My cat has jaw pain, gum issues, & missing teeth. Can I help at home?

If he he has pain he should be seen by a vet to rule out damaged teeth or a broken jaw which requires repair or extraction - brushing will not solve this. I would also recommend using a pet toothpaste or dental hygiene gel as these are more effective and also better accepted as they are flavoured.

You need to take your cat into a vet now for treatment. You cannot give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Not eating is extremely serious, as it will lead to a fatty liver if he goes long enough without food. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. Please bring him into a vet immediately.

FIrst of all feed him only wet food for now, you will need to bring him to the vet quite urgently, from the sound of it he will probably need an invasive procedure to remove the remaining teeth as the teeth are usually the cause of the severe gum disease. he will also need antibiotics and anti inflammatories.

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to give the dose information for any drug, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your cat. Tota has to see a vet for his dental problems, as he may need a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing to treat his gum and jaw inflammation. The vet can also prescribe him safe medications to take to treat it as well. As for the acetyl salicylic acid, that is aspirin, and it is never recommended to give to cats. It causes internal bleeding and GI ulcers, and is not safe to give to Tota.

There is really no home dental treatment, only home preventive care. If there is an abscessed tooth that infection can cause the jaw to get infected too if left untreated. There may be a tooth root exposed from a broken tooth. Really, he needs to see a vet and should be neutered too. Now, I realize that may not be possible where you are so if you absolutely cannot get him to a vet all you can do is try an oral antibiotic to hopefully correct any infection. Clindamycin is the best antibiotic to use for dental issues. I am only able to find it in tablet form. He may or may not eat it. If not, you will have to mix it with some canned cat food to see if he will eat it that way. I would give it for 14 days total. ( https://www.marshallspetzone.com/health-care/5511-7762-savavet-bioclan-25mg.html#/145-pack-3 ) Once you receive the medication, if you need help with dosing information you are welcome to post again.

Please do not give Teggy any human pain medications. Many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to give the dose information for any drug, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your cat. He absolutely has to see a vet for this problem, and you need to make time for it as soon as possible. It's extremely serious that he won't eat, as when a cat doesn't eat for 72 hours, they develop a fatty liver which is fatal without treatment. Please take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

Yes, this definitely would cause pain, and I would recommend treatment for it. What's actually happening is that he is likely experiencing tooth resorption, which makes it look like gum line is growing over the tooth. It would also cause him difficulty eating, and he may lose weight from not being able to eat normally. This is a very painful condition in cats which does require treatment, so I would do the treatment your vet recommends.