Is a dental cleaning necessary?

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Mike S. - 18 Jan 2007 06:54 GMT

I just took my cat to the vet because she was not eating and I strongly
suspected it was a dental problem. Everytime she would try to eat she
would bite or lick the food then make a horrible noise as if in pain
then run away.

The vet examined her and took blood tests all of which came back normal
except that she has a slight heart murmur. Her teeth however were not
pretty. The gums were red and there was a tartar/plaque buildup on her
teeth and one canine tooth was missing.

The vet wants to do a dental cleaning but says it's not absolutely
necessary. If any teeth need to be extracted then they would also do
that. The other alternative would be to maybe try some antibiotics to
get her to eat again.

I have some concerns. The cat is almost 8 and I'm wondering if this
dental cleaning should be done or not. It seems like it should since
she seems to be in pain but could there be something else causing the
problem? Will this be the only dental cleaning she will ever need or
will it be likely that she'll need another one in the future? My other
cats and her siblings have never needed a dental cleaning. They're all
around the same age and their teeth are not too bad for that age.
Should x-rays be done before the cleaning?

Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated. I've never had a cat
that needed a dental cleaning so I'm not familiar with what should be
done.

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Rhonda - 18 Jan 2007 07:16 GMT

Mike,

I would do the antibiotics and the tooth cleaning. We just had a dental
on our 11 year old. Some cats' teeth are worst than others -- some never
need a dental.

If the vet is suggesting trying antibiotics, he or she must suspect an
infection. If the teeth are that red and possibly infected, that can
cause other health problems (like heart issues.)

If you are concerned, you might take her to another vet for a second
opinion on her teeth -- and her health for the anesthesia.

Good luck,

Rhonda

> I just took my cat to the vet because she was not eating and I strongly
> suspected it was a dental problem. Everytime she would try to eat she
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> that needed a dental cleaning so I'm not familiar with what should be
> done.

Reply to this Message

cindys - 18 Jan 2007 13:36 GMT

> Mike,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> infection. If the teeth are that red and possibly infected, that can cause
> other health problems (like heart issues.)

Agreed. If the cat's gums are infected, some vets like to start the cat on
an antibiotic a few days or a week before the cleaning. The one is not in
lieu of the other. There is no question (in my mind) that you should have
the cat's teeth cleaned. I have four permanent cats plus a foster (ages 2
through 16). Some of my cats have never needed to have their teeth cleaned.
Others have had their teeth cleaned multiple times. Every cat is different.
If you wait too long, the infection will only become worse and the cat will
lose teeth (and the bill for the cleaning will go up as well). As I posted
in another thread a few days ago, I really regret not having my Molly's
teeth cleaned before she got so sick. My vet kept telling me that her teeth
weren't so bad. Then, when her CRF got really bad, I think it made her teeth
a lot worse, and she was too old and sick to handle the anesthesia. My
regular vet was on vacation, so my cat was seen by the senior vet (in the
same office). With his fingernail, he flicked off huge hunks of tartar from
the back teeth on both sides of her mouth and there was blood and maybe pus.
He said he wished he could see what was underneath the rest of the tartar
but couldn't do so without anesthesia. So, please, do your cat a favor. Have
her teeth cleaned.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

> If you are concerned, you might take her to another vet for a second
> opinion on her teeth -- and her health for the anesthesia.
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> that needed a dental cleaning so I'm not familiar with what should be
>> done.

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Rene S. - 18 Jan 2007 15:22 GMT

> I have some concerns. The cat is almost 8 and I'm wondering if this
> dental cleaning should be done or not. It seems like it should since
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> that needed a dental cleaning so I'm not familiar with what should be
> done.

One of my cats is 8 and he's had two dental cleanings. The other one is
6 and has not needed one, so each cat is different regarding dental
needs. I would say yes, please go ahead and have the cleaning done. If
you've ever had tooth pain, you know what it's like to try and eat like
that. It's possible she may need another cleaning during her lifetime,
but you can help that by cleaning your cats' teeth at home with a small
toothbrush and special cat toothpaste (don't use human toothpaste,
which isn't meant to be swallowed).

Putting a cat on an antibiotic before a dental is a routine practice.
She may already have an infection or could develop one after the
cleaning, when the loosened tartar travels through her body. It's
better to be safe than sorry. I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer
about the x-rays. My cat never had them before a dental, but the vet
didn't suspect any teeth that had problems or needed extractions, so we
didn't need them.

Rene

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Edna Pearl - 18 Jan 2007 19:15 GMT

My experience with dental cleanings is substantially the same as the others
who have posted. I think it's a no-brainer to have this done for your kitty
asap.

ep

>I just took my cat to the vet because she was not eating and I strongly
> suspected it was a dental problem. Everytime she would try to eat she
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> that needed a dental cleaning so I'm not familiar with what should be
> done.

Reply to this Message

dgk - 19 Jan 2007 18:15 GMT

>My experience with dental cleanings is substantially the same as the others
>who have posted. I think it's a no-brainer to have this done for your kitty
>asap.

In addition to the above sentiments, antibiotics will not cure an
infection in the gums. The mouth just has too much bacteria and there
are too many places that an antibiotic can't reach.

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