Should I have my cat's teeth cleaned?

Every time I take my cat to my vet she kinda pushes that I should really have my cat's teeth cleaned. She says it will help prevent disease and a bunch of other possibile problems that could lead to illness or an earlier death. My concern is that this procedure, which requires the cat to be put to sleep, would be very traumatic and could even could kill her and I'm not sure I buy the benefits. Plus it's not exactly cheap.. She's around 10-11 years old and very overweight ( 25 lbs ).

Should I have my cat's teeth cleaned?
If your vet thinks it would be in your cat's best interest to have her teeth cleaned then she must feel that the benefits would outweigh the risks and that the risks of not having them cleaned are greater than the risks associated with having them cleaned. Sorry for the run on sentence. But I would trust her. She sees a lot of cats.
Reply:I have had cats all my life. Anything that invovles knocking them out makes me nervous as hell. Only 1 cat has ever had any dental problems later in life and I have never had a cats teeth cleaned.





There are tons of great pet products out there for tartar control and tooth brushing for kitties. Check out your local pet store and give some a try. Kitty might even lose some tartar before your next trip to the vet.
Reply:If your cat's teeth are in such a way, It may be best to have them done. You can find some vets that may put the cat under by gas, but this is very rare.





I used to work with animals and yes her age does put her at very high risk under the anaesthetic - so does her weight.





When it boils down to it, it is your decision. You need to keep in mind that 10-11yrs is a very good age for a cat. If they are in that much discomfort and/or are in pain - Do you really want to run the risk of having her put down due to a chronic abcess or gum infection anyway????
Reply:If she has bad breath, she probably actually needs it. That would mean there is infection/abscess etc., then the need out weighs the risks.





Add..completely agree with the gas anesthesia...it is much safer, but might not allow access to the mouth in order to get to the teeth, depending on how they administer it.
Reply:I am getting ready to have a dental done on my 4 year old cat. The vet has been bugging me about it for over a year now, so we are finally going to have it done, and I am really nervous, but I know it needs to be done.





No matter what we did, she just has bad teeth. We tried dry food (back to canned since dry didn't help her teeth and wasn't as healthy), brushing, water drops... nothing helped. The other cat has great teeth, but the female just has naturally bad teeth/gums.





You can always get a 2nd opinion from another vet since some just kind of push the dental even when it doesn't need to be done, but if she has a tartar build up or gingivitis, the benefits outweigh the risk, and you should have it done.
Reply:Depends...do you like your skin where it is, or would you prefer it in your left ear? Sorry...read too much Garfield and own a real one (named Bagheera, not Garfield) that has much that kind of attitude. Does she eat a lot of soft food? That is really the only time you need to be concerned. I have had to feed my Persian dry cat food because he almost died as a late-kitten/pre-teen? from FUS(Feline Urological Syndrome) where the urethra (one of the tubes from bladder to...um...open air? outside? freedom??) got blocked and his bladder nearly burst which would have poisoned his whole system. Anyway, feed her a tooth protecting dry food but cut back on the wet food.
Reply:It is beneficial to her health! Her age is a concern when putting her under anesthesia. It's not traumatic though, I promise you. You can also have pre-anesthetic blood work done to see how well she will handle the anesthesia. Having her teeth cleaned will help with her future health. Think of it this way: the money you spend on a dental cleaning is probably less than what you will pay for an exam, testing, and meds should she get sick in the future.
Reply:If your kitty's never had a cleaning, now would be a good time, and she may never need it again.


Infection from the gums CAN get into the bloodstream with potentially fatal results. Does you kitty have a great deal of tartar buildup? Are her gums red? If so, she needs her teeth cleaned. I've never had a cat that went an entire (normal) lifespan without a dental cleaning.


Ask your vet to "mask" her when she administers the anesthesia, Hon. It's a much safer means of aenesthestization, and your cat will come out of it much more quickly (it's a gas method rather than a intravenous one.) Kitty will be happier and healthier! :)
Reply:Sounds like you need to get the kitty on a diet!





If the vet thinks it is needed, do it. It IS true that tooth/gum disease can cause all sorts of disease of the liver, lung, kidney, heart. Not to mention a sore mouth that hurts... Think about how you would feel with bad teeth and gum disease.
Reply:i dont take my cat to have his teeth cleaned, i do it myself. He has his own toothbrush to. Once or twice a week, when we wake up, he follows me into the bathroom, i lift him up and set him on the counter and he just sits there until I am done brushing his teeth. He actually likes it. The first time I did it, he scratched and fought, but it has become a routine. He is 3 years old. Having his teeth professionally cleaned is way to much money.

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