Mouth problem 3 weeks after dental work

About 2 1/2 months ago my cat had a dental cleaning and had 3 teeth removed (one lower premolar on each side and one upper canine). His last follow-up appointment was 2 weeks after the extraction (2 months ago). I think it was about 2-3 weeks after this that he started doing something weird with his mouth. He acts like he has something stuck in it and he's trying to get it out. He does this after he eats and grooms.

I am going to call the vet but I wanted to find out if you all think this is related to the teeth extractions? My issue is that I'm sure the vet will want me to bring him in and they'll want to charge me $65 for the exam. If this is related to the extraction, I don't think I should have to pay anything. So I'm not sure how to handle this billing issue, but it needs to be handled beforehand.

And the reason I've waited so long to call the vet is because I've had a bunch of crap going on. I was helping some elderly relatives with a personal problem and was only getting 4 hrs of sleep a day. Then I was in an accident and was physically unable to take the cat in. I'm still recovering from that though. The last two months have been one problem after another with huge pile ups along the way. Life sucks!

Originally Posted by mej_1

About 2 1/2 months ago my cat had a dental cleaning and had 3 teeth removed (one lower premolar on each side and one upper canine). His last follow-up appointment was 2 weeks after the extraction (2 months ago). I think it was about 2-3 weeks after this that he started doing something weird with his mouth. He acts like he has something stuck in it and he's trying to get it out. He does this after he eats and grooms.

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It's possible that one or more of the extractions wasn't completely healed and your cat developed an infection after he was last seen. This is something only your vet can tell you for sure, so you will have to take him back for another visit. Good luck!!!!

Or they could have even missed a piece of tooth.

It's also common for a pocket to develop where the tooth was extracted and food gets trapped in that pocket. Regardless of whether it is this, an infection or a tooth remnant, he does need to be seen by a vet fairly quickly.

Yes, he does need to be seen. I do not know if you can see the extractions, but if you can, were they sewn up? Sutures could have come out and food could have got stuck in there, or he could have "dry socket". Boo went through all of that, long story short, vet left pieces of tooth in the extraction site, did not suture it, it got infected and he shaved 3 roots of nearby teeth off while he was extracting the lower mandibular canine tooth.

Get kitty to the vet ASAP and do not let them turn you away and say "it will heal on its own" EVER. I am fighting this very thing right now. Mouth infections, just like in humans, can be very dangerous. Good luck and keep us updated please. If any x-rays were taken (They should've been taken at the time of the procedure, before during AND after) I would get copies or at least request to see them, too.

I am trying to find someone who can drive me to the vet's office. I severly injured my arm a few weeks ago and can't drive. I live in a rural area and don't have neighbors and taxi cabs won't come out here. In fact, I had to wait over 36 hrs to go to the doctor because I had to wait for a relative to drive me. Thank goodness I had some old Percocet laying around because I was in excruciating PAIN.

I am waiting to hear from the primary vet because he may be able to make a housecall, I haven't asked yet because I'm waiting for him to call. The other ones there won't do it because it goes against policy. I'll just have to wait and see.

In the mean time, is there something particular I should be looking for in the cat's mouth that would indicate a problem (redness, a hole, etc.)? He was seen by the vet about 14 days after the extraction, so it seems like everything should've healed by then.

No x-rays were taken as they don't do that there. There are no dental veterinarians or vet colleges around here, we're very limited.

For the first several days after the extraction, the cat was doing the same thing he's doing now with his mouth. I had thought it was related to the sutures where the canine tooth had been. He stopped doing it and so I thoiught it was ok. But now he's doing it again.

So, do you all think the vet should treat this as a follow-up and not charge me? Or should I be charged?