Why do cats lose their fangs?

When do kittens' baby teeth change?

Kittens' teeth begin to change between three and four months of age.
Sometimes this process can be delayed even up to five months of age. In any case, it will begin sooner or later, but the sooner it ends, the better. This is due to the peculiarities of the formation of the animal’s jaw. When baby teeth are replaced late by molars, the bite may develop incorrectly. During the period of changing teeth, the kitten becomes restless, begins to meow and in every possible way demonstrate to the owner that he is experiencing discomfort. At the same time, he begins to chew absolutely everything that is within reach: wires, books, children's toys, pencils, the backs of chairs and even the hands of the owners.

When a kitten shows signs of replacing baby teeth with molars, it needs to be provided with proper nutrition. Try to give your pet maximum attention during this time, never deny yourself the pleasure of cuddling and stroking him. This will help your child get through a difficult period easier.

If not all of your pet's baby teeth have fallen out, and the growth of the molars is already coming to an end, it is best to contact your veterinarian to have them removed.

Cats teeth

With rare exceptions, kittens are born without teeth. At 1-2 weeks, their first baby teeth begin to erupt. By the age of two months, their set, as a rule, is already complete. Normally, their change to permanent ones begins around three months. If the kitten is healthy, then this period proceeds quite easily and unnoticed.

A set of permanent teeth in an adult domestic cat consists of 30 pieces. Among them:

• the front ones, called incisors, there are 6 of them on each jaw;
• 2 fangs on top and bottom;
• 3 premolars on the upper jaw and 2 on the lower jaw on each side;
• 2 molars on each jaw.

By the age of 6-8 months they completely change. This is an individual process, occurring in its own way not only in different breeds of cats, but also in each individual. For some, it is completely completed only by a year, or even later. In some breeds, canines can grow up to 1.5 years.

How many teeth should an adult cat or kitten normally have?

The number of teeth in mature representatives of this family does not depend on gender, age and breed. Some people mistakenly think that tooth loss in older animals is normal.

However, even in old age this should not happen, otherwise we are talking about some internal or external problem. Adult healthy cats and cats have 30 teeth, each of which performs a specific function.

Information about this is presented in the table:

In these animals, a phenomenon such as pseudopolyodontia is occasionally observed - an increase in the number of teeth due to the loss of milk teeth. The veterinarian solves this problem. Due to a congenital anomaly or some disease, a cat may have incomplete dentition.

How many teeth does an adult cat have?

A healthy adult cat has the following types of dents:

1. Incisors: small teeth located on the front of the mouth. Each jaw has 6 incisors, a total of 12. Necessary for catching prey, as well as holding it. These are the most vulnerable parts of the mouth. They are held in place by one shallow root and are the first to fall out with age.
2. The fangs are designed to tear prey apart. They are bordered by rows of incisors. The total number is 4. They are held in the jaws by one buried root.
3. Premolars, otherwise known as small molars. Located on the sides of the fangs. There are 4 of them on the upper jaw, 6 on the lower jaw, 10 in total. Designed for gnawing and chewing solid food. They sit firmly in the jaws on two or three roots.
4. On each side of the small molars there is one large one. Their main purpose is chewing. The top one is supported by one spine, the bottom one by two. Total 4.

Be sure to read:
How cats treat people: 4 ways, basic rules, what breeds, what diseases they get rid of

Therefore, a healthy cat should have 30 dents in total. As a result of a congenital anomaly or disease, a cat's mouth may not have a complete set, which becomes the cause of disease. Pseudopolyodontia occurs very rarely when the number of dents exceeds 30. The permanent teeth have erupted, but the milk teeth do not want to fall out. The problem is solved by a veterinary dentist.

Anomalies in the development of the dentition

Dental abnormalities in cats have been less studied than in dogs. But a sufficient number of possible anomalies of the dentition and bite in cats have been described:

• Oligodontia is an abnormal development of the dentition, in which one or more teeth are missing. Primary and secondary oligodontia are diagnosed. In the primary case, the tooth germ is reabsorbed as a result of injury or disease. Secondary oligodontia is the loss of teeth that have already appeared. A variant of the norm is the absence of a second premolar of the upper dental arcade in a cat. This anomaly occurs in almost half of cats. In representatives of the Siamese and Oriental breeds, permanent canines may be completely absent or develop almost imperceptibly.
• Polydontia – duplication of teeth. This anomaly is very rare. False polydontia, a delayed loss of baby teeth, is more common. In order not to disturb the position of permanent teeth, retained milk teeth must be removed.
• Convergence is when teeth are too close in a row and overlap each other. In this case, the dentition shifts, the natural cleaning of the teeth is disrupted, and caries occurs.
• Retention is an anomaly in which the roots of the teeth are located far from each other.
• Progenia or “underbite” is a malocclusion that occurs due to underdevelopment of the lower jaw. A pronounced degree of progeny is considered if the teeth of the lower jaw extend beyond the upper row by more than 2 mm. With this anomaly, injury to the lower fangs of the palate is possible.
• Prognathia or overshot – observed when the upper jaw is underdeveloped. The upper row of teeth overlaps the lower one. If the closure discrepancy is more than 2 mm, then the degree of anomaly is severe. This malocclusion interferes with the normal grasping of food and its grinding.
• Twist is a misalignment of the jaws caused by a violation of the location of individual bones of the facial skeleton. Most often, the anomaly occurs in representatives of the Persian, Scottish, Burmese, and British breeds.

Malocclusions are grounds for disqualifying a cat. Violation of the composition of the dentition and malocclusion lead to dental diseases. Healthy cat teeth should be free of stains, tartar, chips and cavities. In order to monitor the health of a cat's teeth, the owner must know the signs of their pathology.

Cat teeth: 5 interesting facts

Theory ALL ARTICLES 31740

Our gentle and fluffy cats are born hunters. That's why they have such predatory teeth and terrifying fangs. Here are five interesting facts about cat teeth.

The age of a kitten can be determined by its teeth.

Like our children, kittens experience a complete change of teeth. The first “set” of twenty-six baby teeth appears between two and four weeks of age. These teeth do not last long: at three to four months of age they are replaced by permanent teeth, with which cats live for the rest of their lives. An adult cat has thirty teeth in its mouth.

Cat teeth are sharpened for meat.

In humans and other ruminant animals (cows, horses), molars have a flat surface. This is necessary in order to grind plant foods and chew dense fibers. Cats' molars are triangular and sharp. They are designed to cut meat from bones and cut it into small pieces in the mouth. The cat does not chew pieces of meat, but swallows them whole. A cat's lower jaw can only move vertically - down and up. That's enough for her. And people and herbivores can move their jaw from side to side. That's why we can chew salads, but cats cannot.

The cat's front teeth are a comb.

A cat's front incisors are ideal grooming tools. With their help, a cat can gnaw out tangles, fleas, and parts of plants that got caught in the fur during a walk.

Cats also get tooth decay.

