tooth removal

Hello.

So... poor Teddy had a dental, has a URI, and had his anal glands expressed. He's been through a load over the past few days.

The vet says that he's going to need to have a tooth (possibly two) removed. We knew that was coming - Teddy was not well cared for before we adopted him, and he had horrific tartar buildup and the worst breath, which is why we did the dental today in the first place.

I know kitties that have no teeth and they eat and function just fine. Since right now, Teddy can only eat dry food (wet food = vomiting and diarrhea), I'm a little nervous about his eating when teeth start getting removed. If any of you have cats that are missing teeth (any or all), and if your cats eat dry food, can you give me your insight and experiences with this procedure? Teddy is such a sweet little boy and I hate having to do this for him, but we can't leave bad teeth in his mouth.

Also, as a random aside, Teddy has been out of anesthesia for about 6 hours now. He's a bit groggy, but he also won't sit down and rest - he's just pacing around like crazy. Does anyone else's cat do this after being anesthetized? I know when I had anesthesia, all I wanted to do was sleep!

That is normal behaviour. It is sad, but normal! Maybe you can put him in a dark quite room.

My kitties become very restless after anesthesia. It takes several hours for them to settle down & rest.

thanks for letting me know!

Teddy has calmed down a little bit now. I wonder what makes them so restless afterwards.

If you are concerned about him eating dry food just wet his normal kibble with a small amount of warm water.

Originally Posted by Dr. Doolittle

If you are concerned about him eating dry food just wet his normal kibble with a small amount of warm water.

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I didn't even think of that! I gave him some food a little bit ago (I was told to wait until at least 6 hours post-wake up) and he wolfed it down without a problem. I'm going to keep that in mind for the future, though. Thanks!