12/20 OT Kitty Dental Post 1: To bupe or not to bupe?

Yesterday's dental adventure:
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=58970

Overall picture is great! We have all FIVE p's. Well, not too heavily on the preen, but the litter P's are in place, which is excellent.

This morning, he had eaten the food we left out and was watching the passing parade out the window. He is alert, walking around, seems good.

He does seem to have a sore throat - big gulps when he swallows. But he is eating enough, and isn't hiding in his bed in a way that suggests pain. My inclination is not to give the bupe I have, but I thought I would ask for input.

So... to bupe or not to bupe? That is the question! :lol:

 

Throat is probably sore from intubation.

I think I'd give the bupe - remember that cats are good at hiding the pain. Socket probably aches.

 

Hi guys .. so glad the dental went well and that kitty seems to be feeling good today! I'm sure the sore throat will go away soon enough .. lots of lubs from us to him!

 

No advice from me, but I'm glad to hear Kitty is doing well!

 

what did you end up doing? fwiw, i agree with bjm - i'd give it for a couple of days. it's not going to hurt him, but if he's in pain that's not fun.

 

We gave Zener bupe for 2 days and he was acting great, so we stopped. Over the weekend, about 24 ours after we stopped bupe, his numbers started rising and his appetite dropped. We ended up at the vet Monday suspecting an infection and the vet thought all looked good, just residual pain. We felt really bad about that, he was hiding it very well and our only clues were his numbers and appy. As advised by the vet, we added bupe back yesterday evening and a dosecrease and he is much better today. If fact, he was much better with appy in about 2 hours! So, I would err on the side of too long with bupe rather than too short. But, of course, ECID.

 

Thanks for the input -- good advice.

We ended up TRYING to give him the bupe. Getting Kitty to open his mouth is never easy. We didn't want to press his jaws, as we have in the past, because we weren't sure where he hurt most. So I stuck the thing between his lips, and we squirted in probably half a dose.

The bupe freaks him out a little, but he has eaten more this afternoon. He has been walking around with his tail down, covering his behind :cry: which I assume is protective - but after the bupe kicked in, the tail was going up occasionally. :smile:

We have enough for one more good dose tonight, if we can get it in - or a little today and a little tomorrow. I am also giving Mirilax, though. His LB action was meager. Don't want him constipated.

Isn't that the great thing about FDMB - no such thing as Too Much Information!

 

You don't want to squirt the bupe down his throat. It goes into the cheek pocket so the tissue can absorb it. I'd give the pain meds.

 

I'm sure I got some into him, because he is zonky - but it was sheer luck.

I don't know how to get his mouth open without hurting him. Ordinarily, I would press his jaws lightly to make him open his mouth, then aim for the cheek.

 

If you can put one hand over his head, you may be able to gently lift the top half and the bottom may stay in place, thus opening a bit.

 

Thank you! We haven't tried the overhand approach. It sounds like it could work, especially since there are two of us - one to pry, one to shoot.

 

it works by absorbing through mucous membranes. all you need to is slide it through the side of his lips and aim up so it's hopefully going onto the gum. i do a little bit at a time or try to move the syringe along as i'm letting some out.

straight in his mouth or down his throat won't get absorbed.

 

Kathy, thanks for your nice comments on our condo. I'm glad Kitty got through his dental OK and is feeling well. Good luck with the bupe.

 

Thanks for all the tips - this dose went better. DH steadied Kitty's head from above. I inserted the shooter into his lips, aimed for the gum, and squirted little bits at a time.

Kitty had started with purrs but was THOROUGHLY ticked off by the end of the process. :cry: I'll say one thing: This is NOT a kitty to pill! But I hope this will help him sleep through the night and feel better tomorrow.

 

Glad you gave it to him. Sorry I didn't see this sooner but I've been a wreck about Jackson whose having his US tomorrow and I'm terrified. I had Jacky on bupe for 4 days when he had his cyst removed and he loved it.

Good job and I'm glad Kitty Man is okay

xoxo
Me

 

glad you gave the bupe....

here are my 2 cents!

http://www.2ndchance.info/pain.htm

i read over and over the fact that cats experience pain....so if i were to have a dental and be a mess i'd expect Rocket to be a mess too...so helping with the bupe is a good idea....give it as long as you think you would be a mess if it was you getting the dental...my 2 cents!

 

Thank you! I appreciate what you wrote at the end; I value that Kitty doesn't live in fear of pain, and that I can believe he is happy again, now that he's begun to heal.

I was given enough bupe for the one day following the dental. (Kitty came home with a shot of long-acting bupe to cover the night of surgery.) Using myself as a guide, I think that is probably just adequate. If there were a kitty-equivalent for Advil or Tylenol, I might have liked him to have that today. But absent that, based on his behavior, I think we've made it through.

Yesterday, his tail was plastered down. Today, he has used the LB (if you know what I mean), and that tail started to stand tall.

I have bookmarked that link. I hope I won't need to refer to it often, but it is good to have.

 

I'm late posting this Kathy...
but have you considered a more creative feeding strategy?



:lol: :lol: :lol:

I know it can't be funny trying to work with Kitty and his sore mouth...
but I just couldn't resist.

sending healing vines for the handsome gent

 

Thanks, Celi!

I wonder if I could just "transport" the meds into his mouth? :lol:

He seems much better today. He played, he chased an imaginary something across the house, and now he is sleeping on the couch (in "my" space, ha). He doesn't want to put toys in his mouth, so I can tell he isn't 100% - but food in his mouth? No problem! :mrgreen: