17 year old cat with bad teeth

Hello, Well I have a very big problem with my cat and her teeth. She needs extensive dental work but I am so afraid to 'put her under". She has just gotton over her second U.T.I. and I was wonderfing if her bad teeth are causing the U.T.I.'s. She is on meds for thyroid and she also has a heart murmur and I just hate the thought of losing her during her dental surgery. She eats fine but she has been losing weight and the trips to the vet are horrible for her ! She is so afraid of the car and cries the whole way there. I am so torn between just leaving her live the rest of her life in peace and quite rather than putting her through major dental work and many ,many, trips to the vet. I know there are no guarantees when it comes to any type of surgery so do I risk her life or not

Cats and people can both have their health jeopordized(sp?) by bad teeth. Bacteria and other toxins could enter into the blood stream and cause damage to vital organs. A couple of years ago I had a thirteen year old cat with bad teeth. I was worried about her surviving the dental surgery also. Before the dental work was done I had pre-anesthesia blood work done so the function of vital organs such as the liver and kidneys could be checked. During the actual dental procedure, the vet used a gas anesthesia which is safer than the injectable kind. When I picked my cat up later that same day she was fully alert and had no lingering effects from the anesthesia.

I am only another cat owner, there are others here who are more knowledgeable and may be able to give you better advice.

I have a 19 year old cat that has bad breath but I try to brush his teeth with a toothbrush but he is more interested in the chicken flavor from the toothpaste..lol.It is true that cats teeth are identical to humans.I remember years ago you never heard of taking your cat to the vet for dental work.That is why alot of people wonder why cats die early of kidney failure.It is because all the bacteria from the teeth and mouth are entering the bloodstream and damaging the kidneys.My cat Teddie has bad breath but alot of that is just old age.I have taken Teddie a few times to the vet and he hates it.I can tell you some very horrible stories about vets.If your wise find the best and caring vet you can find,I prefer an Holistic care vet.Teddie has Hyperthyroidism too but I administer Herbs not man made medicines.They have told me also that he should have his teeth clean but I think about the risk at his age.I decided just to try to clean his teeth and administer his herbs and try to educate myself on healthy foods.I think your cat would want you to clean them.Oh Yeah,When I had my female cat to the vet she gave me a bottle of natural liquid teeth cleaner that you can just put a few drops around the gums.I will find out the name of it so you can ask your vet if she has it.God bless you and your cat.

Just be careful. Cats hide pain really well. My cat didn't seam to have any real tooth problems except tarter. He is 13. Anyways he went in for a cleaning and turns out he had 6 rotting tethe and two nerves exposed. Ouch can you imagine how much that hurt to eat. I totally understand now why he didn't want me messing with his mouth. Now that his mouth is fixed up I will try to brush them a best I can. It should hurt a lot less now.

My thoughts are with you and your cat. I wish I was wise enough to know what to say. I hope you find the guidance to help you make a decision. I think if you love your cat--anything that you do will be the right decision.