First Vet Visit Not So Good

[oxthecat]

Hi all,

I posted in the new cat forum a couple of weeks ago about our new shelter cat Ox. He had his first visit today and it was a bummer — I’m so sad he’s in such bad shape and feel awful for him (though happy he has us to take care of him now).

He has bacterial and yeast infections in both his ears AND needs to have 7 of teeth pulled.

I’m shocked at how good of a kitty he’s been since we took him home, but feel nervous about his upcoming dental surgery and next three weeks of ear cleaning and drops.

Anyone have good advice for teeth extractions and ear infections?

Posting a pic because I know we like them here.

Thanks in advance!

 

[duckpond]

I have not had the teeth extractions. have had yeast infections in my white cats ears. and the ear drops. She did not like it, but we dealt with it, and she was fine. main thing i found is dont let them shake their head right after you put it in, gently fold the ear over and massage it just a little. otherwise they shake their head and you get a face full of ear meds Good luck, and i hope he feels better soon!

 

[LTS3]

Make sure the vet sends your cat home with pain medicine after the bad teeth are removed. Having teeth removed is painful. Buprenex is the most commonly prescribed pain medicine after a dental. The vet will give you pre-filled syringes. You give one entire syringe every 12 hours or at whatever interval the vet prescribes. Buprenex is not given normally like a liquid medicine. Instead of squirting it straight into the mouth and letting the cat swallow it, you slowly squirt it between the cheek and bottom teeth kind of below the gum line. The medicine will be absorbed by the mucous membranes. Burprenex isn't very effective if swallowed.

Cats usually eat just fine after having teeth removed. Canned food is easiest to eat.

Once your cat has recovered from the dental, you should start a home dental routine for the remaining teeth. Tooth brushing is best. Pet stores sell pet toothpastes and starter kits.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Ah ... what a lucky cat ! You will have a best friend for life now .
Cats do well after dental problems are taken care of . After Ox is back to normal he will be the King of the house . Good of you to do this for him .
Best wishes to you ...

 

[Hugospal]

We never had a problem with teeth removal and we've removed lots of teeth. Hugo had 6, and then 7 removed just 1 year apart and we were doing dental cleanings each year (he had lots of tooth resorption which progressed rather quickly). In less than a week he was feeling way better than he did with all those rotten teeth and still loves and eat kibble and snacks (although he is offered wet) without an issue.

 

[laura mae]

My Booberry had a long go of repeated ear infections due to a polyp in the ear. I finally asked my vet to show me how to clean his ear with a q-tip. That was the only way for me to break the cycle of infection/drops/infection/drops. He's such a good boy though that he lets me clean his ear. I also got a powder from the vet called Opti ear to keep the moisture in check. He no longer shakes his head and no more stink ear.

My cat Scooter had 4 teeth pulled at once and he did okay with the pain meds. It seemed like it only took a couple of days for him to act normal.

 

[mservant]

Reassuring you along with a few other people here: Mouse had to go in to the vet for a dental and two extractions a few weeks back. Once he was sedated his two lower canines pretty much fell off because the roots had been reabsorbed so now he is minus two rear molars and two canines. He had a nasty infection under the canines so there was a two week course of oral antibiotics to contend with along side post surgery pain.

Honestly, he was so much happier the second he came out of aneasthetic, was home in a couple of hours, and only needed the pain relief for one day. He was playing with his cat pals and being a general pest so quickly it was hard to believe - other than that he tried to con me in to giving him extra nice food treats for a week or two.

 

[Furballsmom]

he tried to con me in to giving him extra nice food treats for a week or two.

Now THERE's a smart cat LOL

 

[Monk'sMom]

I hope I'm not muddying the already stressful water puddle, but I would get a second opinion before doing some of the above UNLESS I had known and used the vet before and had complete confidence in them. Teeth removal is not trivial.

Your new shelter adoptee is very lucky to have you, indeed.