Bad breath post extraction

[dotNdash]

Hello there’s probably a thread about this somewhere already but I couldn’t find it. My question is… My 12-year-old cat, a recent stray that I took in, had a broken canine that was really bothering him and needed to come out. On Wednesday 2/16 He had the tooth extraction. I followed the post care instructions and given him his three days of anti-inflammatory/painkillers. But I’m worried. His breath is really bad which I’m not sure means infection or it’s just kind of the smell of a wound site healing. He’s also not eating much he doesn’t like soft food and isn’t really eating his kibble. So I guess I just want to hear that his stinky breath is a bit normal post surgery. I’m a little skittish about healthcare with animals and so taking a look isn’t my forte. Any feedback? Anyone have a similar experience mostly I want people to tell me not to worry and then it’ll just smell for a couple of days. Thanks for your input!

 

[scritch]

I wouldn't say stinky breath is necessarily normal, if it wasn't smelly before. But there's always a possibility you're just paying more attention and noticing it more now. Personally I'd bring him back in for a quick recheck, just to be safe, since sometimes they can get infections. My kitty's extraction site got infected and he needed antibiotics. The vet can take a look and see if there is anything concerning. You can also ask if it costs anything. It may vary from one clinic to another, but for my kitty I didn't get charged for his recheck, only his treatment.

 

[neely]

When our cat had a canine removed the vet told us not to give him any dry food. It's possible the kibble is causing your cat some discomfort since the area where the canine was extracted may be tender. Our cat was also given Buprenex for pain. Some painkillers can cause loss of appetite so perhaps that is affecting your cat's inappetence. However, I agree that it would be unusual for him to have bad breath. For that reason I would definitely recommend contacting your vet and aking their opinion. Just out of curiosity, did your vet do bloodwork prior to removing the canine and did they take x-rays to determine if there were any other dental problems? I hope your cat feels better soon. Please keep us posted on his progress.

 

[dotNdash]

Thank you both for your kind responses. Yeah, I think he needs to go back to have the site looked at. Not only is his breath bad, which it wasn’t prior to the surgery, but now he’s not eating. He’s drinking which is good, but not eating. They did to bloodwork. He was dropped at a local shelter and had obviously been living rough for a long time. Embedded claws covered in flea dirt and fleas missing a lot of fur… just very sad. So the rescue paid for a full vet woke up and other than the tooth he’s surprisingly healthy. We took care of the claws and the fleas and the worms and he’s now looking really good, for a furless cat. :0)
Love him to bits and just want him to feel better. He did get three days of pain meds but you’re right it’s possible that antibiotics are required. I’ll keep you posted and thanks again.

 

[fionasmom]

Thank you for giving this cat a chance at a new life. Don't worry about being squeamish about doing your own checking up; just call the vet which is the most expedient thing to do anyway.

 

[scritch]

It sounds like he's very lucky to have you to look after him! Like fionasmom said, never feel bad about being squeamish and getting the vet involved. That's what vets are for! Hope everything goes well for him now that he has you!