She’s Free!!!
Today, Ida B. has sweet feline freedom again! The appliance that kept her teeth fused together for eight weeks, in order for her jaw to heal after being shattered by a gunshot wound, was removed! Her teeth were separated yesterday, and she can eat normally once again instead of through the little gap between her teeth.
She weathered surgery very well, despite losing a beloved canine tooth, and was eager to eat as soon as she awoke from anesthesia. As you can see from the photo, her jaw is still not quite normal, and never will be, but it is mostly healed and ready for food again! Ida still has to wear a (soft this time) e-collar to prevent her from snagging her teeth on her little sweater when she grooms. Why the sweater? She still has her feeding (PEG) tube because the doctor wants to make sure she eats well on her own before removing the tube. And BOY, is she eating well! The girl wolfs down anything we put in front of her (soft food, of course since her teeth and jaw are still quite sensitive). But nothing stops her - she is so very, very happy to have her mouth back the way it once was.
The PEG tube will be removed next Monday, and she will be spayed and readied for adoption shortly after. Ida will return to the surgeon for a check of her healing progress and then she’s in the clear!
Since coming home from surgery yesterday, Ida purrs nonstop and has lost that air of despair she had those eight long weeks. She rubs our legs as we prepare her a bowl of food instead of a syringe. She meows with her mouth open instead of groaning through fused teeth. And she actively seeks out a loving pet from us all the time. It’s wonderful to see a rejuvenated kitty!
Throughout her recovery, I felt so terrible that she couldn’t understand that her state was temporary. All she knew was that her mouth didn’t work the way she wanted it to. She couldn’t eat the delicious food she desperately wanted, drink the clean water her parched tongue and mouth ached for… Ida didn’t know that this misery would, eventually, come to an end. She just endured. And now it’s over!
This sweet girl has amazed all of us with her tenacity and resilience. Ida B. has earned her name and now we need to find her the perfect forever home. Please contact us if you, or someone you know, is interested in giving Ida B. a pampered life.
