Broken teeth

catlove615

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About 5 months ago, during a vet visit because my cat's chin was swollen, my vet noticed some broken canines. My cat was given a shot of Convenia, which cleared up any inflammation and/or infection that caused the chin swelling. Today, my cat saw the vet because her chin was swollen again. During this visit, my vet noticed broken bottom incisors. My vet said this can be caused by chewing on something hard. However, I've never seen my cat chewing on anything at all (other than food). She's an indoor cat, and I'm home most of the time, so I think I would notice if she were chewing on anything. Her food would not be hard enough to cause this.

Has anyone had this happen with their cat or cats? At some point, my cat may have to have some extractions if it appears that they're needed, but I want to try to understand how this happened in the first place. My vet and I are perplexed.
 
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catlove615

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No x-rays. I forgot to mention that my vet noticed an ulceration in her bottom gums, but said it was not stomatitis. She wants to see if it will respond to the antibiotic. She said it could be viral, and not related to the broken incisors. I think x-rays are in the future.
 

Furballsmom

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You're right, there's got to be some reason for all those broken teeth, plus a possibly cut gum that ulcerated. Are there other people in the house?
 
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catlove615

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No one else. I have two other cats, and she does play pretty rough with one of them. But I don't see how bottom incisors could be broken during play. My vet may be correct that she's been chewing on something hard, but I have not seen it. I'm looking around the house for possible things she could be chewing on.
 
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catlove615

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That could be the key. I found articles about resorption of cats' teeth that causes weakness in the dental material, with resulting fractures among other things. One of my other cats lost most of her teeth to resorption before I adopted her. After I adopted her, my vet at the time noted that there were two more teeth that she was losing, so these two teeth were removed. Apparently, resorption is common in cats. It doesn't necessarily mean they lose all of their teeth.
 
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catlove615

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I looked over my vet records for the last 25 years (about 15 cats) and found several who had broken canines (the fangs) or where the canines fell out and the roots had to be removed. I didn't find anything in my records regarding broken incisors. This evening, I looked at the lower incisors of another one of my cats, and he has no lower incisors at all. He's 21 years old, so perhaps they have fallen out. But he recently had his annual exam and my vet didn't say anything about his missing incisors.
 
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catlove615

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Yes, I saw the vet look at his mouth. There was a comment that he could use a dental but that at his age, he was not a candidate. But there was no mention that his incisors were missing.
 
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catlove615

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My vet told me today that broken incisors won't cause a problem and that further evaluation or diagnostics aren't needed. This is different from everything I've read on vet clinic sites, even the site for this clinic. I may need to get a second opinion.
 

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catlove615

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Thank you. I had to look up the acronym FORL (resorption). I'll take a look at the link you provided.
 

Antonio65

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When you say that your cat's teeth broke, you mean that you can still see a piece of the broken tooth or they are broken at the gum line?

A feral cat of a colony that I rescued a couple of years ago lost all his teeth but the two upper canines. All teeth broke at the gum line and he had to have all the roots removed a few weeks ago.
The poor cat tested positive for calicivirus. The vets thought the virus was the culprit and caused his teeth to decay and break.
Even indoor cats may test positive to the virus, if they got infected before they were adopted and vaccinated.
 
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