Top canine tooth extraction

[Twocoastscat]

I apologize in advance for deluging this site with inquiries but have several issues weighing heavily on me with Jeter my 13 year old neutered male. I’ve posted about his 1) interaction with a female cat he’s scented for years on my son’s clothes and through a gate but is now in our home; 2) pre nail clipping meds to calm him; 3) pre vet visit meds because he has extreme fear-based aggression and attacks staff and my presence does nothing to ameliorate the situation.
Currently - and this is truly the first medical concern I’ve had for him in many years - I got him to the vet two days ago after administering gaba and cerenia (for nausea which he had the first time he got gaba) the night before and gaba the day of the visit; he was ok in the waiting room but
extremely aggressive in the exam room and they handled him with great reluctance but managed to sedate him so he could be examined, have nails clipped since his dew claws were badly overgrown, and have complete labs. Vet called to say he had three teeth resorpted (I’d never heard of this before) and recommended extraction. One was his top canine and she explained he’d have facial asymmetry as a result. I granted consent. He was very distressed when I came to get him and they had great difficulty getting him in the carrier.

Since being home he’s been eating fine - soft canned food and I’ve given him bupe every 8-10 hrs. but he hasn’t pooped yet - so calling vet tomorrow about that. Also I’m not sure if I should keep giving him the bupe since I know it’s constipating. Finally the vet now prescribed gaba AND trazodone for visits and I forgot to ask
about cerenia. So I’m sure she be delighted to hear from me yet again (not!)

I’ve been scouring this site about resorption and canine tooth extraction and am now really worried. I saw posts relating to this but of course can’t find them again but it seems this can cause bad repercussions due to the role of the canines in facial structure since the bottom canine is still there and it can hit the gum - like why dentists removed humans’ unaffected wisdom teeth if they extract the corresponding ones.

So in addition to my queries for the vet re
the constipation and the meds, and searching the info on this site relating to canine tooth extraction, I’m currently searching for:
A cat only vet who will accept him although it seems to be scents of other cats and not dogs that send him into a frenzy. He has hissed at me when I’ve come home from feeding friends’ cats while they’re away- I’ve had to change my clothes!
A cat carrier that has a lift off top since that’s what I see on you tube videos featuring aggressive cats at the vet; these are alarming but at least show me he’s not unique;
A cat dentist because he might have further problems;
Soft cat treats to give him since all the treats I have are crunchy and he’s looking for his treats.
Any safe home remedies for opioid induced constipation.

He is not the most affectionate cat but he sleeps with me every night and he will often knead me and purr. He’s not placid and has a mind of his own - snaps at me when I move him sometimes as if he’s being “spiteful.” However I am very emotionally attached to him and love him dearly and he is a link for me to my husband who died two years ago. I’m 72 and he’s going to be my last pet so I really want to do what’s best for him - and me. I’ve already been hitting the Xanax since I’m so worried.
l

 

[FeebysOwner]

I can't answer all of your questions, but -
- Miralax might be your answer for addressing constipation. Start off with 1/8 tsp dissolved in a bit of water and then added to a few bites of his food. If that doesn't help, you can give that amount twice a day, or up it to 1/4 tsp.
- If a soft sided carrier is OK, I have one that opens from the top and the sides. However, there are also ones that are hard-sided. Here is a link to a few examples of each. Our 10 Best Open Cat Carrier in the US - January 2023 | BestProductsReviews.com
- For soft treats, here is another link to some examples. 5 Best Soft Cat Treats - Jan. 2023 - BestReviews.
- For a cat only vet and a vet who specializes in dentistry - do an internet search for those in your area. Most of the searches will also offer ratings/comments from others who have used these vets, so you have some idea about their reliability/effectiveness. You can also ask around for recommendations from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers - and even try the Next-Door Neighbor web site for input from other cat lovers.
- The tooth resorption threads on this site - here is what I found. Search Results for Query: tooth resorption | TheCatSite

Also, if you don't find the Cerenia to be helpful, you could also try ondansetron, which seems to work better for nausea. The Cerenia seems to be more focused on vomiting but does work for nausea on some cats.

