Kitten has swollen jaw

Hi my 7-8 week old kitten has a swollen jaw thats painful to touch. He wont let me look at it very well. We cant afford to take him to a vet and none will help me without seeing him. Idk what to do. All he wants to is sleep...

Shiny Otter said:

Hi my 7-8 week old kitten has a swollen jaw thats painful to touch. He wont let me look at it very well. We cant afford to take him to a vet and none will help me without seeing him. Idk what to do. All he wants to is sleep...

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difficult to say much, as this is really a vet errand.   Its so definitely if he has broken his jaw or similiar.  May happen during the wild playing by kittens.

But it may also be stung by a wasp.   In that case I do hope it will go over by itself.   Such depends in much, exactly where the wasp stung, and if the kittens happens to be extra sensitive...

Google on wasp sttings on kittens, or similiar - and see for advices for good home remedies,.   I will google too.  

Good luck!

ps.  Do you have snakes there around?    Such swelligns may also be from snakes...

Hmm. Did it just happen?

Maybe try a warm compress. Let's hope it goes down soon. Wondering if he gnawed on something that hurt his mouth or tooth. Or could be a swollen gland.

Is he still able to eat his food?

Its as I thought, stings by wasps and similiar, are usually rather harmless.  It get swollen, may hurt,  the cat may get sleepy and drowsy.   Needs peace and rest.

The wise owner observes and is ready to take him to the vet...

Cortisone is the standard medicine if a really difficult sting.  - Where to get it is another question, here is Sweden we can buy OTC a cortisone paste, although its rather weak solution.  Stronger solutions must be administered by vet...

So its the easy case.

I suspect snake bite may be similiar, depending on the snake, of course.  The swedish snakes arent very poisonous, its extremely rare anybody bitten dies.

But if it broken jaw, its vet errand.  Just to raise the money, etc...

Has the kitten been outside?

Its been indoors all its life. Has two siblings he plays with. And the swelling is so painful that he hasnt eaten or drank since i noticed it. I have him separated. I really wish i could take him to the vet, but thats just not in the cards.

Know any home remedies besides warm compresses and antibiotics?

If he is indoors I doubt it's a snake bite.  Do bees and wasps get in your house?  My cat was stung last night and running around on his swollen paw 2 hours later. 

I really think you need to go to the vet.  Can you get CareCredit at your vet?  It's like a loan that you pay back over time.

I agree. He needs to see a vet. Can you work out a payment plan?

No. We dont qualify. And no one is willing to work with us. Its all or nothing. No one we can borrow from either. :/

UPDATE: got him to eat a lil homemade ice cream. I know its not good for cats to eat cream, but figured it might help a lil. Gonna give him mushed can food in a lil bit. He wont nurse though...

Shiny Otter said:

UPDATE: got him to eat a lil homemade ice cream. I know its not good for cats to eat cream, but figured it might help a lil. Gonna give him mushed can food in a lil bit. He wont nurse though...

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cream is easier digestible than the usual pasteurized cow milk, so unless he is verry sensitive, it should be OK.    May also help against some types of swellings.   They give ice cream after some operations in the throat, to  lessen the coming swellings...

It sounds as if your kitten is indeed in very much pain. Has the swelling improved any since you first noticed it?

Where are you located (location doesn't have to be exact)? We may can locate a rescue or organization that is willing to help with medical expenses.

Regardless, your kitten needs medical attention. It is not fair to allow him to suffer. I know it breaks your heart to not be able to offer him this. But, if you truly cannot afford medical care and are unable to find assistance, the next best thing for your kitten would be to surrender him to a shelter.

Your kitten cannot last long without eating. Kittens simply do not have the reserved to pull from. He needs pain medication at the very least (not over the counter medication, as these are toxic to animals.)

I do not suggest offering him any more ice cream as the lactose can upset his stomach and cause diarrhea and make him less inclined to eat than he already is.

Can anything in this article help you?

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-you-cant-afford-a-veterinarian

I live in a rural area. There are no shelters, not even a proper animal control. And the swelling hasnt changed. The mama isnt leaving its side. Licking the kitten and cuddling it. If its not getting better tomorrow, ill have to find someone to help, but chances are slim.

How bad is the swelling? Can you post a picture? Where is your closest shelter of any kind?

You may need to syringe some pedialyte mixed with wet food to make a mush into the side of his mouth. Or at least pedialyte. He must stay hydrated or he can go downhill fast.

Hes doing better. He keeps itching it, making it drain. And hes eatting. He just sleeps a bit more than usual. The swelling is going down and he doesnt cry when i touch it.

So perhaps it was an abcess that has popped and is now draining and getting better. I am so glad to hear that the swelling is going down, and hope he makes a full recovery from this. It must have been very painful for him. Glad to hear he is eating. Thanks for the update!

Looks like it might be a bot fly after all. Another kitten has a swollen cheek. We are going to have to try to get it out in a few days once we sterilize what we need.

Oh dear! Can you see a vet for one kitten at least, and explain that you need the medicine for all the kittens? Vets are usually good about this with kittens. I hate that another kitten has to go through such pain. An office visit alone is usually not too much. Could you call a vet to inquire?