My cats gums are pink but get pretty red right at the gum lines. I mean one of my cats has the normal (I think) sort of pink ribbon on his gums right above/below his teeth but my other kitty has a "ribbon" above/below his teeth that is a bright red. I know this sounds like I am being ignorant but seriously is this something I should be worried about?
2007-07-25 18:55:59 · 6 answers · asked by fluffybunny 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
Yes, it is definitely something to be worried about. My shelter kitty has the same problem. When I first adopted him, I started brushing his teeth about 4 times per week, which seemed to help a little. After awhile though I noticed a little bit of bleeding in the very back of his mouth and decided it was time to have have it looked at by his vet. Apparently the seemingly healthy kitten I adopted had came with a bad case of periodontal disease :( His vet told me it'd be a good idea to have his teeth cleaned (the vet does this under anesthesia). It turns out that 4 of his back teeth were so bad, they had to be extracted while the vet had him under for his cleaning.
Anyway, definitely start brushing your cat's teeth (if you don't already) and I'd also take him to the vet soon. If his gums and teeth aren't too bad, maybe he'll just need a cleaning every now and then. My cat needs to have his teeth cleaned once every year and will probably end up losing most of them when he gets older (this is what the vet tells me). I hope your kitty's gums aren't as bad :) Good luck.
Here's a great website that explains periodontal disease well: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1371&articleid=378
2007-07-25 21:16:30 · answer #1 · answered by Lisa Marie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like start of gum disease. Probably a good idea to start brushing your kitty's teeth at night. It is very easy to do, just restrain the kitty and get a finger toothbrush and kitty toothpaste (never use human), and all you have to do is a couple soft swipes to get any food stuck on the teeth and gums off, and to gently rub the gums -- just as we take care of our own teeth. If a kitty gets a mouth infection, it can spread into the system and cause worse illness later like internal infections. And, you may face a $300 cleaning if you cant get the gums and teeth back in line with brushing -- and it is very easy to improve their teeth with very gentle and easy brushing. If you are worried there is an infection now you can get a check up, but you can also try brushing for a couple weeks to see if it improves. good luck! PS, the cleaning is worth it, so you may want to do that and then start brushing, that is what I did.
2007-07-25 19:05:08 · answer #2 · answered by boncarles 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's called gingivitis, it's inflamed edgings of the gums where the teeth meet them. Not good, and should be checked just in case a tooth is decaying or causing ulcerated tissue.
2007-07-25 19:12:41 · answer #3 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely NOT normal. Your cat needs to go to the vet NOW. I have seen several animals lately that have had terrible anemia due to fleas and/or hookworms. Do not wait until tomorrow. The other vet that works with me had a puppy come in the other night that was so anemic that it died before he could even start treatment.
2016-05-18 22:43:38 · answer #4 · answered by blanch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feline dental problems can become quite serious. I neglected my cat`s gum problem and sadly all the teeth on his bottom jaw have fallen out. It`s a real problem. all his food has to be soft enough to lick up.
Get it checked out at your veterinarian`s.
2007-07-25 19:05:16 · answer #5 · answered by Daniel S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sounds like gingivitis. take your kitty to the vet, she probably needs her teeth cleaned.
2007-07-25 19:02:25 · answer #6 · answered by bob © 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