To ask vet to remove all the cat's teeth?

[Nimbostratus100]

Much adored 10 year old cat with severe heart defect, and dental caries. She is having at least 3 teeth removed tomorrow, under a general anaesthetic. Maybe more. The vet has given me the long serious chat about how dangerous the anaesthetic is with a heart in such poor shape. But reassured me the operation is the only chance of extending a pain-free life. He says if it was his cat he would go through with the op and take the risk.

I just wonder, if she survives this, how long will it be before we are in the same situation again? I wish I had thought to ask earlier - She gets dropped off at 8 am tomorrow, and we get called and told how it went later.

Can I send an note in with the cat tomorrow and ask for a full dental clearance? Would the note be accepted as my permission? Is it something the vet would or should do?

WOuld the cat be ok with no teeth? Any experiences or insight very welcome, thank you

Thank you for all your good wishes. I will let you know the outcome

My 5yr old cat went in to have one tooth removed…had a phone call to say she’s ready to be collected but we had to remove every tooth !!! This was due to tooth reabsorbtion, which is very common in cats.

she had no teeth for a year and copes very well, even eating crunchy food ! She’s actually put loads of weight on too

Has anyone heard about nimbopuss?

Mine had the auto immune illness mentioned above, and had all teeth removed in one go by a cat specialist dental surgeon at the age of 3. She had no issues at all with recovery, and was so much happier once it was done, and it's made no difference to her at all in eating. She is however an indoor cat, I don't know if that makes a difference. She's 15 now and still going like a bomb.

Thinking of you and your cat OP Hope she's much more comfortable with the teeth gone.

Would be interested to know the cost of getting all the teeth out. If anyone would like to share, I have a male cat being treated for this condition and he is struggling so much. Steroids just aren't working.

lots of cats with bad teeth have their teeth removed. Maybe not so much at owner's request but because they're really bad. they can still eat raw or wet food.

Unfortunately my information isn't recent, nor UK-based. We paid $1100 USD in 2014. I didn't have insurance but I think we did a 12-month payment plan, can't really remember now. A lot of the cost is down to GA and various drugs they give during and after the op so it's worth doing all the teeth at once. Do it if you can (and you're willing to have an indoor cat afterwards) - it will make a huge difference to their quality of life.

I had an 11 year old cat that had a heart defect and kidney disease. He went in to have at least 3-4 teeth out, they ended up removing all but 4. Apparently he’d already lost some teeth naturally but the rest were literally falling from his mouth. So needed to come out.

I was worried about the anaesthesia but they only put him under for as long as necessary and put him on extra fluids for the length of time he was under and during recovery. He recovered well and managed perfectly well with no teeth until he actually became too poorly to actually eat

So whilst you can’t ask them to remove healthy teeth they will be able to do a more thorough examination whilst under the anaesthetic and they will remove any others they may have missed during the initial consultation.

My 11 year old cat has only 2 teeth left and he manages just fine with both wet and dry food. Interestingly his never got removed - they just gradually all came out of their own accord, he never seemed to be in any pain with them.

hope your kitty’s op went well OP.

Nimbopuss is home!

rather indignant on arrival, but has eaten a little bit of cat soup and settled down on my lap and gone to sleep, purring

7 teeth down!

Thank you for your support

These 7 teeth have cost me £584. I have a break down of what cost what, but haven't looked at the details yet. I hope the insurance will cover it, but I've got a feeling dental work is not included. I'll have to sort that out in the next couple of days. ANyway. She's home and will be feeling better now, so it is worth it

I have a very old cat. Avon is almost 18, and only has a few back teeth, like two or three and lives a fine life.
Avon lost her teeth naturally over the years, first tooth at about 13 if I recall correctly. She still eats dried biscuits, Dreamies, treat stix all with no problems. She also eats fresh cooked meat and fish.
So yes, your cat can live well with missing teeth. But don’t be in a rush to remove healthy teeth, she may struggle to eat if she has a mouth full of sore gums.

My cat is the same, no teeth from an early age. Wouldn’t know it at all unless she tried to bite you.

Buuut she was young when she had the surgery so hard to say how an older cat will recover. They do fine without teeth tho

My toothless cat eats both dry and wet food. Don’t ask me how

Glad your cat is home safe and well 💐

I used to know someone whose dog had no teeth and seemed to be doing OK. Assuming dog food and cat food are about the same consistency, that would seem to suggest that a cat could manage too. I think it was very thoughtful of you to consider this as an option and I'm glad she seems to be recovering well.

My (usually great) vet told me to take out some rotten teeth. Cat is in pain vet said. Needs doing vet said.

Vet tried to operate, cat reacted badly to drugs, vet stopped the operation before could do teeth. Don’t worry said the vet the teeth will just fall out on their own naturally.

The rotten teeth fell out, cat is fine.

Please don’t remove healthy teeth, it would make it so hard for your cat to eat, and there would be lots of dribble.

Instead if the heart condition worsens, let the teeth fall out naturally.

Hi OP,

if it helps I’ve had two cats with zero teeth, one had them removed before he was adopted at ten years old the other whilst I had her at around 13. The first cat had a heart murmur. The first lived until he was 24, the second is laid in front of the fire now at 16.

there’s nothing about a toothless cat that means a reduced quality of life, they can still munch dried food and hu t.

go with the vets advice, they will do the right thing.

I had a cat with severe heart disease and I think of all her teeth had been dodgy, I think I'd have also asked the same question to be honest. In a normal healthy cat. I wouldn't have worried about it.

Brilliant news, glad to here he’s ok and home where he belongs.

Really good news OP!

Yay glad she's home!!!