Turning Toni Toothless

Meet Reese’s Antoinette Puffington, former foster and sweet girl. Miss Toni was originally a foster in the process of adoption but was diagnosed with stomatitis, a disease that causes her immune system to attack the plaque on her teeth, causing severe inflammation. At that point she became a resident cat with my mom because we did not feel comfortable adopting out a cat with medical issues that severe.

Stomatitis in cats can cause severe pain, which can lead to the cat not eating or grooming—this is the stage that Toni is at. Some relief can be found from steroids and pain medication, but this relief is temporary.

The best treatment option is removal of the teeth and, unfortunately, at four years old, Toni is at this point. She has had all of her molars and premolars removed but now needs her canines removed as well. Not eating is not sustainable for anyone, and with her teeth removed and inflammation down, Toni will be able to eat again pain-free. She currently fears the food dish and spends most of her time hiding, with drool flowing down her chin. It is not fair for her to live like that, so we are trying to raise money to help cover her surgeries and get her back to a good quality of life. When she is not in pain, she is the sweetest cat, who loves to sit in your lap and be pet.

We had a quote several years ago to finish Toni's extractions, but prices have gone up. As of recently (May 6th) checking with a veterinary dental clinic has given us a quote of about $5000, which doesn't include blood work or her monthly pain meds. Job situations and personal health matters prevented us from finishing work on Toni's mouth in the fall as we had intended. Trying to save up while also keeping her comfortable has been extremely hard, so we are turning to a GoFundMe in the hopes we can help her live a better life.