Dental today, and I'm terrified.

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MamaMug

MamaMug

Member Since 2019
We just dropped Gato off for his dental apt and I'm a ball of nerves! Anxiously waiting on the call to see how many teefies need to go, and nervous about recovery.
My partner dropped him off as I'm sick as heck with a sinus infection today, but I'll be picking him up when done.

Those who have had multiple teeth removed, did you have to switch to pates completely afterwards? He likes all food but does prefer a bit of textured mixed in. What does recovery look like at home after procedure? Anything I need to be vigilant about?
 
Willow has had many teeth extracted over the years due to resorption. She has very few teeth left now (and all are tiny ones). She eats Weruva Chicken Frick A Zee which is more of a shredded texture. She also eats broken up PureBites freeze dried chicken. She does just fine!

You will probably be giving pain medicine and possibly an anti-inflammatory for a few days (and, if there is any infection involved, antibiotics). My girls were both pitiful for maybe three days after but then seemed fine. Both had their procedures in the morning and stayed at the vet until mid afternoon. Both ate dinner as normal the evening of their procedure. They both reacted differently to the pain medicine. Willow was restless and would NOT settle and rest which stressed me out a bit. She just paced then stopped and sat somewhere staring like a zombie, then started pacing again... repeat, repeat, repeat. I was so happy when she finally settled and slept, but I think that took a couple of days. Mia, on the other hand, was extra skittish and just found an out of the way spot to curl up and rest. She did not want to be bothered.

The vet should give you post procedure instructions. Excess bleeding is something I was told to look for, but it never happened. It is always terrifying to have to leave your baby to go through something like this, but odds are that it will be just fine. Gato will feel so much better after the bad teeth are gone!
 
Good to hear. Frick a zee is our usual mix in for texture with him.

Vet should be calling anytime between 11a and 2p to advise what all needs to go and what the budget will be. Pickup should be between 3p-5p and I'm glad I'm going for that as I will want to hear discharge instructions and ask questions.
 
Marley (civvie) had all but 4 tiny teeth removed due to infection, ulcers, and resorption. He was miserable before the dental work, and did wonderfully after they were removed. He never had issues with eating, and his diet remained the same. He was able to eat better then ever, and gained needed weight after the surgery (going on two years ago). Recovery was not difficult for him, and I can't even recall any details because it was that easy for him. All in all, it was the best day of Marley's little life because he was so unhappy with the problems he had before they were removed. Gato will feel so good after all of this is over!

Edited to add:
I can't believe that I forgot to say how darned cute he is with those 4 tiny, little teeth in the bottom of his mouth. He's always talking, so he shows them off all of the time!
And as I'm thinking about all of this, I think he was sleepy for a couple of days after the surgery, but nothing extreme and he recovered from that seamlessly. His appetite and happiness level improved.
 
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Yes, both of our guys had recent dental work; Benny had just one tooth removed, while Shaddie had all but a few out. Both were a little wobbly when they got home, and looked pretty spaced out, but that resolved within a few hours and they both were ready for dinner. And just as Daddy Jack's Mommy reports, Shaddie was like a new cat once he got that mouthful of nasty teeth removed. His coat is shinier, he's more playful, and he still eats like a pig (seriously food motivated cat, bad teeth or not!).
 
Depending on how he processes the anestesia he may act a bit drowsy when he comes back and usually they tend to act a bit weird like wanting to keep walking even if they are having a bit of trouble while doing it or trying to jump to high places and not really being able to do it but that passes with in a few hours, as they mentioned he may get something for the pain for a few days and usually antibiotics. With all my cats even the ones that had to have some or a lot of teeth removed they always improve after the surgery they feel much better
 
Food change and lower blood sugar levels have already improved his mood and playfulness so much, I can't even imagine him being in an even better mood!

Thanks for all the anecdotes. We haven't had anyone under anesthesia since the baby was neutered, so my mind is just chock full of what ifs and worst case scenarios.
 
Just got the call with the 'damage'.... 12 teeth need to go which was I guess about what I was expecting. He's stable on anesthesia and BG is 125 currently, they'll be rechecking frequently while he's under to make sure he doesn't dip too low.

