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Cat with a broken Lower Jaw

I dont have a question... I just decided to share some information on my experiences in the past 2 months as I have been nursing my cat Kitty (original name I know) through the traumatic and upsetting experience of a broken jaw...

Late one night I heard that spine chilling tone in kitty's voice that instantly let me know that there was something wrong...  I went out the back to find kitty clinging to the fence with a bloody maw and completly rattled... Needless to say may partner and I were devastated and worried to the core... Immediatly we called our local vet and took him down there straight away...  It was an expensive decision at 11 pm with a $300.00 Call out fee before recieved any kind of medical care...  Not the kind of cash you just have laying around, but luckily our local vets are Angels and allowed us to negotiate a payment plan considering it was an emergency.

He was sedated, given anti-biotics and a diauretic as his breathing sounded very fluidic and with the head trauma he had inhaled alot of blood... Not to mention the fluid released by the cats body when in shock....  He stayed in overnight and went into surgery the next afternoon after the Xray revealed that his bottom jaw had split in two and there was a minor fracture in the roof of his mouth.  The bottom Jaw was wired together and he was able to come home the next evening...

He was so happy to come home and while all broken and busted he was still so keen for cuddles and loving We were so stoked!!  But the hard part came when it came to eating drinking and medicating.

36+ hours home and he still wasn't drinking - This was a huge concern for me as dehydrations is a huge concern for any animal after any trauma.  I tried a million things had every single bread & butter plate and saucer lined up with an array of options... but still nothing...  Finally two things were tempting enough that the first lap began and the biggest sigh of relief in my life....  few day old prawns (shrimp) soaked in spring water and sardine springwater (straight from the can)  I did have to force feed him some fluids but this was difficult as it is hard to immobilise a cat and siringe feed when you cant grasp its jaw.  I learned from this that cats eat mainly by smell - the old blood still in his nasal passage inhibited him from wanting to taste... as well as the pain and nausea from the anesthetic.  So try anything to get kitty drinking... Sardines in springwater are fantastic as the natual oils help with the cats digestive system, stimulate appetite and that pungent odour will also help to excite the kitty :)

Food was the next hurdle and as stressful as the water was this was even more so.... Another 24 hours passed and he wouldnt have a bar to do with anything.... we tried coaxing him with every brand and type of food we could find - to no avail... wouldnt even try sardines.... After 6 hous of waving dishes under his nose and tapping tins, heating food shaking his old dry food box (DO NOT FEED A CAT WITH A BROKED JAW KIBBLE!!! We shook the box cause our kitty preffered dry food to wet) he just looked up at us with this sad pitiful MAOW and it was at that point we knew he was just in too much pain to use the jaw.  We took him in and the vet gave him a shot of kitty morphine (8hour)  We brought him home and left him in the loungeroom with his millions of sample plates while we made ourselves some lunch.... Then we heard it... He had started to lap up one of the many plates of food...

For the next week that type of food was all he would eat - Whiskers kitten singles watered down with sardine/tuna springwater with a little nutrigel mixed in (cat dietry metaboliser).  He tried to guts himself and we let him do it a bit but rationed/portioned his intake to avoid him throwing up as that would have been a huge setback and no doubt painfully discouraging.

I have  main pints of advice when it comes to kitty care during this time

1)  Be in communicado with your vet often... they can offer many hints and tips and most really genuinely care about your animals wellbeing...

2) When it comes to food and water try ANYTHING get your cats favourites, make something up... the most important feed is that first one and then its up to keeping the appetite stimulated..... (and regardless of what the vets say - my cat absolutely HATED the metaboliser NUTRIGEL so disguise this stuff as well as you can)

3)  When your cat is drugged on pain meds... give lots of pats and re-assurance, dont move them while they are sleeping, be quiet calm and loving as their minds dont react the same way as our son drugs.... My kitty tripped out several times.... Blanked out didnt recognise us for 5 minutes then suddenly snapped back in all loving and cuddly.... watch your pet closely when they are on this medication. they arent with it nor is their co-ordination good!

4)  Be patient and dont force the cat or traumatise by  administering antibiotics it may take 1/2 hour of running after the animal all through the house getting on drop at a time.... But every drop counts!

I am stoked to report that kitty is sitting on my lap right now, just had the wire taken out earlier and was soooo stoked to get a scratch under the hin for the first time in 2 months!!