In humans, caries (a hole in the tooth) usually begins on the chewing surface of the tooth and gradually deepens. But cat caries - more precisely, resorptive damage to the bone tissue of teeth - develops on the neck of the tooth or on the root, under the gum line. Therefore, dental disease in cats is difficult to notice. This disease can last for years and lead to complete tooth destruction. This is why it is so important to monitor the health of your cats’ gums and be very attentive to the first signs of their diseases – gingivitis and periodontitis.

Cats also have toothache.

A cat with bad teeth does not show its pain in any way, but this does not mean that it is not in pain at all. In fact, a cat with a bad tooth suffers in the same way as a person, and only instinct prevents it from demonstrating its suffering. So take the time to regularly check the condition of your cat's gums and give her cleaning treats!

health

Comments ()

1. Lyudmila Kuzmenko(Kulikova) February 15, 2021, 15:43 0
   Poor cats with bad teeth...

Log in to leave a comment

Use your social network account:

GoogleFacebookVkontakteMailruYandex

Dental problems and methods for solving them

Unfortunately, cats, like people, are familiar with the dentist. Despite their seemingly healthy lifestyle in comfortable conditions, or perhaps because of it, they are tormented by caries. Over time, teeth lose their whiteness, become covered with plaque, and tartar forms, leading to their loss. Sometimes the fault lies with the owners themselves. By feeding our beloved pet soft pastes and limiting solid food, we deprive him of his usual tools for cleaning plaque. In nature, when hunting and gnawing on prey, cats automatically brush their teeth and maintain the balance of microflora in their mouth.

Solid foods, such as dry food, can help prevent tartar buildup in cats.

But it is not necessary to take your cat out hunting if problems are detected. We can help our furry friends ourselves. It is necessary to constantly examine the animal’s mouth, and at the first sign of any violations, contact a specialist.

A proper diet or special hard treats will prevent the formation of tartar. And of course, brushing teeth should be mandatory for your pet. In this case, not our human toothpastes are used, but special ones - with a trust-inspiring smell and taste (fish, chicken or something else that tailed animals might like). A cat, like a person, must be accustomed to this procedure from childhood, then it will become, although not the most pleasant, familiar.

Brushing your cat's teeth will prevent tartar from forming.

If you are unable to brush your pet’s teeth at home, then you will have to go to the veterinary clinic. There, dental plaque is removed using ultrasound using a special device - an ultrasonic scaler. The amplitude and frequency of vibrations are selected on it, allowing you to easily remove tartar from the surface of the tooth without damaging the enamel. Although this is painless for pets, it is still quite unpleasant. And if a loving owner could not convince the cat to brush its teeth, then the doctor, valuing his life, will not even try to carry out such procedures without anesthesia. The price of a snow-white smile will be severe stress for your pet, not to mention a bill from the clinic.

Does your mustache fall out?

Cats' whiskers change all the time. Whisker loss is completely normal and should not cause any concern for cat owners. If such a hair falls out, another one will definitely grow in its place. But you should be wary if the following situations arise :

• complete loss of whiskers after molting,
• rapid loss of mustache,
• hair fragility.

In most cases, cats change their whiskers without any pathologies. But sometimes a veterinarian's consultation is required. Perhaps the animal lacks some substances or is sick. It is worth knowing that a cat without a mustache completely loses its “navigation system.” This makes the pet helpless. An animal in this state can be compared to a person who has lost his glasses. In this case, the cat will not only hunt poorly, but may fall into a sewer hatch, scratch its eyes, and become disoriented. For this reason, it is better not to temporarily let cats that have problems with their whiskers go outside.

Development and appearance of baby teeth

Newborn kittens have absolutely no teeth, otherwise the mother risks being bitten while feeding.

Milk teeth, like those of children, fall out in kittens at a certain age.

The first of them erupt already in the second week of the kitten’s life. First, the incisors come out, and the kitten’s fangs appear within 3-4 weeks. The kitten manages to acquire all its milk teeth by 2-3 months, and sometimes earlier. At this point, he can already chew small pieces of meat on his own.

Note! Dairy, unlike permanent, have greater sharpness and subtlety at the base. Molar cat teeth are not thinned at the gums

Then, after 3-4 months, the kitten rapidly changes its milk teeth to molars. Often this process goes unnoticed by the owner, because the kitten’s teeth are very small. Sometimes he can swallow a lost tooth; this is not dangerous to his health.

CAT TEETH: CHART OF THE STRUCTURE OF TEETH IN CATS

The arrangement of teeth in cats, like all felines, is paired, sharp, intended for predators to hunt.

TEETH OF DOMESTIC CATS

The teeth of domestic cats and their arrangement are no different from the teeth of purebred kittens. For example, the teeth of British cats are arranged schematically in the same way as those of all other cats.

STRUCTURE OF A CAT'S TEETH IN THE PHOTO

Cats' teeth also require care and regular veterinary examinations; if the problem is not noticed in time, serious problems can arise. Take care of your pets!

Reasons for loss

Examining your pet's oral cavity will help you find out not only whether all the teeth are in place, but also in what condition they are. To do this, the pet is placed on a well-lit, stable table. A quick inspection only takes a minute or two. Most pets are comfortable with this procedure.

But before you open your cat's mouth, inspect its face for swelling. Often a broken upper fourth premolar will cause an abscess that can spread to the area under the eye. Fractures of the upper canines (or eye teeth) can also cause swelling of the upper part of the nose. Next, feel your neck below your ears. Abnormal swelling of this area may occur due to infection, cancer, or inflammation.

The main causes of tooth loss are:

1. The natural aging process of a pet. Compared to humans, cats have better dental apparatus: a thicker protective layer of enamel and less destructive saliva. Cat food contains no sugar, and food particles are less likely to get stuck between teeth. And yet, as they age, they lose teeth. Cats usually adapt quickly to tooth loss and can cope with food even if some or all of their incisors are missing. Some cats can still eat dry food even if all their teeth have fallen out.
2. Changing teeth in kittens. As a rule, the absence of a tooth does not cause any inconvenience to the baby.
3. Oral diseases. Lack of regular cleaning can lead to loose teeth and periodontal disease. Due to the accumulation of bacterial byproducts on the gums, the bone that holds the teeth in their sockets is destroyed. The teeth begin to loosen. Not only does this make it inconvenient for your cat to eat, but she may end up with loose teeth. The incisors are usually affected before the back teeth.

In addition, a cat can lose teeth by grabbing something hard or in a fight with other animals (cats, dogs). Also, the cause of tooth loss can be injury (fall from a height, blow to the jaw).

Stomatitis

There is growing evidence that various organs of the body can be affected by bacteria and toxins that enter the body through the bloodstream from the mouth. Chronic inflammation in a pet's mouth can cause problems such as elevated liver enzymes, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.

Causes of loss of fangs

Loss of teeth, including fangs, can have several causes:

• physiological – natural change of baby teeth to permanent ones;
• age-related – tooth loss caused by degenerative processes in the aging body;
• pathological – tooth loss occurs as a result of pathology of the tooth crown, gums or trauma.

Natural change of teeth is a temporary process. In the wild, the female helps feed during this period.

