A Cat And His Bath

Here's our sweet, deaf cat Snowball getting an unwelcome bath with the help of Kathryn.  Snowball has had a recurring case of oral stomatitis, and the strain he has of this infection unfortunately doesn't respond to antibiotics.  Pulling the teeth has turned out to be the only permanent 'cure.'  We've had three other cats go through this and the oral surgery is the only thing that's worked. 

Snowball has had two rounds of surgery to remove teeth, and now only has his front canine teeth left.  Our vet said she left those intact because they weren't infected, and since the canines are directly connected to the jaw bone, trying to remove them when they are healthy could lead to a break in the jawbone itself.  And THAT would be a major medical problem.

After the last surgery he really started to bounce back, but in the last week his mouth has become inflamed again.  Once this happens, cats with stomatitis begin to ooze icky stuff from their mouths, they paw at their faces, and basically it gets all over them.

So this afternoon Kathryn helped me give Snowball a bath.  Bless his little heart, most cats will try to climb right out of the sink and up the wall (or up your face if it's closer), but not Snowball.  He is so gentle and mellow, he pretty much sat in the sink and rarely even squirmed.  I think he made one half-hearted attempt to get out.

I suspect his stomatitis has finally migrated to his canines, which means they may have to go, too.  We'll take him back to the vet this coming week and find out what our next step is.

You can read his original story here.

(Click on photo for larger image.)

Comments

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

I just love the contrast between the sweet expression on Kathryn's face and the "you are on my last nerve" one on Snowball's. One's pleasure can be another's torture. Poor Snowball, we hope he's recovered, and feeling much better now.

[Heidi]

No teeth? And a bath on top of it? How undignified for a cat! What a sweet, sweet thing. What is the latest on his condition? Do they need to remove the canines? Can they do it safely now? Will it affect his health or quality of life? Poor thing. He's sooooo lucky to have such a great place to finally live, and with people who care so very much about him!

[Nina]

Snowball, I admire your patience! You look soooo cute in this photo! Here's hoping that the vet will offer treatment that will give you comfort!

[ginger & Tobias (the greythound)]

The difference between Kathryn's expression & Snowball's is priceless. Kathryn looks like she's just having the time of her life & poor Snowball looks like she's just about on her last nerve! That would make a great poster for the various moods in the daily life of the RDR.