Do NOT Alter a Cat's Teeth !!!
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 23:38:27 -0800 Subject: FEL-L: teeth alteration example
Here is the text directly off of our webpage for Billy Bob. It's at (with photos):
http://pages.prodigy.com/cats/billy.htm
Billy-Bob was bought as a pet. The family that raised him hung in there for nine months. He no longer fit in with their lifestyle and that is when we got him. He had been neutered, declawed, and his canine teeth had been filed and filled. He has had continual dental problems and is scheduled for surgery again soon. The dental plugs that filled in the exposed roots were placed too early. His adult teeth had just come in and grew larger. The roots expanded and the plugs fell out one by one. He had been in constant danger of needing four root canals or four extractions. Dr. Bruce Muff, DDS, and Dr. Tom Sheriff, DVM, thought that they had corrected the problem when Billy was three years old. Dr. Muff found a lot of decay in three teeth, cleaned inside the roots, repacked, and refilled all four canines. However, Billy is now six years old and these four teeth have turned black, having no blood supply any longer due to the pulpotomy. They also became very brittle and an upper one broke off in May, 1997. Dr. Sheriff extracted that tooth.
Billy-Bob has had yet another dental surgery in November, 1998. This time he had the attention of an entire team of specialists near San Francisco, CA. Many thanks go to Dr. Robert Turner, D.D.S., Dana Keiles, D.D.S., endodontic specialists Dr. Paul Brown, D.D.S., F.I.C.D. and Dr. Mehran Fotovatjah, D.D.S, Dr. Robert Yelland, D.V.M., Dr. Christina Heffner, D.V.M. and also an endodontic specialist. During the nearly five-hour surgery he received x-rays that discovered abscesses at the base of all three canine teeth. One was draining and could have become quite serious. He received three root canals and then steel posts were placed in each core for strength. These posts were cemented in and then casts were taken for crowns to be formed. Due to these posts, Little Bill actually now has taller teeth, which will take some getting used to for him--and our volunteers! We drew blood for Dr. Jenni Spencer's immunology research and Billy recovered quickly.
His crowns were put in on December 6, in what will be (we hope) Billy-Bob's last surgery. Unfortunately, one of his three cemented posts from the last surgery, broke in the last week while waiting for the crowns to be cast. Dr. Robert Turner and Dr. Tom Sheriff were able to save the root by trimming the tooth to gum level and filling it. We put the crowns on the two remaining teeth.
Thank you so much to a private foundation for the generous grant to pay for all of Billy-Bob92s medical expenses. And a big "head-butt" from Billy-Bob! This little guy has suffered more than any cat or human ever should as a result of this unnecessary practice. It was completely avoidable, due to the unfortunate recommendation of the breeder.
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 09:43:36 -0600 Subject: Re: FEL-L: teeth alteration example
Have been reading the messages about altered fang teeth. My Georgie Girl has been declawed on all fours. This was done when she was six months old. Would I do it again? I'm really not sure. Her claws were taken out from the top, so the pads remained exactly as they were. I have seen some really mutilated cats, both bobs and house cats, that have been declawed and the pads ruined or pieces of them gone all together. I watched as it was being done and there was very little bleeding and not even a small bandage when finished.
I know this is a very hot subject, so am just telling you all what happened with my cat. Georgie is nearly three now and lives in the house as part of the family. Maybe I should say she allows us to live with her :) At the time she was declawed, if she were going to live in and outside enclosure, I probably would not have had it done. Please understand I am not trying to justify declawing, it is just the choice I made.
Next - altering fang teeth. Yes, Georgie Girl has altered fang teeth. This was not done until her adult teeth had matured, for the very reasons you mentioned. I hope I will be able to explain it in a way that makes it easy to understand. Again, right or wrong, it is what I chose at the time. Her teeth were cleaned and her fang teeth had the tips ground off. At the same time, they were crowned. They remain as long as before, just the sharp points gone. In Jan. she had her check up and teeth are fine, at this point in time. Would I have this done again? I honestly don't know. Even though her fang teeth are blunted, she could still, quite easily, bite completely through a finger bone, if she chose. I watch this cat sit on my fridge with a turkey leg and hear and see how easily she bites clear through that bone, and understand that having the points of her fang teeth gone are no real protection from a bite if she chose to do it.
