My cat had a tooth extraction. Is it safe to feed her after bleeding?

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!

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!

No there is nothing specific to be done, at this age cats loose their baby teeth and it can happen that the appetite is affected very shortly. try to offer him wet kitten food, he may have pain trying to eat dry food.

This definitely sounds concerning. Sometimes the tooth extraction site can become infected, or in some rare situations nerves in the mouth can be affected by dental surgery. It's also possible that the dental is unrelated and that Danny has developed a kidney problem or other disease causing a decrease in appetite. I would definitely recommend a vet visit.

Oh my goodness! Poor guy! He does need nutrition. What was your vet's recommendation for feeding him? Its hard to assess the risk of infection without knowing what the area looks like more specifically. Definitely offer him water. Is he on antibiotics? If he is on antibiotics, offer him a liquid diet; you can soak cat food in water, mash it up with a fork and let him lap it up. Sometimes a temporary feeding tube is needed to help patient's recover from significant oral injury. Regarding the IV, My understanding from the information you gave is that he was on IV fluids during the surgery, but he went home after surgery. The IV fluids will help him maintain hydration for the time that he's getting them, but not much beyond that, so he does need to be offered water and if he's unable to drink it you need to take him to a vet and either discuss subcutaneous fluids (fluids you can give under the skin at home) https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-care/how-give-subcutaneous-fluids-your-cat or possibly a feeding tube, as subcutaneous fluids don't provide nutrition (calories, fat, carbohydrates), only hydration and electrolytes. IV fluids also do not provide nutrition. Thank you for asking PetCoach!

Hi Laila, I did see your post!!! I'm so glad the dental surgery went well today. Given that the vet tech said not to give her a lot of food tonight, I would follow those instructions. It will be ok for tonight for her to have a little less, tomorrow you can give her the normal amount. Hope all is good :-)

Oreo could have in addition to the broken tooth a jar fracture. I recommend he be checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible. This is because the broken tooth can lead to a tooth root abscess as well as if the jaw is broken it will need some sort of stabilization procedure. In the meantime try feeding Oreo a very liquid diet such as a gruel of his normal food and plenty of water and keep it indoors at all times. Do not give any human pain medication as it can be very toxic to cats.