Growth under fangs normal for senior male cat?

[oyster]

Oyster just returned from the vet two weeks ago. He had his teeth cleaned and two teeth removed. Now, I notice that he has two small growths (almost like pimples) under his fangs. He also has diarrhea and is very lethargic. That could be attributed to many other issues. But I am concerned that the specialist feline dentist didn't catch these growths. Oyster has longer fangs than most other cats. Could it be just a matter of cleaning them? I have never seen these growths before.
Here is a picture of one side of his mouth.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi-He should not be lethargic or having diarrhea. Call your vet about this, and also send them a photo of those bumps.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I would be surprised if those growths were there at the time of Oyster's teeth cleaning, unless it just wasn't mentioned to you afterward by the dentist. You could call and ask if there were any notes placed in his file about them.

But, I agree with Furballsmom about sending a photo of those to the vet, if they accept pics. It is possible that he has some sort of infection, maybe brought on by the teeth cleaning? That could explain the lethargy, but probably not the diarrhea. Is he eating OK?

 

[oyster]

Yes he is eating fine for a picky cat. He was just treated for a tonsil infection (along with the other resident cats) last week. On top of that, he has been suffering from depression because of the loss of his bonded friend who passed away in October. Then he went for teeth cleaning 2 weeks ago. So he has been on a lot of different medicines since the last 2-3 weeks.
I have been giving him Slippery Elm Bark which has helped his diarrhea.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Poor baby! He's been through a lot in a short period of time. But, being on meds for his infection is probably what is behind the diarrhea and lethargy, not to mention the added depression from losing his buddy.

Keep us posted on what you find out about those growths!

 

[Furballsmom]

e has been suffering from depression because of the loss of his bonded friend who passed away in October.

oh my goodness, this is a lot for a furbaby to deal with, and you too!

Try cat music, it can be surprisingly helpful - there's MusicForCats, RelaxMyCat, and Cat In My Arms from several sources like spotify, and youtube also has relaxing cat music.

 

[oyster]

Update: We are nowhere close to any answers. Sent the dentist pictures and she said that that she didn't notice any irregularities. She thinks the growths are frenum/frenulum. However, I can't imagine that. We will send the pics to another vet as we are in lockdown and trying to avoid any non-essential trips. I am afraid these might be oral tumors. Oyster has no diarrhea now. He is off his meds too. He still acts depressed though.
Can anyone confirm if the dentist might be right?

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know regarding the bumps, but as I mentioned above try cat music for him, it can be surprisingly helpful. MusicForCats or RelaxMyCat are good sources.

Also, if you have a clock that has an audible ticking sound, wrap a towel around it to muffle the sound a bit so it mimics a heartbeat and place it near a napping spot of his and see if that helps comfort him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

As I understand it, the frenulum is the soft tissue connecting the upper and lower lips to the adjacent bone. I suppose there are animals, just like people, who have larger than average frenulum, but since you don't think these growths were there before, I highly doubt that would the case with Oyster. Did this vet say the growths were there at the time of teeth cleaning? If so, I am terribly surprised that there were no notations made in his records - just as a matter of standard practice to denote any sort of abnormality, however harmless it might be. That way if there were any changes in the tissue, it could be monitored during future vet visits.

Is it possibly the result of tissue aggravation/irritation that occurred during the teeth cleaning/removal? Personally, that would be my first inclination. One can have injury to the frenulum, but I had always thought it was a pretty fast healing issue - at least in humans.

Was the second vet you consulted within the same practice? If so, I would seek out one that is with an entirely different practice, to avoid colleague bias. I know you said you are on lockdown, but seeing another vet and perhaps even having a simple needle aspiration and analysis done on one of the growths might answer all of your questions.

Is he still eating OK? Do you thinks these 'growths' have increased in size any? I would start taking pics of them every few days, while you are trying to get some vet help, to see if they are getting bigger.

 

[neely]

It's hard for me to tell from the pic but could it possibly be a granuloma, i.e. inflammation possibly as a result from the dental procedure? I agree that it's a good idea to get a second opinion from your other vet. Please keep us posted on Oyster.