Can a kitten survive a broken jaw?
The lower jaw (the mandible) usually fractures right in the middle of the chin which is very painful and renders the pet unable to use its jaw to eat. Fortunately for most cats, they heal very well when the jaw is wired back together.
What do you do for a cat with a broken jaw?
Treatment. Slight cracks in the bone can be treated with rest. This means that special soft foods and no toys or bones should be given to it during its recovery period. Other fractures require reduction (setting and re-alignment of the bone) and some cases may require surgical repair.
How do you tell if a cat has a broken jaw?
In general the signs are: swelling in the area, a loss of symmetry of the lower jaw and potentially the loss of teeth in the affected region. The lower jaw may also droop on the affected side. A mandibular fracture will also be painful.
How do I know if my cat’s jaw is broken?
Symptoms of mandibular fractures include:
- reluctance to eat.
- bleeding from the mouth.
- malalignment of the jaw.
- wounds around the mouth, pain and swelling in the region, a persistently open mouth.
- excessive salivation that may be blood-tinged (Figure 2)
What happens if a cat has a jaw fracture?
Often, because jaw fractures are linked with major trauma, the cat will be suffering from other, more serious injuries such as bruising of the lungs, punctured lungs or bruising of the heart. The jaw fracture in itself may be life threatening, as most cats will refuse to eat due to significant mouth pain.
How long does it take for a cat’s jaw to heal?
It is common to feel sadness or guilt over your cat’s injuries, especially if they are due to severe trauma that could have been prevented. Certain complications can occur after your pet is discharged. They are: Overall the prognosis is generally good, with most cats healing completely within 4-6 weeks.
When to recheck a cat with a broken mandible?
A recheck appointment with the veterinarian will occur in several weeks to evaluate how the bone is healing (possibly with new radiographs), to monitor the cat’s progress, and to make sure it is safe to return to a regular diet. Many traumatic events are true accidents and thus unavoidable.
When to remove a wire from a cat’s jaw?
A postoperative visit is required to remove the wire so the mouth can function again. This treatment is often used to correct a simple mandibular body fracture. The wire is secured around the cat’s teeth to stabilize the realignment of the jaw. Wires will be removed at a later vet visit once the jaw has healed. This treatment is noninvasive.
Can a cat have an upper or lower jaw fracture?
Any type of break is classified as a fracture. It can be as small as a hairline crack or as devastating as a severe comminution (a bone shatter). Your cat may only have subtle swelling, or its entire mouth may hang open. The following list shows all possible symptoms for both upper and lower jaw fractures.
When do kittens teeth start to fall out?
Physical Development At six weeks of age, a kitten’s baby teeth will begin to erupt. Throughout the next couple of weeks, all of the baby teeth should break through the gums and the mother cat may be reluctant to nurse because of this. At 12 weeks of age, these baby teeth will then start to fall out.
What does it mean when a cat’s jaw breaks?
Upper and lower jaw fractures generally happen when a cat’s jaw is subjected to blunt force or trauma. This can cause the fragile mandible (lower jaw) or the more sturdy maxilla (upper jaw) to fracture. Any type of break is classified as a fracture. It can be as small as a hairline crack or as devastating as…
How long does it take for a cat jaw fracture to heal?
Certain complications can occur after your pet is discharged. They are: Overall the prognosis is generally good, with most cats healing completely within 4-6 weeks. The cause of the fracture paired with the impact at which it happened usually determines the overall healing success.
