Senior cat with lung cancer who needs dental care

[oyster]

Our 13 year old boy was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017. That is another story but he is still living with it as recent xrays showed. We took him in to get his teeth checked as his gums were bleeding.
Our vet is hesitant to put him under due to his diagnosis and his age but he has two loose teeth that need to be pulled. A few months later now and they are bothering him a lot. He hides in pain and I have seen inflammation in his gums while brushing his teeth. He is eating fairly well and is on a wet food diet with a few kibbles as treats.
We have been given a recommendation to take him to the closest vet school to see if they would handle it because our vet says she can't monitor him as she doesn't have the equipment.
Should we get his teeth pulled with the risks involved or just try with some pain medication? We have an appointment next week at the vet school but I want to weigh my options.
So, if anyone wants to chime in with their experiences or suggestions, I would be grateful.

 

[white shadow]

.
Is he getting pain meds now ?

If not, that should be priority #1.

I'd ask for Buprenorphine - (administered orally, with a few drops into the gums area where it gets absorbed) - easiest treatment.

If it's the Vet's "recommendation" to go ahead with the University's hospital, I'd jump at it. (that would seem to indicate that "recent xrays" don't contraindicate the surgery)

If it's not the Vet making the recommendation, especially if it's a non-Vet-professional, I'd want a competent Vet's clearance before proceeding.
.

 

[oyster]

No, he is not on pain medication now. Our regular vet didn't really know how to proceed because of his cancer. She recommended the university and she is a competent vet but she honestly and frankly told us that was not confident in extracting his teeth under anesthesia without huge risks.
We left it at that (we have another cat who just had radioactive iodine therapy, last week, at a different university so our hands were/are full with him too) but now the problem is, naturally, worse.

 

[carebearbaby1]

In my opinion it's better to risk the surgery than leave him in pain and unable to eat correctly. That's just my opinion though.

 

[oyster]

We have an appointment on Wed. Can I give him (human)baby teething medicine on his gums until then?

 

[fionasmom]

I think he needs something stronger than baby teething medicine if someone can determine what is safe for him. Wednesday is a long way off when you are in pain.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Most pain relief for humans - even babies - is toxic for cats. Can you call the vet and ask about a safe pain med for him? Maybe even the bupe, as mentioned above, to see if that might be OK.

Also, ask about nitrous oxide (laughing gas) in lieu of, or to reduce the amount of, anesthesia for the tooth issue.

 

[oyster]

UPDATE: Our 13 year old with lung cancer went to visit a big hospital where they specialize in dental care. He was suffering from inflamed gums with an infection and pus. Not pretty and worse for him. He is on pain medication and feels a lot better. He will have surgery under anesthesia next week. So it can be done. He will be monitored throughout and they will have 2 other specialists in case things go wrong. I accept that they may still go wrong but I can see that the professionals there are committed to everything going right. I will be a nervous wreck till its over and he is stable but I just wanted to provide an update for people who may be in the same situation. Tooth care CAN be done if you can find a reliable place to do it (and have the resources). Between our two seniors, we have blown through our travel budget so it's a good thing we are not traveling anywhere due to the virus. There is a silver lining in every cloud.

 

[lavishsqualor]

That's wonderful news!

Your cat is very fortunate to have such great custodians!

And FYI . . . YouTube has some great travel content. Watching those videos makes you feel like you're actually there. And there's no jet lag, lol.