Photo: Marco d'Itri via Creative Commons 2.0

Over 75% of cats who have their teeth cleaned suffer from tooth resorption and over 80% of dogs over age 5 have periodontal disease. And tartar buildup is common to both.

Why cats are prone to tooth resorption while dogs are more impacted by periodontal disease is a mystery.

Tooth resorption sounds almost like an autoimmune disease: the cat’s own cells attack and wear away at his tooth until it is destroyed. The cause is unknown.

Periodontal disease in pets is the same as it is in humans: inflammation around the tooth where the gums pull away and form infected pockets that begin to break down the bone and connective tissue that holds teeth in place.

Needless to say…both are bad for your pet!

There’s this odd phenomenon that occurs when talking about tooth care – and it happens to both humans and pets. People tend to place less importance on dental care than they do basic medical care.

Why is this so? It’s odd, but we tend to forget that our mouth is connected to our body. Most people don’t consider that bacteria thriving in tooth decay can enter the bloodstream and infect critical organs such as the heart, liver or kidneys.

That’s true both for people and for pets.

In older cats especially, oral infections can have a damaging impact on the kidneys. And by the way, renal failure (kidney disease)? It's irreversible. Unlike humans, dialysis is not readily available as a treatment option for failing kidneys, and it's very difficult to administer. And though there have been successful kidney transplants in cats, it's expensive and comes with its own set of complications. Bottom line: help keep your cat's kidneys healthy by keeping his teeth healthy.

Good dental care isn’t that difficult if approached properly, and Dr. Jean Hofve of Little Big Cat has outlined a good five-step plan to get your cat used to daily brushing that works – if you commit to sticking with it. And there are additives you can put in your pet's drinking water that help fight plaque and are Veterinary Oral Health Care approved.

In addition, annual (and depending on the breed, sometimes twice-annual) professional cleaning can work to prevent major dental catastrophes down the line as your pet ages.

Have you ever scheduled a dental cleaning for your pet? Now might be an excellent time to do so, as many veterinarians offer discounts on routine cleaning during February, in honor of Pet Dental Heath Month.

Ours does, and Faraday and Maxwell both have appointments this month.


Next week: One DVM goes
dental (that's dental, not mental!)
over your pets and their teeth. 

____________
Sources:

Little Big Cat: Dentistry for Cats
Animal Medical Center: Dentistry
Trupanion Insurance: Breeds that commonly suffer Respiratory Distress
Ped Meds Online: Tonkinese Health Issues
Underlying Causes of Tooth Resorption
National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research: on peridontitis