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Severe Tooth Pain

Ralph, a senior Snowshoe Siamese mix, is suffering from a severe case of feline tooth resorption. It’s intensely painful, and his veterinarian says the best way to stop it is dental surgery that will likely require removing all of his remaining teeth.

Over the last couple of months, Jacqueline noticed Ralph’s teeth were disappearing. First a canine was gone, and she assumed it might be age-related. Then another tooth fell out last week, and it was clear something was seriously wrong.

Around the same time, Ralph became unusually agitated and started peeing outside the litter box. Jacqueline now believes he’s been trying to communicate how much pain he’s in. Ralph’s vet has prescribed at-home oral morphine to help manage the pain until surgery. But this is not a long-term solution. The source of the pain has to be removed, and the sooner Ralph gets dental surgery, the sooner he can eat and rest comfortably again.

Jacqueline adopted Ralph from the Baldwin Park shelter about 10 years ago, when he was already a senior and no one wanted him. She couldn’t stop thinking about him—his cross-eyed blue eyes, his little jack-o’-lantern nose, and how sweet and vocal he was. When they met, Ralph chose her, and she took him home.

Jacqueline recently retired after more than two decades teaching third grade. She’s also been navigating life alone since her husband passed away in 2023. She’s devoted to her animals and does everything she can for them, but the cost of a major dental procedure for a senior cat is more than she can cover on her own.

Ralph’s condition is treatable, and cats can do very well after full-mouth extractions. Once the painful teeth are removed and his mouth can heal, Ralph should be able to eat comfortably and feel like himself again. Estimate below, click to enlarge: