Q. I have a 5 1/2 year old cat that has had all but 4 of his teeth removed due to what the vet said was an allergic reaction to the enamel on his teeth. He has since lost two of those 4 on the right side of his mouth.
He is still eating his dry food and I puree his canned tuna with a little water, but what I want to know is if there is some type of liquid supplement that I can add to his food to make sure he stays healthy?
A. The condition you refer to is a common dental ailment of cats called cervical liner erosions or neck lesions.
It is like a cavity that forms just below the gum line and causes the bone to re-absorb the tooth roots. Many cats suffer with this painful condition until all of the teeth are extracted.
Good management includes regular veterinary care, excellent nutrition, and frequent dental cleanings with extractions as needed and home care.
If your cat allows you to look at his teeth you will likely be able to get him used to gentle massage of the guns with a cotton tipped applicator. This disturbs the plaque film and reduces the bacteria that infect the gums during the process.
Wiping the gums like this should be done daily and often a solution can be prescribed by your veterinarian to put on the applicator once he/she gets used to it. I do not recommend brushes as they are too rough on painful inflamed gums.
Don't worry about the ability to eat - less teeth with less pain is better than a painful infected mouth to eat with. If you feed a high quality canned food very little or no chewing is needed at all.
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