Soo since I got him in 2018 he had mild gingivitis. My vet told me I should start brushing his teeth. I did try but over the course of the last two years he would not let me touch him. It was so difficult so I feel guilty not trying hard enough. I saw that he or I thought that he wasn’t in pain. He never pawed at his mouth. He never had trouble eating his foood or drooling. So I guess I forgot about it. Yesterday I saw that his gum lines are more red then I remember. I tried brushing his teeth and instantly blood on the toothbrush and he pulled away looking like he was in pain. It brought to myself cats do not show pain and it got me thinking if he was in pain in the 2 years I had him. I feel terrible. I thought I surely would see a sign. Nothing. Maybe he like to push his face on corners or tables and my chin but my friends cat does that. He also has plaque on his teeth. My vet never put dental cleanings on the table because he is asthmatic. She said she wants to avoid pulling his teeth one day to avoid anesthesia because of his asthma. But now I’m thinking since my last visit with the vet 8 months ago it got worse and I’m scared we might have to put him under anesthesia. I feel like he really needs a cleaning now. Because maybe his pain is not mild discomfort anymore if they are did this red. Maybe they are more red today because I brushed his teeth yesterday and they are irritated. Sorry for rambling so much but I get periods of being paranoid because I love this cat so much. I scared that he might have to go on anesthesia. Does anyone have experience with an asthmatic cat with dental cleanings?
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I feel guilty about my asthmatic cat’s gingivitis. I don’t know what to do
- Thread starter Dave8014
- Start Date
Hi!
Can you perhaps speak with a different vet, both about the dental issues but also about the asthma?
Can you perhaps speak with a different vet, both about the dental issues but also about the asthma?
My previous cat had asthma and had a few dental procedures done. I used a board certified veterinary dentist. The vet did complete blood work and dental x rays at least a few days before the procedure. There's always a risk using anesthesia. If your cat really needs the dental issues addressed, seek out the opinion of another vet. You can search for a local board certified veterinary dentist here: Find A Veterinary Specialist | AVDC.org
The AVDC has info on anesthesia-free procedures: Anesthesia Free Pet Dental Cleanings - Know the Facts Basically, it's too risky to do any procedure on an awake animal, even a sedated one.
What pet toothpaste you using? Some may not taste very good to a cat, even flavored ones. CET poultry flavored toothpaste is a hit with most cats if you want to give that a try. It's not sold in pet stores so you'll have to buy it online. Instead of a toothbrush, try a small finger brush or a cotton swab instead. Don't brush hard. You just want to swab toothpaste on the teeth.
The AVDC has info on anesthesia-free procedures: Anesthesia Free Pet Dental Cleanings - Know the Facts Basically, it's too risky to do any procedure on an awake animal, even a sedated one.
What pet toothpaste you using? Some may not taste very good to a cat, even flavored ones. CET poultry flavored toothpaste is a hit with most cats if you want to give that a try. It's not sold in pet stores so you'll have to buy it online. Instead of a toothbrush, try a small finger brush or a cotton swab instead. Don't brush hard. You just want to swab toothpaste on the teeth.
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- #4
I actually went to a lot of different vets in my area in New York. And she is by far the best in my experience. She’s known him since he was a baby. I’m gonna bring it up in 1 week when I see her. She’s mentioned the gingivitis a lot. It’s been awhile so maybe when she sees him she might think it’s now required if it got worse
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- #5
Thanks il try that. I’m seeing my vet in a week. Il see what she says first. Thanks for the reply
My vet uses lighter anesthesia for at-risk cats. I had the same problem until I started putting Oratene water additive in their drinking water. Their teeth are much whiter. I get it on Amazon.
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I second the suggestion to take her to a veterinary dentist. General vets are jacks of all trades but usually master of none. They have enough training to do basic extractions. I like my general practitioner doctor. But if I'm having teeth issues, I go to a dentist. Even a specialty hospital will have a more experienced anesthesiologist who can work with her asthma. The best of both worlds is to find a veterinary dentist who works out of a specialty hospital rather than a private practice.
In the meantime, I have heard that raw gizzards or even just raw chunks of meat will help clean her teeth. This may be too much for her depending on the current condition of her mouth. You could cut off a chunk of raw chicken (I would go with thigh meat because that was Krista's favorite) and let her chew through it if she's able. If you're worried about bacteria, cats' guts are much better equipped (highly acidic stomach and short intestinal tracts) to process raw meat. But you can also cut away the skin and surface meat and give her something from the middle. It's the surface meat that attracts bacteria growth. Meat alone is not nutritionally complete. This isn't the same as raw feeding which follows a recipe with supplementation. This is a dental treat. Give her one chunk to chew through a few times a week--something big enough she can't just swallow it but not a whole meal's worth.
