Senior Citizen Dental Work

[weemomma]

i have never had a cat go through dental work, but it’s looking like my orange lady is going to have to next month. Her teeth aren’t terrible, but at 12 years old, she’s suffering some issues.

Her blood work is perfectly normal, except for a slightly elevated kidney function. The vet said that it could be early kidney disease or it could even be caused by the dental issue. Either way, it’s easily handled with more fluids.

I’m afraid of a few things. She only eats kibble. She will not touch wet foods. I’m so terrified that her back teeth will be pulled and suddenly she’s without a food option. The vet didn’t seemed concerned, simply saying that many cats adapt and will continue to eat dry until they day they die.

The other thing that I’m worried about is death during surgery. My cousin’s normally healthy dog died during a routine dental cleaning a few weeks ago. Now I’m super paranoid. Hariette’s exam was perfect except for her weight loss. We’re working on bulking her up at the moment, so she can be her best at surgery time.

Can someone ease my worries about all of this? I’m hoping to make the appointment next week, but I keep dragging my feet.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Bad teeth cause other health complications, plus can be painful of themselves.
Your vet is right, many cats eat just fine even with no teeth
Plus, even a healthy adult human faces risks on the operating table, unfortunately there's no way to eliminate that.

 

[di and bob]

My 15 year old went through dental surgery fine. They have lighter anesthesia for seniors, ask yours about it. Cats adapt and still eat hard food, even with no teeth. they swallow rather then chew. Bad teeth are very painful, I would do all i could at twelve to make the remaining days more comfortable.

 

[daftcat75]

To the original poster, things can get so much worse if you don't do it. Read the thread I just posted, "Krista Care".

Tldr; she has liver and bile duct problems that can't be treated until her mouth heals from her second round of extractions. Her liver and bile duct problems likely started as a result of her ceasing to eat because of her teeth. Terrible catch-22 but I'm glad that she got the teeth taken care of. That, and a feeding tube to give her mouth rest and get calories and medicine in her, will make her recovery so much easier. I have a rather large estimate of the cost but I fear it may double before this is all done.

 

[sabrinah]

My cat has been through a couple extractions at this point, the last one when she was 14.5. Right now she is missing all her back teeth except for one on one side and she still eats dry food fine. Getting the dental work done is better than not doing it because of the risks. My kitty had a horribly infected tooth that wrecked her mouth, and it's likely that infection that caused her chronic salivary gland issues. Salivary issues suck so bad because they can't be fixed without invasive surgery that's a lot more severe than tooth removal. I would do anything to go back in time and get her mouth dealt with before the tooth got infected so she wasn't left with a permanent issue.

 

[weemomma]

We have dental scheduled for February 11th. It's turned into a situation that I can either wait on the teeth and ruin the kidneys or take care of the teeth and risk something bad happening.

I'm a very worried cat momma right now. I just want to cuddle with her until we get to the 11th, but in typical cat fashion, she doesn't want me. She wants to sleep on a new blanket in the other room.

I do trust the vet and we've managed to put a few more ounces back on her after she lost some weight. I just have to have some faith that my little old lady will be alright.

 

[denice]

My cat had a dental with extractions at 14 and it wasn't her first time, she came through fine. She was actually diagnosed with kidney disease when she had the dental and is now on a prescription diet, she still came through fine. Yes there is always a slight risk with anesthetic. Her quality of life is also very important, a sore mouth and a bad tooth certainly has a negative effect on quality of life.

 

[di and bob]

I get sick to my stomach and am a nervous wreck with every surgery. With seniors, they do have a lighter anesthesia you might want to ask about. my cat had elevated kidney values too, and came through fine. Just keep reminding yourself that the teeth are not going to get better, it's better to take care of it now instead of waiting for things to get worse and making the odds of something bad happening go up even higher.
I'll pray for your little girl, and send healing vibes her way on the 11th!

 

[weemomma]

Well, we had our dental this morning. The vet pulled two teeth. One molar on the upper pallet was being absorbed, which I had already suspected. One molar on the lower jaw had cracked in two! She came through just fine and I get to pick her up tomorrow. I can only hope that this solves our problems with her weight loss.

 

[daftcat75]

If she is being sent home with pain medicine, assume she's in pain for a few days even if she doesn't show it.

Please buy or make bone broth for this cat. It should help with her appetite, her gut, her joints, and most anything else that might ail her.
Bone Broth for Senior Cats: How Bone Broth Can Help Your Aging Cat - Wildernesscat

I'm not crazy about that particular brand but I like the article. If you aren't going to make your own, look for one without any added salt, no onions, no garlic, and as few extra vegetables as possible. You want bone broth, not vegetable stew.

 

[Furballsmom]

Wow, poor baby! You rock!!
Would these be helpful?
Kitten-Rescue.com

 

[di and bob]

I'm so glad to hear the good news, thank you for the update. May she gain her weight back and bring you much happiness in the future!

 

[weemomma]

We are back home!

She demanded her kibble the moment that she was out of the carrier and she ate some soaked in water. She also let me look where they took out the teeth and everything is looking good. She's purring and exploring and definitely on the right track.

 

[di and bob]

Thank goodness! Everything sounds good!

 

[Furballsmom]

WOW
I love good updates, thank you so much!!
. .

 

[weemomma]

She's definitely more into hiding on her own and sleeping this evening, but I guess after being at the vet overnight, that's to be expected. She's eaten some, gone to the litter box, and drank some water. They sent me home with some antibiotics and some pain meds to give her in a few days time. I'm hoping that we can go back to hard kibble soon. She does so much better on that than the combination of wet food and damp kibble.

I'm still a paranoid mama, but I know we did the best for her!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[daftcat75]

She's definitely more into hiding on her own and sleeping this evening, but I guess after being at the vet overnight, that's to be expected. She's eaten some, gone to the litter box, and drank some water. They sent me home with some antibiotics and some pain meds to give her in a few days time. I'm hoping that we can go back to hard kibble soon. She does so much better on that than the combination of wet food and damp kibble.

I'm still a paranoid mama, but I know we did the best for her!

It's possible they gave her a long-acting pain relief injection before they discharged her to you. If so, it could be wearing off now. That would explain the difference between yesterday and today. If the pain meds they sent you home with are buprenorphine, that's an easy one to give to her as you just need to peel a lip back and aim for cheek tissue or the gums. It doesn't need to go down her throat so you don't have to pry her mouth open. You can also get buprenorphine compounded into a transdermal cream to rub into her ear if that's still too hard or she doesn't want you near her mouth.

 

[daftcat75]

Check your bill or call your vet. If they gave her buprenorphine SR (sustained release) then you need to let that run its course before you give her more by cheek. That makes sense now why they would tell you to wait a few days to start the pain meds. That could also explain the unusual behavior from her. Some cats react worse than others to the bupe SR.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I had a very old kitty - about 16 - have dental cleaning & extraction. Best thing I ever did. I learned much from that experience . It's one veterinary expenses that's well worth the `$´ ( within reason ).
That cat lived a long healthy life - with a few less teeth .