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My cat has a loose, protruding fang. What should I do right now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 years and 10 months old | 11 lbs

My 9 yr old black cat has a protruding lower right Fang. No blood or drooling, eating fine. The fang looks loose. Should I just leave it alone?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 21st, 2017

I would definitely recommend leaving it alone because you could cause some pain and injury by wiggling on it. However I would consider having your vet take a look at it because safe extraction if the canine tooth may be recommended to avoid having a huge hole left behind for foodstuffs to then get clogged into. If your vet extracts the tooth instead of just letting it fall out, the vet can then close the hole with suture. This is the best approach when dealing with diseases canine teeth especially, because this is the only tooth that can leave a hole that directly communicates with the nasal passages (oronasal fistula), so we take extra precautions with this tooth in particular. Schedule an appt with your local vet soon and I hope everything turns out well for your cat Zoe.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at her mouth to assess the situation. If she has a loose tooth than she probably has some periodontal disease and needs to have her teeth cleaned. Your vet can also extract any bad teeth. She may also need an antibiotic to treat or prevent infection.

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