My 11-year-old cat refuses dry food. Is it dental pain or attitude?

You may want to look at his teeth, especially his molars (cheek teeth). Mikkel may have a lot of tartar on his teeth and severe inflammation of his gums which then hurt when he eats dry food. If you see brown concrements on his teeth, then he should be seen by a veterinarian and get his teeth cleaned under anesthesia. There is no need to have a tooth ache, and the bacteria in tartar can actually cause heart and kidney problems.

Hello, thank you for your question about Whiskers. Based on the symptoms that you are describing and her change in eating habits it is possible that she could be experiencing pain in her mouth. Oral pain can be secondary to bad dental disease, jaw pain, or other conditions. In pets with mouth pain it becomes more difficult for them to chew on the dry kibbles and they often prefer the softer food. I would recommend having Whiskers seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine her and look for any abnormalities that could be contributing to this change. They can palpate her abdomen and look for evidence of constipation. Depending on their findings they can discuss the need for additional diagnostics or treatments. Hope this helps!

She may have a tooth ache or ulcers or other painful conditions in her mouth. Get some Fancy Feast canned food for her and feed her that until you can take her to a veterinarian (preferably today) for an exam. She is obviously hungry, so there is a chance that eating hurts her or the food is spoiled (sometimes that is not obvious) or the formulation changed significantly.

It's hard to say without an oral exam why Cookie can't seem to eat or swallow. I would try different flavors or wet food as some cats don't like tuna and do better with chicken or beef. If if he typically eats dry possibly soaking his food in warm water to see if that is easier to get him to eat. But if he continues to not eat well he really needs an exam to find out why. The longer it goes on the worse he may get. This article from the humane society may help with ideas if you need to get him seen. Good luck. Hope he's better soon! http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

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.

I would be concerned about possible dental issues causing the changing in Soleil's eating habits. We can see tooth root abscesses, gingival inflammation, as well as tooth fractures that will affect how well a cat will eat. If Soleil has not been examined by his veterinarian in the past six months or so I would recommend scheduling an exam. If his teeth are all normal then you can discuss with your veterinarian how to address this, such as adding water to his food to make it easier to chew. There are prescription dental diets however they tend to be more for keeping the teeth clean versus easy to chew.

Your cats very likely have gingivitis., or bad teeth or ulcers or injuries in their mouth and will need to be examined by a veterinarian. Please make an appointment tomorrow. They probably are in pain trying to eat. Try offering canned food pate style until they can be seen by a vet.