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What's the worst that could happen w/o bloodwork?

post #1 of 24
9/21/10 at 7:48am
Thread Starter 
I scheduled Romeo's teeth cleaning for next Tuesday. The vet said that it would be $130 and $5 for each extraction. She didn't mention that blood work is $40 extra, argh. The receptionist said that it's just an option, it doesn't have to be done.

I'm almost sure that I'm not going to get the blood work done(I really can't be spending this much money), but I'd still like to be aware of what the risks are. Does anyone know what could happen if it's not done?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 24
9/21/10 at 7:59am
Blood work is always a good idea before a dental, because you want to make sure there are no undetected health problems that might make anesthesia dangerous. A simple, basic blood panel will tell your vet whether or not Romeo's kidneys and liver are in good shape. These are the organs that will filter out the anesthetic from his body, so they need to be healthy. IMO, $40 is very reasonable and well worth it for your peace of mind.

Good for you for being so responsible and getting your little guy's teeth cleaned! It will go a long way toward keeping him healthy.
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post #3 of 24
9/21/10 at 8:06am
One of my cats had a dental and I opted for the blood work. Yours is cheaper than mine! Mine cost me closer to $70 for a basic bloodwork up. It is good to have. And gives a baseline as well if there are ever any issues in the future and will also let them know if it safe to proceed with the procedure. IF there are any hidden issues they will be made aware. I think I would think about the risks. If your cat is older there are obviously more risks. If your cat is younger and in overall good health there may be less risk. Talk to your vet.
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post #4 of 24
9/21/10 at 8:35am
If he has any serious issues with a tooth - such as one that does need to be extracted, then he could have problems from that elsewhere. $40 isn't a lot of money - heck that's what two or three people would pay for dinner at a nice restaurant.
Have it done, you'll regret it if you don't but you won't regret it if you do.
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post #5 of 24
9/21/10 at 11:41am
Most vets will not do a dental without bloodwork. I know mine would not. I agree with the others who have suggested you go ahead. Talk to your dr. about a repayment plan.
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post #6 of 24
9/21/10 at 11:46am
My friends cat died from a dental because blood work was not done.
A simple blood test would have caught the problem and the cat would not have had the dental.
I would go with the tests.
My vet charges $95 for blood tests before surgery.
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post #7 of 24
9/28/10 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 
Just wanted to update that Romeo had his teeth done today. I opted out of the blood work because the vet said that they primarily recommend it for cats who are 8 or over, or who have known health issues.
He didn't need any teeth removed, and he's doing great . Though my other two geniuses are hissing at him like mad because he smells weird to them .

The vet told me not to feed him after 6 last night (I took him in at 9 today), and he had a total cow about that, lol. The vet mentioned that he might have a sore mouth and eat less for a few days, but the minute we walked into the apartment, he ran to the food bowl and ate for 10 minutes. You'd think he'd been stranded on a desert island for week, lol.
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post #8 of 24
9/28/10 at 3:40pm
Routine bloodwork before a dental cleaning was how we found out that Sylvia had kidney disease. We were very lucky because that allowed us to catch it much earlier than usual, before she had any symptoms. I've read that usually symptoms aren't seen until 70% of kidney function is lost, but since we caught it before there were symptoms we were able to treat it more effectively and avoid damage. After giving fluids for a while we were actually able to get her kidney levels to stay at normal or high-normal for the rest of her life (she passed away 2 years after that from something unrelated, mammary cancer.)
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post #9 of 24
9/28/10 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaMarie View Post
Just wanted to update that Romeo had his teeth done today. I opted out of the blood work because the vet said that they primarily recommend it for cats who are 8 or over, or who have known health issues.
I am sorry, but this is playing Russian roulette and I am not sure if I would trust this vet after this one... If your cat had health problems, he could died... then what? This can happen at any age - not only after 8.
I will not do a dental without a Blood Test and without an IV, and all my cats are under 3 years old. In fact, I need to sign a release saying they do it; they will not perform one without those two things.
I am glad he is alright though... But please keep this in mind for the future...
Yes, cats do have a high tolerance for pain, and food seem to be a comfort for them - mine are the same way... forget about wet foot too, they go straight for the dry
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post #10 of 24
9/28/10 at 3:58pm
It is fairly standard for vets ( even very good ones) not to mandate blood work on a non senior cat ( young senior as most here require it if the animal is over 5 or has not had blood work within 6 months)... Of course MOST recommend it for all pre sugery
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post #11 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
I am sorry, but this is playing Russian roulette and I am not sure if I would trust this vet after this one... If your cat had health problems, he could died... then what? This can happen at any age - not only after 8.
I will not do a dental without a Blood Test and without an IV, and all my cats are under 3 years old. In fact, I need to sign a release saying they do it; they will not perform one without those two things.
I am glad he is alright though... But please keep this in mind for the future...
Yes, cats do have a high tolerance for pain, and food seem to be a comfort for them - mine are the same way... forget about wet foot too, they go straight for the dry
An IV? Is that not a standard thing? I'm not sure whether they did that or not.

