What causes oral swellings in cats?
Oral swellings are never normal. There are many causes of oral swellings, including local trauma, infection, fluid accumulation, and tumors. If you see a swelling in your cat’s mouth, book an appointment to have your veterinarian examine your cat. Some oral swellings can be painful to touch, so to protect yourself from being bitten, do not touch the swelling.
Fig. 1: Benign tumor surrounding upper cheek teeth.
Fig. 2: Swelling due to trauma from upper cheek tooth.
What will my veterinarian do?
Your veterinarian first needs to determine the cause of the swelling. Unless the cause is obvious from a visual examination, diagnostic tests are required. Typically, diagnostic tests include intraoral X-rays (radiographs) and some form of cell or tissue sample of the swelling. Additional laboratory tests may also be performed, such as a complete blood count (CBC) and a serum biochemistry profile.
Usually, a general anesthetic is required to obtain a sample of an oral swelling or oral mass. Various techniques are used to obtain cells from the swelling, such as a fine needle aspiration (FNA) or a biopsy. These cell samples are then analyzed by a veterinary pathologist to aid in the diagnosis. Your veterinarian will recommend the sampling technique best suited for your cat.
How are oral swellings treated?
Treatment will depend on the cause of the oral swelling. If the swelling is cystic (fluid-filled) and associated with a missing, unerupted tooth, then it is possibly a dentigerous cyst. Surgery will be performed to remove the tooth, drain the cyst and remove the cyst lining. The cyst lining will be sent to a veterinary pathologist for evaluation. If the swelling is associated with a fractured tooth, then it may be due to a tooth root abscess. These teeth may be treated with extraction or standard root canal therapy. If the swelling is caused by a tumor, treatment will depend on the aggressiveness of the mass.
Fig. 1: Facial and eye swelling due to infection from retained tooth roots.
Fig. 2: Swelling resolved following surgery.
What is the prognosis for my cat?
The ultimate outcome depends on the underlying cause. In the case of cysts, trauma, and infection, the swelling is usually cured with veterinary treatment. In cases of cancer, a biopsy will determine if the cancer is benign or malignant and how likely it is to respond to surgical therapy.
