Hoarse kitty voice after teeth cleaning

[azuretights]

Our 2 year old kitty went in for her first teeth-cleaning (with anesthetic) this week. She only had one top tooth already, but the other one had to come out apparently as it was loose and infected. We've  been giving her Amoxidrops twice a day as instructed to prevent further infection.

The first day she came home her voice was higher than normal and distressed, but now her voice has gone low and hoarse. She isn't speaking any more or less than normal, it just sounds different. I switched from giving her the drops in her mouth to mixing them in her food because I thought the dropper might be hurting her somehow, but it hasn't made any difference.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen? Is it possibly from some bruising during the cleaning/extraction, or from the anesthetic, or a reaction to the penicillin? I'm going to call the vet tomorrow but would love to hear if anyone has had a similar situation.

[azuretights]

I don't know anything about the actual teeth-cleaning operation but I just never got the feeling our old vet clinic that they were consistently gentle with our cat. A couple of their vets were nice, but a couple of them were visibly not gentle with our small and not-vicious cat, even in front of us. They didn't show any love for animals and were unable to get her comfortable enough to let them examine her effectively. On top of that they were pretty inconsistent with what they checked during her regular examinations (sometimes temperature, sometimes not, only looked at her teeth once in three years of going there.) I didn't like the thought that one of the less gentle vets might have been operating on our cat for the teeth cleaning. We have a recommendation for a cat-only vet in the area, so we will try that next time.

[Steenie32]

Why a new vet?  My cat also had dental work and now has a raspy throat (he's about to be 13, so thinking this affected it)...  Could they have done a poor job w/ the surgical tube?  I know he said that my kitty scratched him prior to getting him anesthesia.  Also, there is scabbing around his upper mouth, and they cleaned his bottom teeth.  

I was wondering if I should take him to a new doctor, he seems traumatized if I hold him the same way the vet had when picking him up (which is the way that I often hold him, laying him on my shoulder and petting him)...

[opus88]

aww thx so much for the update....soooo happy all is back to normal, and yep I'd be looking for a new Vet.

[azuretights]

After almost two weeks her voice is back to normal. The jury is still out on whether we'll go back to that vet again though.

[azuretights]

Thanks all! The vet says the same thing, that it's probably from the tube, but to let her now if it's still the same next week. In the meantime kitten is getting mostly wet food (and a little of her favorite dry food softened in water). Hopefully she'll sound less like a frog soon!

[BluCrystal]

I'm 99% sure i know what it is.  Your kitty had to be intubated (a small hollow plastic tube put into her airway so she could breathe during the procedure), and this irritated her throat.  She should be back to her normal voice soon.  Blessings - Blu

[opus88]

I haven't ever experienced this with my kitties...and I'm glad you are going to mention this to your Vet today.
IMO I would tend to think its an irritation of the vocal cords brought about by the respirator tube inserted down the throat during surgery, similar as we sometimes experience after a surgical procedure, but it should be mentioned to your Vet....there could be some slight inflammation there.
I wouldn't think it would be anything to worry about unless it persists.

On that note be very wary of allowing the Vet to suggest a steroid or any NSAID...unless it becomes much worse.

let us know what your Vet says...keep us updated okay...good luck to kitty