Dental cleaning in a senior cat?

My 15yo cat recently died from renal failure caused by a tooth infection. It was probably one of the most awful situations in my life. I had to take her daily to the vet for checkups and antibiotics because the vet said it would be too risky to pull the tooth given her age. She kept getting weaker every day and finally died while hooked up to an IV in the vet's office. I was a few minutes too late getting there to say goodbye. We had grown up together all our lives.

I have another cat who is about 10-12 years old. She's always had bad teeth, but her teeth now are really awful. They're covered in tartar and her gums are red and receding. The vet, once more, says it's too risky to sedate her to give her a proper cleaning. The vet doesn't have gas anesthesia, which is supposedly our only option, so I have no idea what to do.

I live in a little town in Mexico, and so far, I haven't found any vet who uses gas anesthesia.

I don't want to just let this go and risk her having kidney damage as well, but if she dies during the cleaning—as the vet keeps warning me about—I couldn't bear it. I've looked into non-anesthetic cleanings and heard only about how cruel and ineffective they are. I've looked into anti-tartar sprays and read they don't work (and the vet hasn't heard of them). I asked my vet (and read around) if I could brush her teeth, but she said this was only good for keeping them already clean and would do nothing against the tartar. The vet has recommended switching her over to Royal Canin Mature Cat to care for her teeth. But if a toothbrushing and basic scraping isn't able to save her health, how is a change of diet going to do it?

Does anyone have any ideas? Suggestions? Should I, at least, pressure my vet into giving her a blood test to check her kidneys? I've been writing in to vets all over the areas, but they all say about the same thing: gas anesthesia.

I feel absolutely awful about neglecting their dental health like this. I honestly had no idea I was supposed to routinely check their teeth and clean them. I adopted them when I was around 7, so I figured I did a good job simply feeding them, cleaning their litter boxes, etc.

When I initially took my 15yo cat to get a lump on her nose checked (that turned out being an infected tooth), the first vet pretty much sent me home with nothing. She told me to keep an eye on it and bring her back in if it got any bigger, since it was likely a benign growth. This ended up delaying her treatment until I got her to the second vet, who figured out what was wrong, and started giving her antibiotics. But while she had been acting completely normal, as soon as she began treatment, she started deteriorating rapidly. She was dead within a week. I feel like I can't trust even the medical professionals to know what they're doing, honestly.

I don't want to make any more mistakes, but I'm stumped right now.

Sorry for your loss. 

Personally suffering with dental issues I would go for it in sense a life filled with pain is not humane.  Not sure the extent of HOW bad.  I had a cat who was not in good shape euthanized cause it would have been over a grand to attempt to treat(got him as a stray only year or so before) There was not that kind of money around.  He was also in early kidney failure.

I would get bloodwork done just to see where you stand no matter what if that is an option. 

So sorry for your loss.  Please do not beat yourself up about this.  Cats die of all kinds of things.  15 years is a good long life.  I would keep searching for a vet that could do just gas for a dental cleaning.  Living in a remote area myself, I know how hard it can be.  I had to drive my dog 4 hours each way to get cancer treatments.  We have normal vets, but any specialist are far away. 

Yes, I think a blood test is always a good idea if you are concerned.  At the very least it may ease your mind. Good luck!

I would definitely do the dental. Do a blood test to test her kidney right before she goes in. Also have her hooked to an IV in case of an emergency.... Try to see if towns around you have a vet who use gas anesthesia - try the Veterinary Universities. Try everywhere. If you don't find, I would do the dental and hope for the best. IF the kitty shows signs of kidney or liver problems, then do not do the dental as it can be too risky.
Non-anesthetic dentals are as good as nothing on those cases as they will not reach under the gum line, so they will not find or treat a diseased tooth - which are the ones you are concerned with.
A bad mouth can break havoc in a kitties health, as you are aware.... if you feel he is in much need of a dental, by all means....

I just want to say, I hope you find a solution.  Good luck with your cat.

My last vet also said 15 is too old for a full dental cleaning with tooth extraction. Patricia is fine otherwise so she was not too concerned about leaving her bleeding mouth alone. I do feel bad that the problem can't be treated because of her age, however. The reason given for leaving it alone was a risk of infection, not the type of anesthesia available.

EmilyMayWilcha said:

My last vet also said 15 is too old for a full dental cleaning with tooth extraction. Patricia is fine otherwise so she was not too concerned about leaving her bleeding mouth alone. I do feel bad that the problem can't be treated because of her age, however. The reason given for leaving it alone was a risk of infection, not the type of anesthesia available.

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The cat that the OP is talking about is between 10 -12 years old. The 15 yr. old has passed.

Carolina said:

I would definitely do the dental. Do a blood test to test her kidney right before she goes in. Also have her hooked to an IV in case of an emergency.... Try to see if towns around you have a vet who use gas anesthesia - try the Veterinary Universities. Try everywhere. If you don't find, I would do the dental and hope for the best. IF the kitty shows signs of kidney or liver problems, then do not do the dental as it can be too risky.
Non-anesthetic dentals are as good as nothing on those cases as they will not reach under the gum line, so they will not find or treat a diseased tooth - which are the ones you are concerned with.
A bad mouth can break havoc in a kitties health, as you are aware.... if you feel he is in much need of a dental, by all means....

