Worried... tooth/small mass in mouth

rayne

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Hello everyone,

My poor baby boy is not feeling great and I'm worried sick, I cant focus at work and seem to be crying myself to sleep every night fearing the worst. Bubba is my 11 year old kitty who is my constant companion and sidekick.

This past Sunday night after his dinner he started what i could only call gagging and pawing at his mouth ( he has done this before when he swallows one of my long hairs he might come across, but never to this extent) however that evening I felt maybe it was one of my hairs. On Monday he didnt seem to do it...until i fed him, then he did it again. I got him into the vet on Tuesday morning fearing he might have something stuck in his throat causing him discomfort. 

He is not vet friendly lol, they call him fractious, sweet as can be at home...but you get him into a vet and ummm, he's not. The vet said to leave him there because they were going to have to use anesthesia to take a look in his mouth and also to get any type of physical exam. The vet called mid day on Tuesday saying they were trying to corral him and he had shredded a towel they had wrapped around him...they finally get him sedated and put under.

Vet says he only has 5 teeth in the back of his mouth and that the others are covered in tartar pretty bad, he gets that chipped off and finds he has a fractured tooth and a fair amount of dental disease, but in the same location he finds a pink mass, his hope is that its just overgrown gum. The mass is in the same location as the fractured tooth.

He gave me tramadol in pill form...yeah thats not gonna work, he cant seem to chew at all and when i mashed it up and put it in his food, well that was just a nightmare.

I am having to mash up his food and add water so its almost like soup, so he wont claw at his mouth and gag. Well he's still doing the gag thing but no pawing at his mouth and his eyes are now tearing up.

Monday I am having to go to another vet who can do xrays, if the xrays are normal they will do a full cleaning, extract his broken tooth and biopsy the pink mass. I am so worried about that mass and also feeling beyond guilty that I didnt follow through on his oral hygiene.

I just needed to post this and see if anyone here has had or gone through the same thing with their kitties?

Purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
 

stephenq

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Hello everyone,

My poor baby boy is not feeling great and I'm worried sick, I cant focus at work and seem to be crying myself to sleep every night fearing the worst. Bubba is my 11 year old kitty who is my constant companion and sidekick.

This past Sunday night after his dinner he started what i could only call gagging and pawing at his mouth ( he has done this before when he swallows one of my long hairs he might come across, but never to this extent) however that evening I felt maybe it was one of my hairs. On Monday he didnt seem to do it...until i fed him, then he did it again. I got him into the vet on Tuesday morning fearing he might have something stuck in his throat causing him discomfort. 

He is not vet friendly lol, they call him fractious, sweet as can be at home...but you get him into a vet and ummm, he's not. The vet said to leave him there because they were going to have to use anesthesia to take a look in his mouth and also to get any type of physical exam. The vet called mid day on Tuesday saying they were trying to corral him and he had shredded a towel they had wrapped around him...they finally get him sedated and put under.

Vet says he only has 5 teeth in the back of his mouth and that the others are covered in tartar pretty bad, he gets that chipped off and finds he has a fractured tooth and a fair amount of dental disease, but in the same location he finds a pink mass, his hope is that its just overgrown gum. The mass is in the same location as the fractured tooth.

He gave me tramadol in pill form...yeah thats not gonna work, he cant seem to chew at all and when i mashed it up and put it in his food, well that was just a nightmare.

I am having to mash up his food and add water so its almost like soup, so he wont claw at his mouth and gag. Well he's still doing the gag thing but no pawing at his mouth and his eyes are now tearing up.

Monday I am having to go to another vet who can do xrays, if the xrays are normal they will do a full cleaning, extract his broken tooth and biopsy the pink mass. I am so worried about that mass and also feeling beyond guilty that I didnt follow through on his oral hygiene.

I just needed to post this and see if anyone here has had or gone through the same thing with their kitties?

Purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
Yes i have with a recent 10 your old rescue.  The pink mass is most likely stomatitis (fancy word for infected swelling of the gum) and instead of tramadol in a pill you could ask about sub q injections of buprenorphine, very easy to give and there is one that lasts several days, but your cat needs a dental asap.
 

