Zami’s Toothy Tale
Zami (Zambesi) is an 8 year old male ragdoll who came in to our brand new Fur Life Vet Torquay North clinic for a dental a couple of weeks ago.
Zami presented with very inflamed gums but little visible evidence of dental disease.
Being a Best Mate, Zami had his pre-anaesthetic blood test performed FREE. The pre-anaesthetic blood test allows us to check for pre-existing conditions which may affect the pet during surgery. Zami’s test came back normal so our nursing team prepared him for surgery. Once Zami was under a general anesthetic our vets were able to assess the teeth thoroughly both with probing and radiographs.
Learn More About TR's
Feline resorptive lesion
Feline Tooth Resorption (TR) is a syndrome in cats characterised by resorption of the tooth by odontoclasts, cells similar to osteoclasts.
TR has also been called “feline odontoclastic resorption lesion” (FORL), neck lesion, cervical neck lesion, cervical line erosion, feline subgingival resorptive lesion, feline caries, or feline cavity.
It is one of the most common diseases of domestic cats, with studies showing up to two-thirds of cats may be affected.
TRs have been seen more recently in the history of feline medicine but 800-year-old cat skeletons have shown evidence of this disease!
Dental anatomy
TRs clinically appear as erosions of the surface of the tooth at the gingival border. They are often covered with calculus or gingival tissue. It is a progressive disease, usually starting with loss of cementum and dentin and leading to penetration of the pulp cavity.
Resorption continues up the dentinal tubules into the tooth crown. The enamel is also resorbed or undermined to the point of tooth fracture. Resorbed cementum and dentin is replaced with bone-like tissue.
It was evident that Zami had some very painful lesions that are unique to cats called ‘tooth resorptions’ (TRs), which is where the structural components of the teeth start to resorb or break down. These lesions are very painful once they enter the deeper layers of the tooth. The lesions are often covered by gum or pink granulation tissue in the bodies attempt to plug the lesion to lessen the pain/exposure. There are often multiple teeth affected and new lesions can appear on unaffected teeth at any time.
This is one of the reasons that regular dental checks are recommended especially for our feline friends.
Zami had 4 teeth removed that were affected by these lesions and his remaining teeth were scaled and polished to remove any tartar.
His scale, polish and dental radiographs were FREE with his Best Mates plan and he received 10% off his extraction costs!
Zami is now home and eating well with no pain in his mouth but we will monitor his remaining teeth closely. Thanks to Zami’s Best Mates membership he receives unlimited FREE consults!
Learn More About Best Mates
Best Mates is not pet insurance it’s a Wellness Plan that provides real savings across everyday veterinary expenses like vaccinations, desexing, dentals, surgery, medications, nutrition along with FREE unlimited consults!*
*T&Cs Apply
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