Ma's trip to the dentist

This month's patient of the month is none other than our clinic cat Ma. As Ma is now 11 years old and well into her senior years, she was having her 6 monthly senior check up by Dr Andrea. A seniors check up involves a full physical examination, a blood pressure measurement, a blood test and a urine test. During the examination Dr Andrea noticed that Ma had a resorptive lesion on one of her molars. Fortunately as Ma's blood and urine tests were normal and her blood pressure was within the normal range for a cat, Ma was able to undergo anaesthesia to clean her teeth and remove the diseased tooth.

A resorptive lesion, also known as a central neck lesion, is a cavity in the tooth often located at the gum line. These cavities expose the nerves of the tooth which causes pain in the patient. Some signs to look out for are;
  • Pain or resenting oral examination
  • Chattering especially after eating or drinking
  • Pinkish discoloration to the tooth (in advanced lesions)
  • Heavy tartar burden on one side of the mouth as the cat is avoiding pain by not using the affected teeth.

The only effective treatment for resorptive lesions is extraction of the affected tooth as the lesions are always progressive and often lead to tooth fracture.

Ma was placed on an intravenous fluid drip during her surgery and recovery. Anaesthesia causes a patients blood pressure to drop so the intravenous fluids counteract this and maintain the patient's blood pressure within a normal range. Nurse Lauren monitored Ma's anaesthetic by constantly checking her vital signs, including her blood pressure.

Ma recovered well from her surgery and enjoyed being pampered by all team members during recovery. She was a little quiet for the rest of that day but she has bounced back wonderfully and despite her ordeal she never lost her appetite. She will be due for another senior check in six months time to ensure she remains fit and healthy.

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