I am aware of the risks. My old cat Scarlett went in to have her teeth done(at a different vet), and the blood test showed that she had a bunch of issues, and they wouldn't fix her teeth until we addressed them. The problem was that I already knew that she was a hot mess, health wise, and knew deep down that she was not long for this world. I just didn't want her to be in pain from her teeth. So I spent several hundred dollars treating kidney and liver issues on top on the eventual dental work. It didn't really help that much anyway, it stressed her out like crazy (she was so scared of the car/vet that she used to pee whenever she was in her carrier...it makes me cry just to type that), and she still passed away a few months later. I have to wonder if it would have been better if she'd had dental work done without the blood work, and passed away peacefully from the anesthetic instead of going through months of pain and suffering and eventually losing her life anyway .


Obviously, it's different in Romeo's case because he is, as far as we can tell, healthy as a horse. If he had any indications of health problems, I definitely would've gone with the blood work. I just wonder what the line is of being obsessive about my cats' health versus being reasonable about my finances. I think this is the first time that I didn't fall toward the 'obsessive' end, lol.


BTW- why is it that vets talk about the risk of anesthesia, thus the need for blood work, during dental work, but not when cats are being spayed/neutered? Is it just because of the extra bacteria released during the dental?
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post #12 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:30pm
Cleo's renal failure was detected when I had pre-op blood work done for her spay surgery. She was 6 months old. It's NEVER too young to have a baseline blood work done. I would never subject my cats to any anesthesia without having pre-op blood work done. I'm glad that everything went well for Romeo.

Older cats tend to have issues with renal compromise, and usually, it's older cats who need dentals. Many of the more commonly used anesthetics are not renal friendly. If pre-op blood work shows evidence of an impaired renal function, those anesthetic agents can be substituted for ones that are kinder to the kidneys.
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post #13 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaMarie View Post
I just wonder what the line is of being obsessive about my cats' health versus being reasonable about my finances. I think this is the first time that I didn't fall toward the 'obsessive' end, lol.
I think spending an additional $40 for blood-work is far far away from putting you into an obsessive category (or really making a BIG financial difference in one's life in the end, really). I do consider that very reasonable, and instead of obsessive, just being careful.
$40? Obsession? no.
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post #14 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaMarie View Post
An IV? Is that not a standard thing? I'm not sure whether they did that or not.

I am aware of the risks. My old cat Scarlett went in to have her teeth done(at a different vet), and the blood test showed that she had a bunch of issues, and they wouldn't fix her teeth until we addressed them. The problem was that I already knew that she was a hot mess, health wise, and knew deep down that she was not long for this world. I just didn't want her to be in pain from her teeth. So I spent several hundred dollars treating kidney and liver issues on top on the eventual dental work. It didn't really help that much anyway, it stressed her out like crazy (she was so scared of the car/vet that she used to pee whenever she was in her carrier...it makes me cry just to type that), and she still passed away a few months later. I have to wonder if it would have been better if she'd had dental work done without the blood work, and passed away peacefully from the anesthetic instead of going through months of pain and suffering and eventually losing her life anyway .


Obviously, it's different in Romeo's case because he is, as far as we can tell, healthy as a horse. If he had any indications of health problems, I definitely would've gone with the blood work. I just wonder what the line is of being obsessive about my cats' health versus being reasonable about my finances. I think this is the first time that I didn't fall toward the 'obsessive' end, lol.


BTW- why is it that vets talk about the risk of anesthesia, thus the need for blood work, during dental work, but not when cats are being spayed/neutered? Is it just because of the extra bacteria released during the dental?
Our vet always asks if we want the pre-anesthetic blood work done. For every procedure.
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post #15 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
I think spending an additional $40 for blood-work is far far away from putting you into an obsessive category (or really making a BIG financial difference in one's life in the end, really). I do consider that very reasonable, and instead of obsessive, just being careful.
$40? Obsession? no.
Basic blood work here is 100-200 $
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post #16 of 24
9/28/10 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
Basic blood work here is 100-200 $
Here too. I think it's around $140 for non-srs, and over $200 for srs. I don't know what the additional tests included for srs are. I'll have to ask our next visit, actually.
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post #17 of 24
9/28/10 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
Basic blood work here is 100-200 $
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
Here too. I think it's around $140 for non-srs, and over $200 for srs. I don't know what the additional tests included for srs are. I'll have to ask our next visit, actually.
Yep, on her case specifically though, it was $40, which is the amount I quoted. I am not saying by any means that is the cost for Blood work. This was the cost for her to get it done.... pretty cheap... on mine is $95 extra...
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post #18 of 24
9/29/10 at 4:36pm
I say absolutely most definitely get the blood panel done! ALWAYS!!! You can catch things way sooner in some cases and it can save lives.
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post #19 of 24
9/29/10 at 7:55pm
Your vet's prices are really good. Blood work always sets me back 100 per animal at the very least, this is for years and years.
Where do you live if you don't mind me asking.
The worst thing that can happen without blood work is death.
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post #20 of 24
9/29/10 at 9:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
The worst thing that can happen without blood work is death.
That can happen even with blood work, sadly.

