E is for (complete oral) Exam

While February is Animal Dental Health month, the kitty's mouth is not just about teeth.  Evaluating the soft tissues (gums, tongue, cheeks and lips) and the lower and upper jawbones (mandible and maxilla) are also part of a good oral exam.

A very symmetrical lynx

An extreme example of asymmetry

When we look at your kitty's mouth, we are looking for symmetry of shape, texture and color.  Remember, if you find something strange, look on the other side of the face/tongue/head and if it looks the same on both sides, there is a good chance that, for your kitty, it is not pathologic.

Freckles are often seen in orange tabbies

Freckles and spots of color on the lips, tongue and cheeks of your kitty can be normal, but changes in color or texture of the tissues, as well as new growths, are rarely normal.

Mild chin acne

  Some of the less dangerous problems that we can see include feline acne.  Feline acne is much like human acne.  Plugged pores fill with sebaceous debris and cause inflammation.  In extreme cases, there is severe swelling and infection.  Some things that help prevent feline acne include good hygiene--help your kitty out if she is unwilling or unable to adequately groom her chin.  Grooming habits often degrade in our geriatric patients.  A warm damp cloth is often sufficient, though you can use a very mild

Severe chin acne

soap--rinse it well!  Also, use stainless steel or crockery food dishes as plastic, even if cleaned regularly, can hold grease and food particles.  Some cats may also benefit from a hypoallergenic diet

 
Other problems include ulcers in the mouth or on the tongue.  These can be immune mediated problems like a "rodent ulcer", inflammation due to an exuberant reaction by the kitties immune system to the plaque on his teeth, or even cancerous conditions.

Rodent ulcer on the lip

Rodent ulcers are collections of inflammatory cells leading to thickening of the tissue.  No one cause has been implicated, but steroid therapy is often successful. 

Ulcerations from stomatitis

However, some ulcers in the mouth--such as stomatitis from dental disease and ulcers secondary to viral infections--will worsen with steroid therapy.

ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TREATING!!!

SCC invading mandible

Cancer is, of course, a possibility when we have ulcers, new pigmentation or growth in the mouth.  The most common oral tumor of kitties is a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).  These are very

SCC visible next to the canine tooth

aggressive cancers not just growing in the soft tissue, but invading and destroying bone.  If caught early--when they are small--they may be curable, large tumors are difficult to address without removing large parts of the jaw.  Routine oral health exams can help find these and other problems, hopefully to address them in a timely fashion and give us and kitty a chance to fix them.

As always, take advantage of your veterinarian's knowledge and abilities--make an appointment to have your feline friend's annual oral exam today!  You and your veterinarian will be able to make the best plans to keep your kitty smiling.

Sure you are, Grumpy Cat.