Cat question??

[birthdaybunnie]

I noticed the other day that my male Himalayan cat had lost one of his upper canine teeth. He is 13 or 14 years old and I know his time is limited. He is inside and sleeps alot. Just this last year I let him roam the country because he loves it. I was wondering if this is common for older cats to shed teeth?

[dream member]

Hmmm - I'm not sure...maybe check with the vet? My dog lost some teeth...but she isn't that old - only about 4 years....I think she got into a spat with another dog. The vet said she'd be ok and that she can go without the tooth. It's one of her bottom canines..poor girlie...i have informed her she is now a trailor park doggie! :)

[jmb]

I noticed the other day that my male Himalayan cat had lost one of his upper canine teeth. He is 13 or 14 years old and I know his time is limited. He is inside and sleeps alot. Just this last year I let him roam the country because he loves it. I was wondering if this is common for older cats to shed teeth?

birthdaybunnie, I have a cat that's 17 or 18 and she hasn't lost any teeth at all. I also have a cat that is at least 10 and has only one tooth left in her mouth but she was a stray and in bad health when we took her in. I wouldn't call it normal for them to lose teeth. Normally there's an underlying cause such as infection. Usually if there is infection in the mouth or gums, their breath has a terrible odor.

[58ford]

I soooo misinterpreted the title of this thread.

[Ted]

I noticed the other day that my male Himalayan cat had lost one of his upper canine teeth. He is 13 or 14 years old and I know his time is limited. He is inside and sleeps alot. Just this last year I let him roam the country because he loves it. I was wondering if this is common for older cats to shed teeth?Hi BDB. :smt001

From my experience, it's not a common thing even for older cats.
My old TomBuddy hung out with me for nearly 20 years and he had all his teeth right to the end.

The usual cause is a broken tooth - especially the canines of a male.
Cats can get gingivitis and eventually loose teeth.
The gums should be pink - same as ours - not red and inflamed.

[birthdaybunnie]

I soooo misinterpreted the title of this thread.

Ha Ha,,,,,move it to after hours!!:laugh: