Cat Paws At Mouth A Lot But Vet Says Nothing Is Wrong

[CucakeCat]

HI! Im new here! Hoping the cat community can help. My cat Cupcake had two major dentals in the past two years where she basically had to have nearly every tooth extracted. The surgeries went well and she can still eat hard food (amazing!) However ever since she will have bouts of just pawing at her mouth like something is really bothering her. I brought her into the vet a while back after her last surgery- but enough time passed where she was healed. The vet checked her mouth and saw nothing. She didn't really have an explanation for the pawing other than maybe she's noticed her mouth feels different. Cupcake doesn't do it constantly, but enough times during a week where I will notice. Tonight she has done it again and it was more vigorous than normal. She seems distressed by it and gets moody. Im about to take her in again- but fear it will be the same diagnosis. Is it possible she feels phantom teeth or phantom pain? Any thoughts please?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! I don't have much knowledge on this - other than the posts I have read on this site from other members who have had issues with their cats' teeth. My first reaction is to tell you to ask the vet to take an x-ray of her mouth. There may be something going on under the gum surface that the vet cannot see just by looking at her mouth.

Other members, when they have a chance to log on and catch up with posts, will surely offer you some insight with their personal experiences. So, be patient and check back often for new responses.

 

[CucakeCat]

My first reaction is to tell you to ask the vet to take an x-ray of her mouth. There may be something going on under the gum surface that the vet cannot see just by looking at her mouth.
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Yes! This makes sense. Thank you. Sometimes I think one can get too close to something to not see an obvious answer. I think I'll schedule a dental for her few remaining teeth since it has been over a year- then say do an xray while youre in there.

She is just one of those cats where it's trauma to bring her in so I try to avoid- I have to give her drug to chill her out for the experience : ( but I can't bare to watch her batting at her mouth like this every few times a day.... something is obviously bugging her. Thank you for the response.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am guessing that you use a small dose of Gabapentin to take her to the vet? It's really not too bad, a lot of people use that. Better than having her totally freaked out. At some point, you can try out more natural calming products on her. Some work for some cats, and don't for others. So, you would probably have to experiment. One such product is Bach Rescue Remedy which are drops you can rub into a cat's ears to help calm them. There are those who use these drops before a vet visit, just to calm their cats down a bit. Feliway is another. But there are a ton of them on the market.

Keep us posted!!!

 

[lalagimp]

I hope the xrays find something so you can have it corrected and be done with it and she'll feel better.
They find out that declaws went bad and have little fragments left, or even that time almost two weeks after my wisdom tooth removal I had a shard of tooth cut back up out of the gums. The guy had sewed my gums up with a piece of wisdom tooth left.

 

[CucakeCat]

I am guessing that you use a small dose of Gabapentin

Keep us posted!!!

yes Gabapentin. And I hate giving it to her because she definitely gets woozy- hate that so much- but at the vet without it she's SO deeply scared that no one can touch her and that I hate more. Thanks for the other recommendations! I do have feliway that I spray in the carrier.

 

[CucakeCat]

I had a shard of tooth cut back up out of the gums. The guy had sewed my gums up with a piece of wisdom tooth left.

YIKES!! Im so sorry. I bet that was painful. will keep you posted!