Teeth cleaning - 16 yr old cat

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LRJ

Member Since 2014
Does anyone have any experience with having their "geriatric" cat put under in order to remove tartar buildup? Since Tuffy's diabetes doesn't seem to be the crisis I thought it was going to be, I'm considering finally (vet's been after me for years) going ahead with the "surgery".

I'm worried about having her put under anesthetic, given her age. Although when vet announced the diabetes, he said he was quite happy with her other stats, so that leaves money as the biggest issue. I'm in a big city, so vet bills for major procedures are never cheap.

I know her teeth/gums are starting to bother her, given how much she enjoys trying to clean her teeth with my glasses' frame when they're on my face!

If you've had your older cat go through the procedure, was it worth it?

Lisa
 
Tasha had hers done last year at age 13. I don't know, the vet said she needed it and she survived. Did she need it? Beats me. I do know the vet initially told me for years she needed it and I put it off. One night, she was was making weird paw-gestures at her face and I realized a tooth was dangling. I felt like the worst kitty-bean ever (I feel like that often) when I realized it was a dangling tooth. Now, we usually get her teeth cleaned when the vet recommends it.

Note: she hadn't been diagnosed as diabetic yet for her last (third?) dental. In fact, that was her last non-diabetic testing that we compared her to two weeks ago for her diabetic diagnosis. I think we paid about $400 all-in for her dental work here in Raleigh.

No idea if any of this is helpful. Sharing what I've got.
 
Thanks for the input. I figured, given all the tests due to the UTI and diabetes diagnosis, almost 2 weeks ago, half the financial pain is already over, lol!

I may just bite the bullet, get the buildup removed, and then try to convince my feline princess that getting one's teeth brushed is a pleasant experience...

Lisa
 
Our 14 year old just had a tooth extraction two weeks ago, like you I was so worried sick about putting him under and also he is diabetic. The vet told me as long as his kidney function is normal he should be ok - they normally do a blood work for kidney function before undergoing surgery especially when the cats are old (I'm in australia)
His tooth need to be pulled out because its giving him an infection which is not good for a diabetic cat.

Hope that helps.

Rosie & Chatran
 
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