My cat is drooling blood and has a swollen face. What should I do?

Hi and thanks for your post this evening! Swelling of the face and drooling can be a sign of a severe dental infection. I would have Harry's seen by a veterinarian soon so he can get an oral exam done. If a dental infection is suspected, Harry may be dental surgery to remove a tooth or teeth. They may take dental x-rays if needed. I hope Harry is able to see a veterinarian soon! Best wishes to you and Harry.

Hello, it looks like an abscess, probably a tooth abscess, it's an emergency as he is not eating, take him to the emergency vet as soon as you can today, the abscess will need to be drained under anesthesia first, then a course of antibiotics will be given.

We had some problems with clients attaching photos yesterday. And I'm sorry we haven't been able to get to your question until now. Hopefully you have been able to have your vet see Ollie today. There are a few possibilities, but if Ollie had any roots of his teeth that were left behind during his full mouth extraction (which can be common regardless of how careful we are), those roots could form an abscess which would explain the swelling along the face, the enlarged lymph node and the blood in the food. Hopefully he is on some antibiotics and feeling better, but I suspect that your vet will need to sedate him to take some x-rays and determine the source of the problem. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Ollie is feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thanks for posting! Sounds like Tammy may have a dental or oral infection. Treatment will be oral exam, dental cleaning or surgery (if teeth need to be removed), and antibiotics. A dental infection is not contagious, however it is very painful. I would recommend she see a veterinarian soon for this. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would be most suspicious of a calicivirus infection causing these signs. Calicivirus is a vaccine preventable disease that is mostly seen with kittens. This virus will cause ulcers in the mouth, which will cause it to bleed a little. This disease is often self-limiting, but can cause severe ulcers in certain cases, so it will definitely be good for the vet to check them in the next day or two. It's likely not an emergency though, so they should be fine to wait until then. I hope that helps and all is well with the cats.

Poor girl. It sounds like Princess has an abscess (infected pocket) which can be caused from an underlying tooth root abscess due to periodontal disease, so I do agree with you here. The only treatment for this is to lance and drain the area, start antibiotics and then get the infected tooth removed surgically. You can place a cold compress on the area tonight for 5-10 minutes to help with some of the soreness. You can follow that with a warm compress for 5-10 minutes and repeat this in 12 hrs. She should be ok until the morning when you can get her to the vet for further treatment. Best wishes with Princess and I hope she gets better soon. Take care.

A sudden swelling under the jaw could be an abscess. Typically these need to be seen by a vet; as they often need to be lanced/drained to get the pus and infection out; then started on antibiotics. Pain medication may be given as well. If he isn't eating, if he's acting lethargic or otherwise not feeling well (vomiting, diarrhea, any change in breathing) seek emergency care. If your vet's office is closed, they likely have a message with who to call or where to seek after hours care in the case of an emergency. If he's still eating and acting ok, you can call and make an appointment at the first possible time. I hope that helps you! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!