Hopefully you will soon hear from other members with other suggestions/tips and helpful information.

 

[ailish]

Vet called to say he had three teeth resorpted (I’d never heard of this before) and recommended extraction. One was his top canine and she explained he’d have facial asymmetry as a result. I granted consent. He was very distressed when I came to get him and they had great difficulty getting him in the carrier.

Since being home he’s been eating fine - soft canned food and I’ve given him bupe every 8-10 hrs. but he hasn’t pooped yet - so calling vet tomorrow about that. Also I’m not sure if I should keep giving him the bupe since I know it’s constipating. Finally the vet now prescribed gaba AND trazodone for visits and I forgot to ask
about cerenia. So I’m sure she be delighted to hear from me yet again (not!)

I’ve been scouring this site about resorption and canine tooth extraction and am now really worried. I saw posts relating to this but of course can’t find them again but it seems this can cause bad repercussions due to the role of the canines in facial structure since the bottom canine is still there and it can hit the gum - like why dentists removed humans’ unaffected wisdom teeth if they extract the corresponding ones.

So in addition to my queries for the vet re
the constipation and the meds, and searching the info on this site relating to canine tooth extraction, I’m currently searching for:
A cat only vet who will accept him although it seems to be scents of other cats and not dogs that send him into a frenzy. He has hissed at me when I’ve come home from feeding friends’ cats while they’re away- I’ve had to change my clothes!
A cat carrier that has a lift off top since that’s what I see on you tube videos featuring aggressive cats at the vet; these are alarming but at least show me he’s not unique;
A cat dentist because he might have further problems;
Soft cat treats to give him since all the treats I have are crunchy and he’s looking for his treats.
Any safe home remedies for opioid induced constipation.

l

I can only really comment on the resorption thing, because I have had to learn about this myself recently. I've learned that resorption is quite common and if he's made it to 13 without resorbing any teeth you're lucky. Resorption is very painful and can be the cause of eating problems. My cat just had her tooth behind her canine pulled and the corresponding one on the other side was apparently resorbed at some point in the past year. I had had two instances of her refusing to eat for a couple days in the past six months, which I now think was the teeth. She is normally a good eater. Ailish is 6 and came through without any problem. I was given four doses of a painkiller which I was to give her each morning. In the evening she would get restless which I attributed to some discomfort, but this went away in about five days. She was able to eat soft food immediately and I was told to give it to her, no hard, for two weeks until the stitches dissolved. I followed this and there were no problems. When it was time to go back to food that requires more chewing she did so without a hitch. She is now a happier eater than she was before. The canines might be a bigger deal, because they can be used defensively if need be. I have heard that cats can learn to be fine with no teeth at all, so there's that.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I have also had experience with tooth resorption. One of my guys had to have four teeth pulled for this very thing around age 11 or 12. None were canines, but I have heard that the opposing canine CAN cause issues when one is pulled and the other isn't. This is something that I believe is an unknown until afterwards, but probably a dental specialist would be able to tell by looking at the placement of the possibly remaining canine and whether or not it would hit the gum. I'm guessing they might not know until your little guy is under anesthesia so they can really get in there and check out his mouth.

I use Miralax when either of my guys are constipated, that along with hairball gel. It works very well. Adding water to their food helps too. This is easy if you feed wet food, not so easy if he eats dry food. Plain canned pumpkin can help too, maybe a total of 1 tablespoon per day, divided among different meals. Some cats love it, some don't.

For treats, I use freeze dried 100% chicken. Most of the pieces are pretty flaky so they practically dissolve instantly. I just check them and make sure I don't give them a hard one right after a dental.

