Tooth Gremblin

Abby


This is a favorite photo I recently got of Abby. I love the play of light over her. Abby is suppose to go in and have some dental work done on February 3. She is 6 1/2 years old now, and I don't believe her former owners ever did anything with her teeth. She has heavy tartar on nearly all of her teeth, and she also has her front right canine broken at the gum. That happened before she came to us, I can't imagine how it happened because she is not a daredevil, so it's hard for me to understand how her tooth was broken to the gumline. She has adapted to it, so I am assuming it is an old break. But, she does have trouble chewing her food, so when I took her into the vet recently and she checked her out she said we needed to address her teeth issues. I have been worried about her being put under anesthetics. So I did a little research on the issue, and I found that there is reason for my underlying concern. It is a common practice in veterinary medicine to use a combination of ketamine and valium to do dental work. But, for some cats, this is a deadly cocktail. So, this only increased my already high anxiety level about having this done. Last week I went for my normal dental appointment, and I even asked my dentist what he would do about her tooth, and he said she needed it pulled and have her teeth cleaned. I know that was a really oddball question for him, but I thought he would be a good person to ask. The buildup on her teeth is not good for her overall health, and it does need to be addressed, but I am really nervous about having her put under general anesthetic. Anyone have any thoughts? HELP!