A similar link is thought to exist in cats. The American Animal Hospital Association states that "Dental disease doesn’t affect just the mouth. It can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease."

The majority of cats have some degree of periodontal disease, and dental problems can arise or worsen because of CKD. Conversely, dental problems may seem to trigger CKD, in that a cat with periodontal disease who undergoes dental treatment under anaesthesia may develop CKD shortly afterwards. It cannot be proven that the CKD has been triggered by the dental disease, and it is also possible that the anaesthetic played a role; but dental procedures do appear to carry some degree of risk, although the risks can be greatly minimised if precautions are taken (see below).

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORL)                                                 Back to Page Index

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (2003) is a presentation by Cecilia Gorrel to the 28th World Congress of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Common symptoms of dental problems include teeth grinding, not eating, pawing at mouth. Some cats may approach food, then walk away. Your cat may also seem a little subdued.

Treatments                                                                                                                                          Back to Page Index

American Veterinary Medical Association has a video on how to brush your cat's teeth.

Medi-Vet sells cat-sized toothbrushes.

• Biotene Maintenance Gel is then used for ongoing maintenance. It is also available from Entirely Pets.

Co-enzyme Q10

Antioxidants mop up free radicals in the body, which are associated with aging and disease. Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known as ubiquinone or ubiquinol, is an antioxidant that is used by the body in energy production. Human research indicates that it may be helpful in the treatment of periodontal disease.

Effect of topical application of coenzyme Q10 on adult periodontitis (1994) Hanioka T, Tanaka M, Ojima M, Shizukuishi S & Folkers K Molecular aspects of medicine 15 Suppl pp241-8 found that the topical application of CoQ10 appeared to improve periodontitis in humans. Sugano, N, et al. There were similar findings in more recent research by Nihon University School of Dentistry presented to The 63rd Meeting of the Vitamin Society of Japan, Hiroshima, Japan on 4th and 5th June 2011.

I don't know anybody who has tried this in a cat, but if you want to try it, check with your vet first. More information on CoQ10 can be found here.

Antibiotics

If your cat has dental problems which are not too advanced, or if your vet is reluctant to perform a dental under anaesthesia because of your cat's CKD, a course of antibiotics may be prescribed instead. Even if your vet is prepared to perform a dental under anaesthesia on your CKD cat, antibiotics should be given for several days in advance, and continued for 5-7 days afterwards. 

The best choice in most cases is an antibiotic called clindamycin (Antirobe), because this is particularly good at killing anaerobic bacteria which are often found in the mouth. When my PKD cat had a dental, this was the antibiotic which both the veterinary dentist and kidney specialist recommended for him.

Mar Vista Vet has an overview of clindamycin.

Pfizer, the manufacturer of Antirobe, provides some information about it.

Cleanings While Conscious

Some vets and groomers offer teeth cleanings performed while the cat is awake. Unfortunately it is not possible to perform a proper dental cleaning on a conscious cat, because the problem area is under the gumline, which can only be reached if the cat is unconscious. Therefore this sort of procedure is largely cosmetic. I would save your money and not have such a procedure performed.

American Veterinary Dental College explains why dental scaling performed without anaesthesia is only of cosmetic benefit.

Dr Milinda Lommer, a veterinary dentist, explains why cosmetic cleaning of the teeth is no substitute for a thorough medical cleaning.

Aggie Animal Dental Service, owned by Dr Lommer, discusses this issue in more detail.

Dental Surgery

Eventually you may find that your cat needs dental surgery under anaesthesia, to clean under the gumline to help fight periodontal disease and/or to remove unhealthy teeth, perhaps because of FORL or abscesses.

Many people are terrified of having their cat undergo a dental, but if your cat is suffering severe dental problems, you probably have little choice because it becomes a quality of life issue. Dental problems can be extremely painful! And since cats instinctively try to hide pain, your cat could be suffering chronic pain without you realising it. Americans are famous for their standards of dental care so probably don't know how bad toothache can be; but I'm English, so, as night follows day, I have bad teeth (though in my defence I would like to point out that they are naturally beautifully straight - no orthodontist for me). Therefore, yes, I have had toothache, and I can tell you it is absolutely horrible, and a dental abscess is unbelievably painful. If your cat has FORL, a dental condition unique to cats, it is so painful that even cats under general anaesthesia may react when an affected tooth is touched.

If your cat does need a dental, there are ways to minimise the risks, as follows:

Preparing for Surgery

• You should always have a physical exam and bloodwork done and blood pressure checked before surgery, so any problems can be addressed. If your cat has heart issues, you may also wish to see a veterinary cardiologist prior to surgery.

   

• If your cat is on blood pressure medication such as amlodipine (Norvasc) or benazepril (Fortekor), ask your vet if you need to stop the medication a couple of days before the surgery (since anaesthetics may reduce blood pressure).