Physiological change of teeth

Kittens are born toothless and feed on their mother's milk until their first teeth appear. First, the incisors erupt, and this happens at the age of 1-2 weeks. Then after 3-4 weeks the canines appear and after 6-8 weeks the premolar teeth finish erupting. Babies have no molars. By 2 months, the kitten should have 26 baby teeth. They are whiter and thinner than permanent ones.

The replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones begins at the age of 3.5-5.5 months. The procedure is the same as for teething:

• 3.5-5.5 months. – incisors;
• 5.5-6.5 months. – fangs;
• 4.0-5.0 months. – pre-radical.

Molars appear in babies at the age of 5-6 months. By 7 months, the physiological change of teeth should be completely completed. But in some cases it drags on for up to 9 months.

In females, the replacement of milk teeth begins later than in males.

An adult cat's complete dental formula is:

• 12 incisors - 6 pieces each on the lower and upper jaws;
• 4 fangs;
• 10 premolars (premolars);
• 4 molars.

There are a total of 30 permanent teeth in a cat's mouth. Signs of tooth change are:

• hypersalivation - excessive salivation;
• the desire to chew and gnaw inedible objects;
• decreased appetite;
• mood changes – irritability, aggressiveness, increased excitability;
• decreased physical activity due to malnutrition.

You need to help your baby get rid of a loose baby tooth only if it interferes with the eruption of a permanent one. Sometimes instead of 4 fangs there are 8 – the milk ones have not yet fallen out, but the permanent ones have already appeared. This happens due to the fact that fangs are formed in separate follicles. Normally, the kitten will get rid of the tooth that is causing discomfort on its own, but the help of a veterinarian may be required.

Age-related canine loss

With age, degenerative processes occur in the animal’s body:

• mineral metabolism is disrupted - teeth become less durable, they wear out and even break. The longest ones in the jaw, the canines, are especially affected;
• Collagen synthesis decreases - teeth begin to loosen due to weakening of retaining fibers and loosening of gum tissue;
• Immunity decreases, which increases the risk of infections and the development of dental pathologies.

Signs of wear on dental crowns (the part of the tooth that protrudes above the gum) can be seen in cats aged 3-5 years. The animal's teeth become dull and darker due to deposits of tartar and soft plaque.

Cats older than 5-6 years may already be missing some teeth. To extend the life of the dental system of a domestic predator, you need to monitor oral hygiene from the first months of life.

Even with the complete loss of fangs and significant thinning of the dentition, a domestic cat will not suffer from hunger. Companies involved in the production of pet food produce a number of special lines of food for cats older than 7-12 years.

Pathological tooth loss

Dental problems can lead to the loss of canines and other teeth, even in a young animal. Caries is a fairly rare pathology in cats, which is due to the structure of the predator’s dental crown. Fangs are least often affected by caries, since they do not have grooves and depressions on their surface in which food can accumulate. But other pathologies can lead to caries:

• traumatic chipping of fangs as a result of gnawing hard objects;
• trauma to the gums by sharp fish and poultry bones with subsequent penetration of infection into the wounds;
• metabolic disorders leading to thinning of the enamel;
• lack of minerals and vitamins in the diet necessary for the mineralization of teeth;
• deposits of tartar, which is a nutrient substrate for pathogens.

In addition to caries, a cat can lose its fangs as a result of:

• periodontitis;
• gingivitis;
• odontogenic osteomyelitis;
• tartar;
• pulpitis.

Pets suffer from the same dental problems as their owners. A cat can lose its fangs from mechanical damage or injury - breaking them in a fight, falling from a height, or a direct blow to the face.

Today there are not many veterinary clinics that offer a full range of services for treating dental diseases of pets. But in large cities, a furry pet can have an implant installed in place of a lost canine or premolar. The question is the cost of this service. The high cost significantly reduces the demand for dental prosthetics in cats.

How to determine age by teeth

Felinologists without any problems determine the age of a furry pet by the number of teeth and the condition of the incisors and canines. For this purpose, a special technique has been developed that allows you to determine the age of the animal with an accuracy of up to six months. Main features:

• 30 even, snow-white teeth indicate that the animal has just turned one year old.
• If the teeth are slightly yellowed, then the cat is about 1.5 years old.
• By the age of two, the lower incisors wear down a little. On the rest you can see a clearly visible yellowness.
• The front incisors that have begun to wear off indicate that the animal is approaching the three-year mark.
• Fangs begin to change by the age of five. In addition, by this age, a pronounced dark yellow coating most likely appeared on them.
• After five years, the destruction of the surface of the incisors begins, this is especially noticeable by the age of 7-8 years.
• By the age of ten, the gums weaken, so teeth begin to fall out (first the lower and then the upper incisors).
• If there is no longer a single incisor in the mouth, then the cat is 12-14 years old. This is quite an advanced age for an animal.
• The fallen fangs indicate that the cat is about 15 years old.

How many teeth a cat will have depends on the pet’s lifestyle and the quality of its diet. Much depends on the person - the lack of any care can speed up the process of hair loss.

Determining age by teeth

Did you adopt a stray animal from a shelter or pick it up on the street? Great action! Very soon the foundling will recover from the stress it has suffered, will fatten up and turn into a large beautiful cat or a charming fluffy kitty. You dote on your new pet and have only one regret: that you don’t know how old he is.

Meanwhile, determining the age of a cat is not so difficult; just look at its teeth.

• Newborn babies have no teeth. The first ones, the primary incisors, appear in the period from the second to the fifth week of a kitten’s life.
• Primary canines begin to grow from the third to the eighth week.
• Two or three weeks after the appearance of the primary canines, the primary premolars erupt.
• From three to six months, kittens' milk teeth are replaced with permanent ones.
• A young animal has thirty teeth per year: sixteen upper and fourteen lower. If they have a snow-white tint without any hint of yellowness, are sharp and not worn off, you can say with complete confidence that you have a one-year-old pet.
• By the age of one and a half years, a cat's teeth begin to turn slightly yellow.
• At the age of two years, signs of wear appear on the middle incisors of the lower jaw, and a yellow tint becomes clearly visible. At the same age, cats begin to form tartar.
• By the age of three, signs of wear on the central lower incisors become clearly visible.
• At the age of five, cats' fangs begin to wear off. All teeth are covered with a clearly visible dark yellow coating.
• By the age of six, the chewing surface of the incisors begins to gradually deteriorate.
• The upper and lower incisors of cats wear down by the age of seven or eight years.
• At the age of ten years, many animals lose their central lower incisors, and some lose their upper ones.
• When there are no incisors left in a cat’s mouth at all, there is no doubt that she is between twelve and fourteen years old.
• By the age of fourteen or fifteen, cats lose their fangs. In general, the number of teeth in animals of this age greatly depends on what and how they eat, as well as on whether the owner takes care of the pet’s teeth. In the complete absence of any care, difficult living conditions, and poor nutrition of the animal, only an experienced specialist can determine its approximate age, since all this in one way or another affects the condition of the teeth.

