16 year old cat struggling after dental extractions...

[thevintageowl]

Hello everyone. This post will be long so please bare with me. I want to be sure I get out all the info as this is 26 days in the making.

To start - my sweet 16 year old senior cat, Lucy, had almost all of her teeth extracted on 3/16/22. The only left are her canines. This was due to severe stomatitis and tooth reabsorption. I noticed her smacking when trying to eat and got her in at the vet asap. We tried to manage it with a steriod and an antibiotic shot but they didn't help for long. She had never had anything major done other than regular visits, an ear infection due to yeast, and vaccines. I was extremely hesitant to do the extractions due to her age but the dentist said her bloodwork was beautiful considering her age. The only thing a little elevated was sodium but he said that could be her diet (she is pate obsessed) and he wasn't too concerned about it. It took 3 hours for him to complete the extractions but she came home the same day and acted a little drugged...but like my normal Lucy. She scarfed her food down and took the pain meds they sent home (Buprenex) and 7 days of Metacam for inflammation. He also gave her an antibiotic shot before she left the office. **We noticed she couldn't hear after surgery but she was also treated for another ear infection while she was having the teeth extracted. The vet was stumped about the hearing loss but said it could be because she was under anesthesia for so long due to the severity of her mouth. (To date it seems to have come back some but not fully. She can hear me call her but I have to be a little louder than I used to be.)**

3/24 - Fast forward to 3/24 - her Metacam was over the day before and I noticed she was having issues with eating (doing a weird pawing and acting like it hurt - I discovered FOPS and don't know if it could be that) and she also developed anterior uveitis in her right eye with hypopyon. I took her back to the vet on 3/25 and they prescribed her prednisone drops along with antibiotic drops. She is awful at the vet and its almost impossible for them to check her without sedation so this was the first try at treatment without sedation. The weird pawing started and she had stopped eating. She would sniff her favorite food and walk away. The lack of appetite made me panic.

3/28 - I took her to the vet again for him to physically check her eye and mouth. My husband and I had to hold her in a blanket while he checked and she freaked out. He prescribed more Metacam, oral Clindamycin (for the eye in case of internal infection), and topical Mirataz for her appetite. They also gave her subq fluids as she was dehydrated.

The appetite stimulant is a miracle worker and I am so thankful because I was extremely upset and stressed over her not eating. She was slowly withering away. She is already only around 7 pounds and was approaching 6 pounds so I was in a panic trying to syringe feed and use supplemental gel to avoid Hepatic Lipidosis! I tried 10 different foods, making it all mushy, extra smelly, warm, syringe feeding, feeding all over the house. The most popular is Fancy Feast Kitten food mixed with 1/2 a packet Forti Flora, a small dose of high calorie gel, and part of a can of the most awful smelling Paws and Claws chicken pate. With the help of Mirataz she eats 90% of a helping and as of today 4/11 she is back to 7.2 pounds. I also started her on a multivitamin as I read B vitamins can help her appetite and she takes it with a little coaxing. The doc approved all of this and said just to make sure she is getting hydration and calories.

3/31 - She was back at the vet and sedated so he could check her mouth and sutures. He said it looked great except for some slight inflammation so he removed the sutures (he thought they could be bothering her) and also gave her a shot of Depo Medrol to help the inflammation. We stopped the Metacam due to Depo Medrol and also stopped the antibiotic because it was making her throw up which is awful for a cat who already won't eat enough.

Since then she hasn't been back to the vet as she HATES it. She makes a scene and is so loud...they have to do procedures and check her at lunch when there are no other people in the lobby. She has earned the name "Lucifer" and she goes demon cat when she is at the vet and I feel it just adds unneeded stress so he calls me to check her and see how she is doing so we can figure out how to proceed. He called again today to check on her.

Her eye has not cleared up at all. The pawing has lessened each day and is not nearly as extreme as it was a week ago. I tried to wean her off the appetite simulant late last week but she just doesn't seem to do as well without it. My questions are:

1. Has anyone ever had a senior cat struggle a while after extractions?
2. I keep reading about Lymphoma and cancer....and worry that could be the cause of the eye issue. Has anyone ever had that? What was the prognosis and how did the cat deal with treatment? The doc thinks bacteria could have gotten into her blood stream during dental extractions and it is white blood cells accumulating due to that. I don't notice any glands, lumps, or new bumps on her body. Has anyone had a cat with eye issues after dental extractions?
3. How long can a can stay on an appetite stimulant? How did you wean your cat off of it?

