Top 10 Signs Your Cat Has Oral Pain

How easy it would be if our cats could tell us when their teeth, gums or mouth hurt? In reality, cats are experts at hiding pain.

This instinctive behavior stems from their wild ancestry when any sign of weakness could mean the difference between life and death. While this is a great survival mechanism, it doesn’t benefit the modern-day cat in letting his people know when he needs help.

By the time a cat shows unmistakable signs of mouth pain, such as when your cat drools, medical or dental problems are usually well advanced. Caring cat owners must know the subtle signs of discomfort their cats display. The top 10 signs that your cat has oral pain include:

1. Bad Breath (halitosis). A strong or offensive mouth odor — as opposed to normal “kitty breath” — indicates that something is amiss in your cat’s mouth. Problems can include periodontal disease, tooth resorption, infection, cancer or any number of mouth, tooth or gum disorders, all of which are likely to cause pain.

2. Difficulty eating (dysphagia) or loss of appetite. This can present as avoidance of dry food, chewing on only one side of the mouth, dropping food from the mouth while eating (called quidding), or vomiting unchewed food.

3. Drooling (ptyalism) — especially if the drool (or your cat’s water dish) is tinged with blood.

4. Chattering (when the jaw shakes or quivers) when a cat eats, washes his face or grooms.

5. Pawing at the mouth or rubbing his face against the floor or a wall.

6. Excessive yawning or teeth grinding (bruxism). If oral pain is severe enough the cat might have difficulty closing his mouth.

7. Head shaking or exhibiting a head tilt.

8. Decrease in grooming or avoidance of grooming all together.

9. Pulling away or meowing when touched or petted near the mouth.

10. Changes in normal behavior, which can range from growling and aggressiveness to hiding and avoiding people.

Many pet parents don’t realize their cat has mouth pain, they just sense that Whiskers isn’t acting like himself. That’s why paying attention to your cat’s behavior and habits — in addition to regular home dental care and annual dental checkups by your veterinarian — is essential for monitoring your cat’s oral health.

Familiarity with your cat’s mouth — and his behavior — can alert you to problems that need to be treated by your veterinarian before they become major issues.

Source: CatChannel.com

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