Dental on senior cat w/ CKD and Hyper-T

[Twylasmom]

My cat Twyla is 15 and is badly in need of a dental cleaning and possibly some extractions. Her dental health has been put on the back burner as we have been working with her vet to stabilize her other health issues. Fortunately, she is in a good place right now with her hyperthyroidism managed with a low dose of methimazole. Her CKD is early stage 3 and managed with twice weekly subqs, diet and anti-nausea and appetite meds. She has one kidney that is small with minimal function and one enlarged one that does most of the work. Despite all this she is maintaining a healthy weight, and her heart and lungs are good. She has been stable at these levels for about four months now.

I do think she would benefit from the dental work but am concerned about the effect of the sedation on her system, particularly her kidneys, and the general risk of anesthesia. What would you do in this situation? Do you have any experience to share? I probably won’t move forward on this for a couple months, but want to make an informed decision.

 

[neely]

What would you do in this situation? Do you have any experience to share? I probably won’t move forward on this for a couple months, but want to make an informed decision.

Given your concerns and Twyla's present health I would definitely recommend consulting a "board certified" veterinary dental specialist.
You can talk with your present vet for a recommendation or find one from the directory here. I'm not sure of your location but they list US states as well as other countries: Find a Veterinary Dental Specialist | AVDC.org

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I kept up with Poppycat's dental issues (he was stage one CKD, had liver issues and was hyper-T), as I felt that dental health is so vitally important for example for the heart. I think neely's suggestion is great regarding how the sedation might effect the kidneys.

I believe there is a lighter anesthesia that can be used if that's of any advantage or help.

 

[fionasmom]

A specialist may be affiliated with a clinic which is prepared for additional care and monitoring that a regular vet will not have available. I agree that searching out a specialist is something that should be considered.

 

[Twylasmom]

There is only one dental specialist listed for my state, but they are relatively close.