Cleaning cat teeth under general anesthesia

[IceAlisa]

First, apologies for not finding the pet thread. Feel free to move it there, admin.

Second, this is somewhat urgent as the vet recommended this about a month ago but then both of my cats proceeded to eat a palm tree (I totally dropped the ball on that one) and had upset stomachs for weeks. Now that they are better, the question of teeth cleaning is looming again.

Especially for my boy who has gingivitis. The only teeth cleaning option offered by our vet is under general anesthesia. This scares me because of the risks involved. Is this necessary? Aren't there other appropriate sedation methods where he could breathe on his own? I am terrified for his life. And my girl would have to get it done at some point too.

Your experience, expertise, thoughts are appreciated.

 

[oleada]

This is timely. My dog needs a teeth cleaning under anesthesia as well. She's a 3-4 year old mutt with horrendous breath and buildup. She's otherwise healthy and I know she needs it, but I'm nervous about having her put under. If IceAlissa doesn't mind my hijacking, any experiences with dogs getting these is welcome. How long did it take? Reactions? Is the anesthesia really necessary?

 

[Jenny]

I would also be very nervous about general anesthesia.

Is the plaque build up etc that bad? Because there are other methods of cleaning teeth, including special paste that tastes like food rubbed across teeth and gums with a brush or rubber finger tube with bristles. With some practice, you could do it yourself and certainly the vet or vet assistant should be able to.

We've also found that dental food can work really well, if they chew it. Most crunchy foods will help, again if they chew it rather than swallowing whole.

If gums are infected, mild antibiotics can also help.

If the situation is beyond that, consider getting a referral to a veterinary hospital (rather than your local vet) where they have not only the equipment but veterinary dentists and multiple doctors with specialized training who are available to jump in should anything go wrong in the process. A good vet will understand your need to be extra cautious.

Good luck to you and your cats, and oleada's dog.

 

[meggonzo]

I've done it a few times for both of my cats. It never really seemed to be a problem afterwards. I used to have to give pain medication, but the last time, they just gave her a shot that lasted 24 hours. Do they have to have any teeth extracted? Mine would usually be expected to have at least one, and I think the last one I had for my old cat he had at least 2, and my calico had 2 or 3 extracted. So I think it helps then for them to be under anesthesia, and then they can take all the teeth they need to in one session.

 

[judiz]

In 2010 we finally agreed to have our 7 year old dog's teeth cleaned under anesthesia after being told numerous times it needed to be taken care of. Sadly our dog suffered heart failure after the procedure and passed away. All tests prior to the procedure had come back normal. We will never know what happened but don't wait too long like we did.

 

[Jenny]

(((judiz)))

 

[oleada]

((((Judiz))) I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[hanca]

I don't know how it is with cats and dogs, but I have had a few of babies tortoises (some of them even smaller than an inch) put under general anesthesia when they needed some medical interventions and they woke up and recovered well from the anaesthesia. One of them needed to insert feeding tube because she was struggling to eat, one had some beak deformity and the vet needed to fix that because she wasn't able to open her mouth (it was stuck). I know that tortoises are reptiles so it will be very different from cats and dogs, but if such a tiny creature survives, it should be safe for your cats and dogs. Saying that, the surgeries the tortoises had were life saving surgeries, so there was not really much choice. Either risk it and operate or they would die, whereas with your cat and dog it sounds more like a cosmetic surgery, so you may be judging the risks differently.

 

[madm]

I just had my cat's teeth cleaned and x-rayed under anesthesia one week ago. It was not a problem. Beforehand he had to fast 12 hours, and afterwards he was groggy and with half his normal appetite for about 24 hours. It is expensive ($400-500), but you definitely need to clean your cat's teeth every couple of years at the vet's office because they can easily get gingivitis, and bacteria can enter their bloodstream, potentially causing a serious and perhaps life threatening infection. Over half of cats over age 3 experience periodontal disease and tooth resorption (destruction of the tooth), which leads to the need to extract the infected teeth. Simply feeding your cat dental treats is not sufficient. Imagine if that's all you did for your own teeth!

My daughter is a veterinarian and knows all too well that many cats and dogs die prematurely due to dental disease. Do your pet a favor and get its teeth cleaned professionally with x-rays. It will increase your pet's lifespan and quality of life.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dental-disease-in-cats
http://www.drbarchas.com/dental_disease

 

[AxelAnnie]

My experience for what it worth. Get them both done as soon as you can. It will only get worse, and threaten their overall health.

You are close enough to get an appointment at UCD small animal clinic. They are wonderful, and have a breadth of expertise, options and experience that most vets don't have.

