Jaw injury, anyone have any helpful commnets?

[Preposterous]

My adult outdoor cat has sustained a injury to his jaw. He is an outdoor cat in the city so it could have been a lot of things. Both his upper and lower fangs have been broken off . I am obviously quite upset, but not sure of my course of action.
The reason he is not at the vet is that he has never been locked up and totally freaks about it. I found him as a starving stray here and just started feeding him, the only reason he sticks around is because he has never been restrained or locked up at all. Once I thought I should bring him to the vet, he freaked, got away and did not come back for 2 days. Also there is the matter of hundreds of dollars for x-rays and all, and if all they are going to tell me is it will heal naturally then I'd like to try and find that information out first, or make my best guess.

He is able lick up watered down wet foot and is breathing ok. His face is swollen and he is lethargic.  There was some white fluid on his chin this morning, probably not pus yet, too early for that I think.  The are no other scars indicating a fight or anything, if I was to guess he was kicked or punched or something. I am worried about a broken jaw, and infection of course. The most swollen area is the fleshy area underneath the chin, but before the neck.

Can anyone offer any help at all, I don't want him to suffer something worse do to my ignorance.

[opus88]

hi Ken and welcome, I am so very sorry to read what happened to your dear kitty....Im afraid this sounds much more serious than a tooth removal if he is unable to close his mouth than the jaw is either broken or dislocated...and it sounds like he is in a great deal of pain. I will send you some info abt care credit, a cc for Veterinary bills, I would be sure to find out how long the approval takes though, b/c your kitty cannot wait he needs help NOW, or to be put down if there is no way you can afford this help.
I would also phone all the clinics in your area to be sure they accept these CC's. I would also ask them if they would accept monthly payments to cover the cost of the xrays and some pain killers at least for this poor little critter...
good luck and God bless♥

http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00166.htm

[kenherzig]

my cat is 2 yrs old and not feral, but he likes to go out. The night before yesterday he went out and didn't come back in his usual 20 min. because of the cold here. I waited all day after and when it got dark,I went out calling his name everywhere. I came home and he showed up 10 mins later, having heard me call him. He was in a wet and dirty condition like he was lying in the side of the road, we have snow. His face was pushed in, like he was smacked by a car. His left eye was swollen shut and the left side of his jaw had an indentation but no break. His tongue was hanging out and he was drooling because he was unable to close itHe may have some teeth pushed in also but no breaks in front. He is having a hard time eating and is hiding from the family in the walk in closet.Iam a disabled combat vet on a limited income, and I know I can't afford a vet with the xrays and such. Do you know what a vet will do besides the xrays ?My other cat had this happen to himabout 6 years ago, he wouldn't let me touch him, but somehow he removed a pushed up tooth and now is fine. I want to help this young cat, but am not able to pay a 750-1000 bill. please advise if you can. Thanks  Ken   new jersey

[Savas]

Oh, I forgot. DON'T give him milk. If you do, only lactaid (all cats are lactose intolerant).

Also, KMR (KMS?) milk replacer formula is GREAT for sick cats! Get the second stage, not weaning formulae. They find it yummy, and it's packed with vitamins and nutrients.

[Savas]

Well, that's a relief. Hopefully it's just one of those infections cats get that spread out of control. In that area it would cause fang loss. Or a broken tooth caused infection...

Either way, he should be fine. Missing fangs are pretty survivable, once the infection goes down. Let me know how the antibiotic goes with him.

[Preposterous]

Thanks a ton for your help Savas. The vet came and examined him, it was so easy, I can't tell you how grateful I am that there was a house call service locally. His jaw isn't broken which is a big relief, on the down side that is basically all she did and gave me some antibiotics in case of infection. He is doing much better not the swelling has gone down and it looks like he is going to be ok, minus the loss of some fangs. She did shave his throat and jaw to find some healing trauma, which I guess is probably the first step for someone trying to figure out the nature of the injury.

[Savas]

Okay, I check with her and she said split jaw is a "fancy" way of saying the cat may have a broken jaw. It's usually caused by trauma from jumping from a height and having the underneath strike the pavement or similar surface. It Can also be caused by being kicked or run over by a car.... well, hopefully it isn't this. I'm not sure about treatment, we've never had to deal with this type of injury. Let me know what the vet says...I know it would have to be "set", but I think they have to insert a pin or wire to hold it in place. But like i said, I'm not to sure on that part...

[Savas]

Okay, I'm going to have to wait on my wife for that one. Maybe he's using a different term, but I don't recognize split jaw. And she is the more "medical expert" while I tend towards the more behavioral.

Let me ask two questions she asked, though, last night (for me to ask you)

Are you SURE the teeth are broken? That the selling hasn't caused them to "recede" or fall out?

Is there ANY obvious or not obvious "Hole" in his mouth or on his face? We ask because sometimes obstructions will pierce the cheek and come to rest in the pocket area, causing infection.
   We had a cat with a similar swelling, and she found such a hole and pulled out what turned out to be SIX INCHES of twine that somehow got INTO the cheek area/under the jaw flesh. She pulled it out through the wall of the cheek, and it was covered in infectious material.

If the swelling is going down that quick, though, it's a good sign. Cat's do get these strange infections that drain out and form "holes" that seal up gradually, if all goes well.

I'll add to this when I catch my wife on the phone, see what she says about the "split jaw thing".

[Preposterous]

Savas you rule, you totally understand this animal. He is here are will sit on my lap so I can touch him, he just won't tolerate being restrained, I never pick him up or shut him in. Its been over a day since his injury at least, the most swollen part of him is underneath his chin before his throat.  The inflammation has declined from the whole side of his face to just that area. I found a vet that will do house calls for a very spendy price which I will probably have come if the swelling looks the same or worse tomorrow. She told me that cats get split jaw often, how can I tell?

[Savas]

God, that...sucks.

Okay, if you can't arrange with a vet to get something to drug him to take him in...I hate to say it, but you probably should try it. The harsher view is he's a stray and has chosen this life, and may prefer to not be *messed* with, but is living and dying as he chooses. So if you just can't catch him, or afford to do it...

Try to get an amoxicillin prescription. It would be a 250/500 per tablet. (Human dose). It's an antibiotic. You could try to get a vet to sell you a cat dose...it costs about 20/30 dollars, but you'll have a hard time getting a vet to do this without seeing him.

Grind up about 1/20 of the pill...try to guess a 30 milligram dose (back to human) and sprinkle it in his food. Use more than less, it's an emergency.  At least he won't suffer the infection. Anything else I'd suggest would involve catching him and a vet or the pound, and the pound would probably kill him if his jaw is broken, let alone infected.

Tell me, can you touch him at all, or get close to him? OR is he hands off? I could tell you how to check if the jaw is broken or dislocated, but you'd have to get close...(I'm wondering/hoping if it may just be a huge pocket infection. They happen, and cats have remarkable healing powers in dealing with them, especially with a little antibiotic help).

I used to feed a cat with a broken back hip (hit by car). It was incredible to watch it get around, incredible it survived. But it was totally feral and smart, wouldn't be caught. And it seemed happy.