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Ask the Veterinarian/bad teeth on a 6 mons old cat

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Expert: - 2/3/2011


Question
I noticed that my cat of 5-6 months has brown stained teeth and one of them has a bad crack that I can actually put my finger nail in. I do know that these teeth are not his permanent & will be falling out but is there any concern for any other diseases or medical problems?  I also checked his gum lines & they are a little red & seem irritated. I would like to get some more info on this before I bring him in to the vet & spend money that I really don't have.  Thank you for any advice.  Debby G

Answer
Brown stained teeth on a 6 month old cat usually means that the mother cat had taken some kind of antibiotic while she was pregnant. Kittens should never have teeth that look like what you are describing.

Their baby teeth are pure white, pointed and very slender. Cracked and broken teeth at this age is a sign of something not being right.

This type of gingivitis at this age is also not common unless the cat is teething. Cats lose their back molars at 4 months and their canines at 6 months- so the only teeth this cat should be losing are his canines.

This cat needs to be seen by a vet and tested for leukemia and have these teeth looked at soon. He should have already been vaccinated and hopefully tested at this age so all he needs is his teeth looked at.

Bad teeth like this need to be taken care of before worse things happen to his mouth. Bad teeth at any age bring in a host of organ diseases, such as kidney, heart and liver failure.

Call your vet and make an appointment soon.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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