Vet said 5 year old cat needed 12 teeth removed

[denice]

I think stomatitis could be what is going on.  I know I have heard the number 12 in the past when partial extractions are done.  Do you know which teeth were pulled?  Normally when partial extractions are done for it they remove the canines and all teeth behind the canines.  The canines are almost always removed.

 

[dawn harvey]

Denice, I looked that up and I think you are right!  This cat has always stunk from when she was a kitten.  I thought it was more a gaseous type smell, but maybe it's been the mouth all along.  I have a graph of what teeth were taken out and some of her front teeth are just gone!  None, the tiny ones in front.  Thank you for letting me know about this disease as I have never heard of it.

 

[pushylady]

I need to take some action here of some sort.  They should have called me for sure.

To me that's extremely unethical of them, and I would consider legal action if possible. Regardless of whether or not your cat did need those teeth removed (which is possible, even at 5 years of age) going ahead with an undiscussed expensive operation without your consent or even knowledge is completely unjustifiable. We're not talking about an emergency surgery to save your pet's life. I think it was a money grab, and perhaps they're taking advantage of the personal relationship, thinking you'll just put up with it.

 

[dawn harvey]

Well, I'm never going back that's for sure.  Lesson learned for sure.

 

[btavis]

There is something rotten going on besides the cat's teeth. My experience with a rescue cat was like this:

I rescued this un-neutered cat (DeeJay) from an abusive environment. I guessed his age to be around five to seven. He had bad skin, was underweight and had terribly bad breath. I took him to my usual vet for neutering and dealing with his skin condition. He looked in his mouth and said the cat had gingivitis and stomatitis. He said that he would first try and treat the cat with steroids. That seemed to work for a few months but the problem returned and the cat was having difficulty eating and swallowing (he was crying and gagging when eating).

I returned him to my vet and he then referred me to a feline oral surgeon. The oral surgeon was extremely knowledgeable, took extensive pictures of the cat's mouth and showed me the inflammation that had developed which was extensive. I mean his mouth was raw and he was in great pain. The oral surgeon recommended full extraction of the teeth to completely cure the problem. The cost: $4000!!! Well, as no good deed goes unpunished I of course went ahead with the surgery. The surgeon set a date for the procedure and told me to have the cat fast for 12 hours prior. I dropped DeeJay off and was able to pick him up later that day. The surgery itself took four hours. He had to wear the collar for about two weeks while his mouth healed and I had to feed him baby food.

That was three years ago. He is now a fat, happy kitty with a humongous appetite. Here is a picture of him now with his beautiful golden eyes:



I think what happened to you was unfortunate and certainly not done professionally. Since you know the vet I would talk to them personally and I would follow up with another vet just to ensure what was done was in fact going to solve the problem permanently. No vet I have ever dealt with has gone ahead with a major procedure without consulting me first. Even auto mechanics don't do this. I hope for the best for your kitty!

I have four other cats and have had the pleasure of almost 15 in the last thirty years but DeeJay was the sickest I had ever encountered. Needless to say DeeJay adores me, is my constant companion and is very grateful to me for giving him his normal life back.

P.S. You would be surprised at how well cats can eat without teeth. Even dry food.

 

[dawn harvey]

Thank you for the good wishes and your cat is a beauty!  I am starting to think it is something worse too like Denice said.  I am going to find another vet.  I would never let them touch another animal of mine.  I have had many cats for years as well and never encountered anything like this or this type of treatment without consulting me first. 

 

[goholistic]

My vet won't even give my cats sub-q fluids without my consent. You're smart to find another vet. Dental extractions is surgery. Even if the procedure was the right thing to do, they still should have let you know.  Sending lots of vibes that she heals up quickly.