Pulling teeth? Worth the cost, recovery?

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LaurenandGouda

LaurenandGouda

Member Since 2018
Our non-diabetic cat Alfie (yellow tabby, 8 years) has never had the best teeth. He’s always had stains (particularly on the lips and gums). It didn’t ever seem like a problem for him. I’m sure it was, but he never showed us that. Now, we notice the smell coming from his mouth when he grooms himself a couple feet away. And, he is beginning to drool. He drools for the most part when we pet him. He never used to be a happy drooler though. I’m almost certain the drooling is related to his poor teeth and gums. He’s my (generally) healthy cat, and the most cuddly being I’ve ever known. Do any of you have experience with getting your cat’s teeth pulled? I’ve read that it’s very expensive - I fear it is what has to happen. I’ll be making an appointment for at least a cleaning and consultation in the new year. How was your experience? Do you feel it added years to your cat’s life? I just want Alfie to be happy and comfortable/pain free, and I want to be able to cuddle with him without needing to shower the drool and stink off afterward. Thanks for any advice.
 

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PLEASE take that baby to the vet! Issues with their teeth greatly affect their overall health and can cause them great pain. Cats are very good at hiding pain, but if his teeth have been bad a long time... so much so that they smell and he drools... he has probably been in a lot of pain for quite some time. He needs to have x-rays to determine what is going on with them. What you see on the visible parts of the teeth is not even half the story. The longer you let it go, the worse it will get. There could be an abscess, it could cause bone infection, it could get up into the nasal cavity... all kinds of things can happen.

I have a lot of experience with extractions because my Willow (16 1/2) has a history of resorptions (something else your cat may have going on). She had several teeth removed many years ago and more removed last year and this year. Mia has also had a few removed. It is absolutely something that should be done when warranted.
 
You asked about the recovery... recovery has always gone fine for my girls. There's a few days of pain and anti-inflammatory meds, and depending on what is found, possibly antibiotics. If your cat is prone to nausea while on meds, Cerenia can help with that. You ask if it is 'worth' the recovery? YES. The recovery is brief compared to months, or more likely years, of pain and associated health issues.

You ask if it is 'worth' the money. To me, that is a bit like asking if it is worth the money to buy insulin for your diabetic. Yes, it is worth it to have a healthy, pain-free baby.
 
FurBabiesMama said:
You asked about the recovery... recovery has always gone fine for my girls. There's a few days of pain and anti-inflammatory meds, and depending on what is found, possibly antibiotics. If your cat is prone to nausea while on meds, Cerenia can help with that. You ask if it is 'worth' the recovery? YES. The recovery is brief compared to months, or more likely years, of pain and associated health issues.

You ask if it is 'worth' the money. To me, that is a bit like asking if it is worth the money to buy insulin for your diabetic. Yes, it is worth it to have a healthy, pain-free baby.
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Thank you for the advice. I suppose what I meant by “worth it” is in reference to some horror stories I’ve read on the internet about babies not recovering well, and owners not having enough money to proceed with additional treatments or extractions. Just awful things. I absolutely do not want my cat to suffer, nor am I the type to just throw my hands up and do nothing about it. I don’t know much on the subject of cat teeth — I feel like I’m just getting the hang of insulin and feline diabetes, so please forgive me if I offended you. I do have an appointment booked for him to see what the issue is. I will take your advice.
 
I agree with @FurBabiesMama. Its definitely worth having done. Bad teeth can definitely negatively affected kitty's quality of life. Spot has had teeth pulled twice now, and both times the recovery went relatively smoothly. I will say, make sure you pay extra close attention to make sure he eats normally after. Spot has a history of anorexia anytime anything in his life changes, and after his very first dental was the first time it presented itself. He lost 2 lbs that time before I realized what was happening.

Good luck! I hope it doesn't cost you a fortune!
 
SpotsMom said:
I agree with @FurBabiesMama. Its definitely worth having done. Bad teeth can definitely negatively affected kitty's quality of life. Spot has had teeth pulled twice now, and both times the recovery went relatively smoothly. I will say, make sure you pay extra close attention to make sure he eats normally after. Spot has a history of anorexia anytime anything in his life changes, and after his very first dental was the first time it presented itself. He lost 2 lbs that time before I realized what was happening.

