I am so sorry this happened. I had never heard of this. I would guess that eating will be a problem for awhile. If it's going to be awhile healing maybe a feeding tube would be the easiest way of feeding her. Don't blame yourself, unfortunately things like this happen. She is still a curious kitten with no fear and she is fast.

 

Hi There

I'm no expert on this subject, however about 2 months ago I found a kitten at work (we thought it was dead) it was in bad shape. ( I guessing about 4 or 5 weeks old)
I started feeding it KMR with an eyedropper, and I could see that the bottom jaw was broke right in the middle of her mouth. I took her to the vet about 2 days later and they said it was, but she also had a temp of 104.2 and they could not do anything about it until her temp came down. They sent me home with clavamox and I was to take her back in 2 weeks. After 2weeks they said her jaw was healing on its own and was surprisingly strait.

Here is what I did, I only feed her KMR, no dry or canned food, I started out only feeding with an eyedropper, but in a few days she just lapped it up her self. I also tried to keep her from getting up on things, because when she jumped down she would plant her face into the floor, again she was only 4or 5 weeks

Now she is doing great and eating fine, Good Luck to you and your Kitty

 

I googled this because I was really curious about it. It's part of high rise syndrome which I had heard of. It also often includes a broken jaw and pelvis. Everything I found about it said that at some point surgery is performed to make sure everything heals with the right alignment.

 

Hi Khalee !

Well, Khaleesi is one very lucky little kitten! She has certainly used up one of those 9 lives....let's hope she will continue to rally - without setbacks. That's what I'd like to focus on with you.

I was too shocked while the vet talked so I must have missed something.

Very likely so, and completely understandable. If I were you, I would speak with that Vet again and have him repeat everything he covered with you. And - have someone else go with you, someone who can absorb what is being said, and who can re-hash everything with you afterwards. If you do it by phone, have someone else on the line and introduced to the Vet, 'actively listening', participating and questioning/clarifying. Your Vet will (certainly, should) understand your need to know and thoroughly understand...especially about the recovery details and treatment plan, how he expects the injury to heal, and the recovery care you must provide at home.

Before you speak with the Vet, could you post back with as much of what you can remember from that conversation with the Vet?

Write it out yourself, first....then include anything he said about these points:
- what concerns he has
- what you have to watch for
- how to feed her
- any further treatment
- when he wants to see her again

When you post back, tell us
- what pain meds + other meds was she given
- exactly what foods does she usually eat and is it dry or wet
- what are her favourite wet foods

I've been doing some reading and some thinking and I'd like to share that with you, but after you post your recollections and that other info.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.

@ Dear Stryker,

Concerns are as follows: the crack (1 cm wide) can spread or infect, to my understandings, palate is protecting the brain. If she starts to lose balance, involuntary tilting her head to side, it's a clear sign something has gone wrong and it may be a sign of brain damage. He had said if it deteriorates, we will have to put her to sleep. There are of course, good prognosis - the fact she's young goes to her favor, so she can heal without any complications.

That's what we have to watch for, and also blood in urine (she had some when we came but he said it's normal for a fall like that where her bladder capillary reacted to the impact, and after an x-ray there was no sign of internal bleeding). But xray showed her hind leg is a bit battered but nothing is broken, although she may experience pain.

She's still unable to completely snap out of her anesthesia (they had to put her to sleep to give her medicine and perform xray since she was fighting), so can't get up on her feet but when she pulls her head up, she's alert and with clear eyes (pupils dilated when dark and they constrict with bright light). He also said she will be wheezing and sneezing blood but nothing to worry about as she needs to get rid off the blood from the injury.

We aren't allowed to feed her until tomorrow morning when I will go for a check up and buy special food we will feed he with a synergy.
Further treatments are more antibiotics to help prevent an infection, and shots to help her heal faster.

We feed her with Royal canin for kittens up to 12 months old, it's dry food and some salmon treats, plus we usually give her some raw fish if we eat some, but that about covers her diet. She always has a fresh bowl of water, well actually three scattered over the flat. We never feed her milk, only yogurt on very rare occasions (we tried some cheese too).

