Commitment to Care: Cat Damon

Meet ‘Cat Damon’, a seemingly healthy eight-year-old Russian Blue cat, who came into the clinic when his mom noticed that his face was swollen. 

During his appointment, Dr. Wallen performed a full physical exam, which showed a significant amount of tartar on his teeth with a fractured upper canine tooth. Dr. Wallen determined that Cat Damon was suffering from oral health grade two. Oral health grade two is classified by:

  • Infection that has spread from the gums into the deeper tissues of the mouth causing the bone around the teeth to start to break down. 
  • The gums are tender and there may be mild pain in the tooth. 
  • The pet’s mouth may have a foul odor.

It is important to note, that at this stage the condition is still reversible with regularly scheduled oral health cleanings and consistent home care.

In Cat Damon’s case, the recommended treatment plan for grade two is to perform an oral health procedure which will include cleaning the teeth, under the gumline and extraction of the broken tooth. As always, in preparation for his surgery, bloodwork was performed to ensure that Cat Damon was healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. 

Cat’s procedure went well, and the extraction site healed up nicely.  His teeth and gums are much healthier after his dental procedure, but above all the swelling went away, leaving Cat feeling so much more comfortable and able to enjoy his mealtimes pain free once again.   

Whenever possible, it is very important to provide home dental healthcare to maintain good oral health as accumulation of plaque and tartar causes pressure and inflammation of the gum tissue and the mouth becomes a source of infection for other body tissues. 

To help you on the right road to optimum home dental care for your pet, we have put together the following resources which you can also find on our website dental portal.

Oral Health Resources:

Oral Health

Dental Home Care

How to Brush Your Pet’s Teeth

Periodontal Disease

Diagnosis Explained: Periodontal Disease

Dental Home Care Tips

Dental Anesthesia