In the meantime, I have heard that raw gizzards or even just raw chunks of meat will help clean her teeth. This may be too much for her depending on the current condition of her mouth. You could cut off a chunk of raw chicken (I would go with thigh meat because that was Krista's favorite) and let her chew through it if she's able. If you're worried about bacteria, cats' guts are much better equipped (highly acidic stomach and short intestinal tracts) to process raw meat. But you can also cut away the skin and surface meat and give her something from the middle. It's the surface meat that attracts bacteria growth. Meat alone is not nutritionally complete. This isn't the same as raw feeding which follows a recipe with supplementation. This is a dental treat. Give her one chunk to chew through a few times a week--something big enough she can't just swallow it but not a whole meal's worth.
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- #8
Hey thanks for the reply....so I was looking over my vets website. It says they are AAHA accredited and adhere to the guidelines. Is that what you are talking about? AAHA Accredited in Staten Island, NY | Dongan Hills Veterinary Practice
They are the best vets in my area( I know because I’ve been to a lot and they are the only ones who discovered his asthma abs didn’t brush off his teeth as teething, so I do trust them.Do you think I should still seek out a specialist?
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- #9
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Dave -
Don't feel guilty... it's hard to get cats to let us brush their teeth (at least it has been for me). I think the key would be to do as has been suggested by others and get a referral to a good veterinarian dentist. I don't know about NY nor how close you are to NJ, but Northstar Animal Hospital in NJ (NorthStar VETS is a NJ 24 Hour Emergency Veterinary Hospital) has specialists in all fields. Nothing against your primary care vet--I love mine but he's the first to tell me when it's time to go to a specialist, and that caries a lot of weight with me.
Keep working the problem and take care of the little guy.
To others:
1.) I would love to hear tips on how to get cats that don't want their teeth touched--let alone brushed--to allow at least some brushing. I've been trying for a long time... when they are tired, with and without CET toothpaste, when they are feeling very affectionate, etc., but they just don't like their teeth played with and I'm trying not to put them in a kitty burrito and force the issue. Any tips are most appreciated!
2.) I've been trying to get them used to Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats, but that has been very hit-and-miss. They might eat one a week at most. I guess my question is how much good do we think these do?
3.) I've not heard of Oratene before, but it seems like a very simple solution (assuming they'll drink the water spiked with it). Same question as above: Do we think this works?
Thanks all! Be well and stay safe!
Don't feel guilty... it's hard to get cats to let us brush their teeth (at least it has been for me). I think the key would be to do as has been suggested by others and get a referral to a good veterinarian dentist. I don't know about NY nor how close you are to NJ, but Northstar Animal Hospital in NJ (NorthStar VETS is a NJ 24 Hour Emergency Veterinary Hospital) has specialists in all fields. Nothing against your primary care vet--I love mine but he's the first to tell me when it's time to go to a specialist, and that caries a lot of weight with me.
Keep working the problem and take care of the little guy.
To others:
1.) I would love to hear tips on how to get cats that don't want their teeth touched--let alone brushed--to allow at least some brushing. I've been trying for a long time... when they are tired, with and without CET toothpaste, when they are feeling very affectionate, etc., but they just don't like their teeth played with and I'm trying not to put them in a kitty burrito and force the issue. Any tips are most appreciated!
2.) I've been trying to get them used to Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats, but that has been very hit-and-miss. They might eat one a week at most. I guess my question is how much good do we think these do?
3.) I've not heard of Oratene before, but it seems like a very simple solution (assuming they'll drink the water spiked with it). Same question as above: Do we think this works?
Thanks all! Be well and stay safe!
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There are a few in NY. Not enough and no-one that close to Staten Island. You will likely have a two to six month wait time for a consultation. If he agrees to do a procedure, those appointments will be much easier to come by. Usually a couple of weeks off from the consultation. Call up a few. Get on their waiting list. You can always cancel if you find something else before then.
Find a Veterinary Dental Specialist | AVDC.org
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- #12
Hey returning to get some information! I found a vet based off AVDC. Made an appointment. I was able to get an appointment in a week. They have good review and I assuming the reason I was able to get appointment so quick is because it’s quite expensive. Veterinary Dentistry Specialists They use both a board certified vet and anesthesiologist. They quoted me between 3000 to 5000 spending how many teeth they will extracting. Welll that’s quite insane. I was just wondering how much it costed you with your board certified vet. I look up online and dental cleaning and extractions can cost from 300 to 1200. 5000 is like 500% more. So I don’t know if I am making the right choice. Everywhere is else is like 8 months away. They are the only people on AVDCs website that is available soon.
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My bill for Krista’s remaining mouth extraction (several rounds of prior extractions short of a full mouth extraction) was $3600. It included 1.5 hours billed of surgery (about $1600) in addition to all the line items like anesthesia, radiology, and drugs. Specialists are expensive but they are worth it. Sure you can find something cheaper elsewhere. But you may end up paying more in the long run.