These are the meds she got:
solu-medrol
atropin sulfas
dexdomitor
antisedan
synulox
aneurin
roborante calier

 

They may give her Hills A/D. It seems to be the go to for injured or very sick cats or dogs, Patches was on it when he had a feeding tube. It's high calorie and nutrient dense so they don't have to eat much of it. It's also very bland and easy to digest. I advise you not to look at the ingredients but of course you will because I did. The ingredients look pretty bad but it is great for cats in recovery.

 

Oh yes, that's right, I think he mentioned Hills. Thank you. I just hope she will be okay, I should be sleeping now, but here I am, hawking over her and trying to give her some water. But she's a fighter alright, tried to jump up the couch already. And that's what got her into this trouble - jumping. The vet seems to know what he's talking about so I'm hopeful he will continue treating her tomorrow.

 

Hoping for a speedy recovery.
Have no other input except sorrow.

 

Prayers and Hugs ♡♡

 

Sending prayers and hugs your way I can't imagine

 

From what you said, the doctor will not close that 1cm hole in her palate. From the reading I've done since I read your post, I've seen cases where the hole was repaired, and others left to heal.

Where it has been left to heal on its own, there is a greater danger of infection. I'll show you one case where no repair was done...BUT, the cat was fed with a feeding tube, which reduced infection risk.

You wrote that you will feed her with a syringe. (That is very commonly done. It can be a life saver for cats who cannot or will not eat.) BUT, there is another real danger in syringe-feeding a cat with a hole in its palate....

When you, or your cat swallows food, the tongue moves to the roof of your mouth (the palate), pushing the food up and back toward the throat. The danger is that, with a hole in the palate, food may (probably will) go up through that hole and into the nasal cavity. From there it can go down into the nose - or - may go down into the lungs....if food gets into the lungs, it can cause an extreme form of pneumonia which is often fatal.

That's my greatest concern about syringe-feeding your kitten.

(Syringe feeding, itself, is usually very stressful for any cat - at least, at first. Even with no such mouth problem, cats who are stressed and struggling can easily aspirate/breathe in liquid food.)

If you do syringe feed, here are a few thoughts:

• use a very small syringe, one that fits easily in your hand (3-6ml)
• show the syringe to the cat, allowing the cat to desensitize to it
• practice first, away from the cat, so that you "learn" how to make small drops of food come out...not even squirts, just drops
• put some of the food on the tip of the syringe, allow the cat to smell it
• insert the syringe into the side of her mouth and put a few drops of food inside

I also see another problem with syringe feeding - you'll need to handle her mouth and that handling will cause some flexing - some movement - of the area....I can't see how the palate can heal with frequent manipulation of the facial area. Maybe I'm wrong.....that is a question for the Vet. If he isn't concerned, then you decide.

I really do think that the easiest, safest way to feed her will be with a feeding tube. Discuss this with the doctor. (There are different types of feeding tubes: one goes into the nose, another through the neck and a third, which goes into the stomach...don't worry, they're easy to do.)

Here's one case where the palate was allowed to heal on its own (down the page a little) This Month at Vetrica You'll see the feeding tube entering the nose there. (that cat also had other oral injuries)

Here is another where surgical repair was done PetSmile Month There, they say that, if a repair is not done, the jaw will be misaligned.

You should ask about pain medication as well. Opiate pain meds are safe, a liquid will be easiest and Buprenorphine would be it. Here, we also have 'pain patches" - those need to be changed every 3-4 days.

 

Thank you so much everyone. 19 hours had passed she is still resting, although she can get up on her feet, she can't walk much. Poor thing even made an effort to walk over to her litter box I've placed right next to her blankie. No blood in that tiny amount of urine she left behind.

Also, thank you Stryker, that was exactly my worry as well. Logic tells you feeding her with a fracture in her mouth can be worrying and may cause more problems. I'm scheduled to see the vet in half an hour and I'll definitely discuss this with him. I've never took care of a sick cat so I hope he will give me good instructions.

