Cat has very bad marked tartar?

Question

I was told I may need to put my new, adopted cat under anesthesia and get a cleaning done because she has such horrible marked tartar, how much does this usually cost, and is it safe for her? I have been brushing and giving her Greenies, but her teeth were so bad when I adopted her I think this may be my only option. Thanks in advance!

Ynot - Thanks for the info on Greenies, I had no idea! Are there any resources for that?

Answer 1

I'm glad you asked this because I'll likely need to have it done to both cats in the near future!

I thought I'd chime in on your cat's future dental care. It's GREAT that you're brushing her teeth! I have failed to do this myself.

In addition to that there are a few other things you can try or look into.

1. Fragaria. This is some type of substance related to strawberries that is supposed to help prevent the formation of tartar. People use it and it has been suggested that it could benefit cats as well. I have not been able to find enough information about it to try it, though. But maybe you'll have better luck, especially if you happen to know any holistic people!

2. So-called dental treats don't do much good. There is one out there that may actually have some benefit - C.E.T. Dental's dental treats. The reason they're supposed to be beneficial is because the cat is required to chew them - they're large enough that they can't be swallowed whole, and they need to shred through the outer layer. But I'm not a big believer in treats for treats sake, so I personally wouldn't bother with these.

3. Dry food - doesn't keep teeth clean.

4. There are other supplements you can give your cat. C.E.T. Dental has a product that you add to the water, and I am using this myself. The cats don't mind it at all but they unfortunately don't drink much water since they eat canned food. I probably won't reorder this because of that.

There are two other supplements I know of, and both are added to the food. They're in powder form. Wysong's DentaTreat is one, and the other is called Plaque Off (something like that). I've seen the latter for sale at my cat food store, but I had just happened to buy the Wysong product previously. It smells like the cheese you get in those Kraft mac & cheese boxes.....supposedly cats like the taste. Mine aren't overly crazy about it though. It also contains probiotics which are good.

Chicken necks - 2-3 vertabrae per week. You can offer raw or lightly cooked - nuked for a few seconds or lightly boiled. These are the only bones which are still safe for cats after they've been cooked - instead of splintering they crumble. My cats don't know they're carnivores and so turned up their noses at these, but it might be worth trying. I'm going to buy another one and try rubbing it with food they love....

And last, I'll link you to the research I've done on dental health. There may be items of interest there for you.

But really - if you're able to brush her teeth, I think you're already doing the best thing possible!

Answer 2

One of our cats had this done recently & it was a fairly quick procedure. The process didn't upset him & we don't think his mouth was sore afterward. He's about 10 years old now (the shelter's estimate-- we adopted him 6 yrs ago).
The cost various depending on your vet so it might be best to call around. Brushing your kitty's teeth will help prevent tartar build-up in the future. Just like with humans, dental problems in cats can contribute to other health problems.

Answer 3

Yes it is safe they will run a few test to make sure she or he is ok to put under did you know bad teeth in dogs or cats can make them very sick its hard on there heart and kidneys . You didnt say where you live if you are in the USA call VCA pet hospital they can give you a free quote.

http://www.vcapets.com/index.htm

If this wont work call your local vet

Good luck oh and DON'T feed any animal you love Greenies they have killed way to many animals they get lodged and they dont break down get dental chews with the enzymes that will break down in there system..
good luck

Answer 4

I don't know where you are located, but the small local vet clinic I worked in would charge about 130.00 US dollars for this procedure. This would include pre-anesthetic blood testing, which is like preop bloodwork for people. I recommend having this test done before any anesthetic to make sure everything is functioning properly internally. It helps to better assess the risk of anesthetic. With any anesthetic there is always a risk to consider. Even with perfect pre-an blood results, just like with people and anesthetic. If your cat has marked tarter than it would be a benefit to get the procedure done. They usually use a dental tool to scale it off. It will improve your cats oral health, breath, chances of keeping teeth longer and help to prevent infections which can enter the bloodstream and affect the entire body.
Best of luck