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oral form of buprenorphine is better for treating pain-its available as sub injection or oral in mouth liquid-it is absorbed by the bloodvessels in the mouth. 

dont mix tramadol in with food-tastes nasty and will cause food aversion. i suggest oral prescribed bupre- its a tiny amount of liquid that you put under his tongue or in the cheek pocket. the vet who does xrays more than likely can prescribe this. it lasts 8 to 12 hours and it may make him sleepy at first but in a few days it wont make him as sleepy. 

if its stomachitis then he may have to have all the teeth extrated-cats do very well with this suprisingly-but for now those broken teeth and red gum tissue is probably pretty painful. 

Thank you for taking him to the vet right away-some people wait too long. hoping things go better for you with the different pain meds.
 
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rayne

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Thanks StephenQ and Foxxycat for all the info!  When I see the other vet I will talk to him about the buprenorphine, I am hating to see him in pain :(

just a day and a half to go thru before we can see the vet for a consultation.

I think hearing the word "mass" is whats got me on edge...and I just had to go online and google...some really scary, heartbreaking stuff out there for Kitties in regards to a mass being in the mouth. he also mentioned some other possible dental disease that attacks the tooth ( which might explain why he only has the 5)

I am also worried about putting him under again so soon, since he went under this past Tuesday.

Thanks!

Purrs and nose boops!
 
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rayne

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My kitty went in for his dental xrays, biopsy of a suspicious mass and what we thought was one extraction...good news the mass was not a mass, as the original vet stated. Unfortunately poor thing has really bad tooth resorption and just had to have 10 extractions today. its about 930pm here and he had this done about 2pm, so he's still pretty loopy ( uncoordinated, very drooley, seems tired but restless and pretty much out of it)

During the procedure he received Buprenorphine though I am not sure at what time as the procedure took about 2 hours 45 mins. The doc had said to give him some oral Buprenorphine this evening, he seems really out of it and well i dont want to OD him, should i wait until the morning to be safe, or should i try to get ahead of the pain, so to speak?

Purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
 

white shadow

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Originally Posted by Rayne  
 

the doc said to give him some oral Buprenorphine this evening

i dont want to OD him, should i wait until the morning to be safe,

or should i try to get ahead of the pain, so to speak?
Hi Rayne !

With Buprenorphine...yes, you need to stay ahead of the pain.

So, I would follow the Vet's instructions exactly.

Your cat also received some other anesthetics for the surgery....those are likely still having their effects and will slowly dissipate. By the end of their effectiveness, you'll need to have the Bup 'on board' to keep him comfortable.

I've also found that oral Bup is only effective for ~6 hours, though the instructions say to dose every 8+ hours.....and, that I had to give it a little earlier so there was no 'gap' in coverage.

It's not to be swallowed, it gets absorbed through oral tissue...to prevent my cats from swallowing it, I would instill only 1-2 drops at a time until the full dosing was complete. It isn't a pleasant taste, but it's not horrid.
 
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rayne

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I'm such a worry wart!!!

Thanks for your quick reply, gonna give it to him now.

purrs and nose boops!!

Rayne
 
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rayne

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Holy Cow! Does this stuff give cats the munchies? seems they switched my cats stomach with a hoover vacuum!! I can believe how much he is eating! Vet said to increase his portion, i gave him 2 pouches and he finally seems satisfied...i didn't think he could fit that much in his tummy! 

Other than the eating and constant purring, he still seems really out of it...he'l laying here beside me with his tongue out, drooling, and very lethargic, not sure if thats the med or the recovery or both, should i be concerned or just stop being a worry wart?

purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
 

stephanie42

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When my Piglet had her four canine teeth extracted (FORL) she was on bupe. When she first came home she had a voracious appetite! I don't know if it was the anesthesia, bupe, or because her mouth was less painful without the teeth. For the first few days, I just fed Piglet whenever she wanted and spoiled her :)
 

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Your boy is probably very HAPPY to be able to eat& enjoy food with out pain, that would be my thoughts as to why he ate so much at one time. Also remember he had to fast before the surgery, so he was probably very hungry & HAPPY! I have a boy that had all 4 canines broken in half & another with a resorption issue. He didn't eat very good until I got his teeth removed. I saved him from street life & his teeth suffered I'm thinking from malnutrition. He is no longer malnourished by any means, not at 16 lbs... I'm sure your boy is just enjoying being pain free. ENJOY HIM! Stay ahead of the pain & all the meds given during surgery will wear off by morning. Give your boy a kiss & a treat!
DebNFurKids
 

debnfurkidsvt

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Oh.. I just read about him drooling & his tongue hanging out. Greyson had his tongue like that after his teeth removal also. My thoughts are because now they can move their tongue around without pain now... So.. They do! Drooling is absolutely a teeth issue... For most kitties anyway. Not my Greyson though. He drools when he's happy. I thought he would stop that after his teeth were fixed, not! LOL. When I pet hook, groom him, or just scratch his back, he leaves a wet drool spot! I can see it coming from his mouth.. It makes me laugh. I read up about that as I've never had a drooler... I sure do now & wouldn't change it for the world!
Don't worry too much Mom... Just snuggle him up!
With many puRrS,
DebNFurKids
 
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rayne

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Just an update.

