My cat's gums are swollen and he's lost teeth. Should I call the vet?

It is probably a good thing that that the tooth fell out as there was likely infection that loosened it and that was painful. If the swelling goes back and she has no pain, then you do not need to take her to a vet, However, check the other teeth as well. If there is tartar, or if the gums are red, you should have her mouth checked by the vet as she may need a dental cleaning.

Your cat may need to have his teeth cleaned and possibly some teeth extracted if her gums are swollen and not responding to the antibiotics. Call your vet and let him/her know that the antibiotics did not seem to help the swelling. Your vet may want to schedule a dental cleaning.

Hi there and thanks for posting! Sounds like Tammy may have a dental or oral infection. Treatment will be oral exam, dental cleaning or surgery (if teeth need to be removed), and antibiotics. A dental infection is not contagious, however it is very painful. I would recommend she see a veterinarian soon for this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Since Sweety has a lot of symptoms ongoing the best next step would be to bring him back into your vet for further examination. Your vet may recommend tests such as bloodwork to check for organ function and overall health and X-rays of the mouth or teeth to see if the remaining teeth are affected and if removing them would be beneficial at all. Finding out more information and narrowing down possible causes is best so that the right treatment can be found to help Sweety feel better.

Although the fact that Ace is eating cat poop is kind of gross, it's not the cause of the issue. That swelling looks like it could be due to something called gingival hyperplasia. This is a benign growth of the gums that ends up resulting in excessive gum tissue. Even though this is a benign growth it's recommended that the tissue be surgically removed to prevent infection from developing in the teeth. Unfortunately tumors or cancer of the gum tissue can also have this appearance. I'd recommend having Ace examined by your veterinarian. A sample of the tissue can be taken for biopsy to ensure this is not a cancerous process. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck in resolving Ace's issue!

FIrst of all feed him only wet food for now, you will need to bring him to the vet quite urgently, from the sound of it he will probably need an invasive procedure to remove the remaining teeth as the teeth are usually the cause of the severe gum disease. he will also need antibiotics and anti inflammatories.

I would recommend a check up to make sure the whole tooth(canine) has gone, without any remnants of it still inside gum. The swelling should go down even without any treatment in the next 24 hours. If you have a picture of the lost tooth I can tell you if has come out completely or not. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.