My cat has a painful tooth infection. Why is he breathing oddly?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pou. Drooling is typically the result of nausea, oral pain or ingesting something with a bad taste. He will need to see his veterinarian if his symptoms persist. If he did acquire the respiratory infection from his housemate, then post-nasal drop could be making him nauseous. I hope this information helps!

This does appear to be a normal reaction to oral medication. Cats really do not like the taste of the medication and tend to drool and hold their mouth open. If this was to happen 20 minutes, or more after you gave the medication, then I'd be concerned that it is an adverse reaction to the medication. In that case, it would be best to contact your veterinarian. If the medication appears to be stressing her out so much that she is having labored breathing, then it may be worthwhile to change the way it is delivered. Your veterinarian can advise more about this. It would be good to take a video of what you are seeing after giving the medication. You can show this to your vet and they can help determine how serious this is. I hope that helps and Sofi gets better soon.

He may have an upper respiratory infection, which is quite common in cats. It is hard to say for sure without examining him myself. You can try using a humidifier to break up any mucous. As an alternative you can place him in the bathroom with the shower running for 5-10 minutes 2 x daily. However he ultimately will likely need antibiotics to clear up any bacterial infection that may be present. I would also recommend getting him on antiviral medication (I.e. lysine powder or gel from your local pet store or vet clinic) to treat for a suspected underlying viral infection. I hope your kitty feels better soon. Best wishes and take care.

It sounds like your vet diagnosed her with an upper respiratory infection. Depending on the virus that causes this, the signs can appear in the eyes, nose or mouth. There is a virus called calicivirus that can cause sneezing and ulcers in the mouth. These can be quite painful and make the cat not want to eat. I typically recommend feeding a canned diet so she can lap it up rather than chew it. A/D is a good diet for this. It is made by Hill's and is available by prescription through a veterinarian. I also will sometimes prescribe pain medication to keep them comfortable and eating while they have ulcers in their mouths. I would recommend calling your veterinarian in the morning to discuss these things. We don't want her to go too long without eating.

Poor kitty! If you were noticing a sensitivity with his mouth, that could indicate a tooth infection, a foreign body stuck in the gums or jaw pain in general. I recommend to try to get him seen today if possible by his veterinarian. It is very important to address bad teeth as they can lead to bone loss and other forms of permanent damage. Offer him kibble that has been soaked in warm water or canned food as the softer food will be easier to eat until his issue is resolved. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I’m so sorry to hear that this is going on with your cat. If the other symptoms have begun to resolve and the anorexia is the only problem then yes, it could be from the antibiotics. If however the initial symptoms have not resolved and now your cat is not eating it is probably due to a progression of the disease. If this is the case, then I would recommend taking your cat back in to have a recheck. He may need additional medications and treatments or he may be at the end stages of his disease. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Typically excess salivation is either caused by nausea or pain (oral or abdominal), although this is not an all inclusive list. There can still be oral disease present, especially if these missing teeth were not removed but fell out. Cats can get resorptive lesions of their teeth which can be really painful and the changes can be hard for owners to detect. They can also get lesions in their mouth (stomatitis, a mass, ulcers, etc.) that an owner may not see. Additionally diseases of other body systems may cause drooling (kidneys, gi, etc ). I would recommend your kitty seeing a vet for a thourough oral exam and blood work to start. A good oral exam will likely require sedation and perhaps dental xrays. Additional testing may be recommended based on the case. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!