Oral surgery advice?

[mygypsy]

My poor kitty cat has been sick and I didn't even know it! She is 2, but I've only had her for the last 8 months. A couple months ago she yawned, and I noticed that one of her canines was missing. She has never missed a meal, she plays with toys in her mouth, she has never "seemed sick". I had no idea how long the tooth had been missing. Last month I took her to the vet, and she had to refer me to a dental specialist.

Well, today was her exam, and he did an emergency surgery on her. Apparently the tooth was broken above the gumline and the bone had become infected. I feel so terrible about the whole thing.

In addition to removing the tooth, he had to take about a half inch of bone.

Does anyone have any advice on helping her through the recuperation period? I've been crying all afternoon, thinking how uncomfortable she may have been, and will be for the next couple weeks.

 

[cloud_shade]

When I brought him home, Odo had two broken canines. My vet didn't notice them in the exam, and he never showed any signs of pain. A couple of months ago, he had two canines pulled (one broken one and one that was showing signs of infection). My vet didn't want to pull the other broken one because it was in his lower jaw, and apparently their lower jaws are very fragile. Odo was on pain medication for about a week or so, and he has been fine ever since. The vet used sutures to close up the area--they take a long time to dissolve, so don't be surprised if that is the case with your kitty too. Just keep an eye on her eating and drinking habits and let your vet know if they change (especially if they slow down).

 

[les0304]

Definitely give her lots of TLC. If she will eat wet food, it may be easier on her to eat that (her whole mouth is probably sore). Also, make sure you give her pain medication from the vet (I'm assuming they sent pain meds), and do it as directed, not only if she seems painful.

It will take her at least a few days to recover.