Causes of diseases

All cat teeth are small in size and very sharp. They can suffer physically from various incidents, for example, it is not uncommon for a cat to have a broken tooth due to eating the wrong food or due to injury. The main causes of damage to teeth are impacts; they are knocked out during falls and accidents with vehicles.

Sometimes the cause of breakage and serious damage is bones that accidentally end up in cat food, or this happens when a cat eats a caught mouse or bird.

Usually, after such incidents with the cat’s teeth, roots are left that are easily inflamed and painful. When asked what to do in such a situation, it can be recommended to contact a veterinarian and remove the remains, since they will most likely bother the animal and will soon cause inflammation of the gums.

In addition to mechanical damage, the following conditions or diseases can cause problems:

1. Genetic predisposition. Most often, structural defects and a tendency to disease are found in cases where the cat belongs to a breed obtained as a result of human selection efforts.
2. Pathologies of location. Some breeds are missing one or two teeth, which negatively affects the functioning of the entire apparatus.
3. Improper or insufficient nutrition. This has a particularly negative effect on the condition of the bones and teeth of kittens if their mother was malnourished or starved during pregnancy, or if they received poor nutrition in the first months of life. In the future, disruption of the structure and functions of the oral apparatus can be provoked by monotonous, poor food with insufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.
4. Bad ecology. A cat, like a person, will suffer from poor quality water, polluted air and artificial chemical food.
5. Infections. They cause inflammation of the gums and tooth tissues, causing it to become loose in the socket, and a swaying tooth can easily break or simply fall out. Sometimes tooth resorption occurs due to infection in domestic cats.
6. Insufficient oral hygiene. Plaque that is not removed in time turns into hard tartar, which injures the gums, causes inflammation and causes putrefactive processes and tooth loss, as well as many diseases of internal organs.

INTERESTING TO FIND OUT: Why does a cat lose teeth?

Since there are many reasons for a cat's oral cavity, owners will need to monitor it closely to catch problems early.

Types of mustaches

In addition to the whiskers located on the cat's muzzle, there are other hairs that have a similar structure and function to those of regular whiskers, but are coarser than the animal's normal fur. These are hairs found on the cat's paw pads, above the pet's eyes, which look like eyebrows, under the chin, near the eyelids, and even on the tail. Of course, these hairs are less sensitive than the antennae located on the animal's face, but they are also important for hunting and orientation in space.

Where are they located?

One type of whiskers in cats is located on the sides of the nose above the pet’s upper lip, as children draw in pictures. It is these whiskers that are the longest and toughest; thanks to their sensitivity, they help the cat process a huge amount of information. Thickened hairs located on the cheeks, chin, and above the eyes are also vibrissae. Surprisingly, the compacted hairs located on the ankles of the paws and between the toes are also considered vibrissae.

Brushing and caring for your teeth

In order for your pet to remain in excellent physical shape until old age, you must not only feed him fresh, good-quality foods and regularly carry out hygiene procedures, but also pay special attention to the condition of his teeth. After all, healthy, strong teeth are the key to animal health.

They help to capture and chew large pieces of prey well (even if it is taken out of the jar and placed in a bowl by a caring owner), which, in turn, promotes normal digestion.

Regular teeth cleaning, carried out according to all the rules, prevents the formation of tartar, which consists of salts, food and bacteria, strongly hardened and deposited in the area of ​​​​the roots of the teeth. The vital activity of bacteria causes inflammation of the gums, their detachment, as a result of which the necks of the incisors and canines are exposed. It becomes painful for the animal to chew, and his breath smells bad. Discomfortable phenomena are accompanied by loss of appetite, and as a result, loss of body weight. Very often, teeth affected by stones fall out prematurely.

Nothing like this will happen if the cat’s diet contains solid food that helps mechanically clean the teeth. In addition, your cat's teeth need to be brushed regularly.

The sooner you start getting your pet used to brushing its teeth, the better. Then, having become accustomed to such a procedure, the animal, upon becoming an adult, will not resist. However, experienced cat owners often manage to accustom cats that come to them at a fairly mature age to do this. By the way, cats calmly accept many not very pleasant procedures, intuitively feeling that the owner cares about their health.

You can clean your cat's teeth using:

• a clean finger wrapped in a bandage or gauze;
• a soft toothbrush intended for children;
• a special brush attachment that is used to clean the teeth of small animals.

Our toothpaste is not suitable for cats. Purchase a special cleaning paste for your pet at a pet store. Such pastes are completely harmless, easy to use, do an excellent job of cleaning teeth, cats like the taste and smell, and most importantly, do not require rinsing.

Don't rush to start cleaning right away. Let your pet get used to the taste of the paste - just place it on the animal’s cheek. After a day or two, apply a very small amount of paste to the brush and try brushing the animal’s teeth with it. Don’t be upset or despair if even your pet breaks out of your hands and scurries under the sofa. Remember how you hated brushing your teeth as a child, but over time you got used to it! Don't back down. Soon the cat will understand that brushing his teeth is included in the list of daily procedures along with eating or going to the toilet, and he will come to terms with the inevitable.

The first brushings may only last a few seconds, but as your pet adapts a little, increase these hygiene procedures to two or three minutes. Just don't go too hard. Your goal is only to remove plaque from your teeth.

The most convenient way to brush a cat's teeth is to turn his back to you, using the same movements as if you were brushing your teeth.

Number of teeth in cats

Felines belong to the class of mammals, so kittens are born without teeth. Milk elements appear by the end of the first month, and at 4 months they fall out and permanent ones appear in their place. The sequence for changing teeth looks like this:

• the incisors are the first to change;
• the fangs are as follows;
• The molar and premolar are the last.

First bone formations

In kittens, by the end of the first month of life, fangs become visible.
The first set of baby teeth in kittens is incomplete; only 26 teeth erupt. 2-4 weeks after birth, the incisors appear (first the lower ones), then at 3-4 weeks the canines, and by 2 months of age the premolars appear. When a cat reaches 4-5 months of age, the baby teeth are replaced with permanent teeth. Changing teeth and whiskers in cats is considered normal.

Permanent

By the end of the 8th month, the kitten has formed a permanent dental formula. Cats and dogs have different numbers (cats have 30, dogs have 42). They are arranged in this order:

• 6 upper and lower incisors and 2 canines;
• 4 molars on the upper jaw and 3 on the lower jaw.

The largest dental elements are considered to be every 3rd, both in the upper and lower rows.

Changing baby teeth to permanent ones

At the age of three months, kittens begin to lose their milk teeth, gradually being replaced by molars. This process is usually complete by six or seven months, but don't worry if it takes longer for your kitten. Such deviations are usually associated with the breed of cat or characteristics of individual development.

However, if a new tooth grows on a baby tooth and this causes discomfort to the pet, then you should definitely consult a specialist. If such growth does not bother the animal, then a visit to the veterinarian can be postponed, since baby teeth can calmly and painlessly fall out even after the main shift.

Teeth change schedule

A healthy adult cat should have thirty permanent teeth: twelve incisors, four canines, ten premolars and four molars. Each of them serves her for a specific purpose, for example, incisors are needed to tear food, fangs help to capture prey, and so on.

