do cats need to get teeth pulled?

"miko" wrote in message
...
i have a 3 year old cat and the vet said he needs 7 teeth
pulled,,under general anesthesia.

i am not comfortable with vets putting pets under. i have lost two
cats after leaving them at a vet hospital.

the vet gave me the standard line "poor teeth ache like humans". well
i believe animals in the animal kingdom live with such minor issues
and that tooth aches are a decidedly human issue. all of my cats have
had bad teeth at some point and time. couple that with my concern
about having my cat being put under, the lack of faith i have in vet
"surgeons/doctors", and i'd like to ask you all what you think.

understand,,,it's the process of general anesthesia i am concerned
about.

A cat can live perfectly well, and PAIN FREE, after having their teeth
pulled. They usually leave the big fangs. Cats do not chew. They tear off
chunks of meat and swallow. A "toothless" cat has no need for teeth.

Condemning a cat to chronic lifelong pain is simply cruel. By all means
have it done and if you aren't sure get a second opinion from another vet.

Paul

On Dec 7, 12:05 pm, bobblespin wrote:
i have a 3 year old cat and the vet said he needs 7 teeth
pulled,,under general anesthesia.

i am not comfortable with vets putting pets under. i have lost two
cats after leaving them at a vet hospital.

the vet gave me the standard line "poor teeth ache like humans". well
i believe animals in the animal kingdom live with such minor issues
and that tooth aches are a decidedly human issue. all of my cats
have had bad teeth at some point and time. couple that with my
concern about having my cat being put under, the lack of faith i have
in vet "surgeons/doctors", and i'd like to ask you all what you
think.

understand,,,it's the process of general anesthesia i am concerned
about.

I find it unusual for a 3 year old to need teeth removed, let alone 7 of
them. All of mine have had teeth removed when they are older, but I would
get another opinion if it were my 3 year old cat.

Bobble

Years ago I had a cat who at the age of two needed several teeth
pulled (it's been so long ago I don't remember exactly how many--at
least three). When the vet looked in her mouth he couldn't believe she
was only two. He said her bad teeth must be congenital since, as you
say, it's unusual for a young cat to need so much dental work. So
while it's uncommon, it's possible for a three year old cat to need
some teeth removed.

I do question the number seven, if only because it seems to me the vet
couldn't really tell for sure if all of them need to be pulled until
he gets the cat under anesthesia and cleans the teeth and looks under
the gums. But maybe they are so bad it's obvious.

If the OP has lost two cats to anesthesia, I can see the concern, but
that's got to be either a pretty lousy track record on the part of
that a particular vet, or incredibly bad luck. There's always a risk
with general anesthesia, but the techniques used today mean anesthesia
for cats is much safer than it was years ago. I'd say the risk with
general anesthesia for a three year old cat would be extremely low.
For older cats, many vets do tests beforehand to get a better idea of
whether there is an underlying problem that would preclude anesthesia,
so if you are worried, pre-anesthesia tests might put you more at
ease.
-yngver

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 02:26:05 -0500, "cybercat"
wrote:


"miko" wrote in message
...
On Dec 7, 12:51 am, "cybercat" wrote:


lol

hmmmm. i'll take that under consideration.

Have you ever had a tooth ache?

Do you think cats have less nerves in their mouths?

Take your animal to the vet and have his teeth taken care of and spare us
the rationalizations for not spending the money. Or put your cat into the
care of someone with some sense and compassion. Jesus.

Well, I can't say it any better than cybercat already has....

But I'll expand on it some:

I have bad teeth; very weak enamel due to having scarlet fever at just
the worst time as a child.

I've had some very, very bad toothaches over my lifetime; several root
canals, etc.. The pain can be in the same league as a 'moderate' kidney
stone.

You need to experience a few, so you can put your cat's suffering in the
proper perspective.

Cats experience pain exactly the same as *you* would, if you had a soul,
that is.

"miko" wrote in message
...
i have a 3 year old cat and the vet said he needs 7 teeth
pulled,,under general anesthesia.

i am not comfortable with vets putting pets under. i have lost two
cats after leaving them at a vet hospital.

the vet gave me the standard line "poor teeth ache like humans". well
i believe animals in the animal kingdom live with such minor issues
and that tooth aches are a decidedly human issue. all of my cats have
had bad teeth at some point and time. couple that with my concern
about having my cat being put under, the lack of faith i have in vet
"surgeons/doctors", and i'd like to ask you all what you think.

understand,,,it's the process of general anesthesia i am concerned
about.

Although not common, I have heard of young cats having severe dental
problems that have required extractions. In one case it was a cat under the
age of 2 who needed all her teeth pulled. We rescued another cat who was
around the age of yours who needed all of his pulled as well. He did fine
without them and was adopted and last I heard was doing well in his new
home.