Most dentists will do a consultation appointment before a procedure appointment. Is the appointment you can get in a week a consultation? If so, that’s when he can evaluate his health record (get these from his current and any previous vets before you walk into that appointment) and walk you through the procedures he recommends. He should also be able to give you a preview of the bill. Often the consultation and procedure appointments are separate. But sometimes they have same day availability to do the consult in the morning and procedures in the afternoon. My Krista lucked out like that. In her case, I believe it was a wildfire evacuating the dentist’s service area that was skewing his schedule in our favor.
I’m not surprised by that figure. But you should be able to discuss what’s included in it before you commit to that. And if he hasn’t even reviewed your cat’s records yet, then that number could be significantly different (one way or the other) depending on what’s really needed.
Most dentists will do a consultation appointment before a procedure appointment. Is the appointment you can get in a week a consultation? If so, that’s when he can evaluate his health record (get these from his current and any previous vets before you walk into that appointment) and walk you through the procedures he recommends. He should also be able to give you a preview of the bill. Often the consultation and procedure appointments are separate. But sometimes they have same day availability to do the consult in the morning and procedures in the afternoon. My Krista lucked out like that. In her case, I believe it was a wildfire evacuating the dentist’s service area that was skewing his schedule in our favor.
I’m not surprised by that figure. But you should be able to discuss what’s included in it before you commit to that. And if he hasn’t even reviewed your cat’s records yet, then that number could be significantly different (one way or the other) depending on what’s really needed.
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- #14
Ok that’s good know it’s in the same ball park. They told me it will be same day. I’m just getting nervous now. Reading on risks going under and stuff. Just freaking myself out at this point. Especially asthma being high risk even though his is not that bad. Thank you for information. I appreciate it.
I would freak out too, my cat had two teeth removed and it was 250.00! You are paying for a board-certified dentist......a good competent vet from maybe a smaller town could do it much cheaper, but of course it is up to you. The main thing is that they know about the asthma and are prepared for any complications because of it.
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The benefit of a dentist is that they can perform procedures that a general vet cannot. They can also do proactive work. General vets are not in the habit of pulling healthy teeth or taking the point off a canine to remove the irritation of an asymmetric extraction. Where a general vet’s only tool besides scaling (cleaning) is extraction, a specialist can perform more complex tooth-saving procedures if it is deemed the decay isn’t so bad to risk the removal and the carry-on effects from that removal (e.g asymmetric canine extractions.) General vets pull teeth and never think about how it’s going to affect the cat in the future. And if your cat has a chronic degenerative condition like resorption or stomatitis, a specialist can proactively perform a full mouth extraction rather than having to do multiple rounds of piecemeal extractions as the teeth go bad. This is the unfortunate route Krista and I took before we saw the dentist. We probably paid the dentist fee several times over when you add up all those individual dentals with the general vet. 
That’s why I said you can end up paying more in the long run by not seeing a specialist.
That’s why I said you can end up paying more in the long run by not seeing a specialist.
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Wanted to support everything said here. My younger cat had a minor traumatic occlusion with one of her back teeth. I’d been to three so-called vet dentists that either prescribed antibiotics or gels to treat the sore for the damage the misalignment was causing. They said that the only thing to be done to prevent the damage was to completely remove the tooth, which I was completely against.The benefit of a dentist is that they can perform procedures that a general vet cannot. They can also do proactive work. General vets are not in the habit of pulling healthy teeth or taking the point off a canine to remove the irritation of an asymmetric extraction. Where a general vet’s only tool besides scaling (cleaning) is extraction, a specialist can perform more complex tooth-saving procedures if it is deemed the decay isn’t so bad to risk the removal and the carry-on effects from that removal (e.g asymmetric canine extractions.) General vets pull teeth and never think about how it’s going to affect the cat in the future. And if your cat has a chronic degenerative condition like resorption or stomatitis, a specialist can proactively perform a full mouth extraction rather than having to do multiple rounds of piecemeal extractions as the teeth go bad. This is the unfortunate route Krista and I took before we saw the dentist. We probably paid the dentist fee several times over when you add up all those individual dentals with the general vet.
I later got referred to an actually good specialist, and she had everything sorted the following weekend — scaled all her teeth and filed down her tooth a bit to prevent the trauma from reoccurring. She’s not had an issue since.
I’ve attached how her mouth looked immediately after the procedure, the vet also sealed the damaged area on her lower gum closed. :> the inflammation has since gone down, and her gums have been a nice pale pink since.
As a side note — GP vets here are so used to seeing cats with gingivitis a particularly gifted vet made me panic during a general exam because he was convinced she wasn’t getting enough oxygen, as her gums were pale
