Tooth Extraction for senior cat with HCM?

Xena44

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I hear you. Any malady with my little loves terrifies me too. Tough to keep your head in check when the heart is sooo involved. 😻😻😻😻 Like i mentioned, testing taurine level doesn’t rule out low levels. And it is a specific test. And it’s pricey!! And supplementing with something like vetri science cardiac support only would help. And the research I’ve read supports that you can’t overdose your kitty on taurine. Obviously you wouldn’t give her a point a day but the levels in a supplement were more than she actually needed, her kidneys would just flush it away. Do your own research on it. Feel comfortable before you do anything. 😉😻
I
nartyteek nartyteek FIXED A FEW UNNOTICED TYPOS 😉—- I hear you. Any malady with my little loves terrifies me too. Tough to keep your head in check when the heart is sooo involved. 😻😻😻😻 Like i mentioned, testing taurine level doesn’t rule out low levels. And it is a specific test. And it’s pricey!! And supplementing with something like vetri science cardiac support only would help. And the research I’ve read supports that you can’t overdose your kitty on taurine. Obviously you wouldn’t give her a <*POUND*> a day but <*IF*> the levels in a supplement were more than she actually needed, her kidneys would just flush it away. Do your own research on it. Feel comfortable before you do anything. 😉😻
 

amandag1

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I would be very cautious of surgery unless absolutely necessary
I have a cat with severe HCM and his heart cannot handle any type of stress. (Anesthesia is a stressor)
Talk it over with the specialist but his heart should be thoroughly examined.
He may need diuretics like lasix to keep fluid from backing up into his lungs...
 
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nartyteek

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I would be very cautious of surgery unless absolutely necessary
I have a cat with severe HCM and his heart cannot handle any type of stress. (Anesthesia is a stressor)
Talk it over with the specialist but his heart should be thoroughly examined.
He may need diuretics like lasix to keep fluid from backing up into his lungs...
He had his last echocardiogram and ECG in December, and it looked really good considering. He was supposed to have one Friday, but this vet does a lot more dogs than his GP and he was getting riled up to the point that they didn't feel comfortable working on him that day. Keep in mind, this is the cat that you can hold like a baby and pet his belly. He's the best cat ever at the vet, but he doesn't know about those dogs, so I guess we'll take another stab later on. He's stable at this point, and the blood work looks good, but I'm not moving forward without a more recent echo. His HCM is considered early stage right now, so I have high hopes.
 

tarasgirl06

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He had his last echocardiogram and ECG in December, and it looked really good considering. He was supposed to have one Friday, but this vet does a lot more dogs than his GP and he was getting riled up to the point that they didn't feel comfortable working on him that day. Keep in mind, this is the cat that you can hold like a baby and pet his belly. He's the best cat ever at the vet, but he doesn't know about those dogs, so I guess we'll take another stab later on. He's stable at this point, and the blood work looks good, but I'm not moving forward without a more recent echo. His HCM is considered early stage right now, so I have high hopes.
Would you consider a second vet who is more cat-oriented? Or isn't such an animal available to you?
 
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nartyteek

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Would you consider a second vet who is more cat-oriented? Or isn't such an animal available to you?
The surgery is for both cats and dogs, but the surgeon I'm working with is actually more cat-oriented. But our general is a more cat-centric vet practice that has been focused more on cats for a century. So most trips to the vet, he doesn't meet any dogs. But when he went in to the surgery for evaluation, six huge dogs followed us in. That's more dogs than he sees in a year lol! I should have known it wouldn't work out.
 

Xena44

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Would you consider a second vet who is more cat-oriented? Or isn't such an animal available to you?
Agreed. Having a lot of dogs around isn’t good for the stress level of a waiting kitty. Or even a vet with separate dog and cat waiting rooms? Or possibly waiting in the car until the appt so she isn’t inside an anxiety producing atmosphere. (Tho cats often aren’t thrilled about the car either).
 

Xena44

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The surgery is for both cats and dogs, but the surgeon I'm working with is actually more cat-oriented. But our general is a more cat-centric vet practice that has been focused more on cats for a century. So most trips to the vet, he doesn't meet any dogs. But when he went in to the surgery for evaluation, six huge dogs followed us in. That's more dogs than he sees in a year lol! I should have known it wouldn't work out.
Ain’t that just the way it goes!!!
 
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nartyteek

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Echocardiogram complete! I'll hear about it tomorrow. I had to drug him so much that he couldn't walk. He tried to use the litterbox and he flipped it over on top of himself like a turtle shell:lol:, so I think I'm going to shadow him for a while.
 

Xena44

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Echocardiogram complete! I'll hear about it tomorrow. I had to drug him so much that he couldn't walk. He tried to use the litterbox and he flipped it over on top of himself like a turtle shell:lol:, so I think I'm going to shadow him for a while.
Oooohhh...... the poor guy!! That must have been a shocker for the little dude! Ya. Definitely shadow him for a bit. 🥰😻I’m so glad the echo is done!!
 
