Worried about cat after dental surgery

Hi all,

I had a bad experience today with a new vet. My cat cheese who's around 10/11 years (I rescued him and they estimated his age), needed some dental work. He's had a cleaning/extractions previously and I feel bad for not noticing his teeth sooner. I had taken him into the vet but hadn't noticed how bad his teeth had gotten again.

I took him to a new clinic because my current vet is so expensive. The clinic had a lot of 5 star reviews on google so I thought they'd be a good option. The first appointment went OK but the vet was a little odd- he clapped very loudly without warning to check if my other cat Jello was deaf. I wish he would have asked first, they were both already so terrified, Jello had peed in the carrier. I know Jello is not deaf- he responds to my voice, I think he was in shock and that's why he didn't respond to the clap.

But anyways, I cried on the way home after dropping Cheese off for dental surgery because he was so scared and I felt bad for leaving him. I picked him up this afternoon and the vet tells me that when he was drilling into his face his jaw was twitching because he could feel it. I don't know if I'm overreacting but I think that's terrible! He needed more pain meds or anesthesia if he's in pain. He also refused to give me any pain meds or antibiotics even after I expressed that I was concerned. He said pus came out of the tooth but he doesn't need antibiotics because the infection is drained.

Cheese is sleeping, or trying to sleep now. He'll rest his chin on the bed and then lift it up again occasionally and doesn't seem to be in deep sleep like he usually is and seems restless. His eyes are super dilated and he's shaky. I'm glad he's laying down now because he was running around for a while and I couldn't get him to lay down. He's not bleeding a lot, but there's blood on his chin.

I want to take him to another vet that I know but I also want to let him rest because it's been a long day for him.

I feel like a bad Mom and I'm not sure what to do next.

That is just all around horrible. No question. I would not go back to this clinic. I would consider filing a complaint with the veterinary board.

My girl had mouth extractions with a board certified dental specialist. Don't skimp on dental surgery / cleanings. Overall, the vet did a good job. However, she did not provide adequate pain medicine for my cat. My cat had a fentanyl pain patch, which wore off prior to my cat's recovery. This can be very painful. Your cat most likely will need pain medication. Since I traveled for this, I had to take my cat to a local vet for pain meds. The local vet confirmed that it can be very painful.

Also, I was given liquid Clavamox to give to my cat for preventative measures to avoid infection. Your cat should have been given antibiotics. I read one complaint against a vet who refused to provide antibiotics post dental surgery. The cat developed an infection and did not make it. I would not take any risks on this. I am cautious. My fur babies are my children.

I'm so sorry. I think you need to take your cat to a different vet.

If your cat has teeth removed, then he must have pain medicine post-procedure. Teeth removal is very very painful. I'm not suprised that your cat is shkay and restless. The pain medicine he was given pre-proceduer has worn off. If the vet refuses to give you any pain medicine, take your cat to another vet. Please call other vet hospitals in your area soon and make an appointment. Yelp reviews are generally very reliable so check there for good vet hospitals.

if your cat is really uncomfortable tonight, please take your cat to a vet ER. The after hours voicemail message of any vet hospital should have the phone number of how to call for emergencies.

I would file a complaint with the state veterinary board (if you're in the US) or veterinary association and also speak to the owner of that vet hospital. You can post your own Google or Yelp review to warn others about the vet at this particular vet hospital.

Thanks all.

I've made an appointment with a vet I've seen before for tomorrow and I know she'll help him. I've posted reviews on google and yelp so hopefully that'll help others. I'll look into reporting them to the veterinary board.

He seems ok, he's curled up in bed trying to sleep. I'll keep an eye on him and if he gets worse I'll take him in. I would like the vet to look at the extractions to see if those were done correctly and there won't be problems later on.

Poor baby

I'll ask about the fentanyl pain patch and the Clavamox antibiotic.

Are there any pain meds/antibiotics that I should avoid?

Buprenex is a very good pain medicine to use post-teeth removal. Most vets will give you the liquid Buprenex in pre-measured syringes. You just slowly squirt the liquid into the cheek pouch where it will be absorbed. Buprenex doesn't work if it is ingested. I just slide the syringe between the bottom jaw and cheek and squirt the liquid there.

Avoid Convenia. It's a "two week" antibiotic but lasts in the body for up to a month. Many cats experience side effects and other negative reactions to it. You can read more about it here: http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

Some people avoid Metacam for their cats, too. There are threads about it here on TCS: http://www.thecatsite.com/newsearch?search=metacam&type=35

Cerenia is also available in pill form, which you can crush, add to water, then add to food. Your cat needs Buprenex very badly. It's inhuman that the vet didn't send you home with some.

Best of luck to you. I hope it gets better from here.

Thanks guys. Anything I can put in food would be great, it's much less stressful to give him meds that way. It's nice to have a list and know what's best for him.

I don't understand why the vet would be this way, especially after I was concerned.

He's very relaxed sleeping on the bed. I hope he'll be OK through the night and I'll take him in in the morning.

I would be sure to do a review of this vet/clinic on google!  Let others know what happened to warn them.  Hope he gets better soon!

Correction: I spoke about Cerenia, which is not the same as Convenia. My mistake. Cerenia is for nausea, and Convenia is an antibiotic. Members on TCS have had problems with the injection. See if you can't get an antibiotic pill that you can crush and add to his food. I had some for Mingo, and it was easy to work with, but I don't remember the name of it.

The other vet was awesome! I said no to Metacam and Convenia. They gave me Buprenex in syringes for pain and Clindamycin to mix in his food. I just mixed it with wet food and he ate all of it. He's hiding a little which he never usually does. I think he's stressed from the trip but I think he'll feel better soon.

Thanks all for your help and the suggestions on the meds. I'm happy he has the meds he needs. I'll take him back in two weeks to make sure everything is ok.

So glad you did this. Your little it is on the right road now.

Yay! That's awesome. I'm so happy.

Thanks for letting us know. [emoji]128149[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji][emoji]128149[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji]

So good to hear you got another vet and the proper treatment!