My old cat is scheduled for pre-dental bloodwork--need support and encouragement

Crazy4Strays said:

 
Great news!

I took my kitty in today and his bloodwork shows that he is in fantastic health! No liver or kidney issues! 

 He's also lost some additional weight on his low carb wet food diet and is now down to a very healthy 10.4 pounds. (he was overweight and had a giant belly when we adopted him last year)

The vet said that the dental is definitely a go, and he expressed appreciation that we opted for the bloodwork. (he doesn't require it, but definitely prefers that it be done)

My vet's office is a small country office and really can only book one surgery per day, so they can't even get us in for the dental until April 20th! That gives us plenty of time to stash more money in our piggy bank and get our tax refund.

I'm relieved that things are turning out well so far!

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This is wonderful to hear.   It's all good news - you don't get that everyday!   So pleased for you.

Thank you all for being happy with me! I know that there's many people who don't value cats and certainly wouldn't care whether my cat was healthy or not and might even give me a lecture for spending money on dental care for my cat. It's great to have a supportive community here!

Crazy4Strays said:

Thank you all for being happy with me! I know that there's many people who don't value cats and certainly wouldn't care whether my cat was healthy or not and might even give me a lecture for spending money on dental care for my cat. It's great to have a supportive community here!

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I seriously would not tell anyone in my family or my husbands what we spent trying to save Kitten. Nor how much we paid to make sure Mook was healthy. Or that we paid extra for a vaccine when there was a cheaper one. 

And to be honest IRL for all the pet lovers I see most of them get rather basic care. Which is fine.

That new furniture , vacation and spiffy new leather boots and clothes would be bitter to sit on, go on and wear knowing I chose them over the health of my house fluffies. And that's how we roll here.

Yep, yep!!

My couch isn't going to come cuddle with me and purr when I've had a bad day. Keeping living creatures healthy and alive comes first in our house.

If there was a house fire, my main priority would be getting the kids and the cats out. The stuff can be replaced, but they can't.

And that's about what it boils down to, my cats are irreplaceable and unique individuals. They're not "just cats." My Tiger is the only one of his kind in the world. My other cat, Spottie, is also a unique individual and additionally is a living memorial to the family member that I lost. (He was my mother-in-law's cat and I inherited him. She passed away in November of 2014)

It's just nice to talk to people who "get it."

This is wonderful news!  So glad to hear Secret is doing well! 

Yay! So glad that your kitty is doing well!

Argh, I have to stop overthinking anesthesia risk. Everything's 99.9% likely to go okay. I need to stop reading stuff online. The reality is that our minds are programmed to remember the negative. So, we don't think about the millions of cats that tolerated anesthesia fine, we think more about the few cases of those who didn't.

Spottie's dental is scheduled in 3 weeks and I'm just ready to get it over with, already, so I can quit thinking about it.

I've saved up over $150 in cash just for his dental, plus we have our tax return coming. Really hoping that it won't be the "worst case scenario cost" though. My vet tech said that the most expensive dental that she's seen in 20 years was $400.....

From my observations while brushing his teeth, he very likely has tooth resorption.

Crazy4Strays said:

 
Argh, I have to stop overthinking anesthesia risk. Everything's 99.9% likely to go okay. I need to stop reading stuff online. The reality is that our minds are programmed to remember the negative. So, we don't think about the millions of cats that tolerated anesthesia fine, we think more about the few cases of those who didn't.

Spottie's dental is scheduled in 3 weeks and I'm just ready to get it over with, already, so I can quit thinking about it.

I've saved up over $150 in cash just for his dental, plus we have our tax return coming. Really hoping that it won't be the "worst case scenario cost" though. My vet tech said that the most expensive dental that she's seen in 20 years was $400.....

From my observations while brushing his teeth, he very likely has tooth resorption.

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Almost everyone worries about their cat having anesthesia, but it is good to remind your self of the millions of cats who go through this without any problem, even for very long procedures.  I am glad you have been able to schedule Spotties dental in, and hope all goes well with the financial planning - that part of things is always so hard.   

