Cat has crooked teeth and red gums. Is this normal?
Retained baby teeth or misaligned adult teeth can cause red, irritated gums and leave cats uncomfortable, showing signs like jaw smacking or teeth chattering. Owners often struggle to decide if these dental issues require a long trip to the vet or will resolve on their own.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Having a vet pull a loose and painful tooth in the office without anesthesia
- 2Monitor the teeth for a few weeks to see if they fall out naturally
- 3Offer chew toys
- 4Wait and discuss it at a future vet appointment
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I noticed today my cat has an extra set of upper canines. I’m wondering if this is something normal or should I take him in?”source ↗
“I’d like to know if this is vet worthy before taking him in as my vet is a long ways away.”source ↗
“The one sticking out has red gums around it and may be uncomfortable - is the cat showing any signs of distress or pain? Like teeth chattering or excessive jaw movement or smacking?”source ↗
“Last year, we took my cat to the vet and they said she didn’t need a dental, even though it had been a year, and she’d already had three teeth pulled the year before.”source ↗
“This year we take her in and suddenly she needs half her teeth pulled.”source ↗
“I refuse to believe she didn’t need a dental last year and now she needs nine teeth pulled.”source ↗