Why does my cat have a broken tooth?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – I adopted this stray cat and noticed last night when I was petting him – he has a broken tooth. One of those fang teeth in the front. Do you know why this happens?

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Donald P.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that your cat has a broken tooth and want to know why.

In my experience, this is not uncommon in cats that were outdoor strays. Who knows what happened. Most commonly, teeth are broken as a result of trauma – e.g. being hit by a car or some sort of fight. You will never know what happened. IF it doesn’t seem to bother him and he is eating well, point it out to your vet the next time he is in for an exam.

An article that might be helpful to you is Fractured Tooth in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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