Not doing it my cost you your cat's life, so I would do the dental. Talk to your vet. Putting it under is risky, but not as much as leaving an infection to spread to heart and kidneys, and a sore mouth means that poor cat is going to stop eating.

Thats way too high and in the wild felines don't go to the dentist.

I would not do this for a 15year old cat. Putting it under us too dangerous for a cat that old.

That is about what I was quoted recently for a cat dental. Instead, I ended up taking my cat to Richmond and saved about $700. It was just under $200 for the blood tests, dental and one tooth extraction (and they will do as many extractions as needed for the flat price).

I went here -- great place, great folks and worth the trip:
http://www.affordablepetsurgery.com/

I just sent a note to the vet asking about that option. With a previous cat who had a kidney problem we spent thousands of dollars trying to help him and in the end had to put him to sleep. It was very sad and hard to stomach. I don't want to make the same kind of mistake this time, but I also don't want to short change my pet. Thanks for your responses.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, Friendship. He seems to be eating fine, but the Vet did recommend getting wet food for him. I'm also not sure if I want to put him through it. He has a heart murmur (has for several years) and it's possible that he wouldn't do well with the procedure. But they do think there is an infection in the gums and are worried it could spread to the liver or kidneys. I'm not sure what to do.

I'm sorry. That's a tough one. (First pp here.) Dental issues can be bad for the heart as well. Given your cat's age and heart, I would lean towards not doing it. However, it sounds like the inflammation could be serious. Could they try antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds and see if it helps?

Yes, Friendship. He seems to be eating fine, but the Vet did recommend getting wet food for him. I'm also not sure if I want to put him through it. He has a heart murmur (has for several years) and it's possible that he wouldn't do well with the procedure. But they do think there is an infection in the gums and are worried it could spread to the liver or kidneys. I'm not sure what to do.

You need to put dogs/cats to sleep to clean their teeth, this is normal. My vet charges that amount for a cleaning.

Was this at friendship animal hospital? It sounds just like our experience there with our small dog. (Smaller dogs and our breed specifically, have dental issues). We went through with it and she had one tooth pulled. But our dog was only 6 at the time. I'm not sure I would have done it at 15, unless she was in pain or it was causing feeding/eating issues.

My Cat is on the older side (15) and I took him for his check up today. It seems that his gums are inflamed on his right side, and the Vet thinks he might have to get some teeth pulled. I asked for a cost estimate - she said just the cleaning is about $300 and then with pulling the teeth (depending on how many they ultimately feel need to come out) the total could be $700-$900. I have no experience with this, so I was wondering if these costs seem normal? My husband was surprised when I told him they would put the cat to sleep to do the dental work - but I think this is the usual, right? I mean, I don't think a cat will just hang out while you clean their teeth (pulling aside, of course). Thanks for any help.