Toothache?Help till vet opens Monday

I feel so dumb, but I just figured out that my elderly Alex probably has a toothache. He has had random symptoms, including bad breath, drooling, and not wanting scritches on the right side of his face. He also appears to be losing weight. Yesterday he acted like he was fighting with his soft food, screaming and hissing at it, and then eventually running away from the bowl. A while ago I tried to look in his mouth and put my finger gently in the back and I thought he would turn inside out! He screamed and growled and hissed at me(he never does that). I feel so bad and so sorry and the vet doesn't open till Monday. I live in a very rural area and there's nobody available because it's Thanksgiving weekend.
What can I do to comfort him? He seems ok otherwise. He ate about 1/2 can of food and he will play with a string. He's sitting on my lap right now, purring.
What is the treatment for this? Antibiotics? Extraction?
Thanks for any input.
Sierra

Hi there,

Yes, it definitely sounds like a possible dental problem or something going on in your kitty's mouth.

Even though it's the long weekend, could you try still calling your Vet clinic? I know with many, after hours you'll reach an answering machine with directions on who to contact in the case of an after-hours emergency. It sure would be best if this did not wait until Monday as the pain and possible infection could become a lot worse (whatever you do, do NOT give any kind of human pain medication).

What the vet will do is have a good look at the teeth, may suggest dental xrays (because that's the only proper way to see what's going on beneath the gumline, where 'cat cavities' (called resorptive lesions) often originate (and are very painful). What he'll do really depends on what he finds....but generally it would involve putting kitty under a general anesthetic and having a good look, probing the teeth and gums.......and if a bad tooth, they will extract it, sometimes with a significant extraction they will suture up the "hole" with a dissolvable stitch (suture)...and should send kitty home on antibiotics.............and if kitty doesn't tolerate oral antibiotics or is difficult to pill, you could ask Vet to give a shot of long-acting antibiotic called "Convenia".......it's a one-time shot, lasts 14 days, is great for infections of the skin/tissue/abscesses/gums. I always request this after my older cats have a dental, if there's been an extraction, more on a preventative basis.

here's the info on Convenia:

http://www.convenia.com/pdfs/Conveni...nformation.pdf

I love this antibiotic, sure beats pills that can upset the tummy or cause poor appetite.

I should mention, Vet will likely want to do some basic bloodwork prior to the Dental -- just to check the status of kitty's kidneys, liver, etc........this is standard.

Really, please try to get kitty seen before Monday, even if you have to drive to a nearby town or city..........there's a good chance they won't do the dental right there, they may want kitty on antibiotics for a couple of days or so before doing a dental anyway........but at least you'd get that started..........but do ask about the Convenia Injection instead of oral antibiotics.

OMG, thank you so much for your quick reply and the great info. I tried calling my vet and he is out of town till Monday.
I do have some antibiotics on hand....Amoxicillin 250 mg and Cephalexin 250 mg. They are both capsules that my dog had to take for urinary tract infections. She had reactions to them, and so I just kept them. Should I try to get some down him?
I think Alex will be ok till Monday, as he seems ok except for his mouth being tender. I just watered down some canned food and he slurped it right down without a fuss. He is very difficult to give meds to as he was very ill in the past and he knows what is coming. I will definitely ask the vet about that convenia. Thanks for mentioning it.

I was worried about him being in pain, so I'm glad you told me not to give him any human pain relievers. He's pretty active right now, so I guess it isn't that bad unless it gets touched ????
This is so embarrassing....I work for a dentist!!??!!!

I wouldn't advise giving leftover antibiotics from your dog; first of all, the dosage for your dog is likely a lot higher than for a cat -- and what if your kitty had a bad reaction (allergic reaction), then you'd be up the creek because you couldn't reach a vet for assistance! (250mg of Amoxicillin is way too much for a cat, usual dose is generally about 5 mg per lb, so you see - dosing is different from cats to dogs)

Wouldn't other Vet clinics be open tomorrow? Somebody must be open? In a neighboring town or city?

Padon me if I missed it .. but have you tried calling your vet ?? most have ER numbers for when they are closed ... Please do not use leftover dog meds