Kitty Dentist

[Aslanda]

Has anyone had to take their senior kittens, ages 7 yrs & up, to have their teeth cleaned of tartar, etc? When I took my two 12 yr young kittens for their yearly exam. My vet suggested that they get their teeth cleaned, as they had quite a bit of tartar on their back teeth.

When they were younger, the 1st few years of their lives, they allowed me to brush their teeth. But as they got older, they lost their patience.

Since they have never had a dental appointment, & due to their age, I would like your thoughts on whether to make an appointment with the vet for this. How did your cats handle the visit, recovery from the anesthesia, etc

[angieh]

Hi Aslanda - cats' teeth do tend to be problematic. Merlin has had a dental in the past under anaesthetic and had, if I remember rightly, a couple out and a scrape and polish (bit like a visit to the hygienist for humans).

Really it's the anaesthetic that can cause the problem, but if you are at all worried about it, get your vet to do a blood check beforehand which (and I don't know the details) can warn of any contra-indications to anaesthetic for the cat.

It certainly improves their quality of life - my OH has had toothache now for 6 days - he's on antibiotics and painkillers but he has to wait until next Thursday (not today) to have the offending tooth out. Cats with toothache must feel totally miserable.

Talk to the vet but I'd go ahead with it for their sake.

[Amber]

We perform dentals almost every day on cats at the practice - from a simple scale and polish to removing nearly all of the teeth. Your main worry would be the anaesthesia. As Angie has said, a pre anaesthetic blood test can be performed to check for problems such as kidney and liver damage, and this will also check for things such as anaemia and infection. Being older cats your vet may suggest that they go onto IV to support them through and after the operation.

It really does give them a happier life, it's much like you having a constant toothache and it being painful every time you bite into something.

The gums will likely be sore for a couple of days following the surgery, and so soft food should be given but normal diet could be resumed after that.

As for how the cats handle the visit, depends entirely on the cat itself. Some cats couldn't care less, others get themselves worked up in the hospital environment.

Personally if it was me I would go for it :)

[Aslanda]

Thank you SO much Angieh & Amber, for the excellent advice. The appointment for Smokey Bear & Little Heart (age 12 yrs young) is not until the end of August. And then at that time, I will make the appointment for the two 7year olds for the end of September, as that is when their yearly check-up is due. Thank you again.