We always remember that this is a bobcat, not just a bigger sized house cat!!! We play by her rules, not ours :) Like most cats, Georgie does not like to be picked up unless she wants to be. If you are silly enough to do that, she will bite, but never hard - yet!
These are just the things I have done with one cat. As in most cases, if there ever is another cat, some things I will do differently and some I will do the same.
On a lighter note, this one large fur ball has made me a much better house keeper :) It's either keep the tops of thing clear of "junk" like papers and mail or she will clean them for me :) She has also taught me never to leave a piece of suspended ceiling out of it's place. Perfect for her to take down the whole ceiling. Ah, well, I wanted a new perm. ceiling anyway!! Also, never leave worn underwear where you don't want them to end up as "cat clothes". Right now, she is napping in the middle of the dining room table. Yeah, I know cats don't belong on tables, but, somehow, Georgie does not agree. She has taught me that, yes, recliners and easy chairs can be easily tipped over :) She has taught my husband never to lay on his back in bed early in the morning when Georgie is making her rounds, getting everybody, including the dogs, up and moving :) I have had bruises on my legs from this cat using my legs as her take off point!! Such incredible strength in those back legs. Feels like you have been hit with a very large hammer.
She has taught the three of us many things, most of all, to love, admire, and respect her. She makes it so much easier for us to understand just how well adapted these cats are to their natural homes. Bobcats still are in the western part of the state I live in, but are trapped each winter. We have a friend who has trapped the cats for the last 10 years. After being in our home many times and watching and touching Georgie Girl, he did not trap this winter. Georgie has made a difference. In more ways than one. Sorry, I got to rambling again, but I could write pages about this one cat. Karla
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 18:57:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: FEL-L: declaw
Here's something that was taught to me along time ago by several handlers:
Defanged cats give worse bites then ones with fangs.
The premise is, the cat's fangs have the nerves in them that allow them to judge how hard they are biting. This might be the case, cause I've never seen a cat yet that didn't like to have it's fangs grabbed and played with. Then again there are dental problems.
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 22:15:25 -0600 Subject: Re: FEL-L: declaw
> Defanged cats give worse bites then ones with fangs.
I just have to say:
Instance #1: I had bruises on my leg from a jaguar that "reverted" when he had anything he considered his possession, and the bruises would have been serious gashes if he'd had full fangs (and maybe a lot of meat ripped off). In fact, he went for my throat once during this encounter and I knocked him out of the air. (It's amazing how strong you get when you're scared for your life!) If he'd had full fangs and had been able to sink them into my legs immediately, I might not have had the strength to stop him from going for my throat. He was, of course, fine, five minutes after I removed the offending piece of rubber hose he we went berserk over and became his usual pussycat self.
Instance #2: I removed a javelina from the same jaguar's mouth, with me pulling on the jag's leash while pushing the javelina with my feet. It worked. Javelina raced away unharmed. With fangs, dead javelina.
Instance #3: Young woman in Dallas nearly killed when black leopard leaped on her and grabbed her by the throat. Fangs sunk in, grip was impossible to do anything about. Owner pried mouth open with steel bar. No fangs, possibly the cat could not have gotten such a grip, or could have been knocked away before she got a hold.
Instance #4: Fully clawed bobcat grabbed a fake fur hat and reverted, cornered in room by child. Fortunately, leaped over child. I breathed a sigh of relief and had him and his brother declawed the next day.
I absolutely agree that altering fangs doesn't make a cat "harmless" nor does declawing---especially if they are very large cats. I cannot agree that it doesn't make a very big difference in certain situations. I still believe if the animal is to be in a situation where he is to live with people, he is best altered---but a REALLY good veterinary surgeon.