Chase-er-meow-meow went back to the vet today. She isn't really improving and I don't want her to go deaf or anything. The dr said for her to go on a different medication and a steroid for a couple weeks. He thought that he might need to put her under to do a deep cleaning of her ear. I said not yet, that I would like to try a different med and see how she reacts. He agreed and said that they'd use a waterpic to get down into her ear and clean it out if she would let them. Being the perfect cat that she is, she sat still and let them shoot high powered water down her ear.
Of course they told me that I MUST get her teeth cleaned. They always tell me that, but this time the Dr. Asked if I was concerned financially. Of course I am, but come on it is a cat after all. When I asked cousin Tom in Alaska if his vet requires the put them to sleep deep teeth cleaning, he said that the Alaska folks would laugh them out of the state.
I'm sure that it is probably better to have clean teeth, but is it really necessary? The doctor quoted all sorts of studies and talked about the vet worlds view on clean teeth and how pets are happier and live longer. For real?
I wonder if Deborah will take Lincoln to get his teeth cleaned once a year. I know Molly doesn't get her pretties teeth professionally cleaned. Slambo? Anyone? Do I have another guilt trip to add to my bad mothering?
B$
3 comments:
Teethcleaning. Hobbes has had it done once. Doodle had it twice (every other year) coz her mouth is a genetic tartar/plaque mess. But since I have switched to Nutra Weight Managment with the dental something-or-other added into it, Doodle has avoided having her teeth cleaned for 4 years now. So my regime of hit or miss brushing of their teeth and the whatever in the food is helping with the tartar buildup.
I think the vet is concerned coz build up for cats is more dangerous than for us. All I had to hear was gum infection, blood poisoning and then death and I freaked and Doodle went under.
I have to say, brushing a cat's teeth is not the big nightmare everyone makes it out to be. My three LOVE to get them brushed. Course it may be that the toothpaste is poultry flavored, but who knows. Doodle, in fact, will remind me that I haven't brushed her teeth in a while by jumping on my sink and yodeling at the cabinet where the paste and brushes are.
So my advice, after all the rambling, is to try changing to a food that has the dental something-or-other in it (it says it on the package - like 'tartar control' or dental yadayada). Also make sure the food (in the ingredients section) has as the major ingredients REAL food, not parts, additives, or dreck. That's why I switched to the Nutra. My friend with huskies highly recommended this brand.
Then brush the kitty's teeth once a week or every other week. Don't get sucked in by the brush the vet will sell you, just go to a store's toothbrush section and pick out a toddler brush (small head and soft bristles - Hobbes has Cookie Monster, Doodle has Elmo, and Moomin has the one I talked the dental hygenist at my dentist into giving me at my recent appt.) In fact, get a few at your dentist's, they're free and it's good for a laugh at your expense. Do buy the paste the vet will sell you - it's gotta be chicken or the whole experience will not work.
How much tartar/plaque build-up does the meowmeow have anyway?
My cat Buzzer had bad tartar build up and it affected his heart and he died of a heart attack at 11 years.
I meant Nutro, sorry.
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