Why it's so easy to miss
A cat in dental discomfort usually keeps eating, just differently, favouring one side, swallowing food whole rather than chewing, or eating more slowly. None of that looks like an obvious problem unless you're specifically watching for it.
The signs actually worth checking for
- Noticeably bad breath, beyond normal cat-breath
- Pawing at the mouth or face
- Dropping food while eating
- Reduced interest in dry food specifically, while wet food stays appealing
- Visible tartar or red, inflamed gum lines
Why it's worth a specific check, not just a general one
Dental health is easy to overlook at a general check-up unless specifically raised, since it isn't always the most visible thing in a short appointment. Asking directly, "can we check her teeth properly today," tends to get a more thorough look than assuming it's automatically covered.
Why the downstream effects are worth tracking anyway
Even without spotting the dental issue directly, its effects, weight and appetite changes, are visible in the numbers. Halo's weight tracking catches exactly this kind of secondary effect, even when the root cause isn't obvious yet.