Ragdoll Cat Dental Cleaning Experience: Vet Visit on 11‑15‑17

When my Rags (founder of this website) was 14 years old, I took him to the vet for a routine checkup.  It was the first time that my mom let me take him by myself to the vet (I was 24-years old) – and at that time, my mom was bringing her animals to a cat/dog vet that my mom had gone to for years.  I watched that vet open Rags’ mouth and use his thumbnail to pop off a chunk of tartar from his mouth.  I was pretty surprised you could do that!  And he quickly examined him and told me he looked good.   I started crying and said, “This cat means the world to me, are you sure he is OK?”  And then that vet proceeded to re-do the entire exam!  I was horrified.  I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t have done the exam thoroughly the first time. …so I decided to start taking Rags to a different vet from that day on.  I can’t recall how I found out about KC Cat Clinic – but it was a recommendation from someone.  I am so glad I did.  The first time I took Rags to KC Cat Clinic (and all cat vet with vets and vet tech dedicated to cats), I saw Dr. Sarah Wasmer, and she immediately told me how beautiful Rags was.  I beamed with pride (that’s when I used to my cat’s beauty was because of me! Ha!).  Dr. Wasmer was pretty horrified by his mouth’s condition and immediately recommended a dental.  I never knew any of it was necessary or important and to this day feel bad that Rags didn’t get better dental care during his life.  He suffered from problems in his mouth until the day he passed – here is a video of him when he was older with a mouth problem that I never did figure out: Tartar built up and plaque in your cat’s mouth can cause many dental complications. One of the most common complications is periodontal disease. If left untreated the attachment structures holding your cat’s teeth in can be destroyed and your pet can lose its teeth.  I was also warned that anything left untreated in the mouth would lead to kidney disease and other potential forms of organ failure. In fact, dental care for felines is just as important as it is for us.  There’s no wonder why American Veterinary Dental College exists! After Rags passed, as most of you know, I got Charlie and Trigg – and I think they needed their first dental when they were a few years old. I wanted to share my latest experience with Trigg’s dental earlier this month, so that it might help another reader considering the procedure – or perhaps a reader has advice for me.

IMPORTANT

For anyone reading this post that is considering getting a dental for their cat (only because a vet you trust recommends it), please know there are several ways to put a cat under anesthesia.  Some are much safer than others.  Be sure to ask your vet about the safest options available.  Also, many cities have dedicated pet dentists – all they do are dental procedures on cats or dogs.  Most dentals are done at a regular vet, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, you can always look for a veterinarian that specializes in dental procedures on animals.

• Rags Dental 9-23-08 at Companion Animal Dentistry in Kansas City

My all cat vet has a very specific drug (anesthesia) protocol when it comes to cleaning cat teeth. Being the one-woman show behind this site, I have heard cat dental horror stories – from death to infection and more. So I asked my vet during a recent visit, “If I was moving out of state, what would I want to look for in a vet who would potentially do dentals on my cats?” She replied that I should make sure they are the following:

• A cat-friendly practice
• A Board Certified Feline Practitioner –AAFP

She also mentioned the importance of doing preliminary blood work before they do the dental.  And the importance of x-rays before and after the dental if extractions are being done.

Cat Dental Problems

Dentals can be very scary because a cat is put under sedation to have it’s teeth cleaned…so you basically sign this form at the vet saying you understand things can happen and there’s a possibility that the cat will die under anesthesia.  For that reason, I am a nervous wreck the days leading up to a dental and the day of…until the doctor calls to tell me he is awake. Also, sometimes it is not a lot of fun bringing home a kitty after they have had a dental.  They are usually pretty druggy and out of it still – and a cat like Trigg can take up to 48 hours to be himself (there are things that the vet can do to help the drugs process through their system faster – like giving them fluids – but how long it takes to process through their system depends on each cat, as it depends on each human).  I posted a number of photos after Trigg’s dental on our Facebook page, so I have gone ahead and included them here by embedding those posts. If you have a multiple pet or cat household – there can also be some arguments when you bring back the kitty that has been at the vet.  The kitty that has been at the vet (Trigg) all day doesn’t smell right and act weird (drugs) to the cat (Charlie) that didn’t go.  I had, of course, experienced Caymus and Murphy together – but my mom always had them done on the same day – so they could be in their drugged state together.  However, I never have the funds to have both of my cats done in the same month.  So, one is always druggy and the other is always normal.  Normally, Charlie hisses, growls and squats at Trigg – it’s terrible.  The vet recommends you keep the drugged cat confined until they smell like your house again – to keep the peace.  However, Trigg does not like being locked up.  Luckily, this time around, Charlie didn’t growl or hiss at Trigg when he came back. A cat who is getting a dental also has their leg shaved , so that they can insert a IV catheter – so if you’re particular about how your kitty looks (for a cat show or something) – that can take awhile for it to grow back. A reader asked, “Is his mouth sore after? Can he eat okay???” I am not sure if his mouth is sore – I would doubt it is…my mouth is not sore after the dental hygienist cleans it. He does eat fine – but sometimes doesn’t immediately want to eat (even though he hasn’t eaten all day). It would be sore if he had lost a tooth – but he did not.

