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Avatar universal

Does my cat have a broken jaw?

Last night I noticed after letting her inside that she may have broken her jaw. She at first let her jaw hang down and was not moving very well. I stayed up with through out the night. I didn't think she was going to live. She wouldn't open eyes or pick up her mouth. This morning she is now moving around but very slowly and not much But I have hope because I soon as went to touch her she begin to purr. I have her in a seperate room all by herself. I'm not for sure what to do with her though. I would love to take her to a vet, but I can't afford it. I know that sounds terrible. I do Love her and want her to live. But I'm not for sure how to care for her. I gave her water and food but she isn't eating or drinking She hangs her head down with her mouth slightly open. She seems to be breathing fine. But I have noticed she has trouble swolling It sounds more like a gulp. Does this sound like a broken jaw or something else? How do I feed and care for her?
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Avatar universal
I am sick of reading  'sob' stories.  You chose to have a pet in your life.  Did you not think that it might need help at some point?  Don"t we all say, "We wouldn't treat our pets like that?".  If you are going to get a pet, get insurance and if you can't afford that then you can"t afford to feed and care for your pet!  You get a pet to give love and comfort NOT to receive it.  To 'rescue' an animal is not enough to get you in God's good books.  You have to look after and care for it as though it were your own flesh and blood.  If you can't do the best for your pet, give it to someone who will!
Helpful - 0
5996760 tn?1378065312
You should get single payer health care for humans and pets passed into law if you care about animals so much that you yell at a poor person with a pet. Classic hater move: Blame the victim. (or in this case, the victims owner)

My cat is a rescue,  he got hurt somehow, blood was dripping from his mouth the day of, and he ran away before I could get him inside. his lower jaw palette is swollen and I can't afford to take him to the emergency clinic so he has to wait two days till the regular one opens. I am worried about the infection because he was gone for 3 days. the swelling seems to not block his ability to eat, he is eating his wet cat food and drinking milk. it keeps him from closing his mouth though.

he only is in pain if presure is applied to the inside of the lower jaw. Teeth look lined up, maybe its a dislocated jaw, but it doesn't seem broken.

still mostly worried about that infection taking him away from me. my precious Taco kitty cat.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My cat has the same kind of accident but his teeth are gone and he won't eat or drank in any way and I can not afford a bet bill he went one day and it cost 500 $ and it's not helping his nose is stoped up and his breathing hard it's been 4 days and his still hasn't  ate or drank ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
ok this is old and i have work to do but putting people doen looking for help is not the answer.....I you have nothing helpfull to say you should keep it to yourslef....not everyone is fortunate to have everything they need throughout life it can be tough and if she did not have this cat it may never had a home......will I starve my child for my cat no.....I will tell you that I had a dog attack my cat and was scared I would have to put it down because I'm back in school working little have way less money and in debt due to school I was fortunate enough to have a credit card that was not maxed and able to pay 555.00 for the first visit that was on a Sunday.......or I would have been out of luck then I was lucky enought to be refered to a hospital to get the cat the attention it needed way less cost and payments can be made ....I was lucky she refered me to a vet that cared....they are out there few anf far between do not listen to the loser that just because they have not been in rough times thinks that no one else is ...it seems it happens to the best of people and should happen to thoughs who are high and mighty..... If you can go all out for your animals you can send other people donations to help with theirs....
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
yes aspirin is very toxic to cats!!!!!

good for you at least trying to give kitty a chance, is he able to eat on his own? I sure wish you both the very best of luck hon, keep us posted on how he is doing okay...♥
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My vet told me asprin is toxic to cats.
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Avatar universal
I took my cat to the vet with a broken jaw and did not have much money.  My vet wanted to give him a chance to live and sent me home with an antibiotic and directions on his care.  She apparently thinks it will heal on it's own as long as infection doesnt set in.  Granted his jaw will not heal as well as if he had surgery but apparently this can be done.  It is killing me to care for him and I'm not sure I can but I'm going to try.
Helpful - 0
3053100 tn?1340241865
And you may be responsible, but you have no right to tell other people that love animals that they shouldn't have one.  The internet is full of people that have dealt with situations like this and it gives this person some hope for the time being that she/he will be able to save the money and have that animal cared for.  I for one am offended by your dismissal of this and that you called her an idiot.  You are not worthy of this discussion board.  She already stated that she will not let that animal out of the house any more and I for one firmly believe her.  I have dealt with many animal situations.  Gosh, don't tell me you have a shelter in your area that just says SURE!!! SEND ME YOUR POOR, YOUR BROKEN, YOUR HOMELESS, now do you?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my kitten broken his jaw bone and it did that he didnt want to eat try baby food stage 1 either beef or chicken i had to hold the spoon to its mouth and it eat now he eats from a plate..depending on how its broke it could heal its self first step is getting it to eat..Good Luck!!
Helpful - 0
757137 tn?1347196453
What finally happened to your cat?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i am just a server at chilis my cats jaw was dislocated and fractured by a family memeber dog that now live with me(gumbo is a 100 germain sheppard mix) and him and the cat are best friends he just played too hard.  it cost me 1100 to fix him they offer care credit and most offer with no interest DONT GET PETS IF U CAN'T AFFORD THEM, its a give in that at one point your pet willget injured get sick, need their teeth cleaned and if you ar enot prepared for it stop getting animals.  Pretty much every vet offers payment plans, way to let ur poor cat suffer with damn aspirine as a painkiller.  and while you go out to eat, buy your beer, watch your gable realize you could have cut out one or all of those things to save your animal.  I have a wedding I cut out aps and used money I had saved up for my wedding dress.
Helpful - 0
228686 tn?1211554707
Unfortunately with the sudden leap of advances in veterinary medicine (not to mention human medicine) the cost of medical treatment has skyrocketed.

