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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Oral Hygiene A Primer on Kitty Cavities


Cats don’t get cavities like we humans do. Instead, they develop feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORLs), also known as a neck lesions or feline cavities. Unlike human cavities, cat cavities aren’t caused by decay on the surface of the tooth; they occur when bone-eating cells actually destroy the tooth starting at the gum line and down into the root.
 
FORLs can be hard to see because they get covered with calculus or gum tissue, but they cause a great deal of pain. Siamese and Persian breeds tend to be more susceptible to FORLs. Treatment generally consists of surgery to remove the affected teeth. If your cat starts having difficulty eating or if you notice broken teeth, take your cat to the vet right away.
Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people.
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Originally posted: June 8th, 2011
by JaneA Kelley, Paws and Effect



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