It's good to know that Romeo's dental went well and his teeth weren't that bad. Was it just bad build up on them? It can sometimes look a lot worse than it is.
I don't know if you have a daily dental routine for him (and your other cats) already, but if not do you plan on starting one?

I'm spooked to put any cat through anesthesia unless there's absolutely no other choice so I brush all the cats teeth - except Boo's.. I wished he'd let me.
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post #21 of 24
9/29/10 at 10:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
Your vet's prices are really good. Blood work always sets me back 100 per animal at the very least, this is for years and years.
Where do you live if you don't mind me asking.
The worst thing that can happen without blood work is death.
I live in Northeast Ohio. COL here is pretty low...but jobs are scarce, so I suppose it balances out. I think my vet is exceptionally inexpensive, though...when I got Scarlett's teeth done (at Banfield), it was far more expensive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
That can happen even with blood work, sadly.

It's good to know that Romeo's dental went well and his teeth weren't that bad. Was it just bad build up on them? It can sometimes look a lot worse than it is.
I don't know if you have a daily dental routine for him (and your other cats) already, but if not do you plan on starting one?

I'm spooked to put any cat through anesthesia unless there's absolutely no other choice so I brush all the cats teeth - except Boo's.. I wished he'd let me.
It just was bad build up, as far as I know. I thought maybe his teeth were hurting him because he sort of juggles his kibble around in his mouth while chewing it, but he's still doing it now, so who knows. The vet first brought up doing the dental because I mentioned how badly his breath stunk. He gives wet kisses, and it was quite a gross affair .

I haven't brushed any of my cats' teeth yet, but I do have the brush and paste. I really should start. Does brushing their teeth really cause them not to need cleanings at the vet? It would definitely be worth it, if so.
I just started giving them greenies, too, but I'm not sure how much that helps.



I know that $40 doesn't sound like a lot, but my husband is a doctoral student making only a small stipend, I'm not working at the moment, and we're leaving heavily off savings. So I really do need to be careful about money. I would've put off the dental all together, but I was nervous that he was having tooth pain (the vet initially thought he'd need one of his canines pulled, but thankfully he didn't).
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post #22 of 24
9/29/10 at 10:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaMarie View Post
He gives wet kisses, and it was quite a gross affair .
Cheesy cat breath as I call it. Smells somewhere between cat food, bad breath, and that cheesy smell stinky feet get.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BreaMarie View Post
I haven't brushed any of my cats' teeth yet, but I do have the brush and paste. I really should start. Does brushing their teeth really cause them not to need cleanings at the vet? It would definitely be worth it, if so.
I just started giving them greenies, too, but I'm not sure how much that helps.
That depends. Genetics, the cat's overall health, how much you do, etc. At the very least it can decrease the amount of dentals needed to clean and fix the damage done from build up on the teeth and at the gum lines. Just like with people.

I like to drag the cats one at a time into the den bathroom to brush their teeth. It's easy because anytime I spend a few minutes in there or crinkle plastic (treat bag) they all pile up outside the door. I put a cat in my lap facing away from me, hold their face with one hand and brush with the other - inspect teeth and mouth, then let them go for a few treats for their trouble. Repeat.
Sherman and Tanna love treats so much that they'll often try to come back in the bathroom for another round.

I have very tolerant cats, though. You may have to start out with a finger brush or just using your finger to smear a bit of the tooth paste onto their teeth.
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post #23 of 24
9/30/10 at 1:36pm
my cat was just 6 years old, when he died while being put under for a catheter at the emergency vet. he needed it bad, but they never discussed the risks with me.
never in a million years would i dream of letting my one of my cats be put under again without doing bloodwork beforehand -- emergency or not.

i still think about my big beautiful olive every single day and wish i had been the informed cat mom then that i am today.
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post #24 of 24
10/3/10 at 3:35pm
Blood work sets me back $75 and I'm a single mother and my only income is child support. Of course I also have FeLV+ cats but I would do it even if they were negative. I like to have it done anyways since that will tell me if they are having issues unrelated to the leukemia or due to the leukemia. I also always opt for fluids, once again because they are FeLV+ but I would even of they weren't. Attitude's spay was over $225 total for the spay, blood work and fluids and it was worth every penny.

$40 isn't a lot of money, especially for my cat's health and well being.

Taryn
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