Dental Pathology of the California Bobcat (Lynx rufus californicus)

Skulls from 277 California bobcats (Lynx rufus californicus) were examined macroscopically and by radiography. The majority of the skulls were from adult animals (79.8%). The skulls were from 128 male (46.2%) and 114 female (41.2%) animals and gender was unknown for the remainder. The majority (95.6%) of teeth were present for examination. Only 16 teeth were identified as absent congenitally and 15 of these were incisor teeth. Teeth with abnormal morphology were rare (0.5%). The two most common abnormalities were unusually large crowns of the maxillary first molar teeth and bigemination of the mandibular incisor teeth. Teeth with an abnormal number of roots were uncommon (n = 68). Sixty-three teeth had abnormal roots, mostly the presence of two roots instead of one for the maxillary first molar tooth. The most prevalent dental lesions found in the California bobcat were attrition/abrasion (85.2%), periodontitis (56.0%) and tooth fractures (50.9%). Less common dental lesions were endodontal disease (n = 114 teeth) and tooth resorption (n = 73 teeth).