My cat went in for his annual check up and the vet says he needs some dental work. Cleaning and possible extraction of the back teeth. Cost? 300 to 350 dollars.
When I was a kid we had pets all the time and they had long and happy lives and they never had dental work done on them.
My cat seems very content. If he has a toothache he sure doesn’t act like it.
So, have any of you taken your pets to have dental work done?
Do you think it’s worth it?
If a pet has a rotten tooth, they will eventually stop eating due to the pain. We’ve never been the type to actually take them in to the dentist, per se, but if they have a bad tooth, it has to be treated.
I think you owe me a coke, Zebra. Wanna trade cats? 
My oldest cat had some dental work done, but he needed it. We noticed that he had a hard time chewing his dry food, and he was dropping a lot of dry food crumbs out of his mouth. He was also making smacking noises with his tongue which was unusual. I forget exactly what he had done but it cost about $300 as well, and it did make a difference in his quality of life.
I wouldn’t hesitate to get it done again if needed.
We did have a cat that had a tooth extracted, but only because the vet was worried about the possibility of an abscess. She (the cat, not the vet) did seem more comfortable after the tooth came out. She had always had a bit of discharge from her eye and that cleared up after the tooth (a canine) was taken out.
Definitely have your cat’s teeth cleaned. And if there’s a bad tooth, it’s also important to have it removed or treated. Like booklover, our kitty had to have her upper canines removed because of abcess that had infected her sinus cavity and was causing a pussy discharge from her eyes. And because it was in the sinuses, she was wheezing a lot, too. Once the bad teeth were removed, no more eye gunk and no more wheezing. She’s now 20 years old and going strong! Please don’t ignore your pet’s dental concerns.
And if cost is a concern, there’s always the Care Credit card that’s for veterinary use, that offers payment plan options with no interest. Ask your vet if he accepts it, and if not, see if he’d be willing to sign up for it for his patients. It’s really a great program.
Thanks for tips. I’ll look into that Care Credit thing.
Right now he has no trouble eating. (except that he eats too much)
Unfortunatly money is an issue right now and he really does not seem to be that bad. Of course an ouce of prevention.
**Bruce ** my cat currently weighs 29.5 pounds. The vet thinks he should loose maybe 5. So in other words my cat at 25 pounds would be lean.
Cats and dogs can get gum disease, tooth decay, and abcesses just like we can, and those cause all the associated problems they cause in us. Since they can’t brush, and we often don’t brush for them, they build up tartar a whale of a lot faster than we do. As a result, they develop periodontal disease and bone loss much more quickly than we do. Putting off getting the teeth cleaned will probably result in your cat losing a lot more teeth when you do get it done. More extractions=more money. In addition, dental disease can lead to heart and kidney problems, and then we’re talking boucoup bucks.
It’s a lot of outlay, I know, but it’s better to spend $300 now than to spend $500 later and then find out your cat’s developed kidney problems because of the bad teeth and have to choose between spending Og knows how much or putting him down.
Without thumbs, how does the cat hold the drill?
I just had dentistry done on my cat. My vet told me that the bacteria in his mouth could cause heart problems. Due to the fact that my cat is FIV+, this is actually life-threatening, so I was inclined to go for it. When he wasn’t showing any signs of pain, I let it go, but once he started drooling and scratching his face, the guilt from knowing he was suffering was more than I could take.
Be aware that if the tooth pain ever gets bad enough to stop him from eating, no matter how fat he is, even a day or so of starvation can be toxic to a cat. If you can’t spend the money right now, just make sure he’s eating every day.
It may be a lot of money, but I think as a pet owner you’re kind of obligated. You may not notice that the cat is in pain, but he could be. It could be a minor, irritating annoyance more than shooting pains but isn’t $300 worth your cats quality of life? And even if it isn’t affecting him now, how about in a year? Two? Why put it off if its something that 1) Could possibly be affecting the quality of your cats life now and 2) probably needs to be done anyway.
Oh, for heaven’s sake. It’s only money. Please give your cat the medical attention it needs. A second opinion might be in order, though; your vet might just need to make a beemer payment or something. I’ve never had dental care for my cats, but if I believed they needed it … well, I know how a toothache feels myself. If it’s possible to raise the funds, and you’re not neglecting your own human kids, of course it’s “worth it.”
(Sorry for the semi-bump. I did a search on “mouth,” please don’t ask why, and this thread turned up.)
Cat dentistry.
Cat dentistry.
Must… resisit… giving… opinion…
[QUOTE=masonite]
your vet might just need to make a beemer payment or something.
[QUOTE]
Bwahahahaha. Your vet might be trying to raise money for a payment on his $100K school loans, but he’s not making beemer payments on doing cat dentals. That’s just not how the pay scale in general veterinary medicine works, I’m afraid. Thanks for the laugh, though, I needed it.
One problem for cats, and small dogs, is that if an abcess should develop in the lower jaw, the jawbone might be so thin that it will be damaged and break.
Wiring a cats jaw is not cheap, bone grafts more expensive still.
Your choice.
Slighty off topic, but… My horse has his own dentist. He also has several vets, a few farriers I can call on, and I was tempted to hire a chiropractor for him a little while ago. He has a permanent claim on my paycheck.
In addition to the numerous health & quality of life arguments already made, I would like to point out one very noticeable result of having your cat’s teeth cleaned and/or extracted when needed:
NO MORE HALITOSIS!
We babysat a cat for a summer once (super cat, and we loved her to death, though she was a difficult-to-love recently-domesticated former-feral cat that most people disliked). She had the worst breath ever! Her owner took her for a checkup that summer and the vet advised immediate dental work. She had all but her big canines extracted, because the rest were rotten. Her breath was soooo much better after the dental work and her disposition improved immensely.
I even noticed this with one of my cats, both of whom have had tip-top vet care, expensive food, etc since day one. He had his teeth cleaned (no extractions, or cavities or anything worked on) to remove tartar about a year ago. Wow - vast improvement in the odor of his breath. We’re probably having the other cat’s teeth cleaned this summer.
So think about their quality of life… and yours! 