“My Cat Is in Pain When He Eats”
Resorptive lesions may be to blame. Here’s what you need to know…
Lately, you’ve noticed that your cat is in pain when he (or she) eats. Maybe:
- Your cat is eating more slowly.
- Your cat is taking small bites and dropping the kibble.
- You’ve noticed big changes in your cat’s eating habits. For example, your normally-picky eater is now gulping food. Or your normally-fast eater is not eating his food.
- Your cat is drooling, pawing, and rubbing at his face, and has bad breath, or…
- You can hear a clicking or crunching noise when your cat eats.
There are different reasons for changes in your cat’s eating habits, but if your cat appears to be in pain, a common culprit is a “resorptive lesion.”
What are resorptive lesions in cats?
In layman’s terms, a resorptive lesion is like a cavity in human teeth.
It’s a defect in the enamel and tissue of the tooth.
The tooth enamel starts to dissolve. It opens up and exposes the inside of your cat’s tooth (where the nerves and blood supply are).
Ouch!
Resorptive lesions can lead to other issues in your cat’s mouth, like infections.
Are resorptive lesions painful?
Yes, they expose the pulp cavity of your cat’s teeth.
What causes resorptive lesions in cats?
There are several theories on what causes resorptive lesions, but there’s no known cause yet.
Even cats with fairly clean mouths can get resorptive lesions, so this is one way these lesions are different than human cavities.
Some cats will get a resorptive lesion in one tooth and never have an issue again.
Other cats will get multiple resorptive lesions over their lifetimes.
Every cat is different.
Resorptive lesions tend to be more common in middle-aged to older cats, but our cat veterinarians have seen them in younger cats too.
Resorptive lesions are much more common in cats than dogs.
What is the treatment?
Any time your cat has a resorptive lesion, that tooth needs to be fully removed.
There is no treatment to save that tooth.
If your cat has multiple resorptive lesions, you may want to plan on more frequent dental cleanings. This way, we can catch the lesions before they become problematic and painful for your cat.