She acts normal other than her appetite and the eye. She still grooms herself regularly, drinks her water, she sleeps a lot (but she did the same before surgery), she uses her litter box and doesn't have accidents, she poops 1x per day and pees 4x per day which is normal, there is no diarrhea or vomiting, and she still runs and jumps and acts like a youngster, and she is still sassy. She sleeps all day and jumps on our heads at night.

I love our vet, he cares, and he knows how temperamental and stressed she gets at the office...he said stress from going into the office could also affect her negatively. He calls regularly to check on her and has never seen the eye issue before. This has been so hard. I thought we would have the extractions done and she would be better but this past almost month has been an emotional rollercoaster and it breaks my heart that she won't eat without the help of medicine. I've had her since I was 21 and she was my first baby.

 

[thevintageowl]

I am not sure how I got this under kitten as she's an old lady!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't have any experience with what you are going through but wanted to explain the 'kitten' label is related to YOU - not your cat since you are new to this site. Over time, as you post more, you will 'graduate' from kitten status.

I wouldn't worry about the Mirataz at this point if it is getting her to eat. It is reasonable aide until you can get to the bottom of Lucy's problems. I also wouldn't be focusing in on cancer/lymphoma at this time. It also seems odd that the vet is thinking a blood infection as I would expect that to have an impact on her energy level.

I wonder, based on what I have read on this site with feline dental issues if the remaining teeth might be part of her issue and am curiously wondering why they were left given she was diagnosed with stomatitis. A full extraction tends to be what works the best in these cases.

I am also responding because this will 'bump' up your post and hopefully help other members to see it.

 

[thevintageowl]

Well now that makes sense about the kitten. Thank you!

I think he left the front teeth because there was no inflammation around them BUT I will verify that with him to be sure. I think I remember him telling me that but it has all been such a blur. I do know when he rechecked the remaining inflammation was around the suture knots in the back and he removed them and gave her a shot of Depo Medrol to make her more comfortable. That did seem to help. I will verify it for sure! I didn't think about the remaining teeth possibly causing an issue.

Thank you for the response!

 

[LTS3]

Your vet can consult with a vet school or other vet hospital for more ideas on why your cat is having these issues post-dental.

A mild sedative can help make vet visits less stressful to a cat. Ask your vet if this is an option for your cat given her age.

 

[thevintageowl]

Your vet can consult with a vet school or other vet hospital for more ideas on why your cat is having these issues post-dental.

A mild sedative can help make vet visits less stressful to a cat. Ask your vet if this is an option for your cat given her age.

They gave me a sedative to give her before the surgery but it didn’t work and she was still so wound up and upset. I don’t remember the name..but I can see if I still have the bottle. I’ll ask if there is something that would work better for her.

He has a vet in his office from Colorado and they’ve been researching and neither of them have seen the eye themselves before….but the other vet has heard of a case caused by a nerve block during an extraction at but it’s not exactly similar and extremely rare. There doesn’t seem to be atrophy, swelling, or pain around it. I’m going to try to get a photo to post.

 

[LTS3]

Your vet can try another vet school. Or this well known vet hospital that does courtesy consults: Referral Services

 

[daftcat75]

It’s possible that either painful tooth root fragments remain after extractions. Not all extractions go as well as they should. Another possibility is that her canines are biting into opposing gum or lip when she eats? Does she still have all four canines? Having all four reduces this possibility.

I would get her an appointment with a dentist (AVDC.org | American Veterinary Dental College). Unfortunately this will likely be a six month wait time. You can sign up for the cancellation waitlist if you have that kind of flexibility (to slide into a cancelled appointment at possibly a moment’s notice.) You don’t have to give up your own appointment. But if you have that flexibility, it can help you jump the line. If you have multiple dentists in your area, book an appointment with all of them and then cancel the others once you’ve seen one (and are satisfied with the one you saw.) Because things can happen and it’s a good idea to have backup plans when you’re talking about two to six month wait times.

Make these appointments now because the wait times don’t change with need. If you wait until you believe she really needs a dentist, it’s still going to be a two to six month wait.

In the short term, you can ask your vet about a follow up dental examination under anesthesia where he can take new X-rays and make sure there aren’t any root fragments left behind.

Mirtaz can be given more or less indefinitely. If she still has pain or discomfort in her mouth, I wouldn’t try to wean her off it. Getting her off Mirtaz is a low priority.

