Oh man, Fuddrucker's is still around?

I used to have nightmares about that place. Mom loved their buns (i know, i know) but the whole "sides of cow hanging in the window" ambiance really removed any trace of appetite, even back when i still ate meat.

I need some advice, so I turn to you guys.

The vet tells me that my cat Leo needs to have his teeth cleaned. He says he will use anesthetic. He tells me that the risks of not cleaning the teeth (which look fine to me, but what do I know) are greater than the risk of anesthetic. But I can't get the stories I've heard about cats dying under anesthetic out of my head. I love this cat dearly, if anything happened to him because of a procedure that I'm not even convinced he needs, I'd have to go back into therapy.

FTR, I've never had a cat's teeth cleaned before, and none of them have ever suffered for it. They've all had strong white teeth their whole long lives.

I don't know what to do. Advice?

Zenkitty, Windsparrow will have advice, she's about 50 posts back, so hold on.

ION,

Al Franken is now officially Senator Al Franken, (D) Minnesota.

bonny, Harvey is sitting next to my computer, purring his little heart out. I hope some of the strength and healing vibes from him reach you. It is the best gift I can think of to share with you at this time. You are surrounded by the love of so many people who want you to be happy and healthy - so keep doing what you do for others, but keep re-charging your own batteries, eh?

Zenkitty, the best thing I can think of to tell you, is to get a second opinion. And if that one also recommends the dental cleaning, ask if s/he is recommending it on general principles, or if there are specific problems. Then make sure to have the pre-op blood work done, to reduce those anaesthesia risks.

May I ask what kind of food this cat eats? Dental decay in cats is caused by much the same as it is in humans - from bacteria whose growth is promoted by the carbs in our food. A higher quality canned food, having fewer refined carbs, is often better for our cats' teeth than most dry foods, which must have a certain amount of carbs in order to hold the consistency. And it isn't like cats chew their food enough for the kibble to have any real scrubbing action to clean their teeth.

Comfort to you and yours, bonny. That's a lot to deal with.

----

I can haz Jessica! You may all be jealous now.

I AM BEING HAZZED BY A KRISTIN!

(That's grammatically correct in LOLcat, right?)

(Also, I really am going to bed. Just as soon as I'm caught up online.)

Thanks, WindSparrow. I think I'll do that. I didn't know there was pre-op blood work that should be done, and this vet didn't mention it. I've just got that gut "don't do it" feeling that I've learned not to ignore.

Yeah, I was in on the infamous cat food discussion! I am totally against feeding cats grain. This cat's never eaten anything but Wellness and occasionally other no-grain canned cat food, and mostly eats canned food now that he's with me. (Previous owner also fed Wellness, but only dry food. If there's anything wrong with his mouth, I suspect that's why. Kibble doesn't clean teeth; it shatters and gets stuck between.)

This is what makes me think this teeth-cleaning isn't exactly an emergency. The teeth are fine. The vet says there's some inflammation of the gums, but I didn't see it. Cat's only a year and a half old, it's not like he's been eating bad food for years and his teeth are rotting out.

And {{bonny}}, because it deserves a separate post.