My 8 yr old cat may need all of his teeth pulled - has anyone else had this recommendation from a vet?

Question

I have two brothers and only one has this issue (the other brother is allergic to his vaccinations, but that is another story). Apparently his gums are rejecting his teeth and they are red and swollen. Vet says he was born with this. We have tried the OraVet gel but it is too painful to apply twice a day. We have also tried steroid shots which worked on a temporary basis. They also no longer work. The vet says that the only option is to remove all of his teeth. I think that would be a great ordeal to put an 8 yr old cat through. Does anyone know of any other options, or has had a cat that has been through a similar situation?

Thanks to all who offer serious answers!
:-)

Thanks for some great answers. While I investigate the options, I will put this up for a vote. Too hard to choose! Again, thanks!

Answer 1

One of my aunts cats needed to have their teeth removed. The surgery went well and the recovery process took some patience.

Be sure you have a couple of days to spend with the guy so he can get the proper care. He most likely will need MAJOR help eating, and he might not even eat so try to blend the food to liquid as best u can and set it in a bowl. Unless you use a bottle with KMR Milk, he might have trouble eating on his own.

Also be sure that the meds he takes will not contribute to a loss of appitite. The meds my aunts cat affected his appitite and he was really down and out of energy within 3 days.

Also have your vets number habdy in case there are any problems afterwards.

Also note Monitor him while eating!!! this might need to be done at least 2 weeks after surgery.


Good Luck!!

Answer 2

If he's eight, he's only middle-aged. He's not a YOUNG cat, but he's also not old, either. He could easily have another good 8 years in him.

I haven't had this situation, but I do have this one. I have a mama-cat who found me last year, pregnant, and gave me a houseful of kittens (3 of the little monsters I still have - now 10 mos. old!) The momcat has lost all but one of her fangs. The vet said it was probably due to poor nutrition when she was on her own, coupled with the drain on her body during pregnancy. However, she seems to eat just fine - even dry food. She's adorably snaggle-toothed right now, and I'm ultimately going to have to have the final fang pulled, and because her gums are bad, she may eventually lose the rest of the little teeth, too. Personally, I think if he's in pain, get the teeth removed. Bad teeth can cause lots of other health problems - serious ones to the heart, kidneys, liver, etc. -- so it would be better to get your baby OUT of pain and out of harms way re: dental issues. As long as you're willing to make sure he gets food in a soft diet, he'll be just fine. He may look a little funny like a toothless old man kitty, but as long as you keep loving him like crazy and tell him how pretty he is, he won't mind all that much!!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Many cats have a great many teeth pulled when they reach an advanced age. Infected teeth are very painful and they can't get root canals or caps. My cat, who lived to be 18, had many teeth pulled.

With so many excellent canned and pouch cat foods on the market, it shouldn't harm its quality of life any.

Many older cats suffer greatly from the failure to pull teeth. Some vets are nervous about putting them under anesthesia, especially if they don't like their blood tests.

A vet can recommend the best foods for its condition.

You can nonetheless visit or phone another vet if that would help.

Answer 4

my cousin is a vet and she has described a similar situation and i say. yes he maybe allergic to his teeth i have heard it before. after the teeth are gone he will have to eat only soft food but his pain will be gone as what is causing him pain is his allergic reaction to his teeth i say do it you may still have 10 years left in the cat yet.

goof luck

Answer 5

I would check with another vet. I've never heard of this situation before and wouldn't rush into action until I was certain there was no other way.

And to the person who says kill it, who likes cats anyway...you sound like a nutcase.

Answer 6

sounds like this is the only option, but you might want to get a second opinion

Answer 7

kill the cat