DISEASES OF CATS 127 



THE TEETH. 



As we have seen before, the young cat has 

 twenty-six teeth, which it changes at about 

 six months of age for thirty permanent ones. 

 This change of teeth is frequently attended 

 by considerable irritation of the gums, and 

 pain, which interferes with the animal's eating, 

 and may cause some little fever or produce 

 a slight diarrhoea. It also gives the breath 

 of the animal an offensive odor. The mouth 

 should be examined, and any teeth which are 

 loosened should be picked out with a pair of 

 forceps, and the mouth sponged out with some 

 listerine, which can be done by tying a small 

 sponge on the end of a stick, or by using a 

 large camePs-hair brush. 



In old cats, as the teeth become worn, and 

 especially in cats which are constantly fed with 

 soft food and do not have an opportunity of 

 rubbing their teeth clean by catching natural 

 prey or using them on hard substances, there 

 occurs a deposit of tartar around the roots of 

 the teeth, which causes ulceration of the gums, 

 and sometimes necrosis of the jaw-bone itself. 