 

Sending prayers and Hugs, Lots of them...♡♡♡

 

Thank you :heart

Another cat was rushed to the vet today, a male falling off the balcony, but he was a lucky one, just had a broken leg.
The vet said there's always a possibility a bit of food and water will get into her respiratory system that's why she's on antibiotics to fight any possible infection that may come out of that. We need to feed her with an injection, mix the food (Royal canin Recovery; Hills was also an option but they didn't have it in stock) with water and inject it behind her teeth, preferably aiming for her throat so she can just swallow it. Surgery is a possibility but he had said it's a very difficult surgery since that's a very hard bone to join together, so it's better to put as less pressure on it by feeding her this way and just waiting it slowly heals on its own.

Fingers crossed! Hope this experience will help other cat owners with cats having these kind of injuries. The survival rate is high, but they usually die within 24 hours.

 

What an ordeal. I've know other people who have done the assisted feeding with the syringe and the main thing is to take it slow. The same is true of a feeding tube. The Royal Canin is probably almost the same as the Hills. She is young so she will heal faster than an adult cat.

 

Well we're not really aiming for the throat, but this is very stressful, since we're trying to avoid getting the food in her injury, and on the other hand she's so hungry, poor thing is just hogging it down and biting on the syringe. We will TRY feeding her half the can (for her weight), and the vet told us to mix it with water so it would run down smoothly. Saying that eating this way can be dangerous for the wound (slowing down the process of healing). Besides, she keeps grooming herself.

I will definitely ask about the tube. I'm scheduled tomorrow for another round of antibiotics, so will definitely ask him. We keep practicing but when we feed her it squirts into her mouth, because she moves suddenly and scares us we will jab it into her injury. This is probably the worst thing I had to do in my life :/

 

Well we're not really aiming for the throat...

but this is very stressful, since we're trying to avoid getting the food in her injury

and on the other hand she's so hungry...biting on the syringe

it squirts into her mouth, because she moves suddenly and scares us we will jab it into her injury.

And, imagine trying to "aim" with all that going on! Sooooo hard.

I showed you some good visuals last night - in that skull video. It might help your aim if you can visualize the structure of the back corners of the mouth again. Remember, what you are seeing is the top, the roof of the mouth...look at the back corners and notice how there's a curvature there, a natural structural corner. That's your target. There are two shots of those areas in the video: 1. at 1:40 into it and 2. at 5:07 All you need is a few seconds to 'take in' the image:

A couple of thoughts:

• start feeding before she gets really hungry
• put a smaller amount in the syringe - less danger of choking
• get several more syringes from the Vet, so you won't keep her waiting while you refill

...Besides, she keeps grooming herself.

Well, she does want to look "presentable"

How about some some extra brushing for her?

I will definitely ask about the tube.

I was thinking of something I read here on the forum years ago...it was a post by a Vet specialist, and he said 'I would prefer that a Vet do something they have experience with, rather than ask a Vet to try something new'. You know, if this Vet hasn't done tubes before, maybe he knows another doctor who has experience. Or, is there a Vet school anywhere near you? .......just a couple of thoughts.

This is probably the worst thing I had to do in my life.

I know that my own experience was just that....but, I think it was my outcome that made it that way. I believe, if my cat would have 'made it', I would be feeling very differently about it today.

Khalee, think about this: you are helping her to eat, assisting her over a large bump in the road.

And...every time you help her, it IS getting better...and easier. She'll gradually relax and it will become a bonding time for you both.

We're all here for you, Khalee...and sending lots of Calm Energy your way!

 

I tried assisted feeding with Patches and I found it very stressful too. He didn't want to eat so it really was forced feeding. This poor little kitten doesn't understand anything that's going on other than something isn't right with her mouth and she's hungry.

