Afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned

I am so afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned. I'm petrified of losing her
during the sedation. She is going on nine, means the world to me, I'd be
devastated if I took her in and she died. I've already lost two pets in my
lifetime to anesthesia. I know her back teeth are very heavy with tartar
and plaque and I know when she gets older without the cleaning theres the
increased chance of heart disease. I'm besides myself here.

Tara Legale wrote:

I am so afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned. I'm petrified of losing her
during the sedation. She is going on nine, means the world to me, I'd be
devastated if I took her in and she died. I've already lost two pets in my
lifetime to anesthesia. I know her back teeth are very heavy with tartar
and plaque and I know when she gets older without the cleaning theres the
increased chance of heart disease. I'm besides myself here.



Explain this to your vet, and ask if he/she would be willing to use a
gas anesthesia rather than an injection. If that's not an option,
perhaps the vet would opt for a mild sedative that wears off quickly,
just long enough to clean one or two teeth at a time, so that the teeth
will be taken care of in successive visits rather than all at once.
(I've heard of this having been done for aging or infirm cats.)

"Tara Legale" wrote in message
...
I am so afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned. I'm petrified of losing her
during the sedation. She is going on nine, means the world to me, I'd be
devastated if I took her in and she died. I've already lost two pets in my
lifetime to anesthesia. I know her back teeth are very heavy with tartar
and plaque and I know when she gets older without the cleaning theres the
increased chance of heart disease. I'm besides myself here.

I had a cat that lived to be 20 and never had a cleaning.
I am also afraid of putting mine under. I probably never will unless dental
work is necessary.

"Noon Cat Nick" wrote

Explain this to your vet, and ask if he/she would be willing to use a gas
anesthesia rather than an injection.

Gas can kill them too.

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"Noon Cat Nick" wrote

Explain this to your vet, and ask if he/she would be willing to use a
gas
anesthesia rather than an injection.

Gas can kill them too.



How so?

I have been always been assured that gas was much, much, safer than the old
and standard injection/ anesthesia.

ML

cybercat wrote:

"Noon Cat Nick" wrote


Explain this to your vet, and ask if he/she would be willing to use a gas
anesthesia rather than an injection.



Gas can kill them too.



Aha, I wasn't aware of that. Thank you very much for setting me straight
on that.

Out of interest, how many people actually brush their cats' teeth
regularly?

I'll open by saying I don't. I did when they were kittens, to get them
used to it. I was advised that brushing just the outsides of all the
teeth was sufficient as that's where the tartar can build up. But then
things got busy in my life and that's one weeky cat-chore I decided to
drop. I also figured that as cats only live till they are 20 what's the
point of polishing their pearlies as if they were going to live as long
us? But maybe I shouldn't be so lazy. How many other people are being
as lazy or, perhaps, as rational as me? The kittens certainly never
enjoyed having their teeth cleaned though they did sit there and let me
perform the rather difficult operation.

Can we have some candid discussion on this?

Eddy.

Tara Legale wrote:

I am so afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned. I'm petrified of losing her
during the sedation. She is going on nine, means the world to me, I'd be
devastated if I took her in and she died. I've already lost two pets in my
lifetime to anesthesia. I know her back teeth are very heavy with tartar
and plaque and I know when she gets older without the cleaning theres the
increased chance of heart disease. I'm besides myself here.


Pay extra for the blood test they do beforehand to make sure the
sedative is given correctly. I felt the same way about my cat's teeth
cleaning but he had gum disease and had to have it done in order to
eliminate the threat of heart problems.

Best of luck - be strong.

Eddy Bentley wrote:

Out of interest, how many people actually brush their cats' teeth
regularly?

I'll open by saying I don't.

I don't either but it's because they won't let me near their mouths
with the toothbrush. Instead, I feel them Science Diet Oral Care and
add an anti-plaque treatment to their water once a month.


I did when they were kittens, to get them
used to it. I was advised that brushing just the outsides of all the
teeth was sufficient as that's where the tartar can build up. But then
things got busy in my life and that's one weeky cat-chore I decided to
drop. I also figured that as cats only live till they are 20 what's the
point of polishing their pearlies as if they were going to live as long
us? But maybe I shouldn't be so lazy. How many other people are being
as lazy or, perhaps, as rational as me? The kittens certainly never
enjoyed having their teeth cleaned though they did sit there and let me
perform the rather difficult operation.

Can we have some candid discussion on this?

Eddy.

On May 22, 6:24 pm, "Tara Legale" wrote:
I am so afraid to have my cats teeth cleaned. I'm petrified of losing her
during the sedation. She is going on nine, means the world to me, I'd be
devastated if I took her in and she died. I've already lost two pets in my
lifetime to anesthesia. I know her back teeth are very heavy with tartar
and plaque and I know when she gets older without the cleaning theres the
increased chance of heart disease. I'm besides myself here.

I'm so sorry you've lost two pets to anesthesia! I can understand your
fears. Each time a cat (or person) goes in for surgery, it is a risk,
but you have to weigh the pros and cons of doing the surgery. In this
case, she might a) stop eating because of tooth pain b) get an
infection/abcess from the bad tooth/teeth c) increase risk of heart
disease d)bad breath/drooling/etc.

As another poster get, get bloodwork done to make sure she's fit for
the procedure. Unfortunately, the longer you put this off, the worse
her teeth will get. If you have her teeth cleaned, it could prevent
future problems too (like extractions).

To Eddy about teeth cleaning: I brush my cat's teeth 1-2x per week.
They are quite good about it, though one sometimes acts like he's
being gagged (he's not).