Why won't my cat eat dry food after dental surgery and sleeps a lot?

You should let your vet know that he is not eating. Your vet can prescribe pain medications and/or an appetite stimulant to help get him eating again. Offer him a variety of canned food and see if he will eat something.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Squeak hasn't been feeling well after a tooth extraction. With older cats, it sometimes can take a couple of days for them to recover from anesthesia, depending on the medications that were used. Did Squeak have any bloodwork run before his procedure? If he had an underlying kidney or liver issue, it could explain some of the signs that you are seeing now. If he is still on pain medications for his tooth extraction, it could also be that he is weak if the medication is affecting him strongly. If he hasn't had bloodwork done, I would recommend checking his liver and kidney function, as well as screening for diabetes, all of which could be adversely affecting him. Additionally, there are appetite stimulants for cats that can be given post-surgery to help kickstart them into eating normally again. I would recommend Squeak be re-evaluated by his veterinarian and have any testing done that may be necessary to start treatment to get him back on track. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Merri. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. I worry that the extraction sites are either not healing well or are painful to her. Her veterinarian will examine her mouth and see of an infection os present. Antibiotics or pain medication may be prescribed. In the meantime, continue offering soft foods to encourage her to eat. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to cats. I hope this information helps!

Given the symptoms described, gum inflammation ([gingivitis](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/gingivitis-and-stomatitis)) or other [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1/) may be the underlying cause(s). Both are very common in cats and may cause pain, especially when eating hard/dry food. Any[ treatment](https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-ways-to-treat-dental-disease-in-pets) will depend on the diagnosis but may include a [dental cleaning](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-dental-cleaning-what-to-expect), extractions, antibiotics, pain management and brushing her teeth at home. Consider a second opinion with a veterinary dentist if necessary. A dental cleaning and extractions (if necessary) will likely resolve the issue. To treat severe gingivitis, the last resort is total teeth extraction, which solves the problem for most cats. [Cats can eat without teeth](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-things-every-cat-owner-should-know-about-dental-care/) and the appetite may actually increase due to there being no more pain. If your cat eats wet food without any problem, I would probably advise to just keep her on wet food as a full mouth extraction is a major surgical procedure.

It is pretty likely that he has a tooth ache, has severe gingivitis or other problems in his mouth that make eating hard dry food difficult, so he will not eat enough to satisfy his hunger. Keep giving him more wet food and schedule an appointment with your vet for a dental exam. Older kitties often have dental problems and eating with a tooth ache is horrible.

Poor Milo. This all could be him recovering from the stress of the dental procedure. If he had any teeth removed, he could also be a bit painful. I could ask your vet for pain medications if so. Otherwise, keep a close eye on him and if he doesn't improve, he should be seen by a vet.

Hello and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry Summer is having some eating difficulties. If it was just a few teeth pulled and he still has teeth left, then he may be able to eat the dry food if it has been a while after his dental procedure. He may not want to eat the dry food out of discomfort if the procedure was very recent. If this is the case you may want to try offering the dry food to him. If he has no teeth left or very very few left and wet food is the only option, you may entice him to eat by warming up the wet food and giving it in small manageable amounts so as not to overwhelm him. Feeding the food in a shallow dish or plate will help him eat a littler easier then if the food was in a bowel. I hope this has helped and I wish you and Summer the absolute best!