Ask your vet for a can or two of Hills A/D. This is a soft pate, high calories, and it seems to be kitty crack. Even my nibbler who is a pro at the sniff and walk away will dig into A/D. The Hills I/D stew is another food that I’m surprised she enjoys. Ask me a few months ago, and I would have told you prescription food is junk and a rip off. But it’s what is keeping my Betty going and so far vomit free for over a week now. I mix the I/D and A/D to make a can of the A/D last longer. But also, it makes pure A/D such a treat that I use it to get her to take meds and supplements. I pack them into a size 5 (smallest) gelatin capsule, coat the capsule in A/D, and here’s the important part. I put the A/D coated pill on the carpet rather than a plate. You could use a towel or another textured surface. The textured surface makes it harder for her to lick the food off the pill. She has to take the whole bite up, pill and all, if she wants that morsel. So far, no spit out pills and no negative reactions like a cat who tasted the medicine in her food.

 

[thevintageowl]

Your vet can consult with a vet school or other vet hospital for more ideas on why your cat is having these issues post-dental.

A mild sedative can help make vet visits less stressful to a cat. Ask your vet if this is an option for your cat given her age.

I spoke with him again today and he is concerned that the eye is causing her pain as she moves her head down towards the bad eye side when she eats...he also said that pain could discourage her from eating. I have also noticed her squinting the bac eye more the last 2 days. We are going to watch it and her for the next week and re-evaluate. He offered to check her again, do bloodwork, and if the determination is eye pain with no other cause he will remove the eye at no cost to us. I sent him some links about the nerve block causing eye issues and he and another vet thinks that, though very rare, could have happened to her. I got sidetracked about the eye and forgot to ask about the sedative but I have to go pickup meds for her today and will ask about that in office. Thankfully I have her back to pre-surgery weight and she is maintaining that.

 

[thevintageowl]

It’s possible that either painful tooth root fragments remain after extractions. Not all extractions go as well as they should. Another possibility is that her canines are biting into opposing gum or lip when she eats? Does she still have all four canines? Having all four reduces this possibility.

I would get her an appointment with a dentist (AVDC.org | American Veterinary Dental College). Unfortunately this will likely be a six month wait time. You can sign up for the cancellation waitlist if you have that kind of flexibility (to slide into a cancelled appointment at possibly a moment’s notice.) You don’t have to give up your own appointment. But if you have that flexibility, it can help you jump the line. If you have multiple dentists in your area, book an appointment with all of them and then cancel the others once you’ve seen one (and are satisfied with the one you saw.) Because things can happen and it’s a good idea to have backup plans when you’re talking about two to six month wait times.

Make these appointments now because the wait times don’t change with need. If you wait until you believe she really needs a dentist, it’s still going to be a two to six month wait.

In the short term, you can ask your vet about a follow up dental examination under anesthesia where he can take new X-rays and make sure there aren’t any root fragments left behind.

Mirtaz can be given more or less indefinitely. If she still has pain or discomfort in her mouth, I wouldn’t try to wean her off it. Getting her off Mirtaz is a low priority.

Ask your vet for a can or two of Hills A/D. This is a soft pate, high calories, and it seems to be kitty crack. Even my nibbler who is a pro at the sniff and walk away will dig into A/D. The Hills I/D stew is another food that I’m surprised she enjoys. Ask me a few months ago, and I would have told you prescription food is junk and a rip off. But it’s what is keeping my Betty going and so far vomit free for over a week now. I mix the I/D and A/D to make a can of the A/D last longer. But also, it makes pure A/D such a treat that I use it to get her to take meds and supplements. I pack them into a size 5 (smallest) gelatin capsule, coat the capsule in A/D, and here’s the important part. I put the A/D coated pill on the carpet rather than a plate. You could use a towel or another textured surface. The textured surface makes it harder for her to lick the food off the pill. She has to take the whole bite up, pill and all, if she wants that morsel. So far, no spit out pills and no negative reactions like a cat who tasted the medicine in her food.

I will check on getting an appointment with a dentist. It sure wouldn't hurt! We may have one local to us and we are also less than an hour away from 2 major cities so the chances are good I can find a few. I am also very flexible and can travel or go to a cancellation appointment with no issues.

