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Barnyard Buddies:  Cat Jaw Infection  |
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 30 2011 : 8:28:49 PM
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Yesterday afternoon I noticed our outside cat acting funny. He was just laying around outside with his tounge kind of sticking out of his mouth and not being very responsive. I haven't paid much attention to him for several days as I haven't spent much time outside due to bad weather so am not sure how long he has been like that but my husband did say he saw him running away from the mail lady earlier in the day so he was being active.
Well, I took him to the vet and he thought it was a jaw infection...says the jaw is not broken but seems pretty sensitive and swollen. He also had a temp of 105. The vet gave him a shot of antibiotics. He is now on 10 days of antibiotics. I gave him a pill this morning and just went downstairs to check on him (we have him in our basement for now) to give him his second pill. He seems to still be pretty sick and not moving around much...I can't even tell if he used his litter box yet. He doesn't seem to be touching is food but I gave him some fresh canned cat food and he seemed interested in it...sniffed it and licked it a couple times but didn't try to take a bite...it looked like it was either too painful to eat or that he didn't want to swallow.
Am I just not giving it enough time for the medicine to take effect (it's been about 30 hours since his first antibiotic dose) or should he be feeling a lot better by now? Am I needlessly worrying?! I'm just worried because tomorrow is Sunday...though I suppose if he is really bad off tomorrow I can call the vet. I just expected him to be up and at em after a dose or two of meds and he is still not very responsive to me. I can't tell if he drank anything...though there are a few dribbles on the cat bowl which means he probably was near it at some point. |
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Ingrid
True Blue Farmgirl
432 Posts
Ingrid
BC
Canada
432 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 08:39:47 AM
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My concern would be water and fluids. Is there a way to spoon some fluids into him. He may not be using his litter box because he is dehydrated. He will eat when his mouth feels good enough but try to get some water or broth into him. Don't want to scare you but dehydrated cats can get problems with their kidneys really fast. Not sure how fast antibiotics start working for cats. Good luck
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
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LeighErica
True Blue Farmgirl
306 Posts
Erica
PA
USA
306 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 08:51:52 AM
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It sounds like dehydration, I agree with Ingrid. If a spoon won't work to get fluids into him, you could also try a syringe. I sure hope your little guy starts to feel better soon. This is the first time I have ever heard of "jaw infection".....how do cats get it? Thinking of you:) Hugs, Erica
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 08:59:36 AM
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Poor kitty. Poor kitty momma! We do worry about our animals. Hope things get better quickly. If he has not peed by now i would call the vet and see what your options are. They can give him fluids under the skin if he needs it. Cats are kinda like rabbits. They just don't tolerate stresses of any kind very well.
Take care,
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2011 : 09:03:50 AM
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This morning he still hadn't touched his food. I put a little tuna and tuna water in front of him and he did eat/drink some of that so at least I got a little liquid into him. He seems to eat okay but when he is done he turns his head at a high angle and I can hear little clicking or squishy noises as he licks his lips and chews all the rest of the food down. So not sure if that his just because his mouth hurts. He is also drooling a lot, but has done that off an on since loosing a tooth last year (though not as much drool as now!), I think it is due to him not having his mouth fully closed.
The vet says a tooth can cause a jaw infection but says his teeth (remaining ones, as he has lost some) look okay. He said that a bite or scratch from another animal in that area can also cause an infection. So not sure what it is from.
Feeling a little better about the situation now that I got some food into him. Hopefully the medicine will slowly do it's work and he will be back to his normal self. He is usually a very feisty cat and gives the vet or myself trouble when he gets a shot or his medicine so I know something is wrong when he allows me to give him his medicine without much fight! |
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KathyC
True Blue Farmgirl
583 Posts
Kathy
Gastonia
NC
USA
583 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2011 : 11:30:54 AM
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We had an older tom cat that had to be on antibiotics from time to time for an infected tooth - could not remove because of his age and other health concerns. They always messed up his tummy so I started giving them crushed in yogurt with a syringe. I gave him yogurt and water several times a day with the syringe and it really helped with the diarrhea and dehydration. His favorite was full fat vanilla. After a few days when he was eating again I still made sure he got his yogurt until well after he was through with the antibiotics. The syringe worked well if we put it on the opposite side from the pain at the corner of his mouth and fed it slowly so he could swallow easily. We also found that he could eat dry food easier than soft food, vet said he could control it easier in his mouth.
Hope kitty feels better soon.
Kathy |
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Barnyard Buddies: Cat Jaw Infection |
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Cat Jaw Infection