Trying not to beat myself up for letting it get this bad but it's really hard not to. At least he'll no longer have the nasty infected gums which had to have been bothering him (he didn't show really any discernable clinical symptoms prior to his big vet trip last month, and we foolishly hadn't looked at his teeth ourself)
 
MamaMug said:
Trying not to beat myself up for letting it get this bad but it's really hard not to.
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I don't know what created Gato's issues, but some cats have issues with their teeth that come on really quickly. Marley was only 4 years old when he had his first eight teeth pulled because he had ulcers inside his mouth. It wasn't really a tooth issue, but the issue was taken care of by removing most of his teeth. Prior to that, his infection became so bad that his cheese started to slide off of his cracker. It may sound crazy, but I believe the infection started to hit his brain as he was acting absolutely insane. He hated his tail and would spend hours running away from it and growling at it. His behavior was so bizarre that we would go into our bedrooms at night because we were afraid to be around him for too long. When those teeth were pulled and the infection cleared up, he slowly came back to being his former sweetheart self. And then two years ago, when he was 10 years old, the bizarre behavior started again. Sure enough, it was again an infection in his mouth and his final teeth were removed, bringing him down to just four tiny ones on the bottom. He instantly acted normal once those teeth were removed.
If a cat has a problem, and it isn't just due to normal aging, it could happen pretty quickly without you realizing it.
Gators going to feel like a new man!
 
Our buddy is back from the vet. He's still grumpy and groggy from the anesthesia. Vet had to give him some sugar in his IV as he was very low while he was under. I'm wondering how much I should fuss with testing tonight? He's SO GRUMPY and I don't want to push my luck.

I should note, we have not been shooting under vet instructions, as he was running on the lower end v and vet felt once the dental was done he would likely be diet controlled. Once he's healed up from dental we will be reassessing insulin needs.
 
I'm really ready for him to be healed up. He was still so frustrated and grumpy through the night and this morning. As he's our pack alfa, the civvies are confused and keyed up as well. They have spent the last 15 hrs in awkward growly standoffs, and I've NEVER heard the baby growl. It's a bit disorienting. I tried to separate them last night but when I got close to any of them they all did that bloodcurdling scream. I just tried my best to keep the civvies out of his way while he tried to rest.

Even with pate added with water he seems to get really frustrated with eating, hissing and huffing after taking a few bites and pawing at his chops. At first I thought perhaps his tongue and mouth were still numb, but he was still doing it this morning so I am inclined to think maybe he is just confused about the new layout of his chompers and will need to re-learn a bit.

On the upside, Dad slept downstairs with him last night which I think was a comfort. When I called him tp bed at 4.30 Gato and his littermate Keesmo both joined us and were peaceful and snuggly for a few hours until breffas drama.

He did good with testing this morning but struggled to eat his treat (poached chicken). Not sure if the orijen treats would be any easier, we may try that tonight.
 
MamaMug said:
I'm really ready for him to be healed up. He was still so frustrated and grumpy through the night and this morning. As he's our pack alfa, the civvies are confused and keyed up as well. They have spent the last 15 hrs in awkward growly standoffs, and I've NEVER heard the baby growl. It's a bit disorienting. I tried to separate them last night but when I got close to any of them they all did that bloodcurdling scream. I just tried my best to keep the civvies out of his way while he tried to rest.

Even with pate added with water he seems to get really frustrated with eating, hissing and huffing after taking a few bites and pawing at his chops. At first I thought perhaps his tongue and mouth were still numb, but he was still doing it this morning so I am inclined to think maybe he is just confused about the new layout of his chompers and will need to re-learn a bit.

On the upside, Dad slept downstairs with him last night which I think was a comfort. When I called him tp bed at 4.30 Gato and his littermate Keesmo both joined us and were peaceful and snuggly for a few hours until breffas drama.