All fingers, toes and paws crossed here that Spottie doesn't have reabsorbtion issues and his oral problems are easily managed from this scheduled dental.   It is much easier said than done but try as hard as you can not to focus on 'worst case scenario', and stay calm.  You know that your staying calm is the best thing you can do for Spottie so remind your self of the good reports you have had from the vet so far and spend as much of your time kitty pampering.  

Thanks MServant! Really, worrying about it doesn't do one ounce of good. It's all so new to me, though, because before last year, I had hardly ever given one bit of thought to my cat's teeth, nor did I know very many people who brushed their cat's teeth or got tooth cleanings. The unfamiliar is always nerve wracking.

Before I had Mouse I didn't know anyone brushed their cat's teeth, or even noticed the pet toothpaste in the pet stores!  I learned very quickly with Mouse sadly.  My previous cats showed no sign of dental problems in their 18 - 21 years and their teeth were in fine condition.  I guess they had good genes and a healthy dose of good luck.  

I am thinking that if Spottie did have tooth reabsorbtion it would have been more likely to show at a younger age, but I'm not an expert on the subject.   Keep up with the brushing and try to stay positive.      

The thing is, I didn't have Spottie at a younger age. I adopted him at age 14.

I am thinking more likely any issues now are down to limited dental care before Spottie moved in with you.  Hopefully nothing untoward like the reabsorbtion will be found when he does go in for that dental.  

I've done the final step--the financial planning. Between the money that I've saved since his visit in January and our tax refund, we have plenty of cash on hand now to pay the vet without using credit cards. Good thing since my vet doesn't take credit cards!

 I figured that I'd plan for the worst case scenario cost and then when his mouth (hopefully) isn't as bad as the worst case scenario, any money savings will be gravy that we can use for something else. 

It's nice to have the financial part out of the way, so that I can focus on my cat without worrying about the bill.

Spottie got his dental done today. His tartar accumulation was quite heavy, so his teeth look amazing now, after the cleaning is all done. He only required one extraction. The final bill (including one application of Revolution and a distemper shot) was $165. 

Crazy4Strays said:

 
Spottie got his dental done today. His tartar accumulation was quite heavy, so his teeth look amazing now, after the cleaning is all done. He only required one extraction. The final bill (including one application of Revolution and a distemper shot) was $165. 

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Good to know. I've been following this thread. Mook has a dental on the 27th. I wish my bill was only going to be 165.

I have a country vet who works on large animals as well as small animals, has a tiny office, and doesn't take credit cards. My husband told me to get all the elective procedures done before he moves to a bigger office. 

Well since the vet in a rural setting here blinded Kitten and is most likely responsible for her death I'm not using local vets anymore. The veterinary board ruled against her also in my case.

That said the majority of rural vets. and I've used a lot with horses are genuine animal lovers and would never use a 16 year old reference book to prescribe medication. I have a huge hump to get over. Hearing your story is good. For Spottie and Mook. Since I am really determined to take her in for her dental and not become a fearful neglector.

Fear can be paralyzing, that's for sure.

I had really nightmarish fear of the anesthesia, even though intellectually I know that my cat is probably more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the vet's office than to die from anesthesia. I'm certainly glad that I got it done, that's for sure. His tartar was really bad and was inflaming his gum badly. Now with his tartar gone, my daily brushing and dental spray can really help to heal his gingivitis.

Crazy4Strays said:

 
Fear can be paralyzing, that's for sure.

I had really nightmarish fear of the anesthesia, even though intellectually I know that my cat is probably more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the vet's office than to die from anesthesia. I'm certainly glad that I got it done, that's for sure. His tartar was really bad and was inflaming his gum badly. Now with his tartar gone, my daily brushing and dental spray can really help to heal his gingivitis.

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The fear is awful. She'll be six. It really should be done. She is in good shape and taking some care now will make her old age better. For all of us.

How is Spottie feeling ? Did they give antibiotics, pain meds ?