Expensive treatment on an elderly pet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd put the cat down. Sorry if I sound heartless but that's what I would do.

Same. I’m sure your cat has had a very full life and if this is what you choose it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

My 11/12-year-old arthritic dog, which was already slowing down and showing signs of aging, blew out both ACLs (or canine equivalent thereof, that’s how the vet described it) on her back legs. Surgery was about 5k, which was a very significant sum for us.

That was four years ago, and she’s sleeping on the floor next to me as I type this. The recovery wasn’t easy — carrying her outside multiple times a day was a pain because we lived in an apartment building, and she’s not small. But she got a few more years of mobility, and while she’s on multiple arthritis meds and probably won’t be around for much longer, I’m very, very glad I went ahead with the surgery.

[Anonymous]

I just had my 14-yr-old cat’s teeth cleaned. They were visibly funky and one had resorbed, which is apparently quite painful.

My 13-year-old dog had his done last year.

And my 17-year-old cat is now having tooth issues and difficulty eating. He is in pain but we need a specialist because he’s also in early kidney failure and we can’t get a dental appointment for 2 weeks.

All that is to say regular dental care for pets is preventative care, not just for when there is an emergency. Your cat may be 14, but could live for many more years. I’d do it now if it seems justified vs waiting when he’s older and sedation could be riskier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just had my 14-yr-old cat’s teeth cleaned. They were visibly funky and one had resorbed, which is apparently quite painful.

My 13-year-old dog had his done last year.

And my 17-year-old cat is now having tooth issues and difficulty eating. He is in pain but we need a specialist because he’s also in early kidney failure and we can’t get a dental appointment for 2 weeks.

All that is to say regular dental care for pets is preventative care, not just for when there is an emergency. Your cat may be 14, but could live for many more years. I’d do it now if it seems justified vs waiting when he’s older and sedation could be riskier.

+100. Of the several cats my family/friends have owned, most lived past 14.

[Anonymous]

I spent almost 2K having my almost 14 year old dog’s dental work done, and he died about a month later (unrelated).
I think that people whose pet experienced a stretch of improved quality of life after dental care at an older age will see the possibility of doing the x-rays and extractions as a positive, and those for whom not much good came for their pet post old age dental work, they will see it the other way. Sorry that you are in the position of having to decide. That’s hard and I can see it either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took my 14 year old cat to the vet yesterday because he seems to have a gastrointestinal issue (pooping outside the litter box). The vet diagnosed it as constipation and prescribed some high-fiber food. He then examined him and found some teeth decay and recommended that we bring the cat in for xrays (that would require anesthesia) to determine whether some teeth need to be extracted. There has been no signal that his teeth are bothering him - he seems to be eating fine, and is behaving normally. This procedure would be extremely expensive, and he's well....14. How do others approach decisions like this?

One approach is to get the xrays to see what the actual situation is. It may be better or worse than you think, which would affect cost and outcome.

BUT, I also assume the anesthesia for the xrays is not the same as the anesthesia for the procedure- ask about that. If it IS, then I don't understand why they cant deal with the teeth now and do xrays while the cat is sedated.

FWIW, my dog with severe dental issues didn't require an x-ray beforehand. We just scheduled it and they took xrays to confirm what the visual inspection showed.

Maybe cats are different? I would ask some questions.

I agree with the assessments that your cat not showing signs of pain doesn't mean much.

OH and I was a wreck and nervous about the anesthesia and it turned out she had a bit of an adverse reaction but it all worked out ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd put the cat down. Sorry if I sound heartless but that's what I would do.

Same. I’m sure your cat has had a very full life and if this is what you choose it’s fine.

Is palliative pain care for the teeth an option?

How is the rest of the cats health?