He did good with testing this morning but struggled to eat his treat (poached chicken). Not sure if the orijen treats would be any easier, we may try that tonight.
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I'm so sorry to hear that Gato's having a tough time with this. My experience with Marley was so different, and I was certainly hoping that Gato's would be similar. However, Marley was sleepy for a couple of days, so it may be possible that Gato is just responding to that adjusting period differently. I would be so surprised if the negatives persist more than another day or two. I hope others can give you some pointers. It's so difficult to watch them suffer in any capacity, but you did the right thing and spared him from more intense pain down the line.
 
12 teeth is a lot so I'm sure his mouth feels different but in the end he'll feel so much better having all those nasty teeth removed. When my cats had dentals they also hissed at each other because they smelled different. One thing that will speed up getting over the scent issue is wrapping Gato in a fresh towel and just rub him all over with it so he'll quickly smell like home again.
 
Dusty Bones said:
12 teeth is a lot so I'm sure his mouth feels different but in the end he'll feel so much better having all those nasty teeth removed. When my cats had dentals they also hissed at each other because they smelled different. One thing that will speed up getting over the scent issue is wrapping Gato in a fresh towel and just rub him all over with it so he'll quickly smell like home again.
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This is a great idea! I'll see if my partner can do that when he stops by to check on them midday.
 
MamaMug said:
I'm really ready for him to be healed up. He was still so frustrated and grumpy through the night and this morning. As he's our pack alfa, the civvies are confused and keyed up as well. They have spent the last 15 hrs in awkward growly standoffs, and I've NEVER heard the baby growl. It's a bit disorienting. I tried to separate them last night but when I got close to any of them they all did that bloodcurdling scream. I just tried my best to keep the civvies out of his way while he tried to rest.

Even with pate added with water he seems to get really frustrated with eating, hissing and huffing after taking a few bites and pawing at his chops. At first I thought perhaps his tongue and mouth were still numb, but he was still doing it this morning so I am inclined to think maybe he is just confused about the new layout of his chompers and will need to re-learn a bit.

On the upside, Dad slept downstairs with him last night which I think was a comfort. When I called him tp bed at 4.30 Gato and his littermate Keesmo both joined us and were peaceful and snuggly for a few hours until breffas drama.

He did good with testing this morning but struggled to eat his treat (poached chicken). Not sure if the orijen treats would be any easier, we may try that tonight.
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Reading some of the answers did reminded me too that after being at the vet they do get some strange odor that the rest of the household does not like or approve so there's usually some tension between the one arriving and the rest I'm not sure how much, I think it depends on each one.

Regarding the eating and his discomfort he may need some pain medicine and maybe try only soft food for a few days, ECID so he may be in a lot of pain, but if it continues the vet may need to check him again just in case he isn't developing an abscess or infection
 
Veronica & Babu-chiri said:
Regarding the eating and his discomfort he may need some pain medicine and maybe try only soft food for a few days, ECID so he may be in a lot of pain, but if it continues the vet may need to check him again just in case he isn't developing an abscess or infection
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He is on an oral (pill) pain medication, and we are on an all wet diet. He usually gets textured mixed with pate but I am only giving him pates for now. He ate a little better at breffas and lunch. I believe they have us 4 days worth of the pain pill which should hopefully have us in the clear. He goes back in on Friday for a booster shot on one of his vaccines, and next Friday for a dental recheck. I'm thankful that we'll have plenty of opportunities to catch any infection early because at the rate his mood is going, I'm hoping to not have to pry his mouth open right now!
 
FurBabiesMama said:
I wonder why they didn't give you liquid bupe. It's so easy to give.
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Not sure either. The pill hardly seems ideal given how much dental work he had done. I'll admit I was in a real fog and didn't ask enough questions about the process, being deliriously sick myself.

Luckily the pills are very small, so I've wrapped them in the teeniest bit of cheese and put that in with his dinner. He eventually ate them yesterday and is working on tonight's dinner as we speak. I hope the cheese doesn't throw his numbers out of wack. But I think just a few bits in with dinner for 3 days (I rechecked the regimen) shouldn't hurt too much. I'm sure it will take a few days for his numbers to level out anyways.
 
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