No Teef

Poor Buster Cat Nixon. We took him to the vet two weeks ago and the vet recommended a dental cleaning. When we were at the vet last year, the vet checked his teeth and said they looked perfect! This year - they were really bad. What happened?!?! On her way out of the exam room, the vet said "Let me get you an estimate for a dental cleaning with extractions." WITH EXTRACTIONS??? What? She thought that two of his back teeth were pretty bad and might have to come out. She gave us a "worst case" estimate with four teeth coming out.

Today was the big day. Christopher dropped Monkey Bear off at the vet on his way to work and we each crossed our fingers that I would pick him and his 30 teeth up - all still intact. I got a call this morning after we dropped him off that they were going to need to take SEVEN teeth out! Not only were they going to need to take seven out, but four were already missing! It seems they fell out at some point. Buster had feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions - or "neck lesions." Poor, poor kitty. After reading about these neck lesions, it seems they can be pretty painful - and darn cats - they don't like to let you know when something is wrong. I feel terrible his little teeth were so bad and we didn't even know!

I picked him up a little after 3:00 and they gave me a chart that looks like the picture above, noting which teeth were gone. The circles are teeth that were missing, and the exes are teeth that were extracted today - NINE! Yikes! He basically has fangs now.

I brought him home and he stumbled out of the carrier. He didn't really want to be held; he mostly just walked around like a drunk person, trying to decide whether to lay in his carrier or on the floor outside the carrier and clang the door back and forth. It took him a good hour or two, but he seems pretty much like his normal self now...a bit more mischievous, if anything. He has already dunked two toys in his water and let them drip around the house, and I have had to chase him off the counter/sink no less than ten times. His dry food bowl is in the sink and he can't stand it. The vet said he might not want to drink or eat tonight...well - they don't know Buster Cat. Little does Bust know, but he probably won't be seeing that dry food bowl for a while!

The mischievousness continues: a couple weeks ago I ordered some Yeowww! Catnip Sardines for Christmas for Buster, Oscar and Pico (Keith - don't tell them!). They came in the mail today. When I brought the mail in, Buster was still struggling to get around. I brought them in my room to hide them in my dresser. I heard a commotion and Buster was running after me - he actually smelled those things through the box! I hid the toys and put the box on the counter to take out to the recycling bin. I turn around a few minutes later and that cat is on the counter rolling over the box! I took the box apart and put it on the floor for him. I tried to give him one of the toys but he pretty much lost control and his little anesthesia sheet says to not let him get too excited...I had to take it away. However...if anyone is looking for a good catnip toy, I would recommend Yeowww!

I have to run - time to give the little guy some pain medicine...and an eye drop...geesh. Wish me luck!