Cat tooth infection

Hi all. Looking for ANY advice on this situation - at all. My cat (in my picture) has had a terrible tooth/mouth infection for months now. He doesn't live with me, but my dad and my sister keep me updated regularly. My sister recently told me that something drastic needs to be done, his teeth are actually rotten and his breath is at its worst. He gets regular injections which is supposed to keep the infection away, but it seems to still be there.

I have thought about having a tooth extraction done... but it costs about R5000 (about 330 USD) and that's basically impossible for me and my family to spend. We literally do not have that money. 

I have no idea if he is suffering or not, my family says he seems normal. He's about 11 years old. I really don't want to put him to sleep, it will shatter me. I will if I have to though.

Does anyone perhaps know of any alternative that we can do to make this better?

Thanks

until the infection is dealt with-theres not much else that can be done=did they take a tissue sample and test it to see what the infection is? Sounds like they are not using the correct antibiotics to kill the infection.

I think in this case-they cant do surgery until the infection gets cleared up but I could be wrong. I would highly recommend saving some money-getting more jobs-to fix this, The cat is probably in pain-and needs this tooth extraction.

Are they giving the cat pain meds? Tramadol and Buprenorphine is usually what is given for high pain issues. They could try gabapentin but that's more of a nerve medicine-but its used in a variety of pain care situations.

Just remember never ever give Tylenol/Advil to animals=any NSAID is deadly to them.

I'm not too sure if they took a tissue sample. I think they just looked at his mouth. What happened last time is they tried with antibiotics, those didn't work. Then they started giving him 3 injections I think which is supposed to keep the infection away for up to 5 months, which is when he'll get the injections again. It's also quite a decent price. 

My family says he doesn't appear to be in pain, he's pretty normal, it's just his breath that smells truly rotten. Don't think they've given the inside of his mouth a look, too afraid to hurt him. 

I'll ask them to look into this a bit more, as well as that pain medication you recommended. Thanks very much!

@jenpen60  , it sounds like your cat has quite a serious infection and it is likely he is in pain even if he isn't showing it.  Cats have a very strong pain threshold before they start to show signs, and with your cat it might be that he stops eating as much or struggles with certain types of food, or simply wants to be on his own a lot.

I don't know where your family and cat are but if there is any way you could work with local vets to get a treatment payment plan for any surgery and other treatment he needs that might be more manageable.  If not, there are some ideas in this article.   

Mouse was lucky not to have tooth decay or root infections but did have serious gum and throat infections when he was younger and needed several lots of treatment with antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications before things settled down.  He was very sick by the time I noticed anything other than his stinky breath.

I hope you manage to find some way to help your cat.    

This is so funny - mouse is actually a nickname I give to my other cat. It's too cute.

Well, he basically just eats soft food now that my folks get for him, and he still snuggles with everyone regularly. He does just seem a bit different though, which makes me worry. 

We live in South Africa, so it can be difficult. However, my sister told me yesterday that she is making a plan to get him to another type of vet that can do this operation for a lot less so I'm keeping fingers crossed.

Thank you  

One thing I love and find really interesting is how TCS is international - and you can learn so much about cat care around the world.  Access to vet care and cat friendly vet care varies so much.  I hope your sister does manage to find a vet who is able to care for your cat at a more affordable price.      He is lucky to be with a family who care about him and will try to get him the best care they can.

I don't know if you can get it in South Africa but one thing that might help your cat a little bit while you wait for surgery is using an enzyme toothpaste.  There are a couple of different brands and Amazon sell some along with other on line pet suppliers.  You can let them lick it from your finger or from something like a spoon handle if he won't take it from a finger.   You only need a tiny bit once or twice a day and even without brushing it helps remove plaque and bacteria building up on your cat's teeth.  It won't heal decay or cure bacterial infections in gum wounds / infected teeth but it will hope to stop things building up more and getting worse.  It also helps after decayed teeth are removed by helping remaining teeth to stay healthy.  The paste is usually poultry or fish flavoured and all the cats I have read about here seem to like it -  as does Mouse.  Mouse thinks it's one of his treats.       

  I'm glad you like Mouse's name, thank you.   He looked like a Mouse when he was a kitten - all be it a very chubby one. 

I'll look around for that toothpaste, and also ask my dad and them to look around for it! Funny how they make it fish flavour - I'm sure my boy would jump at the chance for that! I'm still waiting for my sister to get back to me with regards to all this, I think it's like an animal rescue center that does the operation for cheaper, I just want to make sure they're legit still. 

This family adores that cat although my parents can be really tight fisted when it comes to cash, my sister and I eventually nag them enough to get it sorted out. 

Thanks sooo much for your help  

Quick update from my sister. She's taking him in to the vet as I type this. Looks like another issue has arisen. His nose is bleeding and when he sneezes, he sneezes blood. She said it's not going well with him right now. I'm very worried about this. 

I'm sorry to hear he's got new symptoms, best wishes for you all. I don't have much to add, although there are treats and toys also designed to help teeth. Though if he won't/can't eat dry food probably not the best idea. That toothpaste sounds pretty cool, think Arc will need some!

Arcturus just had to have a tooth removed and the rest cleaned, and although he didn't act like he was in pain he is SO much happier now. So if at all possible it'd be what's best for the poor guy.

Thanks so much. I also think it'll be much better for him to have the operation... there's a special organisation here called the Animal Anti Cruelty League and that's where my sister and them took him now. Still waiting though. But I think they can do the operation for waaay more than half of what a vet asks. So I'm keeping fingers crossed! 

Just on line for today, sorry I didn't see your updates earlier @jenpen60  ,  I hope your sister had some good news at the vet place when she got there and they have been able to help your cat.  Sneezing blood must have been very scary to see / hear about.   Will be sending lots of postive vibes until we hear how your little one is doing.  

@reversedpolarit    Being in the UK, you might find the vet you take Arcturus has some little samples of the Logic poultry flavour enzyme toothpaste - that's how I first introduced Mouse to it and checked he was happy with it before buying.   The cheepest source I've found for it in the UK is Amazon UK but you can also get it from pet stores like Pets at Home and vet surgeries.

No worries. Everything is fine with him, thank goodness. Basically, his mouth infection just caused some type of infection in his nose - somehow. He got a few injections and some medicine, and will have to have an injection once a month now. The vet said it should keep the infection at bay so it can maybe try to get better on its own, if not then we can look at some other options, like the tooth extraction.

You must have been so relieved with the vet's news after the sneezing blood episode!   Fingers crossed the medication / injections he's had get on top of this infection and allow him to heal and feel more comfortable.

If you can find a source for the enzyme toothpaste it might be really worth while for keeping bacteria levels down in his mouth and helping the medication do its work.  No brushing though, just licking from your finger or similar, and rubbing around his gums or lips for him to lick off if he will let you - brushing would be too sore while he still has that gum infection.   

Even more relieved today! Spoke to my sister on the phone yesterday, she said he is feeling and looking SO much better. Eating nicely, picking up weight, his fur looks healthy again (it looked matted before) and he's bounding with energy again. She did say he rubs at his nose which causes it to bleed, but says if it doesn't get better, she'll get him one of those cones to wear until it's better. He'll hate it but it's for the best  

I'll phone the vet close to my sister's place and ask about that enzyme toothpaste and how much it'll cost. I'll keep the no brushing thing in mind

Thank you so much for your help!!