Does my Cat need surgery?

[samuraikitteh]

My cat, Ghin, was hit by a Motorcycle on Friday 3/28/14.

When I found him he was bleeding from the mouth so naturally I rushed him to the vet and waited for the results.

The vet told me that his tooth was split and it needed to be pulled. I have no other information from the vet and I don't know what to ask.

He said he needs surgery to remove it and make sure no other teeth are damaged. I don't want him to be in pain and I don't want it to get in infected later and cause problems.

The only reason I haven't had his tooth pulled yet is because some people feel the price is a bit high(and I don't know how I am going to pay for it) and that the vet might just be trying to get money.

Ghin seems only in pain when he eats dry food and if I don't give him pain meds. Some people seem to think this is a sign that he is not badly hurt. Again though they are not vets and its not their cat.

I was wondering if anyone here has had a similar problem. Maybe if I can also have opinions on what you would do if it was your cat in the case?

Thank You

Gin1.jpg

• samuraikitteh
• Mar 30, 2014

 

[loopycann]

Hi,I hope your kitty is okay.I just saw the post this Sunday and saw where everyone said eating was a good sign....well it is.even vets will state such.With that I hope they are right.Please post the action that you ended up with and if he's doing any better.Ill send all good thoughts to him and you.

 

[denice]

Feline dentals are expensive and there is no way around it.  There is the expense that goes with general anesthesia.  A vet that is familiar with cats will do full mouth x-rays when they do a dental to check the roots.  A dental problem that is common in cats called FORL usually starts in the roots.  It's rare to get a properly done dental with extractions done for under a thousand dollars at least in the area where I live.  Vet prices do vary by area.  

 

[samuraikitteh]

Thank you both. @Denice Do you think I should ask him to take xrays before I proceed with the surgery? I just don't want to have his tooth removed if he doesn't need it. I also don't want to not remove it and end up that he is always in pain. What would you do if he were your cat?

 

[furmonster mom]

Definitely get x-rays before the dental...  I know that we've found hidden problems from doing that, and even though it made the immediate dental a little more expensive (pulling extra teeth), it was less than it would have been to come in 3 months later and do it all over again.

Please look up Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion.  They can be drastically obvious or insidiously hidden.  Either way, they are very, very painful.  Cats hide their pain very well; some think this is because they are natural predators, and predators cannot afford to appear weak.  But there are most likely small signs of pain if you watch closely.  Even a little change in attitude can be meaningful.

Also, letting any kind of periodontal disease fester increases the chance that an infection can get into the blood stream and cause serious issues, especially with the heart.

So, please take care of your kitty's teeth.  Pull them if necessary.  Kitty will adapt (ours has only less than 10 left due to FORLs).  But don't let him stay in pain and possible sickness.

 

[samuraikitteh]

Thank you so much for the advice! I scheduled his surgery for this Thursday. I don't want him to be in pain and I also do not want to have further problems. I just didn't know anything about cat teeth and I have never had anything like this happen so I was trying to find all possible resources to make sure I was doing the right thing! All points lead to the tooth being pulled. Thank you again