update on Leia

I titled this post as an update, but realized I'd never posted anything about her to begin with.

Leia had to have a dental done a couple weeks ago, as I had noticed some really bad breath (a telltale sign of dental problems). When all was said and done, she'd had 13 (!) teeth pulled, as well as a cleaning. Her teeth and gums were very poor for such a young cat--she's only 3--so the vet had her tested for Bartonella.  Bartonella, also known as cat scratch fever, is an infectious bacterial disease that can be passed from cats to humans and vice versa.  Apparently it can cause dental problems, and because Leia is so young to have such dental problems, the vet wanted to test to make sure. Good news:  she tested negative.  When I picked her up from the vet after the procedure, the vet tech mentioned that orange cats are known for having bad teeth and gums. I'm not sure if that's a fact, but anything is possible. Which is just wonderful, as I have four orange cats. So far Max hasn't developed any issues; however, Marty, the foster cat, is developing bad breath--he's only one year old! So, he's off to the vet next to get checked out.

Leia went back for her follow-up yesterday and the doc says her mouth looks fantastic.  Although, they noticed she had a lot of wax buildup in her ears. They cleaned them and put some long-acting medication in each ear, so she's all set. She's happy to be home again.