I’m A Mess!!

[Azazel]

I just dropped my cat off for her dental cleaning and I’m freaking out!! I’m so worried that something bad will happen to her.

I fasted her since last night but this morning she threw up a bit of brown liquid, which is what she does when she has an occasional hairball. I told the vet tech about it and she said it shouldn’t be anything to worry about and she’d tell the doctor but I’m still freaking out. What if she forgets to tell the doctor and something bad happens??

I’m a mess!!!!

 

[verna davies]

Its horrible when we take our cats to have any sort of treatment and we all worry until we hear that they are ok. There is no point in me saying 'dont worry' so I wont. Will the vet phone you when its done or do you phone them?
Try to do something that will keep you occupied, cleaning works for me, visit a friend maybe but dont sit and think about things. Let us know when she is safely home, thats if you have time between spoiling her.

 

[Kflowers]

Prayers sent.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I hate it when any of my cats have had to be under anesthesia at a vet or vet hospital. I always worry so much! It feels so scary. I'm on board with verna davies' suggestion to do cleaning... there is almost something comforting about vacuuming the house when the cat is not at home to be scared by the vacuum.

Just remember your cat is in good hands with all the vet techs and the vet.

 

[Azazel]

Thanks everyone. I just talked to the vet tech and they did some xrays. Her canine which is chipped and we thought would have to come out is actually fine. Doctor says we can leave it and just keep a close eye on it. She doesn’t like removing canines because they are structural.

But, one of her upper molars need to be removed. I gave them permission to do it.

What should I expect when she’s home? Anything I should ask the vet? How to take care of her and make sure she’s comfortable??? How long will it take her to feel better? Will she eat when she’s home??

 

[fionasmom]

Glad your baby is okay. It is nerve wracking to have a pet go through any surgery. I did the non anesthesia dental cleaning for one of my dogs but the drawback is that if they find something they have to reschedule an actual dental appointment to extract, etc. If this is not brought up, ask the vet if your cat needs an antibiotic, what to feed so that the extraction site heals, after effects of the anesthesia, and anything specific to watch for. I have had dental extractions on my cats and everyone was fine. Better to get a bad tooth out as you have absolutely no chance of knowing if the cat is in pain unless you start to see signs and by then there is absolutely discomfort.

 

[daftcat75]

Thanks everyone. I just talked to the vet tech and they did some xrays. Her canine which is chipped and we thought would have to come out is actually fine. Doctor says we can leave it and just keep a close eye on it. She doesn’t like removing canines because they are structural.

But, one of her upper molars need to be removed. I gave them permission to do it.

What should I expect when she’s home? Anything I should ask the vet? How to take care of her and make sure she’s comfortable??? How long will it take her to feel better? Will she eat when she’s home??

Cats don’t really need or use their molars anyway. They lack the lateral mobility in their jaw to grind their food which is what molars are used for. She won’t miss it.

What to expect?

Antibiotics: They will soup her poops and may make her nauseated. It’s temporary. Finish the course. It can get so much worse if infected. You may be tempted to use pumpkin or probiotics to clean up the poops. Both will reduce the effectiveness of the antibiotics. Mark the end date for the antibiotics on your calendar and then clean up her poops with pumpkin and probiotics after you’ve stopped the antibiotics.

Pain Medication: Probably buprenex. If it’s an oral liquid, it’s probably buprenex. Buprenex (or buprenorphine) is effective when absorbed through the mucosal membranes in the mouth and not very effective if swallowed. So if it’s buprenorphine/buprenex, peel back her lip and aim for the space between cheek and gums. That’s the how. The when is just as important. Ask the vet or look at the prescription and create the dosing schedule. Try to give it like clockwork whether she seems to need it or not. Cats hide pain and by the time they show pain, it’s going to be too late. It’s easier to stay ahead of pain than to catch up to it. Buprenorphine can be compounded into a transdermal cream which would be rubbed into the inside of her ear. This will definitely be easier to give if you have a compounding pharmacy nearby. You can ask your vet (or Google) about that.

Appetite (possible other medications): The pain meds and the antibiotics can both have an effect on her appetite or make her nauseated. If you’re staying on top of the pain meds and she’s still not eating, you’re going to have to play detective to determine whether she’s not eating due to nausea or due to pain. If she’s still in pain, she’ll probably act out in other ways including being less receptive to attention (more grouchy or isolated) and possibly inappropriate litter box habits. She will likely show no interest in eating. If she’s not eating due to nausea, she may show up for meal time, but only look at the food, lick at it, or take only a few bites and walk away. She may also lick her lips, but it’s more holding back vomit than hunger or satisfaction. In either case, get in touch with the vet. There are additional pain med or anti-nausea/appetite stimulant drugs she can take to get her through this.

