My 3-year-old cat has red gums. Is he too young for tooth extraction?

Hi. It sounds like Oliver has some severe dental disease. He most likely has gingivitis and possibly a painful, loose, or resorptive lesions on some teeth. Dental disease in cats can cause pain and discomfort.  This could impact quality of life. In some cases, the dental disease can cause a cat to stop eating. For dental disease, besides brushing teeth with pet toothpaste daily,  your veterinarian will recommend removing plaque and mineral buildup by scaling and polishing the teeth. Teeth will try to be saved wherever possible. In extreme cases, extraction of teeth might be needed.  Unfortunately a veterinarian will need to be involved. Look in to carecredit.com credit at carecredit.com as a possibility for a payment plan.

I would hold off on taking Oliver in the vet just yet to see if his baby canines fall out on their own. If they do not fall out in a week or so, then yes I would take him into the vet to discuss having them extracted. Best of luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tora. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need to be anesthetized to have his mouth properly evaluated. The gingivitis present along his gumline is significant and there is a chance that tooth would need to be extracted. This can only be determined under anesthesia. His mouth is likely painful which could be why he bit you. Brushing is great once the mouth is cleaned and the gumline is healthy again. I hope this information helps!

This is likely staining of the tooth from her food. There is an indentation in the tooth normally in that area that can easily collect foostuffs and staining. I wouldn't be too concerned about it and just recommend brushing his teeth daily to help prevent further staining and periodontal disease. If you notice a foul odor and/or Lio has difficulty chewing, then its best to have him examined by your vet. Also keep in mind that most cats by the age of 3 should have their teeth cleaned (Dental prophylaxis) at the vet to prevent periodontal disease and lead to excellent oral hygiene. Weekly dental maintenance can also be done through the use of greenies dental treats, dental food (i.e. Hill's T/D bites), and other over the counter products.

Given the symptoms described, gum inflammation ([gingivitis](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/gingivitis-and-stomatitis)) or other [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1/) may be the underlying cause(s). Both are very common in cats and may cause pain, especially when eating hard/dry food. Any[ treatment](https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-ways-to-treat-dental-disease-in-pets) will depend on the diagnosis but may include a [dental cleaning](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-dental-cleaning-what-to-expect), extractions, antibiotics, pain management and brushing her teeth at home. Consider a second opinion with a veterinary dentist if necessary. A dental cleaning and extractions (if necessary) will likely resolve the issue. To treat severe gingivitis, the last resort is total teeth extraction, which solves the problem for most cats. [Cats can eat without teeth](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-things-every-cat-owner-should-know-about-dental-care/) and the appetite may actually increase due to there being no more pain. If your cat eats wet food without any problem, I would probably advise to just keep her on wet food as a full mouth extraction is a major surgical procedure.

If you are talking about the stomatitis (chronic inflammation in the gums) removing the teeth can sometimes be helpful. There are medications that I have seen help some (like Atopica). If you are going to be removing all of his teeth then I would recommend going to a veterinary dentist and have xrays done after to confirm that the roots are removed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I am sorry Beanie is having these issues. Cats can get an auto-immune disease where the immune system basically attacks the teeth. Since the teeth are so strong, the gingiva (the gums) get red and sore as an 'innocent by-stander'. The treatment is either medications life-long to decrease the immune response, which has many side-effects and would leave Beanie immuno-compromised her whole life, or to do a full mouth extraction, where you take out all of the teeth and Beanie would wet food for the rest of her life. Although this sounds dramatic, it is done under anesthetic and they are actually very comfortable afterwards and tolerate this life very well. If you want to be sure this is the disease process that is going on, you can have a visit with a dental specialist. Best of luck to you and Beanie.