Please If you have any questions or if you want more information about hints and tricks I have more and would be happy to share them... I will do anything I can to possibly help as internet tips helped me out through the past 2 months....  But remember every experience and animal is different... And ALWAYS talk to a vet in an emergency or when you are unsure...
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Avatar universal
my cat had a broken lower jaw. We got a surprise call one day from hospital in the morning that our cat was in a car accident and admitted to hospital. On rushing to hospital we were given the news that it requires surgery costing $2000. We had to pay in advance for the surgery to proceed. The surgery was done on same day and Next day We were told that the cat is not eating and need a tube to be inserted to feed food. This would cost additional $1500. While we love our cat and would do all possible to save him, the financial shock was terrible. With my job lost for over 8 months and no hope of a new job due to market situation, it only made our financial situation worse. I agreed to proceed whatever it takes to save our cat.. Waiting for the tube to be inserted tomorrow and hope to do some odd jobs to pay for the fees..
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4372057 tn?1353553088
How much was the surgery total, and did you have pet insurance?
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874521 tn?1424116797
OMG your poor dear little kitty, she sounds like she is in a tremendous amount of PAIN....she certainly must be given all thats she's been trough. Did the Vet not give her any pain medication????? I can't believe if he did not do this...no wonder this kitty isn't eating can you imagine how she must be hurting..
PLEASE contact your Vet, she cannot go without food...ask for some pain meds and ask for his opinion on BURPENEX...I happen to know this is one of the safest for cats but Vets like to be asked their opinion...
and offer her all canned foods with meat as a first ingredient...not meat by products her immune system needs all the healing power it can get right now....
I do not recommend crushed dry food mixed with water, dry food is so full of preservatives and additives...cans so much better and that way she gets the extra moisture she badly needs.
good luck and please keep us posted...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi.
3 days ago, by cat, Cookie, went missing and didn't come home for 24 hours. My fiance and I were worried because she has never been gone that long, and were happy when she finally came home at 2am, until we noticed she was bleeding from her eye. We called our vet right away, but he didn't seem very worried about it. He told us to come in at 8am to get her checked out. It was a long night. We finally got her in, and the vet checked her over and said her jaw was fractured down the middle, and her eye was just swollen. He guessed she was hit very hard with a blunt object. He thinks she was hit by a car. He kept her all day and we were able to pick her up the next afternoon. The vet wired her jaw together and sent home some antibiotics. She's been home for about a day. She's been drinking, and sleeping a lot. We have tried giving her soft cat food, milk, and crushed dry cat food with water. Our other cat can't keep away from the food, but Cookie hasn't had one taste. She comes running when we feed our other cat dry cat food, and she sniffs it, but then she just sits down and turns her head away. Every time we offer her something she does this. I can tell shes hungry, but it seems like she doesn't want to eat. We've given her lots of love, and pets, which I think are helping because she moves around more, and more. I'm just scared she's not eating because she's given up on living, or something. She doesn't meow, and she spends a lot of time hiding, and sleeping. The vet said she ate on her own while she was at the animal hospital, but I haven't seen her try at home. Do you have any advice or tips I could use?
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874521 tn?1424116797
I'm sorry dear, I can't tell you that..no one can, sounds like this poor kitten must be in a whole lot of pain....please get him or her to a Vet as soon as you can..the poor little thing:(
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5692000 tn?1372474166
A kitten me and my sis and grandma caught has a broken jaw, as we recently found out, and we are waiting a few days until we take her to the vet.... is that okay if we wait like 4 days to take her to the vet because my grandma has to work those days, so is healthy for her..? Or would that be bad for her? Someone please tell me if this is good for her or would it kill her? I would want to know because we might plan on keeping her, also... her gums are kind of 'swolen'.... by swollen I mean GINORMOUS!!!! And her bottom teeth are kind of stuck in her gums. But we know for a fact that her bottom jaw is broken. She can eat soft food and drink water/milk. But someone please tell me if she is going to be okay.
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Avatar universal
I realize that this is an old post, but just in case-my cat  broke his jaw this morning, had it wired this afternoon, and has been home for about seven hours.  He ate fairly well (75 ML) of a/d  canned food and probably about 15 ML of  water, and is finally (12:26a) getting some sleep.  Doc gave him a 14 day antibiotic shot and pain shot before he came home. He gets a steroid pill for 3 days starting technically this evening.  No pain meds. Any hints to giving a cat with a broken jaw a pill?
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
bless your loving heart for what you are doing!!!
I sure wish I could help you in some way, all I can do is repost some old info of some clinics that do help.also info abt a care credit card that seems to accepted....but I have no idea whats avail in Va. I live in Canada...
all I can say is if nothing can be done to fix this poor baby than perhaps he needs to be put out of his misery? and God I hate to ever have to say that. good luck and post anytime, give us an update too...♥

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Pets/RESOURCES-TO-HELP-PAY-FOR-VET-CARE/show/535?cid=2
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Avatar universal
I have a feral cat with a broken jaw and can't afford a vet bill was wondering if anyone had any idea how I could attemp to help him. I called the vet they want to run test before they fix his jaw and want 250.00 for test and then said it would probably be another 500.00 and we don't have that kind of money  for a feral kitty. I take care of 29 feral kitties but it hurts when one of them are hurting so I want to try to do something for him but am at a loss as to what to so so if their is any one outtheir with any help please let me know. I can't even find a vet that will let you make payements we live in such a rural area in Va.
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Avatar universal
We are picking our cat "Littles" up from the vet in the am!!! She broke her jaw friday and had surgery Sat am!!! The vet says cats typically do very well after this type of surgery!!! I'm very nervous about taking care of her...we will do any and everything in our power to make her comfortable and care for her until she is better!!! Thank you for the advice and anyone with any more advice they would like to share would be very helpful.  thanks
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242912 tn?1660619837
COMMUNITY LEADER
Wow, what an ordeal y'all have been through.  Thank you for taking the time to share.  I'm so glad kitty is getting better!!  I sure could have used people like you as well as this forum when my first cat was dying in 06.  I think if I had of been more knowledgeable, the outcome may have been different.  

Great, diligent work Amber.  And there's your reward...sitting right there on your lap :)
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