Good luck! I hope it doesn't cost you a fortune!
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Thank you! It helps just to hear from real folks who have been through it. I will definitely keep a close eye once we get to that point. It helps that I already weigh my diabetic baby regularly, just gotta add Alfie to that rotation. :)
 
FurBabiesMama said:
You did not offend me, and I hope I did not offend you. I just wasn't sure how to answer that question. :)
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I wrote my post so fast and worried that I didn’t really realize the tone. I’m not offended at all. I feel so much better just reading your post. It helps me know I’m doing the right thing by worrying about it and booking the appointments! :)
 
I did both Dusty and my civie Beni this year. Dusty was drooling, bad breath and starting to have issues eating and his BG also started to creep up. The reason he was drooling was several of his teeth were infected. He had 6 teeth pulled and the rest cleaned. After coming home from the vet he was eating like normal and had no issues recovering. They gave me pain meds but I just couldn't pill him and he seemed just fine without the meds. Beni had bad breath I knew he needed his teeth taken care of yet he only needed 1 extraction and the rest cleaned. I didn't get any meds for him and he also was eating that evening with no issues. Now several months down the road they're happy, have fresh breath and I know this is one less thing to worry about. YES it's definitely worth it!!
 
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Dusty Bones said:
I did both Dusty and my civie Beni this year. Dusty was drooling, bad breath and starting to have issues eating and his BG also started to creep up. The reason he was drooling was several of his teeth were infected. He had 6 teeth pulled and the rest cleaned. After coming home from the vet he was eating like normal and had no issues recovering. They gave me pain meds but I just couldn't pill him and he seemed just fine without the meds. Beni had bad breath I knew he needed his teeth taken care of yet he only needed 1 extraction and the rest cleaned. I didn't get any meds for him and he also was eating that evening with no issues. Now several months down the road they're happy, have fresh breath and I know this is one last thing to worry about. YES it's definitely worth it!!
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Wow, that doesn’t seem too bad at all, all parties involved. Strong babies you’ve got there! I hope Alfie and I are as lucky as you and your kitties. Thank you for sharing!
 
Thos had an upper canine extracted (too far resorbed for a root canal) in June...

- Same day surgery, general anesthesia, bonus of getting teeth cleaned.
- A bit groggy and disoriented when we first got home. He couldn't figure out how to eat or drink, possibly because of local anesthetic. But that passed in a couple, three hours.
- Gums will take 10-14 days to heal, so no crunchy food.
- Sutures dissolve or drop out on their own.
- The surgeon said to expect some higher glucose levels for a couple weeks.
- But in the longer term getting the dental work done should reduce BG.

Totally worth the not-so-horrible experience to free him from the pain, especially when the tooth would abscess.
 
My Squallie had all his choppers pulled about two months before we lost him (to cancer, not related in any way to any dental issues). He had FORLS, or resorptive lesions. He was 20 and recovered very well from the surgery. We took him to a veterinary dentist because of his age and a very slight heart murmur. It cost me $4000 and was definitely worth every cent. :):):)
 