 

[madm]

My experience for what it worth. Get them both done as soon as you can. It will only get worse, and threaten their overall health.

You are close enough to get an appointment at UCD small animal clinic. They are wonderful, and have a breadth of expertise, options and experience that most vets don't have.

Your regular vet office can do a routine dental cleaning. There is no need to go to a vet dentistry specialist, unless there is something out of the ordinary. With pets, the treatment for a problem tooth is typically extraction. They don't normally do root canals, crowns, or other cosmetic procedures, like we do with humans. Cats and dogs do amazingly well with tooth extractions and don't seem to have much problem eating with missing teeth.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Your regular vet office can do a routine dental cleaning. There is no need to go to a vet dentistry specialist, unless there is something out of the ordinary. With pets, the treatment for a problem tooth is typically extraction. They don't normally do root canals, crowns, or other cosmetic procedures, like we do with humans. Cats and dogs do amazingly well with tooth extractions and don't seem to have much problem eating with missing teeth.

UCD is University of California at Davis. They have a renowned Veterinary School and clinic. The cost is quite reduced. I was not recommending exotic treatment. What is good to know is that they have lots of back up if there IS an issue.

 

[KatieC]

In 1994 my vet recommended we get my 16 yr old's teeth cleaned. Under general anesthetic. When we brought her home, she seemed a bit off, and then turned into the most bedraggled looking cat within 24 hours. We took her to the emergency clinic, turned out her kidneys shut down due to the anesthetic. $900. I couldn't bear to lose her - my mum had passed away just three months before. I never took her to the vet again, although I had him come here once or twice. She died when she was 21. I'd investigate other methods.

 

[ballettmaus]

One of the vets we went to said our cat needed a teeth cleaning a few years ago. Since she was already way over 10 years old, my mom didn't want to do it due to concerns about the anesthesia. We changed the vet shortly afterwards, the new vet never mentioned that our cat needed a teeth cleaning, so our cat never got one. Years later, kitty still has all of her teeth and eats normally.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

I have never had my cats' teeth cleaned, and since Finley is 14 now, I don't think I will. My sister had her 12 year old cat's teeth cleaned, and he was fine afterwards, but if Finley was sedated, they'd probably have to sedate me.

 

[Japanfan]

Sorry for your loss, Judiz.

I'm also sorry to post this, but my SIL had a young, healthy St. Bernard dog die while under anesthesia. I don't recall exactly what happened and am sure the vet even knew. It was a routine spay IIRC. My SIL was beyond devastated, of course.

That said, millions of successful procedures are performed on animals under general anesthesia, as is the case for humans as well.

And accidents/freak accidents happen in both human and animal medicine, as they do in life. But it's rare.

Adding: oddly enough none of our animals have ever needed dental work - including a cat that lived to 17 and a dog that lived to 14.

 

[IceAlisa]

Wow, sorry for everyone's losses. I love my purrbabies so much, I would be devastated if anything happened to them.

I should clarify: I'd like to get my cats' teeth cleaned but I am looking for a vet who'd do it under lighter sedation, not general. For instance, my cousin's massive GSD gets a shot of a sedative, not general and gets his teeth cleaned that way. He is not intubated. So why can't a cat get the same, is really my question.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I would imagine a large dog is an easier animal to measure sedation for and have a bigger ger margin for error. Cats are little squirrley and dang fast. I would think light sedation would be difficult to maintain.

 

[IceAlisa]

I should take comfort in the fact that they are young and healthy and the vet does blood work beforehand. Besides, they'd already had general anesthesia when they were spayed and neutered. Oh and this is a vet hospital specializing in cats only. Still, so nervous.

 

[Japanfan]

Sounds like the best set-up possible, IceAlisa. Having procedures done at the vet is always stressful, but your purrbabies are in the safest of hands.

 

[clairecloutier]

All I can share is that we've done it at least twice with our cats, and it's been fine. In both cases, the cats were middle-aged, I think, between 9 and 12 maybe. Good luck @IceAlisa!

 

[antmanb]

@oleada I have two small dogs - Lhasa Apsos. The received wisdom I've had is that it is harder to clean small dogs' teeth (which is my experience with mine). The breed is known for being stubborn and neither of mine let you clean their teeth.

They have each been under general anaesthetic for teeth cleaning twice each (one may have had it three times for his teeth, and had an otherwise non problematic hernia procedure done while he was under for his teeth). The last time for each of them was around age 8 or 9. Additionally the one with the hernia had a cherry eyelid operation when he was still a puppy and went under for it, and the other had cherry eyelids in both eyes in his first two years and went under both times for it.