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I would agree. I would try to find a vet who uses gas anesthesia as well. Either way, I would go ahead with the dental. I know this is a double edge sword so to speak, but I think not doing the dental could wreck havoc on your kitties health.....

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I love my cats like my family, and it's often difficult to get non-animal people to understand how devastating pet illnesses and death can be.

From your responses, it looks like there really is no other option but to find a vet that uses gas anesthesia, and that it's better to risk the anesthesia (provided that her organs are still in good health) than letting her mouth get worse. She is acting well, eating normally and playing, but I'm aware that cats are remarkably good at hiding pain.

I've been emailing dentists in the surrounding towns, and it looks like there might be a big vet clinic with gas anesthesia a couple of hours away! In the meantime, I'm taking her tomorrow to get a second opinion from a different vet—and hopefully a full check & tests if he can do them—and see if he has further advice. My first vet called me to say they have a milder form of anesthesia (still injected) that will barely keep her asleep. Since it seems like the only option is gas anesthesia, I'm leery of this idea. I'll stop by there tomorrow to get the information anyway.

Depending on what the vets say, I'll get in contact with this big clinic and see what their procedure is and when I can make an appointment.

Thanks everyone, I feel more confident about what direction to pursue in terms of vet care.

Here's the kitty in question (Princess), who decided she was coming on a trip with me a few weeks ago. I adopted her from a Humane Society shelter many years ago, when she was half-grown. She the mildest, sweetest-tempered cat I've ever had, somewhat shy and very affectionate.

Yuki said:

I've been emailing dentists in the surrounding towns, and it looks like there might be a big vet clinic with gas anesthesia a couple of hours away! 

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That would certainly be the best option. I wish you luck in getting some good dental care for your pretty girl. In case it makes you feel better, my 19 yr old cat had a dental a couple weeks ago and did fantastic. AND, he has renal insufficiency, diabetes, and a heart condition. 

EmilyMayWilcha said:

My last vet also said 15 is too old for a full dental cleaning with tooth extraction. Patricia is fine otherwise so she was not too concerned about leaving her bleeding mouth alone.

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That is ridiculous. You need to find another vet. If they don't feel competent performing a dental on a senior kitty, they should refer you to someone who is. Age is not a disease..... if your cat is "otherwise fine", she should have her bleeding mouth taken care of. It's cruel not to.

EmilyMayWilcha said:

The reason given for leaving it alone was a risk of infection, not the type of anesthesia available.

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Huh? Poor oral hygiene is a huge source of bacteria and that increases the potential for infection. Your vet has it backwards. 

EmilyMayWilcha said:

My last vet also said 15 is too old for a full dental cleaning with tooth extraction. Patricia is fine otherwise so she was not too concerned about leaving her bleeding mouth alone. I do feel bad that the problem can't be treated because of her age, however. The reason given for leaving it alone was a risk of infection, not the type of anesthesia available.

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That's crazy.... you should look for another vet if you don't want very serious problems for your cat. a "bleeding mouth" is no small issue, and left alone you are looking for trouble, besides a life of pain for your cat - that's called cruelty IMHO.
Aside from of course, you are referring to the wrong cat - the OP's cat is 12.

I just want to say I sympathize with you about frustration with the vet and not wanting to make any more mistakes. I took my 11 year old boy in because I had been reading about how many cats become ill when they are older due to lack of dentals. My vet said he was too heavy and to bring him back after he was on a diet. Then she gave him a three year rabies shot and he contracted lymphosarcoma 7 months later. At that point the vet said hmmmm it looks like this sarcoma is an immune reaction to something. I said that would be the rabies shot. So even when you try to do the right thing, it can turn out to be a mess. And now he is being treated for cancer but he still hasn't had a dental - very ironic.

I have the impression especially after reading your post that vets tend to be very careful about sedating middle-aged cats for dentals. I could understand if the kitty's teeth were otherwise ok, but it seems strange that they would not treat your first cat who had such a serious problem. I am glad you are going to another vet. And you have to trust your instinct as far as doing the right thing for your cat. And know that no matter what you do, things can still go horribly wrong out of nowhere, despite your best intentions and it will NOT be your fault (and it doesn't mean that the other vet was right). It can be terribly frustrating trying to do what is best and things still go wrong. You have had a very bad experience and everyone on this thread would be doing what you are doing now. I hope your kitty will be ok and I think you are a wonderful kitty parent!

BarbB, that must be nerve-wracking! It's really difficult knowing that even relatively safe and routine procedures like vaccines can have bad side-effects, and we often have no way of knowing or preventing these until the damage is already done. I wish you and your boy the best.

Today went great! There's a vet clinic near my usual vet, and I had asked her (my usual vet) if they could do the cleaning. She said no, she was familiar with them, and they didn't have gas anesthesia either. Well, today on my way to a different vet (between all my posts, I'm talking about five different vets—I know it's confusing), I decided to stop by there just in case and ask.

