Tortie has a toothache

Tortie has been a resident in the sanctuary for many years.   She was brought in after being found in a greenhouse with four kittens.   Tortie was a devoted mother and raised her kits well, we found them lovely homes and in due course Tortie was spayed.   She was not re-homed because she developed a strong affection for two other cats who live here – Mischa and Myrtle.  These three still stay together and eat and sleep with each other.

Family and friends are important to cats and we never like to split them up when there is a bond between them.   Tortie is the character cat of the trio – she is playful, intelligent and very loving.  Tortie likes her own chair, her special places to sit and sleep and they are all foodies.  They like fish and mince and biscuits so long as they are top of the range!

They’ve been on a senior diet for the past three years, they are all in early teens.  Mischa and Myrtle are fine but a few weeks ago, Tortie stopped eating biscuits.  She still had a good appetite but we noticed she preferred really soft food.

A trip to the vets showed that Tortie had an infected tooth, it was one of her back ones.   She was given a long acting anti-biotic while an appointment could be made for her to have surgery.   We had to isolate her so that she could be starved the night before the op.    Tortie didn’t think much of it – where’s my breakfast?  She was full of complaints!

It was a worrying day when Tortie went to the vets at the beginning of the week.   Apparently she was on her best behaviour and gave no problems even though she was in a stressful situation.   Because she is an elderly cat she was kept on a drip for the afternoon after her op.   We were able to fetch her back at teatime and although she was still groggy, she was pleased to see us.

We kept in Tortie in a room of her own until we were sure she was over her ordeal.   A dish of soft white fish poached in goat’s milk was the clincher – when she cleared the plate we knew she was on the mend.   Today we let her out and she sprinted back to her friends.  They were pleased to see her and all tucked in to their lunch (lightly cooked mince) together.

If you suspect your cat has dental problems it’s essential to get prompt treatment.  Cats sometimes shake their heads, go off their food, paw at their mouth or eat slowly.   Bad teeth go septic and can poison the system, sometimes abcesses develop, the infection can cause swellings in the jaw or even the eye.   Yearly health checks are essential for all middle aged and elderly cats.  Fresh food, which is free from sugar unlike most pet food, is best for cats – a regular sprinkle of Plaque Off helps to keep teeth healthy.  It’s on the menu for Tortie from now on.