Should I get my cat's teeth cleaned?

Question

She is 13, it'll cost $238, money isn't an issue, more worried about her not making it through the cleaning and coming out of it. She is in great health. Any advice?

I think sally should be put to sleep, *******!

Answer 1

Definitely. That's slightly more than I pay for my cats who are also in their "teens". Bacteria from plaque can be shed into the cat's digestive system and make its way to other organs in the body. When cats get older they may begin to lose some kidney function so you don't want anything in their system that can affect the kidneys adversely.

Dry food does not "clean the teeth" and of course canned is not good for teeth either. I use a raw diet with ground meat and that is just as bad. The only thing that really keeps a cat's teeth in the best shape is chewing on bone and chunks of meat - that's the way nature keeps cats' teeth is great condition.

So even with a good diet most cat owners do not reach this ideal - though many raw feeders do.

Even my old cat had her teeth cleaned annually under anesthesia every year from age 15 to when she died at 22 and 1/2.

Answer 2

Absolutely! There are always risks when a pet is anesthetized and they do increase as pets get older, but by performing the preanesthetic labwork to make sure she can handle the anesthesia, monitoring her during the procedure and using safe, gas anesthetics, the risks are greatly reduced. We see SO few anesthetic deaths compared to the past. In fact, I can't even remember the last patient we lost on the table. It just isn't as risky with the newer anesthetic protocols.

Dental health is very important, especially to older cats! The bacteria that live in the mouth that cause the plaque, tartar and bad breath spread throughout the body through the blood vessels lodging in the heart valves, kidneys, liver, etc causing infections and damage. Especially with cats, kidney problems are always something to worry about. Keeping your cat's teeth in good health will help prevent these other problems, help her keep her teeth, help reduce pain and inflammation in her mouth and make her feel better all over.

So, in short, the risks of anesthesia are less than the risks of complications from the dental disease.

If she has severe periodontal disease, please remind your vet about antibiotics. Many vets do not prescribe antibiotics with teeth cleaning, but when the teeth are cleaned, lots of blood vessels are opened up and the gums are irritated from the cleaning and infection that was there, the bacteria is stirred up and flushed into the blood stream and it's important for an animal with severe periodontitis to also have antibiotics with a cleaning.

Answer 3

If shes in good health and the vet doesn't see a problem, then you should have her teeth cleaned, especially if there's a lot of tartar buildup and plaque. There could also be some decaying teeth that you don't know about. Bad dental hygiene can lead to other problems like heart and kidney problems.

There's always a risk when being put under anesthesia, for humans as well as animals, but that shouldn't stop you from having them taken care of.

Answer 4

First of all, congratulations on taking such good care of your cat! It's obvious that you are a very loving and concerned owner, your cat is very lucky to have an owner like you that is willing to consider taking care of her teeth and her over all health.

From my anesthesia class last semester:

There are several blood tests and potentially some urine tests to confirm the health status of your cat that your Veterinary Doctor will run prior to administering the necessary medications.

The medications that are used are considered fairly safe, even for senior / elderly cats.

And I believe the benefits out weigh the risks in every extent and manor for every reason.

However, having said all of these things, any animal can go at any time while they are under the Isoflorane/Sevoflorane that is used. Our pets can ultimatly just expire regardless of how many blood tests, urine tests, x-rays and ultra sounds we run prior to the procedure.

There can be little or no warning prior to complications arising, but the frequency of complications is very rare.

I would encourage you to take your cat in and have their teeth done.

Since your cat is older than 10, there may be some precautions, and thorough blood tests that you may want to ensure that the vet perform for maximum safety.

I hope you don't decide to euthanise your cat, it seems she still has a lot of good years ahead of her!

Talk to your vet thoroughly before making such a heavy decision, there may be some alternatives!

Answer 5

If its been a while since you have had them cleaned get it done.

As with any surgery there are risks but if your cat is healthy the risk is quite low.

I hate to admit it but I had a cat that I didn't watch his teeth very well and they ended up getting real bad. When the vet cleaned them he had to remove 3 of them which made it hard for him to eat.

Now I make sure that I check them once in a while and I also have my vet look at them each year.

Answer 6

Have it done. She'll be much more happy. Have the doc do a blood test just to make sure she'll handle the anesthesia OK.

I have to take my 8 year old in to have that done too. The vet says they could lose teeth and get all kinds of infections if it's not done, so that is worth the risk in my opinion.

Answer 7

If she's in good health otherwise, cleaning her teeth will help keep her that way. Most vets are very good about advising you if they think there will be a problem, and will do blood tests and so on to make sure there isn't a pre-existing condition.

Good luck!

Answer 8

getting your cat's teeth cleaned is a grea idea! Especially if you can afford it. My sister has an older cat who's teeth are terrible. She needs to have 4 pulled my sister can't afford it though. I would say get them cleaned and your cat will thank you. As for coming out of i, Im sure she will be fine if she really is in great health.

Answer 9

I understand your concern. 13 isn't real oild but it would make me concerned, too. I would call your vet and tell them you want to get your kitty's teeth cleaned but her age has you worried. If you're still not comfortable with it after talking to him, I would get another opinion. If it turns out you can't get it done, at least brush her teeth on a regular basis. I brush my cats' teeth once a week.

Answer 10

She won't be in great health if her teeth are bad and she doesn't get them taken care of. Kidney and heart problems are common in cats with bad dental disease.
Todays anesthesia is pretty darn safe and they do not have to be as deep as they do for surgery.
Have it done.