Damaged Jaws in Cats: Analysis, Therapy & Prevention

A damaged jaw is a standard damage in cats. It normally happens attributable to trauma, for instance, in case your cat falls from a peak or is hit by a automobile. However it may be attributable to a nasty bone an infection or tumor.

In case your cat has a damaged jaw, it’s possible you’ll discover indicators resembling ache, swelling, or bleeding across the mouth. Generally the indicators are extra delicate, resembling being off their meals or struggling to eat. Whereas a damaged jaw could also be simply identified, your vet will probably advocate an x-ray or CT scan to examine the extent of the injury and for another accidents.

The excellent news is that almost all easy jaw fractures get well effectively with conservative therapy or minor surgical procedure. In instances the place there are a number of critical accidents (or an underlying trigger resembling bone most cancers), the prognosis is extra guarded. Learn on for all the things it is advisable to find out about damaged jaws in cats.

About Damaged Jaws in Cats

Your cat’s jaw is concerned in consuming and ingesting and offering help for the face, nostril, and airways. So, a damaged jaw is usually a critical damage.

Like us, your cat has an higher jaw (maxilla) and a decrease jaw (mandible), with a joint within the center (the temperomandibular joint, or TMJ). The higher jaw is a part of the cranium and types the roof of your cat’s mouth.

Most jaw fractures in cats have an effect on their decrease jaw. The decrease jaw consists of a left and proper half, joined within the center by a chunk of sentimental tissue referred to as the mandibular symphysis. Nearly all of decrease jaw fractures (73% in a single examine of mandibular fractures in cats) are throughout this symphysis, which means the left and proper sides are not firmly hooked up.

As your cat’s enamel are hooked up to their jaw, a damaged jaw can have an effect on their enamel.

Causes of Damaged Jaws in Cats

Trauma is the most typical reason for damaged jaw in cats, with round half of cats having been hit by a automobile. Oleg Golovnev / Shutterstock

Trauma is the most typical reason for damaged jaws in cats. A examine of 75 mandibular fractures in cats discovered over half had been hit by a automobile. However any type of trauma – resembling falling from a peak, blunt power to the face, or perhaps a chunk from one other animal – may cause it.

In addition to trauma, different much less widespread causes embrace:

Signs of Damaged Jaws in Cats

In case your cat breaks their jaw, it’s possible you’ll discover:

• Ache – particularly if making an attempt to eat or drink
• Swelling across the face
• Lack of symmetry or facial deformity
• Bleeding from mouth or nostril
• Drooling
• Enamel lacking, damaged, or at an uncommon angle
• Problem opening the mouth
• Reluctance to eat and drink

A damaged jaw is a critical situation that have to be handled rapidly. It’s also an indication that your cat has suffered trauma and will produce other accidents. So, you need to search veterinary consideration instantly if you happen to see any of those signs.

Issues of Damaged Jaws in Cats

Sadly, problems are widespread, with round 1 in 4 cats with a damaged jaw struggling some type of complication. These embrace:

• Malocclusion of the jaw or enamel
• An infection within the bone (osteomyelitis)
• Poor therapeutic of the fracture web site
• Non-healing fracture
• Oronasal fistula (growth of an irregular opening between the mouth and nostril)
• Enamel issues

Analysis of Damaged Jaws in Cats

Your veterinarian could suspect a jaw fracture on their bodily examination, however they are going to probably want an x-ray to verify. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock

Most jaw fractures are simply identified from the looks or really feel of your cat’s jaw. In case your cat has a break throughout their mandibular symphysis, your veterinarian will really feel irregular motion between the left and proper sides of the decrease jaw. Nonetheless, fractures in different components of the jaw could be tougher to diagnose just by wanting.

Fractures are normally confirmed with an x-ray. This enables your veterinarian to evaluate the total extent of the damage – particularly whether or not tooth roots are affected – and examine for different injury. In advanced instances, a CT or MRI could be really useful.

In case your cat has been in an accident, they could want different checks to examine for different accidents. This might embrace blood checks, ultrasound, or x-rays in different areas of their physique.

Your cat might have a jaw biopsy in case your veterinarian suspects an an infection or tumor is inflicting their fracture. The biopsy could be despatched to a veterinary pathologist for testing and evaluation.

Therapy of Damaged Jaws in Cats

Your cat might have surgical procedure to repair their damaged jaw. mojahata / Shutterstock

There are two methods to deal with damaged jaws in cats, conservative or surgical.

Conservative Therapy

Conservative therapy goals to heal the damaged jaw with out the necessity for surgical procedure. That is potential in cats who’re comfy, consuming and have steady fractures the place the enamel stay aligned. They need to be fed tender meals for a number of weeks and given ache aid. Generally, your veterinarian could use a tape muzzle to stabilize the jaw whereas it heals.

Surgical Therapy

Most jaw fractures would require some type of surgical restore below common anesthesia. This can be so simple as threading a chunk of wire across the two halves of the decrease jaw, within the case of a mandibular symphysis fracture. Or it might embrace extra invasive surgical procedure, together with bone plates and pins, splints, implants, elimination of enamel, and even elimination of an space of the jaw.

Cats with tumors of the jaw might have in depth surgical procedure to take away the affected piece of bone and reconstruct the face. They could additionally want extra therapy, resembling chemotherapy.

Supportive Care

Whether or not your cat has conservative or surgical therapy, they are going to want supportive care to get well. This may occasionally embrace ache medicine, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics. Many cats with damaged jaws will want some assist consuming whereas the fracture is therapeutic. That is normally finished by putting a feeding tube on the time of their surgical procedure. This enables your veterinary group to present diet and therapy down the tube, immediately into their nostril or throat, bypassing their painful mouth, and protecting the surgical web site clear.

Learn how to Take care of Your Cat with a Damaged Jaw

Cats recovering from a damaged jaw usually want a feeding tube of their nostril or throat to assist them take meals, water, and medicine whereas their mouth is therapeutic. SUJITRA CHAOWDEE / Shutterstock

Cats recovering from a damaged jaw usually wrestle with consuming. So, your cat could also be despatched residence with a feeding tube in place. Your veterinary group will be sure you are assured utilizing the tube earlier than they ship your cat residence. Whereas it could sound daunting, a feeding tube means that you can give meals and water into the tube, with out your cat needing to make use of their sore mouth. You may also crush up their medicines and put them down the tube – avoiding the necessity to give them tablets!

So, though a feeding tube could sound excessive, it’s a good manner to make sure your cat will get all the things they want, whereas their mouth is therapeutic. Most cats tolerate the tube simply, and it may be eliminated as quickly as they can eat and drink comfortably, and their surgical wound has healed. This can be in a number of days or a number of weeks.

As soon as the feeding tube has been eliminated (if they’ve one), your cat will want a tender food regimen till the fracture is totally healed.

Stopping Damaged Jaws in Cats

Most damaged jaws in cats occur attributable to trauma – particularly being hit by a automobile or falling from a peak. You’ll be able to stop these accidents by limiting their entry to roads and nice heights by protecting them indoors or utilizing a cat run within the backyard. Nonetheless, cats must have ample alternative to train and exert their pure behaviors. So, if you happen to do maintain your cat indoors you need to guarantee they’ve loads of enrichment actions to maintain their thoughts and physique lively.

Most jaw fractures are simply identified from the looks or really feel of your cat’s jaw. In case your cat has a break throughout their mandibular symphysis, your veterinarian will really feel irregular motion between the left and proper sides of the decrease jaw. Nonetheless, fractures in different components of the jaw could be tougher to diagnose just by wanting.