This is Molly

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

This is Molly

We got her from a rescue. Unfortunately, while she was there, she caught calicivirus, which led to stomatitis. Her body thought her teeth were invaders. She couldn't eat because of the pain

The vet said they needed to remove all her teeth - but don't worry, cats don't need teeth

Okay

In the end, they removed all but the canines - and she has been fine. She eats happily now. And she eats a lot

So I guess cats don't really need teeth

#cats #CatsOfMastodon #CatsOfFediverse #pets

[justtoodd@nerdculture.de]

@rufustheduck Glad Molly is happy & thriving! I would have never guessed cats didn't need all their teeth.

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@JustToOdd me neither! Vet said they use them for ripping their prey apart but not for eating, so when they eat cat food, teeth aren't necessary

[mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org]

@rufustheduck our Čara‍ is also toothless due to an infection she got as FIV baby. She livened up after the extraction, must have been in constant pain before. It’s been years now, and she’s happy.

[mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org]

@JustToOdd @rufustheduck vet said the tongue may hang out after removing the teeth, but that hasn’t happened for Čara‍. And apprently not for Molly either.

[mrgrumpymonkey@mastodon.social]

@rufustheduck My Goobie went through the same problem. She was found as a stray, probably feral, before she was taken to a shelter. I still feel bad for needing to do it, but she wouldn't have survived this long without the procedure.

[c0dec0dec0de@hachyderm.io]

@rufustheduck so pretty

[christymarx@beige.party]

@rufustheduck
Good job taking care of her. I have a cat that had most of her teeth removed because of neck lesions, which is a condition where the body wants to reabsorb the teeth. She also does just fine with few teeth.

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@mrgrumpymonkey I know how you feel. Molly didn't trust me for a long time after, but now she's happy and healthy

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@christymarx you too! And gorgeous picture!

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@mirabilos @JustToOdd nope. The only difference is she has a slightly goofier expression

[mirabilos@toot.mirbsd.org]

@JustToOdd @rufustheduck I wouldn’t call her rather goofy… well ok maybe if it’s warm out there in the garden. (All are archive pfotos.)

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@mirabilos fantastic!

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@mirabilos poor thing! But I'm happy to hear she's now happy

[ricardoharvin@mstdn.social]

@rufustheduck At the shelter where I volunteer, removing teeth is regularly done to alleviate pain and radically improve the quality of life for cats with dental issues, particularly older cats.

I, too, was surprised to learn that cats don't need their teeth in order to eat.

#SavingSageAnimalRescueFoundation

[adamantichrist@mastodon.social]

@rufustheduck I had no idea cats could get calicivirus! Any idea how she got it?

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@ricardoharvin I wouldn't have been much more surprised if the vet had said they don't really need legs

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@adamantichrist she was in a rescue with a lot of other cats for quite some time. We got her fully vaccinated as soon as we got her, but the rescue could only afford very basic vet care

[feyter@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@rufustheduck Had two cats here with same conditions. I was very skeptical before the extraction, but it was the best decision and I'm sure saved their lifes.

They can no longer slice a piece of meat, but everything else is no Problem. If there is anyone with a cat in same Situation and unsure if this is a reasonable approach, it it!

Just make sure that Xray is made after the extraction to ensure no root remains.

[rufustheduck@mastodon.social]

@feyter same result here. Was definitely the right decision