Pet health insurance, a relatively new industry, is also virtually useless.

So until the people of this country put their collective foot down and say; "No More!", and stop being panicked like cattle by phrases such as "Socialised Medicine"... we're going to remain a country with some of the best medical treatment that NO ONE can afford to access.

Except the wealthiest.

But hey, that's capitalism at it's core definition.

"The providing of a service while setting the maximum price that can be collected with the intent to generate the most profit."

I'm sorry about your dog there, mate. Try to see if the vet is a decent sort who will work out some sort of payment plan. i'd also consider getting a second opinion to be sure the added surgery isn't due to some error on his part.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my 4 year old dog fell and broke her jaw last week-end, I took her to the emergency vet and he put a feeding tube in, set her jaw and sent her home with pain meds. I tube feed her every 6 hours along with her pain meds every 4 hours. That was $ 2000.00. Today I took her back for a recheck and vet told me that she needed more surgery to the tune of 3-4 thousand more!!!! I told him i couldnt afford that and he said " well if she doesn't start eating on her own in a few weeks, you might have to think of her quality of life and put her down...... The cold SOB your right, vets are out to make lots of money.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The major reason a cat should be seen by a vet when there is an obvious problem with it's eating and swollen jaw,  is to determine the exact cause.  They must rule out an abcess, infection, fracture or worse case scenario,  cancer of the jaw.  This is common in cats. The earlier the diagnosis the better the prognosis, but as with cancer in humans there is no guarentees.  But first the vet needs to examine the cat, then have xrays.  A biopsy may be needed to ensure it isn't a fibrosarcoma or squamous cell carcinoma.  All these are expensive tests.  If it was a child there wouldn't be any question.  So why is there any question when it comes to a pet.

Helpful - 0
587315 tn?1333552783
Did this problem with his jaw/mouth seem to just show up over night?  Or, was it a more gradual change?  The answer to these questions is very important.  If it WAS over night, then it is probably a broken jaw.  If it was a gradual change, then my bet would be that it's a problem with a tooth/teeth.  If you haven't ever had his teeth cleaned in his 18 yrs, I am certain it's the teeth.

Have you noticed him eating hard food?  Or, did he used to eat hard food and gradually stopped eating it?  Something else to consider, have you noticed that when he has eaten hard food, he starts turning his head to one side to eat it?  I've had cats do the head to the side deal while eating hard food.  Found out there was a bad tooth.  Also had a cat that lost her teeth causing her tongue to hang out!

Think carefully about the answers to these questions, and you'll have your answer.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We talked to the vet today, and we are going to go see a cat dentist specialist. We need to schedule an appointment, and we plan on doing so soon. As far as they told us, his jaw is pretty messed up. We heard that the price isnt going to be cheap.. but we're willing to do anything to save our cat.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well, I live in Florida, and generally the prices of the vets bills around here arent too bad, depending on where you go, but what are we talkin.. Hundreds, or Thousands? (For the jaw wiring procedure)
Helpful - 0
228686 tn?1211554707
Can it be done? Usually, with a "normal" cat with a fairly standard break.

The cost... that depends on the vet and where you live. It won't be inexpensive, though. You should talk to your vet about a payment plan.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My cat is an outdoor cat, and always has been. We are going to be going to the doctor tomorrow, to get an x-ray and check out some more things. His teeth may be the source to our problem, rather than the jaw bones, though we still are not sure. The problem with giving him a liquid formula is that his mouth doesnt even close fully, so whenever he goes to drink something, it usually ends up everywhere; except his mouth. Now I understand that there is a wiring, or something that may be put in the mouth to have the bones set. Is this an expensive procedure?, and can it be done on all cats?
Helpful - 0
228686 tn?1211554707
This is very unfortunate. The jaw SHOULD have been set, it may have need a surgical procedure. It sounds like it still does.

Your best bet is to try getting one of the freeze dried foods you mix with water. Then add a lot of water; make it a soup. A cat with the break you describe CAN'T eat dry food; it can't even handle most wet foods. The lack of ability to properly chew... imagine you trying to eat something with a golf ball in your mouth. It's about the same effect.