A cat's permanent dental formula is formed after six months. It includes: on top - three incisors, one canine, three premolars, one molar; below - three incisors, one canine, two premolars, one molar. When calculating, all coefficients are doubled, so the total is thirty permanent teeth.

This is what the jaw of an adult healthy cat should look like with timely and correct teeth replacement.

Table: schedule for the eruption of permanent teeth and their functions

Symptoms of tooth change

The process of changing teeth can begin and even end unnoticed by you, since the kitten usually does not experience pain. Most often, the change of teeth becomes obvious when a lost baby tooth is found.

Nevertheless, there are a number of symptoms that will help you navigate and notice in time the process of changing teeth:

1. When a kitten's teeth change, an unpleasant odor may appear from the mouth, which is often associated with poor nutrition. There is no need to do anything about this, it will quickly disappear once the teeth renewal process is completed.
2. Kittens may experience discomfort during the actual cutting of new teeth, so the animal's behavior will change slightly. For example, a slight increase in temperature is likely (the norm is a temperature of 38 ° C to 39 ° C, for small kittens a higher temperature of up to 39.5 ° C is typical). As a result, the kitten feels the cold more strongly and tries to spend more time next to the warm body of the owner: on the lap or in the arms. At night, pets can crawl under the covers, even if this was previously uncharacteristic for them.
3. You need to carefully ensure that the kitten does not swallow a lost tooth while eating. If this happens, you should not immediately run to the veterinarian; usually the tooth comes out naturally. However, it can also get stuck in the intestines, causing pain. The kittens then become aggressive and their temperature rises. In this case, you need to contact a specialist.
4. During the period of teeth change, the pet will more often try to taste everything or chew on it in order to get rid of loose teeth.
5. From this moment on, cats begin to mark their territory.
6. Redness of the gums may be observed, which is better to contact a specialist immediately so that chronic inflammation of the oral cavity does not begin.
7. Sore gums can lead to refusal to eat. This is not a big deal, but if it lasts more than one to two days at most, you should change dry food to wet food, consulting your veterinarian first.

The author of these lines recently encountered the process of changing teeth in his kitten. Each animal exhibits specific symptoms, and when problems arise, it is easy for owners who know their animals to notice changes in behavior. So, my kitten usually did not hide under the blanket and did not play with some toys. When his teeth changed, he constantly chewed rubber sticks and tried to bite the scratching post. In this case, the baby teeth did not fall out immediately, but after the fangs were replaced.

Kittens teeth

Kittens are born completely without teeth. In the first weeks of life, they will feed on their mother's milk and do not need teeth.

© shutterstock

Their baby teeth begin to erupt at about one month of age. The first set consists of 26 teeth. While teething, kittens' gums itch. They willingly chew on various objects to soothe the itching. How long this period will last depends on the breed and individual characteristics of the pet.

Around 3-4 months, sometimes later, kittens’ milk teeth begin to be replaced by permanent ones. All this time, the substance lysozyme is actively produced in the animal’s oral cavity. This is an antibacterial agent that protects the mucous membrane from the development of infections and inflammations. Each new tooth is positioned so that the animal can quickly absorb solid food.

How many teeth do kittens have, what do they look like and what are they called?

Normally, each kitten should have 26 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 molars. The baby does not have such a number of teeth from birth. Babies are born toothless. Their first teeth begin to erupt at 7–14 days of age (the sequence of their eruption is presented in the table below).

This process is completed by 2 months. If by this age your four-legged pet is missing one or more teeth, you should show it to the veterinarian, since this phenomenon may be a symptom of a serious illness.

How many whiskers does a cat have?

Normally, a cat has 24 antennae. They are arranged in four rows on each side. Moreover, the two upper rows of whiskers can move autonomously, regardless of the two lower rows of whiskers.

There are three vibrissae in each row, that is, there are 12 antennae on each side of the muzzle. In total, these cute creatures have 24 vibrissae, without which they could not even exist. This refers to the antennae growing on the upper lip, in zoology called the anus, which is adjacent to the nasal mirror. If you count the total number of antennae on a cat, then on the face, together with the vibrissae located on the whiskers, eyelids and chin, there are from 33 to 40 antennae.

How many teeth and what kind of teeth does a cat have: Milk teeth in cats

Around the third week of life, kittens begin to develop temporary teeth. The process is accompanied by profuse salivation and an active desire to rub against anything. Milk teeth in cats are usually called temporary, since their lifespan is very short. They change literally up to six months.

The schedule of their appearance is always very consistent:

1. By about a month, the kitten becomes the proud owner of front incisors.
2. After another two weeks, the first fangs appear.
3. Premolars are cut up to 3.5 months.

In fact, baby teeth are very sharp. They cause a lot of inconvenience to the cat. At this age, kittens develop an interest in research. They happily chew on everything that comes their way.

Starting from a month, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods. This is done not only because of the body’s growing needs for calories, but also to develop the muscles of the face and the formation of the correct exterior.

The appearance of teeth in cats occurs unnoticed by others. The kittens do not experience any pain or discomfort.

In the most extreme case, kittens begin to change teeth at the age of 3 months. This is typical for breeds that develop quickly and become adults quite early. For example, sphinxes, which by the age of six months are often ready to reproduce. On average, in all cat breeds, the replacement of baby teeth occurs in the fifth month of life.

Complete formation of the jaw apparatus occurs at the age of about six months.

The sequence of replacement of baby teeth is the same as their appearance:

1. First, the temporary incisors are replaced (at about 3-5 months).
2. Then permanent fangs grow in cats (not earlier than 4-5 months).
3. Molars and premolars are the last to be replaced (permanent teeth grow from 4 to 6 months).

During the period of changing teeth, you need to monitor their number and condition of the oral cavity. The mucous membranes should have a healthy pink color, without deviations. The presence of blood on the gums, displacement of the teeth relative to the jaw axis is a reason to consult a veterinarian. Otherwise, the kitten’s exterior may not develop properly, which will certainly affect its overall health in the future.

Often during the period of teeth change, the owner may feel that the kitten is behaving aggressively: biting and scratching.

It is important not to miss this period and be sure to introduce solid foods into your diet. Dry food and treats, as well as rough meat by-products, will help the kitten survive the change of teeth adequately and without problems

Milk teeth in cats 26 pcs.

• 12 incisors
• 4 fangs
• 10 premolars

Incisors – the front teeth of cats, there are 12 of them.

Fangs are the teeth next to the incisors; cats have 4 of them.

Adult cats also have molars – wisdom teeth. They are only radical, located last.

Little kittens are trying to help themselves with teething, therefore, like children, they chew everything that comes into their mouth. At this time, you need to be careful - remove all small objects, such as buttons, beads, etc. Kittens can not only damage their delicate gums, but also choke.

A little later, after three months, cats’ teeth change, and cats’ milk teeth fall out. Read about tooth loss in kittens here.

After reaching 3 years of age, more than 80% of domestic cats suffer from dental ailments. But, as you know, the first incisors appear in newborn babies a couple of weeks after birth. Kittens at 10 weeks of age have a full set of teeth, amounting to 26. After 1.5-2 months, milk teeth begin to be replaced by permanent ones. The process itself is almost painless, although in some cases changing incisors and fangs can cause significant discomfort to the cat.