I've had many cats in my life and can vouch for all these opinions. Cats are incredible at hiding pain but if you can smell it then the time has come. Think how bad you'd feel if that was you. Cats don't need their canines (fangs) and can do quite well without any teeth at all, you just have to adjust their diet. This is also the best time to have any other teeth pulled that will have to come out sooner or later. It's an added expense now but it's one less time being under full anesthesia.
Just ignore internet horror stories, they're generally exaggerations. It's not a simple procedure but any educated vet can do this and if needed there are dental specialists. The big thing is after the procedure, getting the right antibiotics and making sure your cat has actually swallowed the pill. That sounds so simple but we have one sneaky boy who will cheek his pills and I'll find them all over the house. If you've never pilled a cat before check out YouTube.
FurBabiesMama said:
There could be an abscess, it could cause bone infection, it could get up into the nasal cavity... all kinds of things can happen.
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Not wanting to scare the crap out of you but that is a total possibility. An abscess tooth in a cat or a human can even lead to brain problems on rare occasions. In a cat there's less than an inch between an upper jaw abscess and the brain. Things can go bad very quickly but you're here now and we all want to help. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who needed valium just to have my teeth cleaned and I need nitrous oxide when the dentist shoves his big hairy hand into my mouth. That was when I had teeth, I had 14 come out all at once a few years ago. Somehow Tylenol 3 just didn't cover it. I have Trigeminal neuralgia so my fear of dentists is real.
Finally. We all communicate differently, no one here gets offended by your choice of words. We're not here to make you fell awful or guilty.
Is that a long enough post? I could tell you about my hemorrhoids or ear wax buildup but for now this should cover everything. :rolleyes:
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
I've had many cats in my life and can vouch for all these opinions. Cats are incredible at hiding pain but if you can smell it then the time has come. Think how bad you'd feel if that was you. Cats don't need their canines (fangs) and can do quite well without any teeth at all, you just have to adjust their diet. This is also the best time to have any other teeth pulled that will have to come out sooner or later. It's an added expense now but it's one less time being under full anesthesia.
Just ignore internet horror stories, they're generally exaggerations. It's not a simple procedure but any educated vet can do this and if needed there are dental specialists. The big thing is after the procedure, getting the right antibiotics and making sure your cat has actually swallowed the pill. That sounds so simple but we have one sneaky boy who will cheek his pills and I'll find them all over the house. If you've never pilled a cat before check out YouTube.

Not wanting to scare the crap out of you but that is a total possibility. An abscess tooth in a cat or a human can even lead to brain problems on rare occasions. In a cat there's less than an inch between an upper jaw abscess and the brain. Things can go bad very quickly but you're here now and we all want to help. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who needed valium just to have my teeth cleaned and I need nitrous oxide when the dentist shoves his big hairy hand into my mouth. That was when I had teeth, I had 14 come out all at once a few years ago. Somehow Tylenol 3 just didn't cover it. I have Trigeminal neuralgia so my fear of dentists is real.
Finally. We all communicate differently, no one here gets offended by your choice of words. We're not here to make you fell awful or guilty.
Is that a long enough post? I could tell you about my hemorrhoids or ear wax buildup but for now this should cover everything. :rolleyes:
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I’ve been so worried and emotional about this, reading the insight from you all has made me feel so much better, so thank you. I’m learning so much! Alfie is my cuddle cat, so I’ve been very sad to think that things are getting worse in his mouth. And it’s hard to be near him with the drool and stench, I just brave it anyway and wash everything down. But it makes me sad every time. And now I’m learning just how dangerous this can be. I’m looking forward to getting a procedure scheduled with the vet. Alfie is 8 now. So we still have many years to go, and they should all be pain free! :)
 
Squalliesmom said:
My Squallie had all his choppers pulled about two months before we lost him (to cancer, not related in any way to any dental issues). He had FORLS, or resorptive lesions. He was 20 and recovered very well from the surgery. We took him to a veterinary dentist because of his age and a very slight heart murmur. It cost me $4000 and was definitely worth every cent. :):):)
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I’m sorry for your loss, but glad to hear it was successful dental surgery. I wonder if my vet has a payment plan for costly procedures. Something to look into!
 
Emmitt is 18 years old and has his fangs left and a couple of the little incisor teeth and thats it.

He always had terrible teeth from very young. He had some pulled and lots of them came out on their own between visits. I did not find the pulling horribly expensive, but perhaps his teeth were just super easy to pull. (Obviously they would come out on their own and I wouldnt even notice til the vet visit and count) He basically lost all the teeth that are missing before age 10.

I think dental work is critical to good quality of life for an animal. And Emmitt has been perfectly happy with minimal teeth for most of his life. A LONG life.

His dental work usually cost in the $300-$400 range.

I also just had Pikachu's teeth cleaned and his total bill was around $500 but that included a biopsy of a suspicious nose sore and evaluation of the tissue. So the cleaning would still have been in the $300ish range I would say.
 
