I took Sooty to the vet on Saturday to get her opinion on the state of his mouth. I told her about his horrid breath (which has actually improved noticeably since we got him home) and described his gingerly eating habits and apparent swelling beneath his upper lips.
She looked in his mouth and confirmed my suspicions: he has serious gingivitis and numerous abcessed teeth. He needs a dental procedure to remove most of his remaining teeth so his gums can heal.
The vet said it wasn't surprising how thin he is considering that he's not only declawed but also unable to bite into anything firm without pain. Out on the streets he must have found it incredibly difficult to hunt and extremely painful to eat anything he could catch. Poor guy.
She did his exam for free and I paid for a long-acting antibiotic injection in the hope of clearing up some of his mouth troubles. She also gave me an additive for his water that may help his gums.
Unfortunately, veterinary dentals are very expensive: she quoted me a price range up to $1,000. They involve anesthetic and they can take a long time, so the price reflects the seriousness of the procedure.
Because this care is more than I can budget from my own funds, I have decided to do a GoFundMe campaign to see if I can raise the money needed to get his dental work done.
If you feel inclined to help out, even a few dollars would make a difference in this sweet cat's life. Thank you in advance!
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