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Rubbing at the face or mouth caused by dental-oral pain
or discomfort
Although they don’t use words, pets tell us many things. Symptoms of pain or discomfort of the
mouth are a way pets say “I need a dental check-up mom and dad.”
Mouth pain is the second most common symptom of dental-oral disease.
Pain or discomfort is not specific for any one cause of dental or oral disease. That is, almost every underlying dental-oral disease condition has pain or discomfort as a symptom. Some of the more common underlying diseases having pain or discomfort as a symptom are:
- Bone infection around the tooth roots
- Abscessing teeth
- Abscessing tooth roots of fractured or worn teeth
- Recently fractured teeth
- Recently avulsed teeth
- Tonsillitis or throat infection
- Tumors of the mouth, jaw, nose, or face
- Malocclused teeth
- Autoimmune or Immune-deficiency diseases
- Many others
Any pet having symptoms of mouth pain or discomfort needs a dental check-up as soon as
possible!
One cannot say that a pet is free from pain simply because it is “eating normally”! Pets
experiencing dental-oral pain or discomfort will often continue to eat normally because evolution selected the fittest animals that could tolerate pain by masking its symptoms (i.e. evolution has
selected for a high pain tolerance). Animals that did not mask pain acted weak and more vulnerable, became prey, had shorter life-spans, and reproduced less frequently. Animals that did mask pain acted
strong and less vulnerable, became prey less frequently, had longer life-spans, reproduced more frequently, and thus were genetically “selected” to pass their higher pain tolerance trait on to today’s
pets via their descendents. That is why one cannot say that a pet is free from pain simply because it is eating normally.
If a pet has dental-oral disease and its individual pain tolerance is not exceeded (it is
masking pain) then pain symptoms are unlikely to be noticed. Sometimes subtle pain symptoms go unnoticed by the family for long periods of time. Under both scenarios the underlying dental-oral disease
condition progresses undetected and untreated. Only when a pet’s individual pain tolerance is exceeded by dental-oral disease does one begin to see symptoms of pain or discomfort including but not
limited to:
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty competing for food in a multi-pet home
- Difficulty or reluctance to eat
- Dropping food from the mouth
- Rubbing at the face or mouth with paws
- Rubbing the face or mouth against objects (floors, walls, furniture, etc)
- Cats having accidents outside the litter box
- Jaw chattering
- Acting sick, less active, or withdrawn from normal activities
- Weight loss
When looking at weight loss in relation to mouth pain or discomfort it is important to look at
percent weight loss rather than relative weight loss. For example, a kitty going from 10 pounds to 8 pounds (a 2 pound relative weight loss) sounds like very little change, however this is a 20% weight
loss (the same percent as a 150 pound person losing 30 pounds!). Only when we look at weight loss in terms of percent do we begin to understand the seriousness of weight loss related to mouth pain or
discomfort.
A unique symptom seen in some cats with dental-oral pain or discomfort is that of having
accidents outside the litter box (urine, bowel, or both).
One possibility is that the dental-oral pain causes behavioral changes resulting in accidents outside the litter box. Another possibility is that infection from the mouth spreads to the urinary tract and/or bowel tract, causing discomfort and resulting in accidents outside the litter box. Therefore it is vitally important that any cat having accidents outside the litter box be carefully evaluated for underlying dental-oral disease.
If your pet has any symptom of dental-oral pain or discomfort contact us for a
PetDentistry.com exam. By identifying and treating the underlying cause of your pet’s pain we’ll help you enjoy your pet’s great smile for a lifetime! Our entire caring team looks forward to meeting you
and your loving pet very soon.
Call us at (814) 474-1504 for your
convenient appointment.
This information is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and is not
medical advice. Always consult your veterinarian for specific medical advice concerning your own pet's individual situation.
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