# Percy's mouth got stuck...OPEN!



## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Last night,after a day tying down loose ends,I was resting up for work-such a quiet scene. So sedate, Percy did one of his big,toothy yawns. There was a CLICK. Don't ask me how,but Percy managed to get his mouth stuck open. I freaked,called the emergency vet clinic,tried to gently apply pressure. Finally he managed to close it, partway. I called off work,made an A.M. appointment,when I woke up this morning he'd managed to close his mouth all the way. I think it's a tooth.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Poor Percy! I hope that the vet is able to help him feel better.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Wow, that's a freaky thing. You said it's a tooth -- do you mean a tooth is the reason his mouth was stuck open in the first place? Or a tooth got injured when he finally shut it?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I have something in common with your cat. When I was sixteen, I yawned and couldn't close my mouth. My mother gave me some gum to chew, but I couldn't, of course. Finally, by the next day, I was able to close it. Ever since then, my jaw cracks every time I open my mouth.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

That happened to me at the dentist last year. Really freaked the hygenist out. I hope your vet can help him, as it was really painful for me for several days after the fact.


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## OwnedByACat (Jan 11, 2008)

Awe, that sounds so terrible! Poor Percy! atback Hope he's feeling better!


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Percy's fine now,but he's going to the vet on Monday! He's still having difficulty eating. Sea Capn's on soft food for the moment. Amazing story Jeanie!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Poor Percy! And poor Jeanie! atback 
You should get Percy some pain meds, Blue. It probably does still hurt him. Poor lil' guy!


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Thanks,G! I had to cancel todays appointment. He's completely back to normal,chewing up and down ,and yawning with no repeat. He still needs to see a vet.


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## OwnedByACat (Jan 11, 2008)

Well, it's great to hear he's doing better!


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## pg0314 (Jul 24, 2005)

Aww, poor kitty. I work in healthcare and I've seen people who've done the exact same thing many times. It's not a tooth problem ... he dislocated his jaw. Sounds like he managed to get it back into place by himself. I'd definitely still take him to the vet just to make sure it's completely back in place.


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## jmsx521 (Sep 18, 2008)

I've heard of a person having to go trough months of therapy from sudden dislocation of jaw. In addition to the pain and trouble, one has to go through the embarrassment of having a jaw that doesn't appear normal to others: so, I can imaging you'd try to hide as well.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Percy's having problems with his jaw again. When he yawns,it takes him 3 tries to close his mouth.

OT When I'm irate, aren't my posts kinda Quenten Tarantino?

'You know what cats call a Quarter Pounder with cheese?' 

rcat 

-mine!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

This happen when the jaw pops out of the socket, and it can become extremely painful if left untreated or improperly treated. Your description of what happened and how and the after-effects fit this diagnosis perfectly. I have no idea how it's handled it a cat. In a human, basically the jaw has to be stretched back out in then back into the socket. There's a kind of a disc in there between the jawbone and the socket that allows movement which can get out of place, either causing this, or resulting from it. In a human this can cause chronic problems. The jaw needs to be immobilized with a splint until the disc works its way back into place, and the stretched ligaments return to normal. 

Google "TMJ" - Tempromandibular Joint Disorder (not sure if that's spelled right)

ETA - I had some thoughts on how this might be treated in a cat: a muscle relaxant - to relax the joint and allow it to work its way back into place, and a tight muzzle - to prevent yawning. Another idea might be a pet chiropractor, though there aren't too many of those around, yet.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Well,tomorrow,Percy goes to the vet,so well get to the bottom of this. It will be interesting to find out what's going on. Thanks for the feedback,and I will faithfully keep you posted!


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