During this period, the animal’s body produces a special substance in saliva - lysozyme. It helps prevent oral infections by providing an antibacterial effect. Due to poor nutrition and lack of the required amount of useful vitamins and microelements, lysozyme may become insufficient.

First of all, you should know that there are 16 bone formations on the upper jaw of an adult cat, and 14 on the lower jaw. They usually erupt in the following sequence:

1. At the age of 3-4 months, the incisors appear.
2. After 2-3 weeks, new fangs can be noticed.
3. Another similar period of time will allow us to detect chewing premolars, and then molars.

How many teeth should a cat normally have?

Normally, a healthy domestic carnivore should have 30 teeth:

• 12 incisors (6 on the upper and 6 on the lower jaw);
• 4 fangs (2 on each jaw);
• 10 premolars (6 on the upper and 4 on the lower);
• 4 molars (2 on each jaw).

More or less is a deviation from the norm. This is caused either by genetics or by exposure to external factors.

A cat with 30 teeth is considered full-toothed.

At the kitten's

Babies begin to develop teeth only at the age of one month (all milk teeth should grow in from 2 to 6 weeks). Nature has provided everything: breastfeeding should not cause discomfort or traumatize the cat. Especially if the mother is a firstborn. After all, any negativity can lead to abandonment of babies.

So, the first teeth appear at the age of 2–3 weeks:

• First, the incisors appear, there are 6 of them.
• Then the fangs are cut. This occurs at 3–4 weeks of age.
• From 4 to 6 weeks, the primary premolars erupt almost simultaneously with the canines.

As a result, the kitten has 26 baby teeth. The number of teeth and the timing of their appearance are the same for all breeds. But in reality, the time of appearance of teeth varies and depends on the individual characteristics of the animal.

When teeth appear, the kitten actively bites. His gums itch and salivate. Of course, owners don't really notice this period, but for a small kitten it is just as tiring as for a human child.

Video: baby teeth in cats

In an adult pet

At the age of 3–6 months, baby teeth begin to change into permanent teeth of an adult animal. The process is completed at approximately 8 months.

Typically, a kitten's teeth change is completed by 8 months.

Starting from the beginning of the period of teeth change, the owner needs to carefully monitor the mouth cavity and provide the pet with timely care.

My home collection includes the milk fangs of my mustachioed pets. For some reason, I found only one fallen fang from each, and found them on the floor while cleaning. Where their remaining teeth went when they were replaced with permanent ones is a mystery to me.

How to feed an animal whose teeth have fallen out or been removed (all or several)?

The diet of an animal that for some reason has lost one or all teeth should consist exclusively of soft food. It can be fed wet ready-made or pre-soaked dry food. Do not use broth or milk to soften the granules. It can only be soaked in water whose temperature does not exceed 30°C. Under the influence of hot liquid, the proteins contained in dry food are denatured, ascorbic and folic acid, thiamine, carotene and riboflavin are destroyed, and vitamins A, D and E are oxidized.

Cat food should be at room temperature. Too hot or cold food is contraindicated for animals with sensitive gums.

Causes of tooth loss

Sometimes bone processes can fall out of an animal due to caries.
Sometimes an owner can find one or more fallen teeth of his furry pet anywhere in an apartment or home. There may be several reasons for the loss of hunting and chewing elements:

• Physiology. In the younger generation of cats, the period of loss is a natural process of replacing baby teeth with permanent ones. There is no pain when changing teeth, but despite this, the owner needs to look into the oral cavity. It is important to monitor how the bite is formed; sometimes the milk formations are delayed in falling out, and the correct position of the teeth in cats is disrupted.
• Pathology. Often the cause of loss of permanent formations in adult cats is the following disorders: tartar (brown growth);
• disruption of the microflora in the oral cavity;
• caries;
• poor nutrition.

Dental services

Typically, veterinary clinics provide cats with dental services such as tartar cleaning and removal of baby and molar teeth.

Brushing a cat's teeth is a procedure that can be done at home by the owner. However, in some advanced cases, plaque on the teeth cannot be removed with a special toothbrush and cat paste and you have to go to the veterinarian. There are two methods for its removal - mechanical and ultrasonic.

In the first case, the animal is subjected to general anesthesia, after which the deposits are scraped off using special instruments. Unfortunately, this can damage tooth enamel, which will inevitably lead to tooth decay in the future. In addition, an inexperienced doctor can damage your pet's gums, after which long-term treatment will be necessary.

The second method of removing plaque involves treating the animal’s oral cavity with ultrasound emitted by a special apparatus. This is a completely painless procedure that often does not require general anesthesia. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive and requires equipment that may simply not be available at your local veterinary clinic.

The kitten's baby teeth are also removed under general anesthesia. In the hands of professionals, this procedure is completely painless and helps prevent the animal from developing an incorrect bite and such a serious disease as periodontal disease.

Molars should be removed only as a last resort: if they are seriously damaged or the animal has developed a serious oral disease - for example, a dental abscess. This is also done under general anesthesia, but, unfortunately, the operation is often poorly tolerated by animals, so it is resorted to only as a last resort if there is a risk to the life and health of your pet.

Regular brushing will help keep your pet's teeth strong and healthy into old age. Don't neglect this. Then your pet's life will be long, happy and comfortable.

Determining the age of an animal by the condition of its teeth

Based on how the teeth look and their number, a specialist can fairly accurately determine the age of a cat. This may be necessary if the animal is picked up on the street. The condition depends on the influence of external and internal factors, the quality of food consumed. Therefore, age determination from them is made only approximately - with an accuracy of up to six months.

Here are the main signs by which one can judge age:

• the presence of 30 pieces of pure white color indicates an age of about a year;
• by 1.5 years of age, the teeth become slightly yellow;
• by the age of 2 years, the animal’s lower incisors are slightly worn, yellowness is clearly visible on the upper ones;
• by the age of 3, the process of abrasion of the upper incisors begins;
• by the age of five, pets’ incisors begin to change: they slightly change shape due to abrasion, becoming more yellow;
• incisors may fall out or become significantly weakened by age 7-8;
• By the age of 10, a cat may lose its fangs.

The incisors may fall out completely by the age of 12-14, followed by the fangs by the age of 15. This is not necessary and greatly depends on care, quality of nutrition, and the presence or absence of diseases of the oral cavity and dental tissue.

Cats' teeth should be properly cared for: feed the animal adequately, and regularly clean it using special pastes and brushes. The earlier in age you accustom your pet to grooming procedures, the more calmly he will tolerate them.

Determining the age of the kitten

First, we should talk about how to determine the age of a kitten by its teeth. Babies are born without teeth, which allows them to avoid damaging the mother’s tender nipples. And since they feed on mother’s milk until about one month of age, the first milk teeth begin to cut at 3-4 weeks of their life.

The following table will help you determine the age of your little pet.