All of that said, cats heal remarkably quickly. In most cases, cats return to eating the same night or the next day. As long as you keep up with the pain meds (usually just a few days) and finish the antibiotics course, she should heal just fine and the litterbox nonsense can be fixed the week after.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Thanks everyone. I just talked to the vet tech and they did some xrays. Her canine which is chipped and we thought would have to come out is actually fine. Doctor says we can leave it and just keep a close eye on it. She doesn’t like removing canines because they are structural.

But, one of her upper molars need to be removed. I gave them permission to do it.

What should I expect when she’s home? Anything I should ask the vet? How to take care of her and make sure she’s comfortable??? How long will it take her to feel better? Will she eat when she’s home??

We had a cat that lost all her teeth. Til the day she died, she ate dry food and played and was a happy cat For a few days I'd feed softened dry food or her usual wet food. Some cats appreciate it if you warm it up a little or serve at room temperature to avoid that sensitivity to cold that they might have after an extraction.
Is she home? I hope so, and well on her way to feeling sassy at that

 

[Azazel]

Thanks guys. She’s home now and doing fine. She seems to want to walk around and get into things but is still drunk from the meds so she often just stops and stares into space. She was starving and wanted food as soon as we got home so I gave her a very tiny amount of food mixed with water to satiate her. I’ll continue to give her small amounts tonight.

The vet gave her the first dose of Buprenex so I’ll continue that tomorrow. In your experiences, how many days do you usually give the Buprenex for?

She’s also got some antibiotics but the vet said I could start those tomorrow morning cause her stomach is pretty empty now and she’s probably already nauseous.

She ended up having 2 molars removed and the vet said she’s doing great. But she said that she will likely need the chipped canine removed down the road. She just didn’t think it needed to come out yet.

 

[daftcat75]

I did three days when it was her molars and submolars. But when it was her canines or incisors (teeth she was using), I’d go out as many as five days to give her a chance to figure out how to use her new mouth.

 

[Azazel]

I did three days when it was her molars and submolars. But when it was her canines or incisors (teeth she was using), I’d go out as many as five days to give her a chance to figure out how to use her new mouth.

Thank you!!

I just gave her a tiny bit more food and she’s so hungry she scarfed it down. But still staring into space ...

I’m so glad she’s doing well though.

There have been moments where she just sits and doesn’t close her mouth. Is that from the freezing/meds?

 

[daftcat75]

It could be anesthesia or pain meds or it could be swelling. She did just have oral surgery.

Or in Krista’s case (the profile picture), they removed enough teeth that sometimes her tongue doesn’t fully retract after licking. I don’t know if this is physical or behavioral but she seems no worse for it when it happens. It’s just goofy.

 

[Azazel]

So... last night she had a huge appetite and was eating all the food I gave her. This morning she is interested in food but won’t eat it. I think she’s in pain. I gave her a dose of the Buprenex this morning and ever since then she won’t eat. Is the Buprenex causing her to not want to eat or is it not working???

I’m very worried.

 

[Furballsmom]

You might need to call your vet about the not eating - but try some different foods, even some human foods such as sardines, tuna, reddi whip, gerber stage 2/sitter ham flavored baby food, mushed up canned green beans or asparagus...

 

[Azazel]

Ok... I’m a little more worried now actually. I don’t think she slept all night. She just sits in one spot and stares. Maybe I shouldn’t have given her the 2nd dose. Is she having a bad reaction to it??

 

[Furballsmom]

Can you call your vet?

 

[Azazel]

Yes I will soon. They open in 30 mins.

She was given .01 ml to take every 12-24 hours. I gave her the 2nd dose after 12 hours cause she was sitting crouched all night and seemed to be in pain. I hope I didn’t overdose her.

 

[di and bob]

My cat didn't have pain meds at all and was fine, no signs of pain. Pain meds can take away the appetite, she may be too medicated. Call your vet if you are worried, it may take 24 hours before she comes out of it. Be VERY careful on the dose, .01ml is a very little amount, .1ml is ten times that dose, be very careful!

 

[Azazel]

My cat didn't have pain meds at all and was fine, no signs of pain. Pain meds can take away the appetite, she may be too medicated. Call your vet if you are worried, it may take 24 hours before she comes out of it. Be VERY careful on the dose, .01ml is a very little amount, .1ml is ten times that dose, be very careful!

Sorry I meant that they gave her .1ml doses. If it’s not okay to give it to her then why would they say that I could give it every 12-24 hours?

I just thought of something else though... she is showing interest in food but not eating. And she has now pawed at her food a couple times too. Is this a sign of dental pain? Maybe her lack of appetite is due to pain and not the Buprenex. Although, it did start after I gave her the second dose.

 

[verna davies]

Any news?