Today I took my cat to the vet for her six month check I was told she needed her last two teeth taken out but the vet is deeply concerned how she would cope with the anaesthetic he said if I go ahead that I should prepare myself for her not coming round . The two teeth are very bad but they have not stopped her from eating she is losing weight but this is due to old age (she is a old lady now she is nearly 21).

I don’t want her lose her as she is still active and I don’t want her hurting anymore than she needs be so I asked the vet cant I just wrap her up in a blanket and hold her while u inject into her mouth and pull the teeth out, I’m prepared to be ripped to shreds rather than risk her not waking up, he said her heart could give out with fright doing this but he is prepared to try as the teeth are rather lose.

Tonight I wrapped her up in a towel and got my older son to keep her mouth open (she didn’t struggle and was calm), these two teeth are very wobbly I swear if I gave them a wiggle they would pop out.

What would you do?

Take the chance putting her under?
Let the vet pull them out while awake while I’m holding her?
Give them a wiggle your self to see if they pop out?

I’t may sound evil but I’m so tempted to try wiggling them myself but worried that I may stress her out. This year so far has been a rubbish year for me it would break my heart if something happened to her

not sure what i would do.. keep a watch on her, and do what you feel is best, you know the cat better than anyone and you'll know if she needs immediate help


oh, and a for you... sorry you are having this rough time with the lil one.

Some [very brave] vets could do this under a local anaesthetic I think But from what I can understand, sounds like tabby won't tolerate a dental syringe to the mouth?

katt said:

hmmm. i dunno what i'd do. i might have a go at them myself since the anesthesia does sound like a risk and the teeth are loose. if she's calm, and trusts you it would be easier on her for you to do it, rather than the vet imo.

but, you'd need at least a few medical supplies on hand. basic stuff, sterile gauze, etc. and the number of an all-night vet clinic if things should go south. ask her how she feels about the matter.

Ohh, I am so sorry you and your kitty are having to go through this.

I don't know if it's possible, but maybe your vet could - instead of putting her totally out to extract the teeth - just give her a strong sedative that will almost knock her out, but not totally. Kind of like the drugs they give people for such procedures as colonoscopies or endoscopies? They call them "twilight" drugs here in the US, because the person are under enough so that one pretty much doesn't recall ANYTHING about the actual procedure, but you are NOT under anesthetic deeply enough so that you require breathing assistance or need to be intubated or anything.

I have no idea if that kind of drug exists for, or would work for, felines, or for your specific situation. I just thought I'd mention it though, because it would seem to me to be a viable possibility? Kitty would be out enough so she wouldn't struggle or stress out, and she wouldnt' remember anything about the teeth being pulled, and yet she wouldn't have to be put completely "out", like a general anesthesia.

Good luck to you and your kitty. I know how it feels to love a pet so much, and be in situations such as the one you are dealing with.

WillyWonka said:

I will call the vet and ask this would be a much better idea thanku

nakedpianoplayer said:

thanku

katt said:

Please let us know what happens, and how your kitty is doing. I'll be thinking of you both.

XxAxX said:

She has never shown no pain she goes out does her thing comes back in and eats and drinks mighty fine so to me these two teeth do not seem to hurt her at all. When the vet first said they had to be taken out I said to the vet I was tempted to just leave them alone until she shows some pain he seemed unimpressed so now I suppose I feel guilty for saying it.