I'd go to a third vet on this one and report the second vet for malpractice.
Helpful - 0
587315 tn?1333552783
Did you get an x-ray to confirm that jaw is broken?  If it is broken, how did it happen?  Is your cat indoor or outdoor?  Maybe your cat has just got some bad teeth.  Older cats can get awful dental disease that makes them hurt so much that they can't eat.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My cats jaw was damaged badly from an unknown source, and we believed his jaw was broken. At first the doctor claimed it to be kidney failure, since our cats tongue was constantly hanging out, and he had been druling constantly, all over everything. We wanted a second opinion, so we went to another vet. They told us that the others were wrong, and his jaw really was broken. In all, we concluded that this was the correct problem. The doctors assured us that it wasnt to be a problem, as the jaw would heal in quite a bit of time by itself, with lots of cooperation, love, and care. So we waited, a good bit of months. He was basically becoming difficult to deal with, because of the effects of the broken jaw. With that said, we took him back to the vet; They really hadnt told us much more then we had already known, though they told us to give it more time, and suggested a special cat food that would help keep him in tip top shape and help prevent further problems. Our cat, Tigger, is eighteen years old, and very healthy; overall he is in excellent condition for his age, besides the broken jaw, so this had definetly all caught us offguard. We are going back to the vet tomorrow, as his jaw has not shown any signs of improvement, infact, it has becoming increasingly worse. It is so bad that he has went from about 18 to 12 pounds, in a very short amount of time, due to not eating. Also, his lower jaw is VERY uncentered- about an inch or two to the left of the top jaw, crooked also. Today was the worst day yet, because he would not stop meowing and pestering us. He was hungry, but he already had his half-can of wet food for the day. ( We always keep hard food in his bowl inbetween his meals. ) He even has a great deal of difficulty drinking milk, as well as eating the wet food, so sure enough he cannot eat the harder types of food. My mother went searching for an older brand of cat food which was soft and ''mushy'', making it very easy to chew, in any condition; only to find out that it was discontinued, not too long back. We love our cat dearly, and need answers soon, before its too little too late. Please help.                                                          
                                                                                                 Sincerely, Rylee
Helpful - 0
436973 tn?1217947089
A human being should do all they can to save their animals.  Skip your own meals if you need to, be late on rent in an emergency.  Go into debt.  WHATEVER it takes.  That said,  there are so many homeless and unwanted/euthanized cats out there that (unlike the decision to give birth) if someone is willing to feed, shelter and generally look after a cat they should, even if they don't have the resources for emergency care.  I doubt someone with this little money would be guilty of buying from a breeder.  So living with mrs freeman and others who can't pay vet bills is one less on the streets.  But one can only hope that 'mrs feeman' and others who have similar stories are being honest with themselves and making every sacrifice they can to get their loved ones adequate  care equal to the sacrifices one would make for a human child.  Sadly and criminally there are simply more resources out there to care for us fleshies than there are out there for our sweet furries.
This is a heartbreaking case and it is easy to feel rage when reading it, let us direct that rage in the right direction.
Mrs Freeman please do let us know if kitty is ok.
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Avatar universal
I disagree with both you and responsible.
Not everyone can afford an emergency.  I am on that same end of things.  My cat got attacked by a dog, which ripped his eye out and broke his jaw.  The only reason my cat was saved is because my veterinarian will allow payments.  Most don't.  So if they do not hold checks until payday I would of been in the same situation.  My cat cost me $625, I am paying $100 a month on the bill.
Now, let me explain this to you Blueeyes, you cannot compare animal care to human care.  I would love to rush my cats in to my vet any day and say bill me.  They would say NO!  If I rush my son into the hospital and say bill me, they have to or I have to go to the University hospital.  There is ALWAYS a way for a human to be seen and not have to pay that day.  Let me explain that side of it.  My children get sick and I can't afford an office visit, my pediatrician will not bill, so I have to take them to the ER for simple things like an ear ache because they will not see them without money upfront.  So it is the same thing sort of, but animal hospitals normally will not bill.
Don't criticize her for seeking some help. She called and no one wanted to help for what she could afford then.  No one wanted to set her up on payment plans.  NO ONE CARED.  Vets now a days are in it for the money only.  Very few are in it for the field of caring for animals.
I was on a yahoo group called petsforever, and they criticized me because I had several died in a short time.  Like I did this to them, I am willing to fork over a hold check anytime I can get a vet to see my animals that way (mine can never get sick when payday is here).  I am a former vet assistant and take pride in that but yet these people think because I had so many die in a short time that I am a bad pet owner.  They even faulted me for allowing 2 different  vets (2 different ones) for putting Revolution on my kittens.  Faulted me for it, something I was trying to help the kittens with, something the vets, 2 of them mind you felt was safe enough for them.  So I defend her because I have been there.  You are damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to animals.  People that need to reach out for advice or suggestions should just keep their mouth shut, animal care is as bad as abortion, if you are not rich people think you are nothing but ****.
Helpful - 0
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