My kitty has a broke tooth

[Schot 407]

My poor old lady of a cat, 21 years!, appeared to me yesterday with a most unfortunate grimace. Her bottom left Canine was jutting straight out at me as she meow/howled, "What's happening to me?!". It just broke my heart to think how upset and hurt she might be. She does seem to be ok though with cats it's so difficult to tell when they are in pain. She's eating fine, still very social and purrs as always. So the next step I've got in mind is to start shopping around for an affordable vet to do dental work. Yeesh. I have two that I've used in the past so I'll try them. There's also an animal care college nearby that I hear has great rates.

I'm a little annoyed at the moment though with the vet I've been using for the past two years. I took Star in because of a few difficult to explain symptoms. The most pressing concern I had was a very very large growth that had developed along her lower jaw. The vet looked in her mouth and "said" they would do a biopsy of the growth. Now I'm wondering if that growth was actually a dental abcess... Star was put on antibiotics and even corticalsteroids for a while. She was completely symptom free for a while but only a couple weeks. This all took place over the past winter and this spring.

I've never taken Star in for dental work so I guess I will be now. If anyone has experience with animals I sure could use advice!

[Ysne58 236]

I'd recommend starting with the college -- the students can ask their professors for help -- they are learning after all. Then if you need more options-opinions, check with the dentists you have already used.

[chattius 2,527]

I knew some people with cats which lost teeth at this age. Normally they just fell out after a day or two. If it is eating fine and shows no pain, perhaps just watch for signs of infections and if no sign wait a day before calling a vet for nature to do her work with removing the tooth. Visiting a vet can be stress for the cat too and costly if it is loosing a tooth after the other because of age.

Just watch for infections in morning and evening till the tooth is gone. My sister in law (just on visit this weekend) said her old cat was biting cat-grass more than normal when it lost teeth, just if she tried to remove the teeth herself.

Cat grass is not liked by every cat. The norwegian forest cat of my wife likes it, my Chartreux-Blender (Chartreux = french short hair cat, Blender is german for a mix with an european wildcat) never touched it.

I think young oath is used in america and our cat grass more in europe. Cyperus zumula is a softer gras than oath, long-fur cats eat more of it than oath. So if changing from oath to cyperus zumula: exspect the cat to vomit more but smaller fur balls. And first days till it is used to it: even sudden vomiting.

I think cyperus zumula also looks nicer in an appartment as a plant.

 

Edit: If the cat would be younger I would try a vet to exclude cat diabetis.

[Knuckles 904]

It is sooo hard to tell when cats (or dogs) are in pain. I don't have any kind of expertise or experience so I won't give any advice. Just wanted to say I hope she recovers quickly and is pain-free soon.

[wolfie2kX 528]

What Knuckles says is true - cats (and to a degree, dogs) don't show pain. Pain is weakness in the animal world. Weakness makes you prey, not a predator... Ergo it's best to NOT show you're in pain.

 

I also had the first impression of an abscess the way I read your post... Yah.. Get a 2nd opinion for sure.

 

If a tooth is broken, it will most likely need to come out. But most cats will get along OK with one less tooth.

[Schot 407]

I'd recommend starting with the college -- the students can ask their professors for help -- they are learning after all. Then if you need more options-opinions, check with the dentists you have already used.

I called around but they're a bit difficult to get a hold of. I guess they don't do as much during the summer. For now it seems they're only offering a spaying/neutering service.

I knew some people with cats which lost teeth at this age. Normally they just fell out after a day or two. If it is eating fine and shows no pain, perhaps just watch for signs of infections and if no sign wait a day before calling a vet for nature to do her work with removing the tooth. Visiting a vet can be stress for the cat too and costly if it is loosing a tooth after the other because of age.

Just watch for infections in morning and evening till the tooth is gone. My sister in law (just on visit this weekend) said her old cat was biting cat-grass more than normal when it lost teeth, just if she tried to remove the teeth herself.

Cat grass is not liked by every cat. The norwegian forest cat of my wife likes it, my Chartreux-Blender (Chartreux = french short hair cat, Blender is german for a mix with an european wildcat) never touched it.

I think young oath is used in america and our cat grass more in europe. Cyperus zumula is a softer gras than oath, long-fur cats eat more of it than oath. So if changing from oath to cyperus zumula: exspect the cat to vomit more but smaller fur balls. And first days till it is used to it: even sudden vomiting.

I think cyperus zumula also looks nicer in an appartment as a plant.

 

Edit: If the cat would be younger I would try a vet to exclude cat diabetis.

Hmmm, that's a nice idea. Her tooth is just hanging there. Maybe cat grass would help to make the tooth fall out eh? I'll look around for some. Cheers chattius.