My other cat sounds like your Jeter. He was growling so much at the staff after his last dental that I feared for them (I could hear him from the waiting room) It seemed to take forever for them to hand him over to me and they said he was "just a little upset" when they were taking the IV out. I'll say. He continued to growl at me the entire trip home, and then for a little while after we arrived. Getting the pressure bandage off his leg wasn't fun where they had the IV line in, but we managed eventually and basically just let him walk around growling and doing his own thing until he finally settled down. By bedtime he was fine. The cat who had the four resorption teeth had me scared though, and I am mentioned it just for your benefit. He was majorly drugged up when I let him out of the carrier. So much so that he basically fell flat on his face with all four legs spread out. When he tried to walk, he looked like a new born colt. Of course I called the Vet immediately and they said not to worry, it's just the drugs. I kept a very close eye on him and by morning he was good as new, and HUNGRY! He ate a ton of food, and not all of it was as soft as I would have liked, but that's because he's such a picky eater. But that didn't cause any issues that I could tell. AND, I never gave him any of the pain killers, basically because he had teeth pulled on both sides, top and bottom, and it was during Covid so I wasn't able to talk to anyone in person to get directions on how to do it without hurting him, and he never seemed in pain, so he did without. I did his usually running around with his tail up in the air, so I figured he was fine.

Hope this helps

 

[Twocoastscat]

This cat is just too smart and sensitive not to mention stubborn. Won’t touch pumpkin and will not touch his regular canned food mixed with Miralax despite the fact that he’s meowing and looking for his dinner. I bought soft treats - won’t touch them either and he’s begging for his crunchy ones. Won’t touch the squeezable food from the tube nor baby food. I’ll try tuna juice for the Miralax but he “knew” his gaba was in that when I tried it and he wouldn’t go near it. So I’m withholding the Bupe (it’s been three days anyway) - even though he is drooling and licking his lips a bit which I know may indicate pain - because I’m hoping he will poop soon. Called the vet and they said not to worry about it but that’s easy to say…..

 

[FeebysOwner]

I’ll try tuna juice for the Miralax but he “knew” his gaba was in that when I tried it and he wouldn’t go near it. So I’m withholding the Bupe (it’s been three days anyway) - even though he is drooling and licking his lips a bit which I know may indicate pain - because I’m hoping he will poop soon. Called the vet and they said not to worry about it but that’s easy to say…..

Gabapentin is pretty intense at least in terms of flavor, so I am guessing it can probably be sensed via smell by cats. Miralax is 'supposed' to be tasteless, so hopefully he won't have the same reaction. It may be too early to stop the bupe given his drooling and lip licking.

EDIT: Have you tried FortiFlora? It is supposed to be a probiotic, but pretty much works more as a flavor enhancer.

 

[Twocoastscat]

I know - I don’t want him in pain. He just gobbled down his usual canned food with a tiny bit of Miralax mixed in with tuna juice. So I’ll give him another syringe of bupe in a bit (not supposed to be given within 30 minutes of eating) and try the same concoction tomorrow morning. I’ll try the FortiFlora. I have always admired cats for their smarts - and clearly he is outsmarting me - but boy sometimes they are their own worst enemies.

 

[Twocoastscat]

For the soft chewy treats, I have found (finally!) that he loves Tiki Cat tuna and salmon ones. Also I grabbed a pouch of the Tiki Cat tuna and pumpkin in broth hoping the pumpkin would help “ease” things (in addition to the stool softener) and lo and behold he likes it! Fortunately with three other cats in our household nothing ever goes to waste. At least one of them will eat what another rejects.

 

[rachel111111]

I can only really comment on the resorption thing, because I have had to learn about this myself recently. I've learned that resorption is quite common and if he's made it to 13 without resorbing any teeth you're lucky. Resorption is very painful and can be the cause of eating problems. My cat just had her tooth behind her canine pulled and the corresponding one on the other side was apparently resorbed at some point in the past year. I had had two instances of her refusing to eat for a couple days in the past six months, which I now think was the teeth. She is normally a good eater. Ailish is 6 and came through without any problem. I was given four doses of a painkiller which I was to give her each morning. In the evening she would get restless which I attributed to some discomfort, but this went away in about five days. She was able to eat soft food immediately and I was told to give it to her, no hard, for two weeks until the stitches dissolved. I followed this and there were no problems. When it was time to go back to food that requires more chewing she did so without a hitch. She is now a happier eater than she was before. The canines might be a bigger deal, because they can be used defensively if need be. I have heard that cats can learn to be fine with no teeth at all, so there's that.

My cat looks like she's chewing gum all the time and she's not herself at all. Is this the problem do you think? Waiting to be able to get to the vet's