Quite often it is visually quite difficult to discover that a cat’s first baby teeth are beginning to erupt. In this case, it is recommended to carefully feel the pet’s gums. And if this process has already begun, then you can feel minor pricks with your fingertips, as if from small needles. The primary canines will cut next to the incisors; these teeth have a long, pointed shape.

By the age of four months, the kitten should have:

• on the upper jaw there are 6 incisors, 2 canines, 3 premolars;
• on the lower jaw there are 6 incisors, 2 canines, 2 premolars.

If the kitten has large teeth, then it is more than 4 months old

Features of changing teeth

Now let's figure out when kittens change teeth. This happens as follows:

• first of all, the incisors are replaced by permanent ones, which happens at approximately 4 months;
• until the animal is six months old, canines, molars and premolars must be replaced;
• By the age of seven months, the kitten should have 4 molars and all molars.

However, this only applies to absolutely healthy animals. If some teeth are missing or their appearance is greatly delayed, this indicates the presence of some disease.

What is the length

Typically, the length of a cat's whiskers varies from 5 to 7 centimeters. But there are also exceptions. For example, cats - representatives of the Maine Coon breed - have registered truly gigantic whiskers - 19 centimeters, and in the Cornish Rex and Sphynx breeds the whiskers are not only small in size, but they are also curled, thereby making the whiskers look even shorter than they actually are . There have been cases when sphinxes had no mustaches at all, and this did not in any way affect their ability to navigate in space.

There is a popular belief that in a cat the very tips of the splayed whiskers are equal to the width of the animal. This helps them navigate when passing through a narrow opening. Having fluffed its antennae, the cat knows in advance whether it will fit into a given hole or not. As soon as he touches the hole with the tips of his mustache, he has reliable information about whether he should stick his nose in there.

The distance between the tips of the whiskers in a cat corresponds to the width at the shoulders of this animal.

A cat's whiskers are not only an attribute of beauty, but also a rather important organ. An experienced owner will determine not only the physical, but also the psychological state of the pet based on the condition of the mustache. And, if at some point the number of antennae on a cat decreases, then this is not a problem, the main thing is that you need to pay attention to your pet. With the necessary care, the broken antennae will grow back and perform their function properly.

Caring for kittens during teething

Kittens whose teeth are changing need special care, as sometimes the process does not go as planned.

Proper nutrition

Caring for kittens during teeth change should be competent. And first of all, you should take care of the children’s nutrition during this difficult period of life. A pet's food during teething must necessarily contain elements such as calcium and phosphorus. Since the lack of these substances in the cat’s body can lead to softening of the tissue of growing permanent teeth and subsequent destruction of the dentition. In addition, a cat’s teeth may grow unevenly, which can subsequently affect the quality of chewing food and lead to complications in the digestive process.

If a kitten’s daily food is poor in the vitamins and microelements it needs, owners need to take care of purchasing special vitamin-mineral supplements.

Do not be surprised if the baby suddenly refuses to eat during this period. He experiences discomfort in his mouth and finds it difficult to chew. However, when food refusal lasts more than one day, it is necessary to contact a veterinarian to rule out much more serious health problems than teeth change.

The fact is that cats, no matter how domestic they have been for several centuries, remain predators with special digestion. And long-term (more than 2 days) fasting has the most negative effect on their gastrointestinal tract. You need to know that a healthy kitten, not burdened by anything more than changing teeth, will never refuse a bowl of food more than once. Will begin to eat even overcoming some soreness in the mouth. Only much more serious illnesses can force him not to eat.

Raising a kitten is the key to its health in the future

Caring for kittens during teething also requires the closest possible attention from the owners and mandatory correction of the kitten’s behavior. You can’t let your baby chew on everything. Pieces of wires, scraps of fabric, rubber and plastic from toys are very poor filling for a cat’s stomach, leading to obstruction of the latter or intestines and, as a consequence, to a complex and expensive veterinary operation, deciding the issue of life and death of the pet.

You should also not let the kitten chew on the owner’s arms and legs during play or just like that. This, of course, will not lead to tragic consequences, but it can form a bad habit for the cat, from which it will be extremely difficult to wean your pet. And in the future, an adult animal with fully formed, strong and sharp teeth will continue to “playfully” plunge its incisors and fangs into human limbs with pleasure. You may get used to it, but guests, for example, are unlikely to like it.

Kitten oral hygiene

In addition, an important part of caring for a kitten during the change of its teeth is oral hygiene. A kitten must be accustomed to it from early childhood, so as not to suffer later with an adult animal. It’s better to start with a game - let the kitten get used to a special toothbrush for animals and stop being afraid of it. Yes, he himself will be glad to grab the bristly head, especially if his gums itch, freeing themselves from milk teeth and releasing permanent teeth to the surface.

The main thing is to do this regularly, then the animal will get used to the hygienic procedure and will allow it to be carried out. And this will make it possible in the future to avoid such complex problems as tartar (and associated gum inflammation) and periodontitis (tissue inflammation and associated destruction of the alveolar jaw process).

Still have questions? You can ask them to our site's in-house veterinarian in the comment box below, who will respond to them as soon as possible.

Possible complications when changing teeth in a kitten

When changing teeth, a kitten may experience the following types of complications:

Gum inflammation

Teething or the replacement of milk teeth with permanent teeth may be accompanied by a minor inflammatory process, which goes away on its own after the complete formation of the dentition. If you feed your kitten incorrectly, gum inflammation may prolong.

Symptoms. Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) in a kitten is accompanied by severe drooling (the cat drools). The kitten strives to chew everything. Due to increased soreness of the gums, the kitten's appetite may decrease. Upon visual examination of the oral cavity, we note redness and swelling of the gums.

Treatment. Inflammation of the gums usually goes away on its own after changing teeth. It is necessary to switch the kitten to soft food, which will prevent irritation of the gums.

Residual (“stuck”) baby teeth

In kittens, baby teeth often do not fall out until the permanent tooth emerges from the gums. Residual teeth can disrupt the bite due to abnormal molar growth and cause injury to the cat's gums, cheeks, and lips. In case of such complications, the kitten's owner will need to contact a veterinary clinic.

Symptoms. When examining the oral cavity over the age of 6 months, we find baby teeth.

Beneath the loose baby teeth we find signs of growth of permanent teeth.

Treatment. Veterinary specialists of the clinic, after a clinical examination of the oral cavity, if it is impossible for baby teeth to fall out on their own, these baby teeth are removed surgically under anesthesia.

How to take care of your kitten's dental health?

Healthy teeth in kittens are the key to their overall health. Pathogenic microbes and infections can enter the body through damaged teeth. Therefore, it is important to monitor the health of your pet’s teeth from childhood.

Here are some simple recommendations:

1. Check your kitten's jaw regularly and make sure there is no plaque on the teeth.
2. You can try to teach your kitten to brush its teeth. This is a good way to clean off plaque.
3. Keep an eye on your teeth as they change: all baby teeth should fall out, and permanent teeth should grow in their place. Two teeth should not grow in one socket.
4. Feed your pet biologically appropriate food: the amount of carbohydrates in the diet should not exceed 2-3%. SUPERPET will help you feed your kitten correctly: the composition of the food is close to the natural prey of cats and fully meets their biological needs. SUPERPET will help keep your pet's teeth healthy.
5. When you visit your veterinarian, ask him to examine your mouth. This will ensure that the kitten has no dental problems.

