British Shorthair Cat Dental Work

We have always had cats and in the past some have had dental work done. It’s always been ok and the cats were fine, but I understand it’s a worry. I do feel that sometimes vets push for cats to have work done and you feel guilty if you decide not to. I would never leave my cats in pain, but it is a big decision to let them undergo an anaesthetic. One of our cats has a heart murmur so we decided against it, and the offending tooth just dissolved of its own accord (apparently it’s a thing with cats) However, each cat is different, and if the problem affects eating etc I would go for it. I know I’m not helping much! 😂 I hope you can come to a decision and all is ok. They are a worry aren’t they!

My Burmese cat had to have this done and was fine. The gums became badly inflamed and it must have been painful.

Many years ago our rescue cat needed dental work. Tests showed him to be far older than we’d been led to believe and he too had a heart murmur and a thyroid problem unknown in younger cats. It was decided not to do the dental work and with regular meds and changing his food, he lived to a good age.

Your vet is the best person to advise you. Much depends on the cat’s age and health.

Two of my cats had dental work done recently. They both recovered really well, even though one is 13 years old.

One of our cats was sent for emergency dental work after a routine examination while having his injections. The vet advised heart scan etc but we declined (he'd had one just before we rehomed him) . Would have cost a fortune. End result after very stressful worrying time for us and him - teeth all fine. No plaque or decay. Bill for £840. Vets!!!

All of my cats over the years have had dental work (apart from my present cat) and all have been fine though I was in a state of high anxiety until I spoke with the surgery after the procedure. It is such a worry. I think, though I may have misremembered this, that they use a lighter anaesthetic for dental work. The star patient was dear Harry who had dental work carried out at 18 and a half.

Both my BSH had anaesthetics for dental work, and other things, they were both absolutely fine.

Our rescue might was 99% Maine Coon. Daft as a brush and couldn’t hunt for toffee!
Meds were £92 a month for his latter years - but money well spent.

Our Asian Bengal had dental work and was absolutely fine.

Georgesgran

Many years ago our rescue cat needed dental work. Tests showed him to be far older than we’d been led to believe and he too had a heart murmur and a thyroid problem unknown in younger cats. It was decided not to do the dental work and with regular meds and changing his food, he lived to a good age.

That's interesting, a blood test showed a grey area regarding thyroid and vet left message to say it could be tested again in 6 months and didn't mention anything about proceeding with dental work. I've left a message for a call back now. What meds did you cat have? Antibiotics. My cat already been on specialist Oral diet dry food and apparently the tartar wasn't that bad but gingivitis was.

My British shirt hair (approx 8-9 not sore as a rescue ) had a dental op with anaesthetic in March. Had tried teeth brushing but she wouldn’t let me so she had 3 teeth out as all the tartar removed at the same time apparently short hairs are more prone to dental decay.

She also had a mild heat murmur the vet said there was a chance she wouldn’t survive the anaesthetic but I gave consent because she thought she was probably in pain ( she hadn’t been eating as well as usual)

She survived but it was one of the longest days of my life waiting for the phone call hated leaving here there but she was ok really good care we have lovely vets. All paid for with pet insurance except the £80 excess. Cost was over £600 ( worth every penny )

I d love a shirt hair cat Twiceasnice 🤣🤣🤣

When my older dog had to have a general anaesthetic the vet did a kidney function test prior to the operation. I’m not sure if they do that with cats. Bad teeth in humans can contribute towards heart disease so it’s important to keep on top of any dental work with our pets. Is there a Plaque Off for cats? You can brush their teeth I believe but I wouldn’t like to attempt it!

TwiceAsNice

My British shirt hair (approx 8-9 not sore as a rescue ) had a dental op with anaesthetic in March. Had tried teeth brushing but she wouldn’t let me so she had 3 teeth out as all the tartar removed at the same time apparently short hairs are more prone to dental decay.

She also had a mild heat murmur the vet said there was a chance she wouldn’t survive the anaesthetic but I gave consent because she thought she was probably in pain ( she hadn’t been eating as well as usual)

She survived but it was one of the longest days of my life waiting for the phone call hated leaving here there but she was ok really good care we have lovely vets. All paid for with pet insurance except the £80 excess. Cost was over £600 ( worth every penny )

You're lucky it was included on the insurance, most policies exclude dental work.

My last cat, a BSH, had dental work done when she was about 16 years old and becoming a frail old lady. I worried about how she'd cope with the anaesthetic but she was absolutely fine. If your cat's health is otherwise good, there's little to worry about and getting her teeth sorted will make it easier for her to eat properly and get proper nutrition as she ages.

I had cats for 40-odd years. Three of them had teeth extracted, the last one being last October, when he was aged 19. He had the necessary blood tests done a few days beforehand, and the results showed that he was healthy enough to undergo anaesthetic. I was very worried about him, because of his age, but as soon as I got him home, he went to his food bowl (wet stuff) and was eating normally straightaway.

sassysaysso

TwiceAsNice

My British shirt hair (approx 8-9 not sore as a rescue ) had a dental op with anaesthetic in March. Had tried teeth brushing but she wouldn’t let me so she had 3 teeth out as all the tartar removed at the same time apparently short hairs are more prone to dental decay.

She also had a mild heat murmur the vet said there was a chance she wouldn’t survive the anaesthetic but I gave consent because she thought she was probably in pain ( she hadn’t been eating as well as usual)

She survived but it was one of the longest days of my life waiting for the phone call hated leaving here there but she was ok really good care we have lovely vets. All paid for with pet insurance except the £80 excess. Cost was over £600 ( worth every penny )

You're lucky it was included on the insurance, most policies exclude dental work.

That's reassuring, my cat is 8 years old. From reading pet insurance (Sainsbiry) looks like they don't cover dental work. Blood test was £185 and teeth extractions will be £400. My excess is £99. We rescued our cat (aged 2.5) from the Breeder as was no good for breeding as she carries gene for a heart defect so all her kittens died.

An
estimate this morning for a dental with my vet for my 12 year old Burmese was £ 1100. I was horrified. But it included blood tests and a follow up . Scale and polish and one extraction actually cost £833 which was a relief.
How many animals are suffering because owners cannot afford vets fees .
The post op regime is more thorough than anything I get from my dentist ! Though He is cheaper.

Just re-reading this thread Camilla7 and saw your question. It’s so long ago, that I can’t remember the name and have no record of it.
The Vet suggested changing his food from dry to wet and he went onto Royal Canin which was a sort of pate.

I would imagine that the problem with cats is that, unlike dogs you can’t give them a bone to chew to keep their teeth clean. And kibble is quite bad for teeth. There is a plaque off for cats teeth I believe. I am suspicious about vets and dental work, though. My vet told me my dog would need to be sedated in a year or so’s time because of plaque but since giving her an ostrich bone to chew on and brushing her teeth each night the plaque has all but gone. He didn’t suggest either of those things, just told me to be prepared to pay hundreds of pounds. Vets don’t seem to give advice about preventative treatment for teeth at booster time.

Amazon sell PaqueOff for cats.