Biting Back: Specialist Surgery Allows Young Cat to Finally Open Her Mouth
Nyx, an 11 month old domestic short-haired cat, was recently referred to Dental Specialist José Almansa-Ruiz at Bristol Vet Specialist’s Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery department after the referring vet was unable to open Nyx’s mouth in order to intubate her for her spay procedure. Along with severe Gingivitis and Halitosis, it was also noted that Nyx’ suffered from a malocclusion type 4 in a side-to-side manner, causing her canine teeth to touch against each other.
Nyx’s owners reported that she had been a healthy indoor cat, with no history of trauma. She was able to lap food and groom through an opening on the side of her mouth, but she was not able to chew.
The Diagnostic Imaging team at BVS immediately took a CT scan of Nyx's head which revealed that the bones forming her left temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were abnormally fused, locking her skewed jaw in place. It's believed that Nyx might have been bitten by a dog as a very young kitten, resulting in a fractured TMJ and subsequent bone fusion. The trauma likely disrupted the normal growth of her left mandible, leading to her asymmetrical jaw development.
To restore function, Nyx underwent a left-side TMJ gap arthroplasty to remove the fused bones and enable normal jaw movement. The procedure was not without its challenges, as the inability to open her mouth required the skilled Anaesthesia team to use a flexible scope for intubation, and a sterilised 3D printed model of Nyx’s skull from Gaia Biomodels provided guidance and allowed Jose to perform the surgery with the upmost precision it required.
Post-surgery, Nyx temporarily lost the ability to blink in her left eye due to the facial nerve being stretched during the operation, but remarkably, she was eating on her own the very next day and regained her blinking ability within five weeks. A second surgery followed to address the severe inflammation and loss of tooth support caused by her earlier inability to chew. Several affected teeth were extracted, further improving her oral health. Today, Nyx has made a full recovery and is thriving.
José commented,
“I’m really pleased with the outcome of this particular case. It required a lot of planning and collaboration which resulted in a very successful surgery and has truly transformed Nyx’s life. Her owners have reported a huge change in her personality, as she is now able to be naughty and actually able to bite them.”
Bristol Vet Specialists is CVS’ £13.5M custom-built multidisciplinary referral centre in Avonmouth, Bristol. With uniquely designed facilities, the latest cutting-edge equipment and Specialists in all disciplines, BVS is able to treat anything and everything under one roof.