My senior cat won't eat, has a bad tooth. Is anesthesia safe?

This is a medical emergency, and Daisy has to see a vet now. It's extremely serious when a cat stops eating, as if they go long enough without eating (about 72 hours), they will develop a fatty liver. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. If she has dental problems, that may be why she's stopped eating. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Carefree Credit online. http://www.carefreecredit.co.uk https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/vetcare http://www.easipetcare.com Please take her into a vet immediately.

We sometimes do anesthesia multiple times on animals in just a few days or weeks. That is not abnormal. I can never tell you that she will be fine to have anesthesia again after 5 days. No one can tell you that. As long as they are hydrating her (putting her on IV fluids during the procedure) though, I would not be overly worried. Anesthetics we use are the same as in human medicine (in most cases) and are very safe. If she is eating better and you want to wait a couple weeks that may be an option. You should voice your concerns to your vet and go from there. They may agree with you that since she is eating better maybe she can wait a couple weeks. They may have a reason they want the procedure done so quickly. I don't have enough information to know what they are thinking. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

You need to take your cat into a vet now for treatment. You cannot give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. Not eating is extremely serious, as it will lead to a fatty liver if he goes long enough without food. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment. Please bring him into a vet immediately.

I recommend a veterinary exam to check how infected the tooth is. If they listen to her heart and it is fine and her blood work is stable they may be able to do light sedation only and remove the infected tooth. Bad teeth are very painful and also the dental infection can worsen the liver problem so extracting it if it can be done safely would be my recommendation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Squeak hasn't been feeling well after a tooth extraction. With older cats, it sometimes can take a couple of days for them to recover from anesthesia, depending on the medications that were used. Did Squeak have any bloodwork run before his procedure? If he had an underlying kidney or liver issue, it could explain some of the signs that you are seeing now. If he is still on pain medications for his tooth extraction, it could also be that he is weak if the medication is affecting him strongly. If he hasn't had bloodwork done, I would recommend checking his liver and kidney function, as well as screening for diabetes, all of which could be adversely affecting him. Additionally, there are appetite stimulants for cats that can be given post-surgery to help kickstart them into eating normally again. I would recommend Squeak be re-evaluated by his veterinarian and have any testing done that may be necessary to start treatment to get him back on track. Good luck!

Hello! Talk to your veterinarian about what time she will need to stop eating the day prior to anesthesia. She may need an earlier dinner the night before her dental cleaning. Anesthesia requires an empty stomach to prevent aspiration, which can lead to pneumonia or death. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

As your cat has not been eating for a few days now as well as not drinking, this is an emergency. Cats can get liver disease from not eating for more than 2 days and not drinking will make them dehydrated and feel even worse and less inclined to drink and eat. Vomiting bile can be a sign of chronic or acute pancreatitis. There are some diseases that will have to be ruled out (can be done easily with a blood test), such as kidney disease and hyperthyroidism and dental problems. I think taking her to an emergency clinic is definitely warranted.