Welfare management of dental disease in senior cats, covering the prevalence of periodontal disease, tooth resorption, pain recognition, and the welfare case for regular dental care in aging cats.
Senior cat dental welfare is one of the most overlooked aspects of feline welfare because cats are stoic about oral pain and the signs of dental disease are subtle. A cat with severe periodontal disease or multiple tooth resorptions may eat every day while experiencing constant oral pain from a mouth full of disease. The chronic pain from untreated dental conditions affects not just eating but the cat's entire behavioral repertoire — reduced grooming, increased sleeping, social withdrawal, and reluctance to interact. Addressing senior cat dental welfare requires proactive dental assessment at every veterinary visit, owner education about subtle signs of oral pain, willingness to pursue dental radiography for complete disease assessment, and appropriate dental treatment including extraction of diseased teeth.