Why is my senior cat eating less, drooling, and losing teeth?

In an older cat, my first thought would be dental disease. This would be painful for Krinkle, cause him to eat less, and subsequent weight loss. It could also be that he has diabetes, kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism. Having him seen by a vet this week is a good idea. I hope this helps!

Even with no teeth the drooling is abnormal. I would be concerned that he has an infection or stomatitis of the mouth or possibly kidney disease causing him to be uremic- a build up of toxins in the blood that can cause ulcers and other problems. I would recommend getting him to a vet for evaluation and possible medications to help keep his twilight years comfortable.

Typically excess salivation is either caused by nausea or pain (oral or abdominal), although this is not an all inclusive list. There can still be oral disease present, especially if these missing teeth were not removed but fell out. Cats can get resorptive lesions of their teeth which can be really painful and the changes can be hard for owners to detect. They can also get lesions in their mouth (stomatitis, a mass, ulcers, etc.) that an owner may not see. Additionally diseases of other body systems may cause drooling (kidneys, gi, etc ). I would recommend your kitty seeing a vet for a thourough oral exam and blood work to start. A good oral exam will likely require sedation and perhaps dental xrays. Additional testing may be recommended based on the case. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is probably not normal. I suggest you schedule an exam with your veterinarian for your cat. Your cat may have dental problems (gingivitis and/or tartar, tooth infections), diabetes or another endocrine disease. Oder kitties also often have problems with their kidneys. A thorough clinical exam and blood tests can at least rule out any serious disease that could cause eating less than usual.

This is very concerning and may not related to progressing kidney, thyroid disease or diabetes. An urgent vet check and urine and blood tests is recommended. Do not delay investigation as early treatment is required

One of the major causes of drooling is dental disease, and if teeth are falling out then I imagine there is a fair bit of tartar and redness. We do have to consider Elvis's age though, and I wouldn't be rushing to anaesthetise a 16 year old to clean his teeth unless he was really suffering. If he is still managing to eat I would let him be, if you think he is in pain you can take him to the vet and try pain relief and antibiotic shots. You could try brushing his teeth if you want to. Finally kidney issues are common in older cats and can cause drooling so you could have his bloods checked, however I suspect it is the teeth.

Poor Max! Youbsound like an incredibly dedicated owner, he is a lucky cat! So as I'm sure you are aware the excessive drooling can be a sign of nausea often associated with kidney issues, denta/mouth pain or in some cases stress. If you say he had a dental within a year and his teeth seem in good order this is unlikely the cause. The new cat in the house could certainly be stressing him out but I doubt this is the sole cause for the drooling. What I suspect is tgat the stress is likely exacerbating his kidney issues, it may be increasing his blood pressure a little with a knock on effect. The kidneys could ne getting worse of their own accord but I doubt it would be progressing quickly with the measures you are taking. The other thing to consider is that a combination of stress, low potassium and kidney issues can compromise the immune system which could lead to woubds, the red spot on his tongue could be an ulcer starting which would make his mouth sore and cause him to drool. I believe that it is a combination of stress and his kidney issues. If he continues not to eat or begins vomiting I would go to the vet asap. However, if he is feeling better tomorrow I would monitor him until your bloods appointment. Keep an eye on the tongue as it may need treatment. You can get a great gel called orobase that provides protection and relief, if it is really bad tge vet may need to give antibiotics and pain relief. A good idea would be to purchase a feliway diffuser which releases pheremones, it will help calm him down. Another good treatment for kidney issues is a drug called semintra, it is used to redice protein in the urine which is a detrimental effect of chronic kidney disease. I wish you all the best with Max.