 

It is sooo hard to tell when cats (or dogs) are in pain. I don't have any kind of expertise or experience so I won't give any advice. Just wanted to say I hope she recovers quickly and is pain-free soon.

What Knuckles says is true - cats (and to a degree, dogs) don't show pain. Pain is weakness in the animal world. Weakness makes you prey, not a predator... Ergo it's best to NOT show you're in pain.

 

I also had the first impression of an abscess the way I read your post... Yah.. Get a 2nd opinion for sure.

 

If a tooth is broken, it will most likely need to come out. But most cats will get along OK with one less tooth.

So true guys. This is my biggest worry. Knowing if she is in pain or not. I just found a bit of relief after testing to see if her lose tooth is causing any pain and it seems not to. After brushing her for a while a knelt down and nudged her lose tooth with the back of my fingernail. She didn't react at all so I'd think that's a good sign she's not in pain.

 

Only problem now is that she may be nearing heat stoke... I don't like to use air conditioning in my room which has been pretty hot these past few days. About 40 celsius with humidity. Every since Star's broken tooth she's been sleeping on the floor right behind me as I work on my computer. I've moved her to an air conditioned room several times but she keeps coming back to lie behind me. Guess my little kitty needs her daddy... Which also means I have to install my air conditioner after all. Haha. I have a consultation with a nearby vet tomorrow and I'll probably be ordering blood work for Star. Ugh. Hopefully it's just a lose tooth and ONLY a lose tooth. *fingers crossed*

[chattius 2,527]

How is the cat?

Just thought about it when watering the cat gras.

[gogoblender 3,070]

Chattius, thanks for asking!

We are trying to find better pricing on having her tooth removed and the rest of them cleaned. She will have to undergo surgery while this is all happening, and so this can be costly, somewhere in the 600.00 to 800.00 range. Fortunately for us, there is a veterinarian college some miles away from us, and my cousin lives in a rural community, so we are researching a less expensive cost for an operation in those areas. The doctor has given Star a prescription now for a super doper called

buprenorphine

 

It's super tough to give her though, and easy to have it land in her mouth instead of tween her teeth and gums where it is absorbed by the gums of her mouth instead of it being neutralized by stomach if it changes the ph.

 

The vet will give us a lower price if we buy for a month, perhaps close to fifty percent off, we're hoping to keep her in a less pain afflicted state till we can find better pricing for the operation.

 

Ahh, for the love of pets

 

 

gogo

[chattius 2,527]

I wonder if Buprenovet what we gave our dog is the same. But it had to be applied below the tongue, which was probably easier in our case: St Bernhard/longhair german shepherd mix. I could nearly put my head in its fang to see where it has to be placed.

 

It was a long discussion if the dog should be put to eternal sleep, right lower foreleg amputated or trying to put a bone replacement in. Luckily we had an animal health insurance and the person who had caused the accident had to pay the difference.

 

So with a pain killer 50times stronger than morphium, it is an infection?

[gogoblender 3,070]

Chattius, if you guys are good with keeping your pet/friend, I'm inspired to keep finding ways for Star. I can't even imagine a day here without her presence.

 

heh, didn't know that stuff was so strong! Doc advising to use it to help mollify the pain till we can get her to operating room. The tooth is broken, pulp is now exposed...this will only become more painful as time progresses

 

 

gogo

[chattius 2,527]

Ah broken tooth, so not just loosing it because of age. That's surely something for a vet.

My wife says Buprenorphine is used at small animals because there is not much risc in overdosing it. No stopping to breath or such. The animal will just be too much tired or sleeps a day. If this happens just reduce the dosis.

Buprenorphine is used to help people to stop an addiction to heroin. She wondered why I asked for it. Buprenovet is the thing for animals a least here in germany.

[gogoblender 3,070]

It's supposed to be the best mollifier for cats, and I'm just happy we have something to at least soothe what must be some immense pain. I've suffered tooth stuffs in the past, and it quickly brings me to my knees.

Only tough thing is putting it in her mouth. It's very difficult to do, she's still pretty fighty, and it has to land for best results, tween teeth and inner pouch of cheek to be absorbed by the gums, and not be neutralized by ph in stomach.

 

gogo

[chattius 2,527]

Wonder if dogs are different, I was told to place it below tongue. But that is either too difficulty considering the size of a finger compared to a cats mouth, or too dangerous if the cat is lion sized.

[gogoblender 3,070]

It's the worst experience ever trying to give her that squirt... if we can just get it below the tongue or against the cheek...but she fights so much, sometimes we're just happy to know we got a shot off in the mouth and hope for the best...not fun, specially considering how much they charge. We're trying to find a pharmacy near us that can compound it for us if we give them the prescription.

But some good news at least...her tooth has fallen out!

 

 

gogo

[Ysne58 236]

You could try putting her in a hat or cowl or small bag that confines her arms and legs before giving her the squirt.