Mouth Tumor?

[LuxBear]

Hi everyone. My first post here! I'm having an issue with my youngest boy Moo. He's 3 years old. A month or so back I took him for a dental cleaning for bad breath, eating issues and pawing at his face. The vet did a cleaning and ended up having to extract three teeth. He explained to me that Moo had pieces of baby teeth left in his mouth that essentially broke a couple adult teeth causing them to rot. He also extracted a few small shards. He said Moo had ulcers on the back of his tongue causing the breath issues.

After that Moo seemed to be doing well. Back to regular eating, grooming, playing and showing no external signs of mouth issues. A week after his extractions I looked into his mouth and found a small, round, smooth white spot on the inside of his bottom cheek. I didn't smell any foul odor and he didn't seem uncomfortable letting me look. I decided to keep an eye on it.

After a week of the spot showing no signs of change or healing I returned him to the vet. He told me it looked like he had bit himself and gave antibiotics and told me it should heal soon. Well it's been four weeks and it hasn't. It doesn't look like a white smooth spot anymore but is now like a "flowering" red mass about the size of a colored ball on the end of a sewing pin. It doesn't seem to be bothering him as he is going about normal activities. We are going to see a different vet next Friday.

Does anyone have any idea what this could be so I can research it some before his appt next week? I'm worried of cancer or something like that. The vet that did the extractions assured me he did not have stomatitis. I'll try to snap a pic to post if possible. Sorry for the lengthy post as I tried to include as much detail as possible. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[duckpond]

I dont know, did they do an xray after the extraction, to make sure they didnt leave any bits behind? I think that is important. Im glad you have a vet visit Friday, hopefully they can tell you what the issue is. Do keep us updated!

 

[LuxBear]

Thanks, Duckpond. It's very unlikely to be a tooth shard or something tooth related unless it's from some sort of irritation from rubbing his teeth. The spot is on the inside of his lower lip. I have to kind of "fold" the lip inside out to see it, if that makes sense. I've never seen anything like it. I'll do my best to snap a pic to share when I get home from work. In the meantime, here he is in all his handsomeness.

 

[mservant]

First things first. Very handsome. I love his facial markings, esp those reverse black and white muzzle spots.

Mouse had a dental and 4 teeth extracted around the time Moo had his dental, and has a history of sores in his mouth and throat from when he was around 6 months old - he's now 7 which is really hard to believe. Moo is one luck cat, and a very patient one, to have a human who takes time to check out his mouth and has picked up so quickly that there is still something happening that doesn't look right. I have always struggled badly with seeing anything beyond reddening gums.

I am glad you have a vet appointment arranged as what you describe could be many things but if changing as you describe it will be important to find out what it is as soon as possible.

A picture would be interesting and perhaps look familiar for someone who has had a cat with the same thing but it sounds like it needs to be an experienced vet to reassure and advise you. It could be a reaction to a scratch or something which has been stuck in his mouth, or some kind of infection / fungal infection so do not panic too quickly. That he is behaving as usual and seeming well is a good thing so try if you can to distract yourself by playing with him , see if he will let you pamper him some, and enjoy his company.

 

[LuxBear]

Hi mservant! Thanks for the compliments on my Moo! He's such a lovely boy inside and out. I tried for getting a photo of the sore and he just wasn't having it and I didn't want to stress him out. Did your vet ever tell you a cause of such early age extractions and mouth sores with your Mouse? It seems so strange to be so young and be affected by these types of issues. Its reassuring to hear your baby has suffered something similar and is still going strong. I will just keep an eye on it for any discharge or signs it is affecting his eating and we will see what the doc says on Friday.

 

[LuxBear]

Well Moo started having trouble eating again yesterday and his vet appointment was pushed back to Monday. He's a rather big boy (14lb) and loves food but I can tell he's eating through discomfort and pain. The bad breath seems to be returning and he's behaving like there's something stuck in his mouth after he eats. There's no obvious signs of gum redness, drool or blood that I can see except for that sore/ulcer thing.

Anyway I'm hoping for an easy fix to get him back on track to being a healthy kitty. I got his appointment with a feline dental specialist so I am sure she can pinpoint the issue. I went ahead and got a CareCredit card just in case because I want this fixed once and for all. It's awful to see them in pain. I still have a feeling this is going to turn out to be a case of stomatitis.

For the stomatitis kitties out there, what were the telling symptoms of your cat? Was there drooling and blood? Did you have to end up doing a full mouth extraction? Medication for life?

 

[LuxBear]

Moo's appointment went well today. The dental vet really got a good look in there and showed me some spots she would like to work on. She reassured me that his mouth is healthy besides the sore spot and a sharp place under the gum. She told me the sore is just a place he keeps biting and irritating while he eats and not a tumor. She's recommended X-rays to see roots, cut the "growth" off and get that sharp spot taken care of. I have to say I am relieved as I was reassured it was not a stomatitis case. He is scheduled to go under next Monday for hopefully his last oral procedure besides routine cleaning. Thanks to those who responded on this and if you like I will update after his surgery. I have attached a photo of the spot for reference.

 

[LuxBear]

Please keep Moo in your thoughts tomorrow as he undergoes his oral surgery. I'm nervous and worried for him and I really hope this will be the end of his mouth issues for good.

 

[Plumeria]

Your handsome Moo looks like my late baby Leroy Don't worry he looks like a strong boy and will be just fine. I will keep him in my thoughts tomorrow