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nartyteek

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Well. I missed the surgeon's call, but she said I can't call her back until she's in the office until Monday, and that it's not an emergency situation, anyway. But the message said that my cat is not quite up to snuff and that we need to discuss some ways we can get him there. I guess the fact that she felt comfortable leaving a message and didn't tell me to come in like they do when it's really bad, I guess that's a sign it's not too bad, but it still sucks. I guess we're not getting the green light on surgery any time soon. I'm both relieved and saddened. Based on what I was told last time we were with a doctor concerning his HCM, my guess is they want him to start doing the serious drugs. At least the problem tooth is gone, though!
 

Xena44

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Well. I missed the surgeon's call, but she said I can't call her back until she's in the office until Monday, and that it's not an emergency situation, anyway. But the message said that my cat is not quite up to snuff and that we need to discuss some ways we can get him there. I guess the fact that she felt comfortable leaving a message and didn't tell me to come in like they do when it's really bad, I guess that's a sign it's not too bad, but it still sucks. I guess we're not getting the green light on surgery any time soon. I'm both relieved and saddened. Based on what I was told last time we were with a doctor concerning his HCM, my guess is they want him to start doing the serious drugs. At least the problem tooth is gone, though!
So does the doctor still think that putting him under to have the root extract it is still necessary? How does the gumline look is it still swollen. How does the gum line look where the tooth was? Is it swollen is it red? is it odorous? How is he acting? I remember you saying he was pretty darn punky. is he eating?
 
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nartyteek

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So does the doctor still think that putting him under to have the root extract it is still necessary? How does the gumline look is it still swollen. How does the gum line look where the tooth was? Is it swollen is it red? is it odorous? How is he acting? I remember you saying he was pretty darn punky. is he eating?
He's acting younger than he has in quite a while. He's been playing with toys that require using his teeth again, like the fur mice he likes to kill. He brings me my shoes (whether I want them or not) with his mouth. He's eating normally again. I'm still looking at oral surgery for his overall health at this point, but the tooth that he self-extracted looks fine. He is starting to develop a little callous on his lip from his now-uneven bite, so he isn't accidentally biting himself like he was. I think pursuing better cardio health is for the best, regardless. They do recommend HCM-specific checkups twice a year, so this is about the right time to reassess.
 

Xena44

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He's acting younger than he has in quite a while. He's been playing with toys that require using his teeth again, like the fur mice he likes to kill. He brings me my shoes (whether I want them or not) with his mouth. He's eating normally again. I'm still looking at oral surgery for his overall health at this point, but the tooth that he self-extracted looks fine. He is starting to develop a little callous on his lip from his now-uneven bite, so he isn't accidentally biting himself like he was. I think pursuing better cardio health is for the best, regardless. They do recommend HCM-specific checkups twice a year, so this is about the right time to reassess.
Oh yes! Totally agree with the pursuing the cardiac health cardiac health! I’m just thinking a dental maybe not be really necessary. How are the rest of his teeth?
 
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nartyteek

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Oh yes! Totally agree with the pursuing the cardiac health cardiac health! I’m just thinking a dental maybe not be really necessary. How are the rest of his teeth?
I'm not an expert, but he's a 16yo and a former diabetic, so they could be better. There are some angry spots, but nothing egregious. A few of the smaller ones went missing mysteriously here and there in the past few years. Xrays are crazy expensive, or else I would have just gotten that done to be sure. His removing his own canine tooth has bought him some time, so I guess we'll put that off for a good while so we can focus on his heart. The reason I would still like to do it is because I believe we'll be in this same spot again, given enough time. But if the vet says he's good, I'll leave it.
 

Xena44

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I'm not an expert, but he's a 16yo and a former diabetic, so they could be better. There are some angry spots, but nothing egregious. A few of the smaller ones went missing mysteriously here and there in the past few years. Xrays are crazy expensive, or else I would have just gotten that done to be sure. His removing his own canine tooth has bought him some time, so I guess we'll put that off for a good while so we can focus on his heart. The reason I would still like to do it is because I believe we'll be in this same spot again, given enough time. But if the vet says he's good, I'll leave it.
Sounds like a wise and well thought out decision. 😻
 
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nartyteek

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Hey y'all! My sweet old man is doing just fine. No news is good news. We're getting professional photos taken with some of that surgery money I'd squirreled away, so that's pretty neat. They're his "Sweet 16" photos. I'll share when they're done.
 
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nartyteek

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I already posted these on my initial HCM post, too, but yeah, we got tintypes! Virginia has got a lot of historical photographers. I'm really happy to have photos that will outlive me as well. It's like we're immortal now. It's pretty cool.
100_9527.JPG

100_9526.JPG

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100_9533.JPG
 
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tarasgirl06

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