 

Khalee, as hard as it is to stay calm, this is when your cat needs all the Calm Energy it can get! Act like you know what you're doing (even if you don't right now!) As strange as it sounds, it works! Your little cat will feel reassured and help calm her down...
I know that Feeling, when you're afraid that you might cause more pain/harm!
You have to get past that for her sake!

I am definitely in agreement with Stryker, have the Vet put in a feeding tube!
It will be easier on her, she'll get the food she needs to heal and keep other potential risks from happening!

Khalee, you guys Can Do This!!
Sending Prayers and Hugs ♡♡♡

 

It's actually a good sign that she is grooming. A cat that feels really bad doesn't groom.

 

The grooming thing after eating has to do more with instinct then well being.

In the wild the cats always clean themselves of any scent of food in order to avoid predictors.

It's one of those things like some cats will scratch at the floor trying to cover their food.
Institutionally they feel it has to be done. Rational thinking isn't on the radar screen.

 

I think the fact that she is Hungary And Grooming, is a very good sign!
Cats actually groom for a number of reasons...And its when they Stop, that you have to really start worrying. ..
It means they've given up.
This little cat is going to make it!! Period!
She has owners who are caring and will get her through this...
And they have us for Support!
Prayers and Hugs ♡♡♡

 

Any updates? How are you all doing?
We're all pulling for you!

 

Hi Khalee,

My heart was breaking when I read this post - what you both must be going through at this point, but with all the comments it sounds like you have a good handle on this and I'm confident that little kitty is going to be just fine. Keeping you in my thoughts - bunches of hugs to you two!!!

 

Sorry sorry, I'm a bit exhausted. The stress finally caught up on me, and now my hubs is sick, hahah, we are really on the roll! But we got a hang of feeding her, it takes us longer but it's worth it. We feed her every couple of hours, because she lost some weight, at least looks like it. Plenty of water, chicken soup and Recovery for our precious bean. The vet was ecstatic that she pulled through these 48 hours, and can't believe how good she looks now. He said to keep up with what we're doing, reassured us she won't choke if we apply the food carefully in the side of her mouth. She yawned so I managed to get a look inside her mouth, it looks like it's healing.

But, she's limping a lot, since her hind leg is pretty beat up. Today she even managed to sit three times for few seconds what was a REALLY great feeling. The vet said she has soft tissue damage but it should heal if she just rests and continues taking antibiotics and vitamins he's giving her every day now. The prognosis is positive, but there are still possibilities for complications. We're monitoring her constantly, because now she's gotten bored and wants to move. We let her move a bit, because we're sure she's the best judge how much she can take. That's good to see she has the energy.

Uh, so thank you everyone for helping out with your positive thoughts! It's truly a miracle she lived through such trauma. But it's not over yet.

 

Fingers crossed for her. As you say, you're over the initial hump but there may be some speed bumps down the road a ways. I really hope she continues to improve, you are doing a GREAT job with her.

 

Oh, THAT has to be just the greatest news!

Honestly, I have the biggest lump in my throat that I can remember.

And, what's this??????? Now you have TWO PATIENTS to look after?

I think that hub of yours is just jealous of all the attention that someone else is getting. Best advice: just IGNORE him........then, you'll see how sick he really is!

Just a caution for you.....I'm not sure I'd be letting her be the judge of how much she can take........kittens, after all, are not the best judge of a lot of things............look what she did to herself! Kidding aside, they are just bundles of energy.......quite qwazzzzy, really.

OK........now, who has a camera in your house? We deserve PIX !

 

OK........now, who has a camera in your house? We deserve PIX !

Your comment about my husb seeking attention brought a hearty laugh on my part! :thumb
And for that, you deffo deserve few pics! You'd never tell she just went through a major trauma. We haven't taken any photos when she looked bad, we didn't want any memories reminding us of this.

She's still limping, we still have to feed her, but her playful spirit is definitely back. Antibiotics are still in order, and I can't even express how happy we are she made it through. Hopefully it will continue that way, and her hind leg will heal. Can't wait to play with her, she desperately needs her toys back rcat