24 October Cats and vets

Of the four resident marina adopted cats we have a favourite, a 3 or 4 year old ginger male called JJ. When he first arrived to take up residency by the swimming pool 3 years ago he was in bad shape, perhaps he'd been hit by a car as he had wounds, an abscess on his head and, probably through in breeding, an undershot jaw.

This summer we've been helping out with feeding at the weekends and had noticed he has been suffering with an infection in his mouth causing him to drool and has made eating painful. Vets on the Go attended gave him antibiotics for abscesses in his gums but he's not been getting better, bad breath, eating is difficult and he can't clean himself. So we offered our help to the marina manager. Would she like us to take him to another vet for a second opinion? She said yes and we took JJ to the GSPCA to see what they recommended.

JJ with teeth & Honey & Bob

Zara lent us her car to take both JJ and Polly. Polly was due her annual vaccinations plus her three yearly rabies shot. She was quiet in her carry case on the short ride, poor JJ yowled stuck in the boot in his travel case.

When we went in to see the vet it was Polly howled like a cat possessed. The practice in Grenada follows US method of injecting in the hind leg and not in the back of the neck. The reasoning is that injections can very occasionally cause cancer at the injection site and it is easier to remove a leg than a neck. But for Polly who was traumatised with the amputation of three toes on her rear foot after a crush injury a few years ago it was the worst place possible. It took 2 vets with towels to wrap her head (and teeth) to hold her. Next time we'll take the chance and insist on injections in the skin on her neck. It was awful to see her so scared.

JJ on the other hand was the quietest, most compliant patient while having his mouth exam. The immediate recommendation from the vet is removal of all his teeth. Many of them are already dead at the root and the rest have abscesses in the gum. It must be very painful for him.

Two days after our first visit we returned with JJ for his surgery and because he is a feral cat, to give him the best chance of recovery he was kept in for three days while he healed and was given antibiotics.

When we collected him he looked so much better. Still purring loudly, his coat is fuller, shinier. His breath is sweet and he is still the sweetest cat but toothless. In a short time we were told his gums will harden and he'll be able to eat both tinned cat food and kibbles. Without abscesses his general health will be much, much better.

Our history with JJ goes back three years to when we first met him at the marina. Then we sponsored the removal of his testicles, now we've sponsored the removal of his teeth. What next? He won't be trusting us again!

go on, show us your gums