Well he ate like a vacuum again this morning, another 2 pouches...I am hoping he slows down, a bit ( not going to force him to or anything ). He is still doing the gagging thing he did before, but not as severe as he was before the extractions. I'm hoping thats its only irritation from the stitches, we see the Vet tomorrow for a follow up.

Poor thing is also dealing with his flea allergy and ripped his fur and licked the skin raw on the inside of both his back legs, the area is about the size of a silver dollar on both, looks really raw. He had a steroid shot about 7 weeks ago, pretty hesitant to go that route again as I hear it can be bad for them and shorten their life, though it did help him. 

Poor little guy, he's had a rough week.

purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
 

debnfurkidsvt

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Dear Rayne,

I hope by now your boy is well on his way to recovery!! I want to reply about the Steroid Injection. I am guessing that your boy is allergic or reacts badly to flea killers? Have you tried Capstar which from what I've read is much safer than the other topicals? Here is a link to read about it,  http://www.drugs.com/pro/capstar.html

Now about the steroid use, you are absolutely right that they can cause a problem. BUT, you must way the benefits with the risks. What is worse? The chances that intermittent use, versus long term use, causing diabetes OR skin lesions from flea bites with the chance of infections & pain? I don't know if you live in the south, hopefully you do not, where you really don't need to treat or worry about fleas in the winter time. If so, I would only give the injections in the summer, about 2 injections. Then the rest of the year he wouldn't need them...I'm hoping this is true. But, I've also read that there are different ways to give the pill form that have less chances of causing a disease. Such as low dose every other day, or every 2 days, whatever the dose would be needed to control the allergy to fleas. I also have a friend whose dog is allergic to the topical and she uses essential oils to treat the fleas. You might want to research that also. I can't tell you anything about the essential oils as I've never used them.

My Angel Poohbear was  off & on the pill form as needed, for 10 years at least. He would get rodent ulcers on his lip. A few doses of prednisolone and they would be gone. It was the only thing that worked for him. He didn't get the pill form daily by any means, only when he needed them,  BUT he never had any side effects from using the steroids. He was also allergic to any flea bites, but I was fortunate I was able to use a topical flea killer.

If you speak with your vet about using a pill form, be sure to get Prednisolone, not Prednisone. Cats livers don't metabolize the active ingredient in Prednisone into Prednisolone as well. That's why the active ingredient is given directly versus the liver having to make it from the Prednisone.

I've gotten Prednisolone from Thriving Pets, which is online. Many vets don't carry it and it's not available at a regular pharmacy. But a few online stores do carry it, as above and also Dr. Foster's & Smith and a few others. It's very affordable. But hopefully you live in the north and can just give the shots a few months and then stop. Or you may want to try giving a low dose of the Prednisolone during the summer months, I would speak to my vet as to what options are available or what might work the best.

So don't be afraid to use the steroid if warranted. But, you do want to use the lowest dose possible for wanted relief. Maybe you can use the Capstar and then avoid the steroids all together.

I hope this info helps your boy some.

Purrs & Head Bonks,

DebNFurKids
 
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rayne

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Hey guys!

Quick question...My cat had 10 teeth extracted 8 days ago, his appetite is in full swing, he is eliminating well. But he is STILL pawing at his mouth (thats what caused us to go to the vet in the first place) after he eats or after he bathes himself. I feel so helpless because i cant fix whatever is wrong...he just keeps acting like he is gagging, making over exaggerated chewing motions, sticking his tongue out and pawing with both paws, like something is stuck in his throat or back of his mouth.

I read that that probably means mouth pain, so I gave him a dose of bupe and he's out like a light, but how long should this recovery take?

could it be his stitches, they're supposed to dissolve...how long does that take? shouldn't they be dissolved by now?