I've always paid to have the extra pre-anaesthetic tests (including liver tests) every time they've gone in to make sure they're in the best shape for the anaesthetic.

They have always come round fine from it - my vet has me drop the dogs off in the morning. They do surgery throughout the morning and call at lunchtime to let you know how it has gone and then schedule a pick up appointment for the afternoon. My dogs have always been absolutely fine afterwards (groggy and cute) and I fed them scrambled eggs and rice for a day in case of any soreness after the cleaning.

Since the last clean we religiously give them dentastix on a daily basis and they've not had any more need for cleaning.

 

[Spun Silver]

Wow, sorry for everyone's losses. I love my purrbabies so much, I would be devastated if anything happened to them.

I should clarify: I'd like to get my cats' teeth cleaned but I am looking for a vet who'd do it under lighter sedation, not general. For instance, my cousin's massive GSD gets a shot of a sedative, not general and gets his teeth cleaned that way. He is not intubated. So why can't a cat get the same, is really my question.

Because of their claws and wild natures? Mine would have to be strapped down every which way and they would still be fighting. Dogs are way, way, way easier (not easy, but easier than cats) because they basically want to please! Cats are wildcats when crossed. At least mine are (all rescues).

Good luck! It sounds like you have a very experienced vet. I think I would trust them. My dogs have been under once with no ill effects. I was scared beforehand too ... they are little.

ETA: Your dilemma reminds me of when my first toypoo needed a vaccination and I could not get it through my head that at 3 pounds she should get the same dosage as a Great Dane. I ended up switching vets to one who had a tiny Yorkie and only gave half-doses to such small puppies. I have trusted my gut like that wrt to my own medical care as well, in a rather serious situation. Sometimes it is best to do that and take the responsibility on yourself, if you arent sure you could live with someone else's mistake.

 

[IceAlisa]

I think I am going to bite the bullet and schedule my boy who is making biscuits on me right now. The girl can wait a few more months per vet.

 

[Tinami Amori]

I think I am going to bite the bullet and schedule my boy who is making biscuits on me right now. The girl can wait a few more months per vet.

ах...... позвони!

 

[antmanb]

I think I am going to bite the bullet and schedule my boy who is making biscuits on me right now. The girl can wait a few more months per vet.

I'd go for it. I don't know a lot about cats, but I have known two Bichon Frise start out with the need for teeth cleaning who then had complications with their teeth and sadly passed away. I knew them before I ever owned dogs, so it's always been in the back of my mind the problems that you can get if you don't get them cleaned.

Best of luck!

 

[PRlady]

Oscar has had his teeth cleaned twice in the last few years but without anesthesia. His breed seems to have good teeth and there wasn't much plaque to get off. Of course I don't know how many people had to hold him down at the vet's.

He was sedated recently because of a deep ear infection that had to be cleaned. I hated looking at him, his teeth were bared and he looked dead. But he was fine the next day despite some ear pain that took a while to go away.

 

[RAReinecke]

I have had several cats get dental under anesthesia with no problems. This includes a 17 year old cat who had an infection that was going systemic and another cat with a heart murmur. My vets always do blood work before surgery.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Bunny Hop]

All I can share is that we've done it at least twice with our cats, and it's been fine. In both cases, the cats were middle-aged, I think, between 9 and 12 maybe. Good luck @IceAlisa!

Similar here. Claude was about 10 when we had his teeth cleaned under general anaesthetic. He came through fine and was back to normal very quickly. With our current cat, we're giving her some special dental care dry food mixed in with her regular cat biscuits in the hope of staving off the teeth clean for as long as possible, but I believe it's not a complete preventative.

 

[madm]

Two good reasons for general anesthesia when cleaning your cat's teeth:

1. Cats can bite, and if the vet gets bitten, the vet then has to go to the emergency room to get on very powerful antibiotics. Cat saliva is really germy. Untreated a person will get a horrendous infection and could possibly die from it. I recently saw a Petco groomer who was bitten by a cat and didn't get on antibiotics, and her finger is a swollen infected mess several months after the bite. Her employer won't let her see new cat clients anymore.
2. Without anesthesia, any animal will move around and potentially get stabbed by the dental cleaning tools, thus causing bleeding and potentially resulting in very harmful bacteria entering the animal's bloodstream, which could prove fatal. And it is nearly impossible to get an animal to lay still for x-rays.

The bottom line is that you should get a basic blood test done days before doing any procedure requiring anesthesia. For the safety of your animal and the vet, you MUST use general anesthesia to do an animal dental cleaning.