How can I tell if my vet is trustworthy for my cat's dental exam?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The photo is slightly blurry for some reason, but I can see some inflammation on Simba's gum line. This can be caused by build up of plaque and bacteria, which can be removed by dental cleaning. I recommend feeding Simba hard food, brushing his teeth gently if he allows, and giving him dental treats for cats to prevent him from needing frequent cleanings in the future. $273 is a very fair price for the cleaning if it includes the anesthesia. For reference, in my practice in New York, a dental cleaning typically costs about $600.

Hi there. I agree having her teeth cleaned it’s a good idea especially if she has tartar buildup.I would start by having your veterinarian run some general bloodwork to make sure her organ function is good and if everything looks good and her heart is healthy and anesthesia is very safe. Having bad dental health can be more detrimental in the long run and getting this taken care of would be a great idea. Also make sure that wherever you have her teeth cleaned has full monitoring devices and that they do intravenous fluids during the procedure. This is a standard safety measure and you want to go somewhere that has that available. Hope that is helpful and have a wonderful day.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chanel. She appears to have advanced periodontal disease. Her teeth have both tartar on them as well as a very inflamed gumline. She will need to see her veterinarian to be anesthetized for a dental cleaning. There is most likely an infection in her mouth that is painful to her. Cleaning not only the teeth, but under the gumline is very important. It will keep her healthier and happier. I hope this information helps!

The scaling and polishing portion of the dental is the least time consuming, and most inexpensive portion of the $1000 estimate. In addition, tartar left on teeth can further aggravate gum disease. The necessary extractions cannot be done without anesthesia or pre-anesthetic bloodwork to make sure that Baxter’s liver/kidney function appears normal enough to handle anesthesia. With severe gum recession/fractured teeth, cats can develop serious tooth root abscesses and oral pain resulting in weight loss, poor health. If there are in fact diseased teeth in Baxter’s mouth, having a complete dental scaling/polishing with necessary extractions will likely significantly improve his quality of life and decrease the chances of oral bacteria causing heart valve issues in the future. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think you are between a rock and hard place. I would find a Vet comfortable with Harley's kidney disease and is fast with dental extractions. Specialists aren't always the fastest at removing teeth. Sometimes the general practitioner is quicker and what Harley needs is to NOT be under anesthesia for 3 hours. Your Vet may just not feel comfortable with the severity of his teeth, his age and underlying kidney disease. Who and how they monitor anesthesia is also important. For the sake of his kidneys they need to be sure his blood pressure is stable and doesn't drop too low. I think you can have his teeth done, but there is risk due to his age and kidney disease but you don't have much choice at this point. I would find someone with in your budget that feels comfortable and you need to be willing to accept the risks and go for it. I wish you the best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Great question. This really depends on the individual cat, their health, whether they have periodontal disease or other oral diseases, their age, their genetics, and the presence of systemic disease, etc. Each cat is different. So ultimately I would follow the advice of the veterinarian treating Twitchy. If the think their recommendations don't line up with you, then go to another vet to get a second opinion. Typically, in my opinion, I don't think adult cats should have more than one cleaning per year or every few years unless they have some problems. I hope this helps. Good luck with Twitchy.

That certainly will depend on the veterinarian you choose for treatment. First of all I would take him in to have his teeth examined. They may not in fact need dental care if he’s eating and feeling fine. If he does need dental care then I would request an estimate. You have the right to decline extra treatment as long as it is not treatment that your veterinarian feels is essential to having a safe dental treatment. You can always shop around for a veterinarian who understands your concerns about your cat.’s treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.