I go to the vet for his second follow up in 3 more days, i'm just concerned as I had hoped he would have stopped pawing/gagging by now.

anyone have any experience with this?

Purrs and Nose Boops!

Rayne
 

2Cats4everLoved

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Holy Cow! Does this stuff give cats the munchies? seems they switched my cats stomach with a hoover vacuum!! I can believe how much he is eating! Vet said to increase his portion, i gave him 2 pouches and he finally seems satisfied...i didn't think he could fit that much in his tummy! 

Other than the eating and constant purring, he still seems really out of it...he'l laying here beside me with his tongue out, drooling, and very lethargic, not sure if thats the med or the recovery or both, should i be concerned or just stop being a worry wart?

purrs and nose boops!

Rayne
I have to agree with @White Shadow  - stay ahead of  the pain.

My experience has been, at first, my boy would get drowsy then after taking it for a while, he'd get dopey and hyper.  But it kept his appetite going.

Wow, 10 extractions...  Poor kitty.  Best to you.
 

denice

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Normally he wouldn't be showing those signs by now.  Hopefully the vet will be able to figure out what is going on. 
 

goholistic

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Hey guys!

Quick question...My cat had 10 teeth extracted 8 days ago, his appetite is in full swing, he is eliminating well. But he is STILL pawing at his mouth (thats what caused us to go to the vet in the first place) after he eats or after he bathes himself. I feel so helpless because i cant fix whatever is wrong...he just keeps acting like he is gagging, making over exaggerated chewing motions, sticking his tongue out and pawing with both paws, like something is stuck in his throat or back of his mouth.

I read that that probably means mouth pain, so I gave him a dose of bupe and he's out like a light, but how long should this recovery take?

could it be his stitches, they're supposed to dissolve...how long does that take? shouldn't they be dissolved by now?

I go to the vet for his second follow up in 3 more days, i'm just concerned as I had hoped he would have stopped pawing/gagging by now.

anyone have any experience with this?

Purrs and Nose Boops!

Rayne
I'm so sorry your kitty is still pawing at his mouth. Poor guy. 
  The behavior sounds unusual to me, as well.

Did they take full mouth x-rays before and after extraction? Did they examine his mouth very thoroughly while he was under anesthesia to check for other conditions? For example, stomatitis (soft tissue inflammation in the mouth), polyps at the back of the mouth or throat, tumors or masses under the tongue, etc. EDIT: In quickly looking at your other threads just now, it seems some of these steps have been covered.

There is one thing that immediately comes to my mind based on your description of his behavior. It's a neuropathic condition called FOPS (Feline Orofacial Pain Syndrome). I really, really hope your cat doesn't have this, but I thought I would mention it so that you can bring it up with your vet. Is your kitty part Burmese? Apparently, it is more common in the Burmese breed, but it can affect any cat.

Here are a few links on FOPS:

http://www.catchannel.com/experts/arnold_plotnick/my-cat-paws-at-his-mouth-and-gags.aspx

http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/neurology/feline-orofacial-pain-syndrome-fops/

 
 
 
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rayne

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Thanks for replying!

He is still doing it, though the intensity and duration seems to have decreased last night and this morning.  I am really hoping that its just his stitches bothering him and not FOPS, please keep your fingers crossed.

The vet tech did mention at his 3 day follow up that the stitches seemed long and might be poking him.

She had said that for his next visit ( this coming Tuesday)if they needed to be trimmed they could sedate him and trim them up. I'm just hesitant to sedate/put him under for a third time so soon, he's not a spring chicken, especially if they should be dissolving soon.

During the dental visit, the vet did mention that he had quite a few bad teeth and that more needed to be watched and probably come out soon ( she had originally recommended getting them all out, but financially it was something that I couldn't afford-just the 10 that were really bad, set me back 1600 ). Maybe there is still a painful tooth in there?

I am continuing to blend/mash his wet food with water, even thought the vet had said go back to his regular diet after 7 days, I'm worried his crunchies will just make whatever he has going on worse.

I guess I'll have to wait until Tuesday to see...
 
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rayne

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He went to the vet this morning, the vet definitely thought it was the stitches, she said he had a couple that looked really long and were probably bothering him. He had healed enough that she could remove them. He let her do a couple then decided he didn't like her anymore...lol. He does seem to be more comfortable, the big test is dinner this evening. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Hugs and nose boops!

Rayne
 
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