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LaurenandGouda said:
@Tom & Thomas @Dusty Bones @SpotsMom @FurBabiesMama did all of you have dental work done at your primary vet? Or did you have to be referred to a specialist?
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Thomas's primary vet would have been happy to do an extraction, and I would've trusted her for this. I wanted, however, to see if there was a chance of saving the fang (upper canine) with a root canal, so I went to a specialist. (I have the good fortune of living just five miles, no stop lights along the way, from the Cornell Vet School's Companion Animal Hospital.)

The tooth was far past salvage but I'm still glad I went to the specialist. The grafting was a bit tricky due to degree of bone and tissue loss. The opposing lower canine was cracked and needed some restorative work, plus he took it down a bit to reduce the risk of lip entrapment.

The tip of that upper canine was already broken off when I first adopted Thomas. If I had known anything about anything at the time, I would have gotten it capped and saved us trouble down the road.

Thomas can still catch his own dinner, even missing a fang.
 
LaurenandGouda said:
@Tom & Thomas @Dusty Bones @SpotsMom @FurBabiesMama did all of you have dental work done at your primary vet? Or did you have to be referred to a specialist?
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I have a dental specialist that I love, so I take my girls to him for all dental work. I prefer the level of expertise and care of a dental specialist, but a lot of people have their cat's dental work done at their regular vet. Many years ago, our primary vet handled Willow's first extractions.

X-rays are so important, so wherever you are going, be sure they are going to take x-rays. And, if blood work has not been done recently, they should do that first, too.
 
We just had a dental done for Lou in November, and I am so glad we did. He had no "obvious" signs of teeth issues. In fact, the vet told us multiple times that he didn't need one at all (we had wanted one for him for a year to see if it would help his BGs). I just thought something was up, and I'm thankful I made the appointment (we just went to our primary vet, whose base price for a dental is $450). He seemed to go downhill prior to the appointment: High BGs, meatloafing, eating on one side of his mouth, and taking longer to finish food. I got a call during the procedure and was told he needed to lose ALL of his teeth. To say that we were surprised was an understatement. Especially for this guy who had no obvious teeth issues. They took most of his teeth (they were afraid of breaking his jaw if they took them all right now). He had root absorption, which means he had almost no roots left, even under those "perfect" teeth above the gum line.

I think anesthesia affects my buddy more than most kitties. He was out, wobbily, drooling, and barely eating the rest of the night after I brought him home. I fed him meat-only baby food and he was able to eat that easily. He slept the whole night locked in our room and his balance was back the next morning. Since he had so many teeth to remove, it took him more like 2 weeks to fully recover. But I am SO glad he did. Not only are his BGs better, he's like a kid again! Playing more and he just seems so much happier. The procedure ended up being $780 or so all together, but that was the only negative. I was personally expecting it to be worse.
 
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LaurenandGouda said:
@Tom & Thomas @Dusty Bones @SpotsMom @FurBabiesMama did all of you have dental work done at your primary vet? Or did you have to be referred to a specialist?
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My primary vet did it. They schedule a date and do several pets the same day; dogs and cats. In my case I was quoted a higher price and it ended up being lower. I believe Dusty was about $550 and Beni $400 which was really good!
 
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LaurenandGouda said:
@Chris & China @Dusty Bones @Amanda and a Loudogg wow that’s affordable. I was thinking it would be in the thousands but I suppose each case and vet are very different. And thanks for the Care Credit suggestion, I had thought of that too. Looking forward to this appointment.
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I'm glad! Don't be afraid to shop around on prices and what's included in the procedure at each practice. There's a great article on the Health Links/FAQs forum about dental procedures HERE. I found what should be included and drafted up emails to send to different vet practices around here. I asked if they had experience with diabetic felines, if they did x-rays, what the costs were, and what was included in their overall procedure. My primary vet practice didn't have the best price, but they had the best price that included everything I wanted without any stupid extras or fees. I wish you the best of luck!
 
Recovery is no big deal. It's definitly pricy but worth it for quality of life!!! My CC has had 5 teeth pulled.
 
We used the Helping Hands clinic in Richmond, VA. Flat rate of $260 regardless of the number of extractions, including antibiotics and painkillers. Wonderful people, excellent service, great results! Recovery was fast, worst thing was getting that pain pill in him, apparently it tasted horrible!
 