He did do another visit post dental and did more x-rays on top of those the day of surgery and nothing was left behind. She has her top canines and not the bottom so it could be them pushing into the bottom gums. He didn't notice anything other than slight inflammation around her sutures so he removed them that day. I will check her mouth when I get home for any irritation from the canines. She lets me look....the doc never has success but thankfully she will let me check her without putting up a fight.

I will definitely keep her on the Mirataz. IT has helped SO much. He even said to leave her on it if it's helping...especially until we can figure out what is wrong. I have to go pickup another RX of it from his office today so I will ask about a few cans of Hills A/D for her to try. I know they have a big section of it so I will ask the ladies if I can buy a few cans. She loves pate as long as it is poultry and not fish. I am willing to try anything at this point! She LOVES turkey kitten food and it did help put her weight back on but I worry about the high protein long term with her age. Her kidneys were fine pre surgery but she has been on so many meds that anything could have happened in the last month. That a really good idea with the carpet! I resorted to feeding her directly on the tile floor because it seemed like bowls and plates were freaking her out. I have had luck with those flat, white paper plates too!

 

[Twocoastscat]

Hello everyone. This post will be long so please bare with me. I want to be sure I get out all the info as this is 26 days in the making.

To start - my sweet 16 year old senior cat, Lucy, had almost all of her teeth extracted on 3/16/22. The only left are her canines. This was due to severe stomatitis and tooth reabsorption. I noticed her smacking when trying to eat and got her in at the vet asap. We tried to manage it with a steriod and an antibiotic shot but they didn't help for long. She had never had anything major done other than regular visits, an ear infection due to yeast, and vaccines. I was extremely hesitant to do the extractions due to her age but the dentist said her bloodwork was beautiful considering her age. The only thing a little elevated was sodium but he said that could be her diet (she is pate obsessed) and he wasn't too concerned about it. It took 3 hours for him to complete the extractions but she came home the same day and acted a little drugged...but like my normal Lucy. She scarfed her food down and took the pain meds they sent home (Buprenex) and 7 days of Metacam for inflammation. He also gave her an antibiotic shot before she left the office. **We noticed she couldn't hear after surgery but she was also treated for another ear infection while she was having the teeth extracted. The vet was stumped about the hearing loss but said it could be because she was under anesthesia for so long due to the severity of her mouth. (To date it seems to have come back some but not fully. She can hear me call her but I have to be a little louder than I used to be.)**

3/24 - Fast forward to 3/24 - her Metacam was over the day before and I noticed she was having issues with eating (doing a weird pawing and acting like it hurt - I discovered FOPS and don't know if it could be that) and she also developed anterior uveitis in her right eye with hypopyon. I took her back to the vet on 3/25 and they prescribed her prednisone drops along with antibiotic drops. She is awful at the vet and its almost impossible for them to check her without sedation so this was the first try at treatment without sedation. The weird pawing started and she had stopped eating. She would sniff her favorite food and walk away. The lack of appetite made me panic.

3/28 - I took her to the vet again for him to physically check her eye and mouth. My husband and I had to hold her in a blanket while he checked and she freaked out. He prescribed more Metacam, oral Clindamycin (for the eye in case of internal infection), and topical Mirataz for her appetite. They also gave her subq fluids as she was dehydrated.

The appetite stimulant is a miracle worker and I am so thankful because I was extremely upset and stressed over her not eating. She was slowly withering away. She is already only around 7 pounds and was approaching 6 pounds so I was in a panic trying to syringe feed and use supplemental gel to avoid Hepatic Lipidosis! I tried 10 different foods, making it all mushy, extra smelly, warm, syringe feeding, feeding all over the house. The most popular is Fancy Feast Kitten food mixed with 1/2 a packet Forti Flora, a small dose of high calorie gel, and part of a can of the most awful smelling Paws and Claws chicken pate. With the help of Mirataz she eats 90% of a helping and as of today 4/11 she is back to 7.2 pounds. I also started her on a multivitamin as I read B vitamins can help her appetite and she takes it with a little coaxing. The doc approved all of this and said just to make sure she is getting hydration and calories.

3/31 - She was back at the vet and sedated so he could check her mouth and sutures. He said it looked great except for some slight inflammation so he removed the sutures (he thought they could be bothering her) and also gave her a shot of Depo Medrol to help the inflammation. We stopped the Metacam due to Depo Medrol and also stopped the antibiotic because it was making her throw up which is awful for a cat who already won't eat enough.

