tumor or abcessed tooth?

[binky]

So, Saturday afternon my 19 yr old cat's cheek swells up to the size of a superball, and of course the vet is closed until Monday. I just wondered if anyone would care to venture an opinion as to what it might be? I am hoping just an abcessed tooth, because of course we are having money issues as usual, and god knows what this will cost me. We are of course calling the vet first thing tomorrow morning, but when it rains it pours (car repairs, school pics this week) - lovely. I will update when we get home from vet tomorrow, but I guess I really just needed to vent a little!

[Trilby]

Did the swelling happen pretty quickly? How quickly it developed might be a clue as to what it is.

Poor kitty. Sending good vibes you and your cats way!!!

[binky]

pretty much overnight, and my husband says it is hard when he touches it

[binky]

okay no jokes on that last part, gentlemen.

[classicman]

not a tumor - an infection of some kind seems most likely.

[Aliantha]

Try bathing the area in really hot water if your cat is the type that'll stay still long enough. It's probably as classic says. Usually cats get them from getting into scraps with other cats. Does yours go outside?

[classicman]

Good one Ali - Hot salty water - like Epsom salts. Course if it was any of my cats they'd NEVER let me do it - I'd have to knock them out first.

[Aliantha]

A couple of our cats would stand it if we forced them, but the other two would go nuts. They'd just have to suffer longer I guess. Luckily we've never had to worry though, although ours don't go outside, so they're less likely to have the problem.

[binky]

ours goes 20 ft into our backyard, craps in my rose garden, then comes back in, so a fight is unlikely. My suspicion is still an abcessed tooth, considering where the lump is. Plus he's 19 yrs, and neutered since he was a kitten, so not much of a fighter. Anyway, will report back tomorrow after the vet.

[binky]

Ali, he WOULD rip my face off if I put him in any water, hot or cold. My husband bathes him a couple times a year(brave man!)

Considering that yours is predominantly an indoor cat and injury is not suspect:

The classic symptoms of underlying infection are calor, dolor, rubor, and tumor. You've already mentioned the latter (i.e. swelling); but, what about the others?

calor/heat - is the afflicted area warmer to the touch than the surrounding area? Is your cat's body temperature within normal limits?

dolor/pain - is there a painful reaction to the touch, is the cat guarding (avoiding contact with the afflicted area including eating), is the cat sleeping alright?

rubor/redness - is the swelling accompanied by discoloration inside or outside of your cat's mouth?

With the presence of other symptoms (besides swelling), the chances of it being due to infection increase. Acute onset is also indicative of infection. If other symptoms are absent and the change was gradual, then it could more likely be due to something else (e.g. abnormal tissue growth).

NAWWWWW! The cat probably just enjoys a good chaw of tobaccy ev'ry now 'n' then and he'd be fine if you'd spring for a spittoon so he wouldn't have to hold it in his mouth 'til he got outside!

Get well soon kitty. Get well soon pocketbook!

[DanaC]

Any news binky?

[binky]

Going to the vet at 4 today (9:30 my time zone now) will post when we get back

[binky]

Okay, so it probably is an abcessed tooth, but we could not be sure unless we ponied up $200 for my 19 yr old cat to get a blood workup, and then another $350 for the tooth extraction, antibiotics, and so on. BTW he has kidney disease, besides being as old as dirt, so may not survive being put under for the tooth extraction. So we decided to have them lance the infection pocket and get an antibiotic shot, and oral amtibiotics, and just see how that goes. That was only $135

[Trilby]

I think you did the sensible thing. Good luck with your kitty, binky.