Cat in Desperate Need of Tooth Removal
Simon, Before Surgery with his Left Lower Canine Tooth Hanging Out
Sometimes cats need emergency tooth extraction. In Simon’s case, his left lower canine tooth avulsed so it stuck out of his lower lip at almost a ninety degree angle. Talk about painful!
To top it off, Simon was 18 years old. Anesthesia carried inherent risk for him, but there was no way he could go on with that tooth like that!
I put him under light anesthesia and painkillers and delicately removed the offending tooth.
Simon’s recovery after anesthesia was uneventful. An elderly cat feels sleepy for several hours. He wobbled on his feet and jerked his head to and fro a bit, trying to focus on my face. We did not offer any food for the first two hours. Then Simon started to look more “with it.” He drank some water when it was offered. (Just a little bit. Cats normally do not drink very much; cats are thought to be originally desert animals.)
After two hours, we let him walk around his own bedroom in the hospital, without fear he would trip or try to jump up and hurt himself. He ate a little dinner, and went to sleep. Simon recovered quickly. Some cats are groggy until the morning or afternoon after surgery and anesthesia. Sleepiness for more than 24 hours warrants a call to the veterinarian.
See the little white thing hanging out of the corner of Simon's mouth? That's the tooth!
Simon ate soft canned cat food for about 5 days. I checked his gums and they were 100% healed! Some dental specialists wait up to 2 weeks after dental surgery before allowing a cat unrestricted access to dry food.
6 months after his surgery, Simon had gained a pound, and looks younger than ever!
P.S. Tooth avulsion occurs after accidents, or in Simon’s case, from years of periodontal neglect. The jawbone holding the tooth becomes fragile, the tooth is no longer strong and firmly rooted, and an insignificant bump to the mouth dislodged the tooth. Whammo! An avulsion is born.