I would NOT put this cat under any form of anesthesia unless the teeth being left in would cause greater risk (highly unlikely in a 21 yr old cat). If the teeth are loose its because of several possibilities, most likely due to root decay/severe gingivitis. This is an issue because the same bacteria that caused the root to decay and gums to receed can migrate through the blood stream and start an infection elsewhere in the body (most typically in the heart). Antibiotics can help lessen the odds of this as well as slowing any infection that may already be present in the gums. I would not recommend pulling the teeth at home. Depending on what teeth they are, the roots can sometimes be as long as the tooth itself. If you leave this diseased root still in the socket you still have the same problem, it just looks better, but will in fact quickly become worse. Not to mention, likely much more painful. I wouldnt recommend sedatives over anesthesia. Sedation is essentially just a lower dose of anesthesia. You still have the same complications A)slowed heart rate/respirations B)impaired liver/kidney function (the body wont be able to break down the drugs and thereby never recover from them). I also wouldnt recommend trying to extract teeth with only a local anesthetic. Dental work on an animal that is not completely anesthnetized is never a good plan. The cat likely already has possibly diminsihed bone density, when you start extracting teeth you are digging into bone. The mandible (lower jaw) is already fairly fragile in a healthy average age cat. That could be a BIG mess just waiting to happen.....If it was my cat, Id make him/her as happy and comfortable as possible for the remainder of their days/weeks/months/years. Extracting the teeth is not going to extend their life (unfortunately). If the vet sees evidence of periodontal disease (gum/root infection) I'd consider antibiotics. But under no circumstance would I put a 21 yr old cat under anesthesia if it was not an immediate matter of life and death...

PurpleHeeler said:

You know when you sit back and reflect all what has been said things start to come together and you remember a lot more of conversations.

1: This wasn’t Demi’s usual vet this was a new one to the practice.
2: When the vet first said they had to be taken out I said to the vet I was tempted to just leave them alone until she shows some pain he seemed unimpressed
3: He was pushing for the operation very hard and kept asking if I had insurance and commenting in how much it would cost.
4: He was open to idea’s yet he had to comment many times in the cost.
5: He didn’t go into detail why the two teeth have rotted away and are lose.
6: He didn’t once comment if it was a life or death matter just saying over and over they had to be taken out and costs.
7: He tried to get me to Identichip Demi again when I said she already has been he checked computer and said yes I see but lets see if it still works then scanned her (it still worked), I’m suspicious of this to me this comes across as if he was attempting to make monies.

I’m in agreement with you PurpleHeeler she is far too old to be operated on and I won’t touch the teeth at all except for the usual monthly cleaning session I’ve always done. She seems happy and with no pain just now I personally think I should just leave things alone and let her tell me when she needs help. I have also decided I’m going to take her to another vet and get a second opinion just to make sure, this way I will know the truth.

thanku you and others have made me see the sense

After almost 12 yrs in and around veterinary medicine I have met and worked with a lot of veterinarians. Most are good hearted genuine people that truly care about the animals they treat. However, veterinary medicine is a business and there are a few vets that are, well, franky.....money grubbing whores....Most try to mix the business and compassion in doses that are good for all involved. Unfortunately, you never think the same of any veterinarian when you end up going to one of the bad ones....

PurpleHeeler said:

Demi’s old vet has retired he was brilliant so very caring and when her other teeth where lose he said they went that way due to old age and that they where best left alone to fall out by themselves and this is what has happened every time. This new vet just kept on going on about operations how much they cost and if I had insurance, I dont trust him he made me feel so horrible for not doing what he said, a second opinion I beleive is needed and if the second opinion is what the retired vet always told me I will go back to that vet and give him what for.

Well, "by the book".....yes, loose teeth need to be extracted...they do more damage than good....however, common sense has to play into it as well....so either he/she is lacking in that department or they are one of the "money grubbers"....

my cats (12 and 15) have each lost a tooth this winter
i know it's because they have bad gums
but good grief they wouldn't even let me look in their mouths to look at where the tooth had been
let alone in there to clean them everyday

if i had another kitten i would make sure it was used to having it's teeth done from day one
but kitty your furry one is a nice lovely old age
and still eating

i have been looking on the internet
and have come to the conclusion that if they are still eating
then you are best to let nature take its course

emm said:

I've made an appointment with another vet today (2:45pm)
emm

how is your kitty? i thought about you guys today while i was clipping some of my birds' toenails and beaks. i'm glad someone with real veterinary skill was able to tell you how to handle the situation.