If you aren't comfortable with your vet you should start looking for a new
one. Get recommendations from others you know who have pets. If you have a
pet supply store with an adoption center, ask the volunteers if they know
which vet practices in the area have a good reputation.

Wendy

miko wrote in news:a59ca200-3bcc-450c-a466-
:

On Dec 7, 12:51 am, "cybercat" wrote:


lol

hmmmm. i'll take that under consideration.


What you should take under consideration is what a moron cybercat is.

"cybercat" wrote in :


"miko" wrote in message
news:a59ca200-3bcc-450c-a466-
.
..
On Dec 7, 12:51 am, "cybercat" wrote:


lol

hmmmm. i'll take that under consideration.

Have you ever had a tooth ache?

Do you think cats have less nerves in their mouths?

Take your animal to the vet and have his teeth taken care of and spare
us the rationalizations for not spending the money. Or put your cat
into the care of someone with some sense and compassion. Jesus.



yeah take your cat to a stranger who probably sees it as an object and
is more interested in emptying your wallet than in treating your cat.
take it to someone who often kills cats through incompetence with little
or no worry of repercussions.

miko wrote in
:

i have a 3 year old cat and the vet said he needs 7 teeth
pulled,,under general anesthesia.

i am not comfortable with vets putting pets under. i have lost two
cats after leaving them at a vet hospital.

the vet gave me the standard line "poor teeth ache like humans". well
i believe animals in the animal kingdom live with such minor issues
and that tooth aches are a decidedly human issue. all of my cats have
had bad teeth at some point and time. couple that with my concern
about having my cat being put under, the lack of faith i have in vet
"surgeons/doctors", and i'd like to ask you all what you think.

understand,,,it's the process of general anesthesia i am concerned
about.

Find a vet board certified in dental care. Gives you a little extra
chance he/she might actually KNOW what the hell they are doing. Takes
special skills to be a dentist. http://www.avdc.org/

On 7 Dec, 05:45, miko wrote:
i have a 3 year old cat and the vet said he needs 7 teeth
pulled,,under general anesthesia.

i am not comfortable with vets putting pets under. i have lost two
cats after leaving them at a vet hospital.

the vet gave me the standard line "poor teeth ache like humans". well
i believe animals in the animal kingdom live with such minor issues
and that tooth aches are a decidedly human issue. all of my cats have
had bad teeth at some point and time. couple that with my concern
about having my cat being put under, the lack of faith i have in vet
"surgeons/doctors", and i'd like to ask you all what you think.

understand,,,it's the process of general anesthesia i am concerned
about.

You don't specify whether both of your prior cat's died from
veterinary intervention for tooth extraction, so I assume it wasn't
for that precise reason; Perhaps other reasons? If your main concern
is trusting your vet, you *would* be best off finding another one as
fast as you can. The best way to find a good vet, is to ask a friend
or colleague who they take their cats to. It's the best way to find
one that is good @ their job, & does care for your cat as much as you
do. ( It is in his / her interest to do so!) As soon as you have found
one, register your cat & get over there ASAP with your cat & wait for
the second opinion.

If, as I guess they might say, that she does indeed have this
procedure done ASAP, for the cat's sake because they do feel pain just
as much as we do. Make sure to tell them how concerned you are about
it....(putting her to sleep whilst she has the dental work done, I
meant),- they *will* make sure that your feelings are taken into
consideration & adhered to as much as is reasonably possible.

First, we need you to find a vet that you would be happier with asap.
If you need help finding one, then ask for advice from people in your
general area, OK?

As it is the weekend, you might need to bite the bullet & get her seen
asap, before it gets any worse(?) & you end up with a very sick cat
with septicemia who maybe unsaveable if left to fester. Monday am @
the latest would be best if you can do that?
If expense is a factor @ play, then don't feel embarrassed to ask for
financial assistance from anywhere that can help you. (different names
in diffferent countries- RSPCA in UK)- That's what it's there for!
Even a payment plan would work here?

You took the first step & asked for help, which is a good thing.
The only reason cyber is so short with you, is because she has been
asked the same question so often over the years, by people who are
simply too tight fisted to pay for their cat's care. I know that the
moment that you have your cat seen to, & come back to let us know how
you got on, & how your cat is feeling, Cyber would be the first to say
how pleased she is. Trust me?!!

I'm sorry your cat is going through such a bad time, & I hope that you
can take the problem by the horns, so that you can guide what happens
from now on. I hope that this helps you, even if only to confirm that
it is painful for kitty. And, Yes, she does seem a little young for
tooth decay, but then again, as with human, there is always an
exception to the rule.

Good Luck & hope to hear that things are much improved soon.

Sheelagh "o"