Tux came to see me at his normal annual physical examination. On inspection of his mouth I noticed a significant amount of dental calculi over the teeth and red gums.
He had no outward signs of dental disease, no trouble eating and was not displaying any signs of pain, trouble eating, or weight loss.
Diagnosis was made at his annual examination.. In my experience and studies have shown that most cats have dental disease at this age. It is best to take care of any diseased teeth as soon as possible. The only way to adequately inspect, clean and address poor dentition is with general anesthesia.
Tux had a full pre-op blood work panel done. This includes a cbc, full chemistry, urinalysis, fecal exam, and thyroid check. Exam $45, Bloodwork $170
For his dental procedure;
i.v. fluids, i.v. catheter, i.v. fluid pump $115
anesthesia $230
nerve blocks for extractions $22
Propoflo for induction $60
pre-op pain medication $18
dental x-rays $60
extraction with gingival flap $95
canine tooth extraction $125
analgesics to take home $25
injectable antibiotic $50
total is $808
Tux did very well for his dental. After he was placed under general anesthesia a large pocket of infection was probed behind his upper canine tooth. Without general anesthesia and dental x-rays this probably would have never been identified until the tooth was falling out. It also had the potential to cause infection of the mouth, nose and even an upper respiratory infection. He also had painful lesion on the molar tooth that required an extraction.
His story is posted with his families permission and we thank them for letting us share his story.
