How could my cat have hurt her mouth?

[wednesday13]

My cat's just come in with a lacerated tongue and jaw (well back in the mouth), blood all over her front paws and looking very poorly.

This happened a month or so ago and we suspected a mousetrap, but all the neighbours said they don't use them. That time it was several hundred pounds to treat her and she had 3 damaged teeth taken out.

What on earth can have caused it? She's old and doesn't go out much, just a little turn around the garden early evening. She might nibble some grass or drink from a puddle. There are high fences all round. I have walked right around the garden and can't see any hazard at all. I'm worried now that to happen twice is more than random.

And is it OK to give her some water by syringe since she doesn't want to drink and last time she got dehydrated before we got her to the vet?

[wednesday13]

By the way she will be down the vet as soon as they open tomorrow, no doubt of that.

[Northernlurker]

Are you worried some person has attacked her? I can't think what else it would be tbh. Hope she is ok.

[wednesday13]

Not unless one of my kindly retired neighbours is an evil animal maimer in disguise. We live in a country village, it's not like there are people hanging about.

[Lizcat]

By far and away the most common cause of this type of injury is actually a road traffic accident, the next is licking an empty food can. Mousetraps tend to cause crush injuries rather than lacerations. I would be asking my neighbours to make sure all their recycling tins are bagged up safely.

[Ormirian]

Barbed wire? Could she have got caught up in some?

Sorry to hear about your poor mog.

[scurryfunge]

I was thinking tin can or broken glass -she has probably been at someone's rubbish bag.

[wednesday13]

Thanks very much. We wonder whether she could have bitten her own tongue because she does get agitated when bits of food get stuck where her teeth were taken out. But I will fingertip search the house/garden for any sharp things - she might have tried to drink water from something. The vet said there wasn't any other injury so hopefully not an RTA - she can't get to the road without travelling 3 gardens or getting over a six foot fence, and she is nearly 16!