This afternoon I took Rusty to see TED about his bleeding gum. He was
diagnosed with Feline Resorptive Lesion. It is similar to  cavity.  The
cause  is unknown.  Tooth brushing would not  prevent it, which made me
feel less guilty of not brushing as frequnetly as I should. TED said it
is quite common and only  seen in cats. I read that these "lesions are
not cavities, which are very rare in cats." and "Resorptive lesions are
quite common in cats, with reports as high as 67 percent".  Also "As
with many ailments, the incidence of resorptive lesions tends to
increase as the cat ages". TED did say Rusty may have another lesion
later on.  Sigh!

Rusty's bleeding is confined to the tooth that has the lesion. That
tooth is very sensitive to brushing and to TED's prodding.  TED said he
is in pain. He also has another tooth that already lost the crown due
to lesion. TED said his gum is pretty good. Rusty  has to go in on
Monday to have the tooth extracted and TED will clean and polish all
his teeth. Because of his age,  gas will be used to put him under. But
that means he will wake up sooner and feel the pain. He will be given a
pain killer.  At first the lady at the front desk couldn't give me an
appointment till Dec. I was concerned because I don't want Rusty to be
in pain for that long. TED also said it needs to be done soon and he
squeezed him in for Monday.

So far this year has been a bad one for Rusty's health. First it was
urinary infection. Then it was ringworm. Now it is Feline Resorptive
Lesion. What next? The year is not over yet. The vet bills just keep
coming. Big sigh!

Purrs will be greatly appreciated.

Winnie