Since then she hasn't been back to the vet as she HATES it. She makes a scene and is so loud...they have to do procedures and check her at lunch when there are no other people in the lobby. She has earned the name "Lucifer" and she goes demon cat when she is at the vet and I feel it just adds unneeded stress so he calls me to check her and see how she is doing so we can figure out how to proceed. He called again today to check on her.

Her eye has not cleared up at all. The pawing has lessened each day and is not nearly as extreme as it was a week ago. I tried to wean her off the appetite simulant late last week but she just doesn't seem to do as well without it. My questions are:

1. Has anyone ever had a senior cat struggle a while after extractions?
2. I keep reading about Lymphoma and cancer....and worry that could be the cause of the eye issue. Has anyone ever had that? What was the prognosis and how did the cat deal with treatment? The doc thinks bacteria could have gotten into her blood stream during dental extractions and it is white blood cells accumulating due to that. I don't notice any glands, lumps, or new bumps on her body. Has anyone had a cat with eye issues after dental extractions?
3. How long can a can stay on an appetite stimulant? How did you wean your cat off of it?

She acts normal other than her appetite and the eye. She still grooms herself regularly, drinks her water, she sleeps a lot (but she did the same before surgery), she uses her litter box and doesn't have accidents, she poops 1x per day and pees 4x per day which is normal, there is no diarrhea or vomiting, and she still runs and jumps and acts like a youngster, and she is still sassy. She sleeps all day and jumps on our heads at night.

I love our vet, he cares, and he knows how temperamental and stressed she gets at the office...he said stress from going into the office could also affect her negatively. He calls regularly to check on her and has never seen the eye issue before. This has been so hard. I thought we would have the extractions done and she would be better but this past almost month has been an emotional rollercoaster and it breaks my heart that she won't eat without the help of medicine. I've had her since I was 21 and she was my first baby.

 

[Twocoastscat]

I read this with great interest since my 13 year old cat whose name is Jeter aka Lucifer ( that’s what I should have named him) is at the vet and is getting teeth extracted due to reabsorption as we speak. Waiting now for the sedation to wear off so I can go and get him. Since this is my first rodeo with this issue (previous cat passed at age 16 with all teeth intact) I will follow your post vigilantly but sadly have no advice.

 

[thevintageowl]

I read this with great interest since my 13 year old cat whose name is Jeter aka Lucifer ( that’s what I should have named him) is at the vet and is getting teeth extracted due to reabsorption as we speak. Waiting now for the sedation to wear off so I can go and get him. Since this is my first rodeo with this issue (previous cat passed at age 16 with all teeth intact) I will follow your post vigilantly but sadly have no advice.

My girl ended up having cancer (a tumor either in her nasal cavity or behind her eye) and was put to sleep on 12/28. We didn’t do evasive tests due to her age and hatred of the vet so we don’t know the exact type but it was not related to the extractions. I wanted to be sure to say that so you don’t panic!

We also called Lucy Lucifer as a nickname! She was wild and into everything as a younger cat so we thought it was very fitting.

Your baby should come out just fine as it’s not normal for them to have issues like she did. I wonder if it had been there before the extractions and I didn’t notice the signs.

Please give him a little squeeze for me and give him all the treats! I miss my girl so very much.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your loss. You gave Lucy a wonderful life and excellent care into her later years. Sparing her invasive testing or procedures was a very kind decision, especially when nothing would probably have been gained by proceeding. I hope that all the wonderful years with Lucy Lucifer will bring back comforting memories.

 

[Twocoastscat]

My girl ended up having cancer (a tumor either in her nasal cavity or behind her eye) and was put to sleep on 12/28. We didn’t do evasive tests due to her age and hatred of the vet so we don’t know the exact type but it was not related to the extractions. I wanted to be sure to say that so you don’t panic!

We also called Lucy Lucifer as a nickname! She was wild and into everything as a younger cat so we thought it was very fitting.

Your baby should come out just fine as it’s not normal for them to have issues like she did. I wonder if it had been there before the extractions and I didn’t notice the signs.

Please give him a little squeeze for me and give him all the treats! I miss my girl so very much.

My sincere condolences. You obviously took wonderful care of her.

 

[AbbysMom]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[fionasmom]

When a cat passes, we lock the thread out of respect. If you would like to post a tribute to Lucy, you are welcome to do so in our Crossing the Bridge forum. Crossing the Bridge

Once again, I am so sorry for your loss.