My Poor Kitty - Teeth Extracted

[LisaS]

My poor cat Ajax, went in for a Dental Cleaning today. They told us he may have to have teeth pulled. When I called them at noon they told me they had to pull 8 of them including both upper canines. I am very sad for him, he loves to play with his toys and attack them like mice and uses the canines.

I am also having issues giving him his pain medication, he is fighting me every bit of the way, I finally had to pin him down while he was growling away.

Has anyone else had a cat with teeth extracted? I really hope he feels better soon.

[BittyBug]

Yes, one of my older cats had to have a number of teeth extracted. Like yours, he's without both upper canines, along with other teeth, but he still manages to vigorously attack all types of toys - balls, catnip mice, catnip vegetables, etc. - and carry them around the house in his mouth. He also still eats almost exclusively dry food (by his own choosing), so missing his teeth doesn't really seem to have limited his activities.

I couldn't pin him down to give him pain meds after his surgery either, but quite honestly, he didn't really seem to be bothered much. In a way, I wonder if having his bad teeth pulled was more of a relief than anything else.

So I wouldn't worry too much about your kitty. Cats are amazingly resilient animals, and I'm sure Ajax will be just fine.

[Buzz]

Awww...Poor little itty bitty kitty! I share his pain. The dentist is not my favourite place to go either.

[Sparks]

I once had a diabetic cat who had ALL his teeth extracted.
The poor darling, he just laid in the spare bedroom and drooled blood for three days. He was such a sweet kitty...he let me give him meds and I was the only person he would let care for him. Soon, he was fully recovered and refused to eat wet food. He just gummed his dry perscription food. He lived for another 9 years to the good old age of 17.
(((Ajax)))

[Japanfan]

It may not be so bad after all, Lisa. I'd just want to be sure that I had proper pain relief for the cat after the surgery. I had a bunch of teeth extracted last year and the worst were the bottom ones - I had pain and swelling for about a week and needed a teeth-specific painkiller (non-narcotic) in addition to T-3.

[manleywoman]

My cats have had teeth extracted, though not that many at once. ((hugs))

[Capella]

My cat had to have nine pulled about a year ago. I knew he wouldn't do pain pills, so they gave me the medicine in an injectable form. Granted, I had had experience with subcutaneous injections because of a former cat who was diabetic. I think I did three days of twice daily pain meds.

My cat couldn't walk well after the surgery, so I set up a bed on the floor and we both slept there. He really seemed to like when I took a washcloth and made it very wet (but not dripping) with cold water and held it on various places around his jaw. I let him guide me, and he would do things like stretch his neck out so that the underside of his chin/jaw was resting on the cold washcloth. It was a long couple of days and nights before he started acting a little more like himself. I also had some bottled water that I froze and had them around our bed so he could lean against those if he felt like he needed it.

My cat is a fan of baby food, so I got a few cans of Stage 1 jars of like ham or beef or chicken. It's totally mushed into almost a pudding, so he didn't have to chew but he still got some food.

So I would definitely see if the vet can get the medicine in another formula if pills aren't working. Some medicines can be made into a liquid and you just used a non-needle syringe and squirt it down his throat.

Hope your kitty feels better soon!

[Garden Kitty]

Poor kitty, I'm sure he's sore from the extraction and it's no fun to have to take (or give him!) the antibiotics.

But my second cat had to have a bunch of teeth pulled, and once she got over the surgery itself, she was just fine and continued to play, bite her toys, and eat just fine.

[LisaS]

The pain medication they gave me for him is administered via a non needle syringe. However, the second I squirt some in he freaks out. I need to squirt on the gum line. I am trying to pin him down so he will stay put while I do it, but he squirms and freaks out. I know it will make him feel better but he doesn't like the stuff going in. He is eating however his regular canned food, in fact he gobble up quite a bit after I brought him home, but then I think the food was stuck in his mouth, as he started pawing at his face after eating. He is however purring when you pet him, so I think he is going to be okay. Thanks for all of your posts and thoughts.

[NinjaTurtles]

((()))

I'm assuming the reason behind needing the teeth pulled are the same as human dental problems?

Does anyone have any information regarding how to try and keep kitties' teeth clean and healthy? I'm wondering if there is any kind of link between dry vs. wet food.

[LisaS]

My vet tells me it has nothing to do with wet vs dry food, and all to do with genetics. My cat eats a regular diet of canned and dry food.

[viennese]

Poor cat!
One of my cats had dental problems as she got very old. She had to have some teeth pulled.

She still had a healthy appetite for mashed up wet food and baby food (turkey, chicken and vegetable flavors): Both cuisines really stink.

[BelleBway]

When I had to give BelleKitty liquid meds through a syringe, it helped keep her more still if I wrapped her in a towel- like a cocoon. Good luck!

[LisaS]

Update: Ajax has decided to not eat today. I think after he gobbled up food yesterday he has realized it hurts to eat. I have watered down his can food. The vet recommends putting some in his mouth and microwaving it to bring out the aroma. She also suggested trying different flavours. I did put some tuna water down for him, and he drank that. The vet says she really wants him eating today. Hopefully he will get hungry enough.

[FigureSpins]

Poor Ajax. Our cat came to us with awful dental issues and has had many extracted, including some molars that were green. He's also diabetic, but thankfully, he's a really good patient. When we go to the Vet, he's a celebrity - everyone shows him off because he's so well-behaved. I think that he was also touchy about having his jaws touched after the dental surgery. I guess the Vets have to force the cat's mouth open really wide and that hurts for the next few days.

The missing teeth have changed my cat's eating habits - he's a slob now, because he can't pick up/hold/chew the food neatly. He drops some in his water all the time. He's also gone off dry food, which was his preference before the diabetes/dental work. Meh. He's 17, so he's entitled to be a little crotchety and sloppy.

I think cold will make him feel better more than warm. You can microwave a little food for the scent, but feed him chilled food in small portions so he can nibble away and get some relief. Add a few ice cubes to his water, so it stays cold, but you might want to take the bowl away when you feed him so that he'll start to lap up/eat the food instead of drinking the water. Chicken broth in the food instead of water will make it a little more enticing and nutritious. If he'll let you hold him, a cold compress will help, too.

Get well soon, Ajax.

[BigB08822]

((Ajax and LisaS)) Hopefully he will begin eating today. It probably is common for the kitties to be more sore the 2nd day after all the anesthesia and stuff has worn off. Giving cats or dogs liquid medication is never easy. I do it for one my MILs chihuahas. I finally got it figured out. (there is no trick, I just learned to not be scared of hurting her and to get it over with quickly and practice makes perfect.)

[LisaS]

Update : still no eating. I spoke to the vet again tonight, they said to wait till tomorrow and call back if he hasn't eaten. I have put food right in his face, and he moves away from it. I think he thinks it will hurt to eat.

[Sparks]

Lisa, have you tried the gentle syringe method? Baby him a little...

[LisaS]

I haven't tried a syringe yet. The vet mentioned that today, so that might be the way to go tomorrow. He doesn't like me touching his mouth for his medication, so not sure how we will like being force fed. Maybe the vet will be able to assist if this continues for too long. One good thing, is he is a big boy, so don't really have to worry about him starving just yet. He did drink tuna water today, so at least he had something.

[LisaS]

Still no eating. Called the vet and I am taking him in at 11:30. She said they will get some food in him and check him out.