Cat Dental Care Cost

In Kansas City, the cost for a cat teeth cleaning is usually around $500 – this is when no tooth extractions are needed.  Here is a photo of the invoice from Trigg: You can see that the biggest costs are the Anesthetic Isoflurane and the oral radiographs.  X-rays are essential before a cleaning and if extractions are done, they are entirely necessary afterwards as well to make sure no broken pieces of tooth, etc. were left that can cause infection. You can also see that there is a Propofol induction for $15, IV fluids for $19.80, a Dexdomitor, torbugesic, ketaset injection for $58, an IV catheterization for $35, among others. I have cat health insurance for Trigg and have already submitted all of this to Nationwide (we have the Whole Pet Wellness plan). Both of my cats are on Nationwide’s Whole Pet With Wellness Plan. Trigg’s Dental, under our plan that I pay $51.12 a month for, will be 90% covered minus the biohazard fees (which insurance doesn’t cover) and after my deductible of $100 has been met.  I met our deductible earlier this year, so I should get a check from Nationwide for $411.12 for his dental. Because of the photos I posted of Trigg before and after his dental on our Facebook and Instagram pages, many readers asked how often he gets dentals – there is not a set schedule to dentals.  A vet determines whether or not it is time for a dental – Trigg went about 1.5 years between dentals this time.  I used to brush both of my cats’ teeth regularly, but I didn’t keep up with it and they needed dentals anyway.  So I just gave up on that.  Even though it is scary to have them put under, I do like that they can get a full mouth exam – it’s a way for my vet to monitor for mouth tumors (which scare the holy livin’ daylight out of me) too.

Cat Dental Cleaning Procedure Photos

I asked for before and after photos from the vet – I used to ask for videos too (but don’t any more because I think they got annoyed). “Here are Trigg’s before and after pictures. There is only one after picture because he decided to wake up before I could take the shot. He was pretty symmetrical though so the only after difference would be the lack of tartar on that big carnassial. Hope he’s doing well =)”

Before Photos with Tartar

After Photos with Tartar Gone

Cat Dental Procedure Videos

I went ahead and put together a playlist of cat dental videos on our YouTube channel, in case you are wondering how it is done.

Ragdoll Cat Charlie Getting a Dental

Ragdoll Cat Caymus Getting a Dental

Ragdoll Cat Rags Getting a Dental and Tooth Extraction

How to Prevent Cat Dentals

Dental disease in cats can be genetic but can also be because of what they are eating.  Of course, we see more dental disease today because of dry and wet food diets.  The majority of cats are no longer ripping and pulling muscles and organs off of bone, which helped them keep their teeth in tip top shape. To avoid periodontal disease, feed your cat a healthy diet, have appropriate chew toys and brush your cat’s teeth daily. Appropriate chew toys are those that are soft such as rope or rubber toys. Do not let your cat chew on hard objects, like rocks because that gesture could cause breakage in the teeth. If you’re confident with your cat’s healthy diet, and you know you have appropriate chew toys, then you might first want to start out with How to Brush Cat Teeth.  You’ll want a soft bristled toothbrush that is suitable for a cat’s mouth and some veterinarian toothpaste (like, C.E.T. Toothpaste Poultry Flavor 2.5 Oz.). If you do not have a veterinarian tooth brush, brush with no paste. Do not use human toothpaste on your cat’s teeth – cats do not have the ability to spit out their toothpaste, so they have to swallow it.  Human toothpaste has too many fluorides and what not, that are not meant to be swallowed.

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Do you get dentals for your kitties?  Why or why not?