Baby had a couple teeth removed & cleaning last year. I did ask that she be monitored (vitals) during the procedure. Absolutely no problems & we caught it before any infection had really set in. Tooth pain is horrible in my opinion & it’s necessary to take care of problems for all around good health. Baby was quite wobbly for the rest of that day, but slept a lot due to the pain meds. Our cost was around $300. I was relieved when we got those yucky teeth out. Good luck & bless you! :bighug:
 
Msbrigitta said:
worst thing was getting that pain pill in him, apparently it tasted horrible!
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My secret for pilling cats is a syringe full of Gerber babyfood in one of the meat flavors. Squirt a little meat paste in, quickly shove in the pill, then squirt some more meat paste in. I always had a hard time swallowing pills myself and always used applesauce or something to help it go down. So I apply the same courtesy to my furry friends. It makes a WORLD of difference, and the meat flavor and consistency prevents nasty tasting pills from dissolving in their mouth.

You can try water if desperate, but you need to be careful not to squirt it in too fast and drown the poor thing. The thicker meat paste works perfectly. Good luck!
 
One thing to note... if she already has infected teeth they may give you antibiotics and you'll see an improvement within days, just don't be fooled that it's all good to go now and don't need the cleaning and extractions. It's temporary and the bad teeth need to come out no matter what or several months down the road you'll be in the same boat again.
 
Lamborghini had 3 teeth pulled a few years ago because they were about to fall out. He recovered just fine, I don't even remember us treating him any differently afterwards, although he must have had some antibiotics, I'm sure. Infected, rotting teeth can affect the cat's entire body and health, so do get them taken care of, it's well worth it.
 
Tanya and Ducia said:
I was told that with a good specialist in San Diego I should expect no less than $6-$7K.
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That is ridiculous! I know prices are high in that area, but that seems absurd. It obviously depends on what has to be done, but I think that even with pretty significant work being done you should get away with a third to a half of that.

Now, I can't wait to see what Tom says.
 
FurBabiesMama said:
Now, I can't wait to see what Tom says.
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For the work I described above, the bill was $1500. That's for the whole shebang of consultations before and after, x-rays, yards of test results, at-home medications, and a super detailed written report. In a full hospital setting -- I even had to sign a resuscitate-or-not form (scary).

Of course this is a teaching hospital, so the surgeon was a resident rather than a seasoned doctor with many years of experience. There is a very well regarded specialist about an hour's drive from here, but my vet said I would get just as good care at Cornell.
 
My Monty's always been prone to not so good teeth and gums, and has had his teeth cleaned and scaled 4 times in his 10 years.

The first 2 times no teeth needed to be extracted, and the last 2 times there was one small tooth that needed to be pulled. The first extracted tooth, done 2 years ago, was cracked down the tooth and the second, which was actually done 3 days ago, had been re-absorbed or whatever the specific term is. Resorption? The tooth didn't like itself so started...doing something.

All 4 times full blood work has been done prior, full X-rays, and he is in recovery for about 4 hours after he first wakes up from the anesthetic.

All times, he has been picked up and is a little dopey but happy and alert. When he comes home he alternates between sleepy and hyper alert. A loud noise outside will make him jump and then he'll nod off again. He tries to jump up onto things and is mostly normal. Any slight wobbles wear off by late that night.

He has always eaten well right away (which is very pleasing though also not a surprise considering he wasn't allowed any food from 10pm the night before and the procedure is done about 9.30am). We feed only wet food and in small portions in case of vomiting or nausea from the general. Luckily, this has never been a problem. I tend to give 3-4 mini dinners that night. No dry food for a few days, which Sir Monty does NOT like as he loves his small servings of biscuits.

The morning after this time, he was quiet and a bit subdued. At the vet (our normal vet, not a specialist) they gave him post procedure pain meds as well as a 14 day antibiotic injection.

He had made a little blanket bed on the floor beside the couch. Still responsive and eating well though. Much to our relief, by the afternoon he was back to his old self and is still doing great.

Follow up back at the vet in 6 days to make sure all is ok.

It is SO worth it. It isn't cheap (even with pet insurance). This time cost $840. But I want my boy to be safe, healthy and happy so it's all good.
 
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