It turns out they do have gas anesthesia! She got a general checkup, and the vets said she's in excellent health—no heart or kidney issues that they could see. I'm going to look into changing her food, though, since they think she's missing some vitamins. If everything goes well, she'll be getting her dental this next Thursday. They'll have her on IV, and they're calling in a special anesthesiologist from out of town with equipment to monitor her vitals during the cleaning. If I remember correctly, she'll be inducted with propofol and then maintained with sevoflurane. (Does this sound right?) While they said there's a risk with every process, they think she'll do fine. I can just imagine how unbearable Thursday's going to be, as I wait for news of her, but it seems this is the only solution so far. I'll be calling in on Tuesday to confirm everything and get more instructions. The entire thing is going to leave me half-broke, but money can be replaced—Princess can't.

I'm so happy I finally found something, though I'd be lying to say I'm relieved. I'll be relieved when Thursday is over, and Princess is safely back home. If anyone has any tips—things I should look out for or expect, questions I should asks the vets, either before or after the cleaning—I'd love to hear them. Is it possible for this to be her very last cleaning? for me to keep her teeth brushed at home and perhaps feed her special senior cat/dental care food? I have another cat who is a couple of years younger, and her teeth look excellent. Nonetheless, I think it would be a good idea for me to start brushing them as well.

Thank you for all the support and guidance.

I live in a small town north northwest of Houston, Texas. I take my cat to the vet clinic, which is about 5 miles away, every six months for a general checkup. The vet clinic near me has three vets in it. All female vets. They take care of my manx breed cat who is just a few days shy of turning 15 years old. None of the three vets has any objections to cleaning his teeth at his age. He still has all of them since he's never lost any teeth. When he goes in for a cleaning, they take into consideration his age and his weight. A few days before his cleaning, the vet gives me an antibiotic to prepare him for the cleaning. On the day of the cleaning, I drop him off at 8am and by 10 am, they call me and tell me he's been awake since 9:15am and on his feet impatiently waiting for me to come get him to take him back home with me. Even after the cleaning, I keep giving him all of the anitbiotic until it's all gone per the vet's instructions. 

Wonderful!!!!!!!!! That is just great!!!! So glad you decided to stop in and ask. I find that sometimes you just have to go directly to the "source" and find out yourself and not take someone's word for it. Now you can tell your regular vet that they DO in fact have gas anesthesia

Much luck on Thursday with Coco :rub: All will be well :nod: AND she is absolutely gorgeous. Such a pretty girl :love: :rub:

Thank you so much, Feralvr. It's not even close to Thursday, but I'm already worried sick. I've sent the vets an email full of questions—hopefully they don't take offense—and will either call or stop by directly tomorrow for more information.

Night Wing, thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like your boy does very well with the cleanings. I'll ask the vets about antibiotics. I've been googling around and have found articles about safety procedures during anesthesia—going to ask them about those, too.

I'm nervous because none of my cats or dogs have gone in for any major problems. Most have been spayed & neutered when they were young and recovered quickly (some better than others). The only other times something major has occurred—tooth infection, poisoning, and urinary blockage—I lost my darlings despite vet care. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

Took Princess today to get her blood tests. The results should be in this afternoon.

The vet told me I needed to remove her food by noon today and 9pm tonight. The cleaning will be at 9:30 tomorrow, and I'll have her home around 1:30pm. Do I really need to keep her without eating for 25 hours and without water for 12? I thought usually only a 12hr fast was recommended.

Anyway, I'm really anxious and hope everything will go well. The vet refused to ease my mind and only said I'd have to pay in advance and be ready to expect anything. He made it sound like it was a 50/50 chance! I'll be stopping by one of the other vets today for advice.

That long without food and water is silly. Usual recommendation is 12 hrs for food, and maybe 4ish hrs for water: http://petdiabetes.wikia.com/wiki/Dental_procedure

Fluids.

Some veterinarians may want the caregiver to withhold water from the pet overnight before the procedure. This is generally difficult on and may dehydrate a diabetic animal and you should question such a requirement. Generally, withholding water for more than 2 to 4 hours before the procedure is not necessary.

Food.

It is common for your veterinarian to ask you to withhold food for approximately 12 hours before the procedure. This is done to make sure the animal does not aspirate food during the procedure.

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Thank you, Sugarcatmom. That's just what the other vet said, and I didn't want to keep her food for too long since I had her without food for about 6/7hrs before the tests. The vets didn't tell me I needed to fast her, and by the time I thought of it, it was too late to call. Today when they took the tests, they said it was preferable to fast her beforehand and thoughts 6hrs would be enough.



Happy to be home from the vet. She's a very docile cat and never tries to scratch, but I can tell the vet visit upset her. You can see the strip they shaved off on her arm to draw blood (also on the other arm).

Good luck tomorrow PRINCESS!!!!! and momma Don't worry, (I know, impossible, right?!) but she will be just fine. :heart3: