17 Year old cat may need Anesthesia - plaque build up?

Question

I'm really worried about my cat, She is 17 years old and today upon inspecting her teeth because her breath has smelt foul of late I have found a large amount of plaque build up on her back teeth, I have gently tried to remove this myself with a baby toothbrush and so far only a minimal amount has been removed. I need to take her to the vet and I will soon make an appointment. I'm scared that she may need anesthesia to have the plaque removed and as she is old I'm really frightened she might die from complications...

What are the risks with anesthesia in animals and what happens if she has peridontal disease?

Thank you all so much for your answers. They've all been very kind and helpful. Yes I love my cat as I have had her for the whole 17 years I do want what is best for her! I realize that she is getting on and I accept that but she does have some life still in her and I would be absoloutely devastated if she didn't wake up from an anesthesia. Thanks again x

Answer 1

The vet will do blood tests to determine if she can handle Anesthesia. This is not uncommon, so don't worry.

Answer 2

It's the best thing for your little girl. Anesthesia is very safe nowadays. Make sure you take away food and water the night before the procedure. Its safer for them to be fasted that way they don't vomit while under sedation which can be risky if they ate prior to the dental. Then make sure your vet runs pre-anesthetic bloodwork. This makes sure that your cat is healthy enough to handle the anesthetics. If there is a problem in the bloodwork then the doctor can decide upon either waiting on the dental cleaning, using a different anesthetic or giving fluids or special meds to her.

During the dental cleaning, the scale the teeth (remove all the plaque and tartar) and polish the teeth. They might even remove teeth if there are sensetivites around certain teeth. Dental radiographs might be taken depending on hospital protocol (which i highly recommend). Radiographs show if the roots are healthy on teeth that may otherwise be taken out. Then they might put a flouride on her teeth or a product called Oravet. Oravet is a product that acts like a sealent. Then if she had any teeth removed, she should be sent home with antibiotics and pain meds.

If you don't get her teeth cleaned, she will have a very painful mouth and lose teeth that could have been saved. Also bacteria will sit on her teeth in the tartar and plaque and get into her bloodstream and go into her heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. She is a senior kitty but she could live up to 22yrs or so. Do the best thing for her and get the dental done.

Answer 3

First of all, is your cat havin difficulty eating? Do you suspect that she may have developed periodontal disease already? This is painful and if your cat has it, you will notice her twitching her jaw or lips sometimes (in reaction to pain from affected teeth). At any rate, have the vet look into her mouth to asses how bad the teeth are. If she only had gingivitis and a bit of tartar build up, I personally would not risk having her go under anesthesia just to have her teeth cleaned. On the other hand, if she has periodontal disease and some teeth may have to be extracted, then dependin on the blood tests and what your vet advices, it will perhaps be worth chancing the anesthesia. Ask for the safest gas anesthetic and full blood test to cjeck if her kidneys and other organs are functioning well. The heart must also be checked for murmurs or other weaknesses. Dental procedures are elective which means that NOT havin them done will not be immediately life-threatening to the cat. But sometimes it could mean the difference between a quality life and a pain-filled life, so you need to really weigh your options depending on the condition of your senior furbaby. If I were you, I'd go to a vet that specializes in felines only if your cat really needs to have the dental work.

My cat had to have 4 extractions last year and beleive me, I DO UNDERSTAND your trepidations. I called around various vets and asked about their dental protocol... what anesthesia and induction agent they use... what organ monitoirng they do during the actual procedure; etc etc.

Having said all this, if your cat simply has a bad case of tartar build=up on the back molars, you can use the tip of your nail to break them up - a bit at a time on several sittings. Combine this line of attack with brushing the cat's teeth 3 times a day with enzymatic cat toothpaste and toothbrush. I did this with my cat and I was able to reduce the build up quite a bit! However, he broke the tip of his fangs and had periodontal disease in the lower pre-molars, hence the extractions.

Good luck.

Answer 4

They will do a blood work up first to make sure that your cat can handle being under anesthesia. If there are any problems what so ever to make them think that she might not do well, than they more than likely will discuss other options with you.

One of my previous cats had a dental cleaning when he was 17 years old. They did blood work and it was fine. He did wonderful during surgery and had no problems afterwards. They did use a different type of anesthesia, though. I believe it was a gas instead of an injection. I definitely noticed a difference in the after care, too. He seemed to "come out" and return to his normal self much sooner than he had in the past when the other stuff was used.

Answer 5

You won't be able to get it with a toothbrush, she'll need a full dental cleaning, and yes that means under anesthesia. In the long run it's best, since the bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream pretty easily when the gums are inflamed. And that can lead to kidney and heart valve damage. I definitely think she should have blood work done before anesthesia, to make sure her body can handle it. If she's otherwise healthy, it shouldn't be a problem for her. She'll feel (and smell) better afterward. Ask the vet how they monitor anesthesia, you'll feel better after you talk about it I promise-and its OK to be nervous : )

Answer 6

Because of her age, the vet may not want to anesthesize her. I know it's true for older dogs.

I'd try giving her some treat that is harder and would help clean the teeth versus gumming them up. Do they make those for cats?

I have an older dog and a cat that is about 18. Sometimes you have to look at things realistically. Their lives are closer to the end than the beginning. Trama is most times worse than the problem. The cat doesn't understand what's good for her, she just sees it as a tramatic experience. Is it worth it to have her go through the experience? How often would it have to be repeated to be effective?

Sometimes you have to decide what is in your cat's best interest....not what the vet says.

Answer 7

I highly highly doubt any vet in his/her right mind would put a 17 year old cat under anesthesia to remove plaque build up. At this age the only reason they would is if the plaque were causing some type of life threatening disease. If she has some type of periodontal disease they would prescribe something for pain (if any) and just "wait it out".

Answer 8

As she get's older there are more risks.. Are you in California? You can look in to Non-anesthetic dentals for pets then at this website below. If it stinks bad, she may have a mouth infection - probably need to go on anti-biotics.

You cannot get hard calculus off with a brush. You need a sharp sterile instrument. If you are scared to put her under, just let her live her life out with bad teeth... but use an anti biotic in case of infection.

Answer 9

I'm sure you have a capable vet ..he or she will know what to do , its possible they may only sedate her .. but one thing for sure if you don't do something about the teeth it could kill her too ... The teeth can abscess and then there is always the possibility of poison getting into her system from it , not to mention the discomfort of your cat trying to eat .. and she can't tell you she has a tooth ache .. so don't worry your doing the right thing ..

Answer 10

There isn't much to worry about actually :). Have them do bloodwork before the procedure this way you will be able to tell if its posible for your kitty to wistand anasthesia. With older cats normaly its recomended for an IV to be given while they are under anasthesia. Its better to have her teeth cleaned sooner, because all that plaque goes to their saliva and into their circulatory system and to their heart causing more health problems. Wishing you the best of luck!!!