XxAxX said:

Hiya XxAxX thanku 4 asking.

Went to the vet and was told under no circumstances should Demi be operated on as she is now too frail. When she checked in her mouth one of her teeth fell out she said the other will work its way out. She said her gums have receded and this is why they are falling out and has given Demi antibiotics to be on the safe side, we talked about her diet, she was very happy with diet but did advice to give her vitamins to help boost her. She was overall pleased with her condition and was surprised how calm she was and that we have just to keep doing what we are doing but keep a close eye one her. She did say she will not have long on this planet but as long as she is eating and is happy then let her be and treasure the time we have left together.

When told what the other vet said she said she could ask one of the other vet’s in the practice for a second opinion. I said yes please. An elderly vet checked Demi’s mouth and said exactly what she said and wrote all what they said about her health in Demi’s medical record book.

So that’s the good news.

The bad news is I blew my stack when driving home, I took a detour and headed for that surgery and I stormed into the surgery and asked to see the practice manager and was told he was busy, I create a scene and he soon found the time to see me. Told him what the two vets said ranted big time and that I would be reporting that vet to the royal college of veterinary surgeons. He tried all the persuasion tactics in an attempt to appease me didn’t work, He agreed with me and what the other vets said that Demi was far to old to be operated on and offered my monies back for the consultation, I told him where to stick it and said not to bother changing medical records either as the idiot had written in medical book and signed it. While walking out surgery I noticed it was half full did a little speech about what had happened and said don’t put ur pets life at risk by going to that incompetent money grabbing man

I'm so happy that Demi isn’t in any pain and that we get to share a little longer with each other but I’m still mad as hell with that man

woohoo!!! sooooo proud of you!!!
good for you kitty! omg that was so excellent!


and yes it's great when the org can actually be of some use
yay purpleheeler!

katt said:

i'm very, very fortunate to have found a vet i can trust. when i was breeding birds she even taught my ex-hubby and i how to do simple things like injections, etc. to save us money.

i'm so glad you and your kitty got good advice. hopefully she will live happily, comfortably and easily for a long time to come.

I am glad your kitty is well, and equally glad you have found a vet you are comfortable/happy with. Heres to a long and happy life for the furry one (and you as well, of course )

This might seem to many to be a crule statement.

However much of the time it is more crule to keep an animal alive into old age then it is to


Put that animal to sleep.

MickG said:

but her kitty is healthy and happy
this is different

MickG said:

She is healthy just near toothless, eating, drinking, walking, purring happy & content old lady. Ur comment is upseting mick how would you feel if i said well ur old u got no teeth lets put u down u wouldnt like it so behave urself and let me be happy that Demi is in NO pain and is HEALTHY and 2 put ur mind at rest when her time comes and IF she gives up the fight 2 live I will do what is best 4 her.

emm said:

thank emm & purpleheeler
[Edited 3/5/06 13:19pm]

PurpleHeeler said:

thanku 4 all ur help it is very much apreciated if i can do anything for u pm me and I will try my best

XxAxX said:

Ur very lucky seems a lot of vets are more 4 making monies in the UK rather than the health of the animal. For example most vets will not show you how to empty anal glands now as they can make a lot of monies for a 5 minutes work £22.00 for consultation then £18.00 for emptying them, one of my friends was paying this every two/four weeks for years until I showed her how it was done I also advised her to put some pro fibre into her dogs diet now her dog is much happier and glands hardly need expressing now ( what a subject 2 make an example from sorry .) If only the surgery had written to me about her original vet was retired I would have attempted to have her checked out by the same vet that my puppy has. We had 2 be referred to them 4 my puppy but they may have checked her over since I have one animal with them already. I’m over the moon I’ve found a good vet for her now, thanku ever so much for ur help

katt said:

I am ready to be put down. I would feel happy.