Changing teeth in kittens usually occurs without severe pain, but with slight discomfort. It is better to take care of oral health from childhood. Regular examinations and a healthy diet will help with this. A species-typical diet will not only reduce the risk of plaque, but will also strengthen kittens’ teeth due to the bone component.

Did you like the article? Tell your friends:

Comments

The kitten is teething: what to do and what not to do

Although many veterinary websites say that teething in cats is such an easy process that you probably won't notice it, in most cases this is not true. About 70% of cat owners admitted in one survey that teething problems with their animals were not much less than with children. They, of course, got excited, because cats do not experience the same suffering from this process as people do. But still, let's figure out what unpleasant things can await you.

Kitten swallowed a tooth

If your kitten has swallowed its fangs or other large teeth, there is no need to worry about this. This happens often, but the tooth, without being digested, comes out in the feces. It does not damage the mucous membranes.

The kitten stopped eating

The most common complaint from owners during teething is loss of appetite. It happens that cats refuse to eat even their favorite meat. This is understandable, because at this time it may simply be painful for them to eat. Remember yourself at this time. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry too much, but try to monitor your pet so that he eats at least 1-2 times a day. If this does not happen, your oral discomfort may be greater than it should be. Then you should immediately contact your veterinarian so that he can eliminate this discomfort.

The kitten is lethargic and sleeps all the time

For a kitten whose teeth are changing, lethargy and sleepiness are normal. In addition, at this time, the animals’ immunity also decreases: they become susceptible to various diseases. Therefore, if you notice such behavior in your kitten, provide him with rest, proper and regular nutrition and vitamin supplements. Also try to keep your pet warm. Do not get vaccinated during this period. In general, lethargy, without an increase in temperature, can be called the norm, and there is no need to worry about it.

The tooth can't fall out

Ideally, the growing tooth should push out the baby tooth, eventually replacing it after it falls out. But sometimes a new tooth grows, but the old one still doesn’t fall out. On the one hand, there may be nothing terrible here: sooner or later it will still fall out. On the other hand, if this situation lasts for a long time, the kitten may develop a second set of teeth and an incorrect bite. In addition, the situation can cause serious physical discomfort. If you are faced with such a problem, you should not pull out the tooth yourself. Let the vet do it.

Suppuration of the wound

In most cases, the wound after tooth loss heals quickly and without outside intervention. But it also happens that it becomes infected, resulting in suppuration. One of the signs is bad breath. In addition, the problem can also be noticed when examining the mouth, which should be done regularly when changing teeth, but with clean hands and very carefully.

If you discover that your cat has pus in his mouth, there is no need to take any action on your own - you may only make the situation worse. Instead, be sure to call your veterinarian or go to the clinic. The doctor will examine your kitten and only after that will prescribe treatment and carry out the necessary procedures.

Features of tooth growth in kittens

An adult healthy cat has three dozen permanent teeth in its mouth (kittens have 4 fewer - 26 in total) - 12 incisors on the upper and lower jaws, 4 canines, 3 molars at the top and 4 at the bottom. And all of them should be white or cream, strong, without signs of inflammation or destruction. And the gums are pink. Much here depends on the quality of the animal’s nutrition, but it is also important on when and how the kitten’s teeth were changed and what kind of care the owners provided him during that period.

When do cats' teeth change?

Owners who have recently adopted a small cat into their home constantly ask veterinarians and specialized online forums: when do kittens’ teeth change? Meanwhile, the owners will be the first to know that the pet’s incisors, canines, premolars and molars have begun to change. And to do this, you don’t even have to look into the animal’s mouth.

A kitten whose teeth change dramatically changes its own behavior. He becomes restless, meows often and loudly, informing his owners of discomfort. And the little cat begins to chew everything. Slippers - so slippers, wires - so wires, the owner's hands - that means arms, or even legs! Anything your heart desires can end up in a cat's itchy mouth. Rags, toys, books (especially those that are thicker, with “appetizing” voluminous spines), pencils and computer mice... It’s an eye-catcher!

In general, during the period when kittens’ teeth are changing, owners are required to pay close attention and control over the pet’s behavior. And also competent thoughtful care. Starting with nutrition and ending with careful hygiene of the cat’s mouth. This is necessary so that the cat’s permanent teeth grow strong and correctly, and the gums and mucous membranes remain free of inflammatory processes.

Kittens are born completely toothless; teeth begin to appear only at two weeks of age. During this period, kittens - just like little children - are very restless and try to scratch their gums on anything - from their own paws and the fluffy tails of their littermates to the edges of a basket or bed.

At the age of 3-4 or even 5 months (much depends on the breed and on the individual development of a particular individual), cats’ teeth begin to change. This happens gradually, one might say in stages - first the incisors change, followed by the canines, and then the turn comes to the premolars and molars. And by seven months, the “dental exchange” ends in almost all domestic felines.

Of course, anyone who gets a cat must know everything about the change of teeth in kittens - when and how this happens, in order to provide special nutrition for their mustache during this period. In general, during this difficult period the animal requires special care and maximum attention from the owner.

Do kittens lose their baby teeth?

Yes, kittens are just like little guys. And tiny sharp teeth change in the same way - milk teeth fall out, permanent teeth grow. Therefore, the question that is relevant for many owners: do kittens lose their baby teeth can be answered with confidence in the affirmative. Moreover, if for some reason not all of a cat’s non-permanent teeth have fallen out, then they will have to be removed by a veterinarian.

Why delete? Yes, because excess teeth in the animal’s oral cavity can lead to injury to soft gums, the formation of wounds and ulcers on the mucous membrane. In addition, more serious problems with the bite and even with the bone tissue of the cat's jaw may arise. And such a “trifle” as periodontal disease is definitely guaranteed for your pet.

KITTEN TEETH: DETERMINED BY PHOTO

See the table for which milk teeth appear in cats and at what age.

As you can see, cats start growing teeth from about 2 weeks of age, and by 2-3 months all of their baby teeth will have grown in.

Look at the photo to see how kittens' teeth grow.

In cats, baby teeth fall out almost imperceptibly and this process can be skipped.

WHEN DO KITTENS TEETH?

The cat is teething without any special manifestations, but kittens still have symptoms of teething: excessive salivation, kittens chew on objects, and sometimes rub their faces with their paws.

Teething in kittens begins from 12-14 days, the first milk teeth in kittens appear on the 15-25th day after birth, i.e. Kittens change teeth at about 2-3 weeks of age. I would also like to note that the front teeth appear first in cats. When kittens are teething, they do not experience the same discomfort as small children. In cats this occurs less sensitively. So, let's figure out which teeth appear first in cats.

By two months, kittens should have 26 baby teeth.

At this age, monitor the kitten’s correct bite so as not to miss time for adjustments, if necessary.

The kitten has the correct bite. Age 2 months