[Bean]

I just got back from the vets. The nerve is exposed in Julia's broken tooth, but the worse part is that she has REALLY bad tartar build-up. It's literally green. And her gums are swollen because of it. I feel horrible that I hadn't noticed it yet. She needs some heavy duty dental work.

Basically, the cleaning will cost about $300 without tax. And more to remove her canine (the other option was capping, which COULD only be temporary?), and probably remove some of her molars which are rotten. She couldn't give me an estimate as it's hard to see what will need to be done as is. So it could probably be upwards of $500?

What should I do? Should the tooth be capped or removed? I want to do as much for her as I can. I'm not on the best feet monetary wise either. I was actually just turned down for a line of credit too, as I'm just over their refusal point. I have about $750 coming in HOPEFULLY soon in addition to my regular pay but also have other bills to pay.

This is a bad day. On the way to the vet my brake pads started metal on metal - need them replaced very soon. And my mother just called and said my grandfather isn't in good condition. Rrrrah! And now I have to think how I have to let Julia live with this pain at least for a little bit until I can schedule the surgury. Sorry for the long post - I guess I'm asking what to do about the teeth - and how she will fare without some.

 

[Ianthe]

Try not to beat yourself up. It can be really hard to notice a cat's teeth getting bad. And dental work(on anyone) is so outrageously expensive that it's easy to let it go. I know I have been guilty of this. I'm sure both my cats could use a cleaning, but I just can't right now. A few months ago I had a similar situation with my dog, and he needed several extractions, etc... it cost approximately one arm and one leg :roll: Anyway, I;m sorry I don't have any great advice, but I wanted to tell you that you are certainly not alone in this type of situation. Good luck!!!

 

[queen of the nile]

Both my cats have had only extractions, not capping, so I can't give you any advice there. I was under the impression that extractions were the only answer because capping was just a temporary fix. I'm so glad that you checked out Julia's mouth because at least you know what you are facing now. I share your pain about the cost as well, because I just spent another $700 on Levi to get 5 teeth taken out this year (it was $600 last year as well).

I would opt for getting it done right away because the nerve is exposed. All cavities in cats are painful, but when the tooth has pretty much dissolved and the nerve is exposed, I imagine that it can be quite painful. Can you get a line of credit through your vet? I've heard that some places can do that, but I don't know about your situation.

Don't feel so horrible about the condition of her teeth. Don't forget that the owner who had her before didn't notice this and you've only had her for a little while. Cats hide their pain so well that it is hard to notice when there is something amiss. I'm just so glad you found it now before it gets so painful that she can't eat or that the infection spreads elsewhere.

As for faring without the teeth, it shouldn't be a problem. If she is fed wet food, she won't need to chew. Also, many cats don't even chew the food if it is dry :wink: . Don't worry, she will be fine! In total, Levi has had 9 teeth removed and he is doing just fine. Hang in there!

 

[Bean]

well - I definetly am going to get it done as soon as possible. Hopefully that money will come in.

It's also frustrating cause I have like 50,000 weddings this summer that eat up time and money. I want to be able to have a good week where I'm around so I can give her her medication and make sure everything is ok. Hopefully in the next couple weeks.

Arg! It's so busy... Next weekend the vet is booked up, the week after that is canada day plus lots of overtime probably at work, the week after that I'm back and forth tending a friends dog and cat for a week while they're away (SPCA dog whose has some abandonment issues).

I have to say though - Julia was a VERY good girl at the vet. She laid there perfectly still, and let the vet feel around her mouth. And after all that was pretty lovey toward both me AND the vet. 1000% better than the Moby experience. She's a little slugger. Very forgiving.

My parents don't even know that I have her yet! If they knew I was going to be spending this money on her... Their solution would be to put her to sleep. Makes the whole money thing more difficult cause I can't get a loan from them.

Anyone wanna buy any paintings? hahaha

 

[queen of the nile]

Why don't you just tell your parents that your car broke down and that's why you need the $ :wink: ? I'm glad she did so well at the vets. Once you get those teeth out, you'll want to start the daily brushing. I know it's a pain in the butt, but hopefully you can avoid this whole endevour with Moby. Also, just a word of warning because I have been down this road before, she may need more teeth out in the future. What I've done is saved some money in the bank so that I can pay for Levi's teeth when he needs more extractions. I've been told that once a cat gets a cavity (FORL), then it is very likely that they will get more. My vet said there are just some cats that have bad genes and to just save up :wink: . Good luck with all this!

 

[mizzkitty]

Out of curiousity, how does one tell when a cat has cavities? is anything different? or just shows when you look at the teeth?

 

[queen of the nile]

Here's a link on cat cavities (FORLs).
http://www.dentalvet.com/vets/cats/feline_dental_pathology_and_care.htm

There is no picture of the 1st grade lesions (early), but in my cat it looked like a little red bump at the gum-line. They were about the size of a pin head and were red and raw looking. Underneath that tender area will be a part of the enamel that has been worn away (cavity). The best thing to do is to look in your cat's mouth on a regular basis (ie: brush their teeth everyday ). If you notice redness, swelling, tartar, or missing teeth, you should talk to your vet. Other than that you may also notice drooling, bad breath and pain when you brush the area. My kitty would kind of chatter his teeth and turn his head away while crying, when I touched the sensitive spot. His gums also bled where the cavities were when I brushed his teeth. I hope this helps a bit .

 

[Bean]

Julia didn't have pain (that she showed), but she had a LOT of tartar on her rear teeth and bad breath. you can see the tartar - her teeth aren't white. Well - her canines are but not the rest of them.

 

[coco & little guy]

Bean-

At least the brakes on your car shouldn't be that bad. Don't worry about the rotor getting torn up if it just started. You should be able to handle a brake pad replacement. You can definitely save serious $$ by doing them yourself.

Good luck.

 

[Bean]

Yeah - I was thinking about that. Replacing them myself. Me and friends can definetly do it as we changed my struts and springs. It's just finding a place to do it.

 

[coco & little guy]

Bean-

It should only take like 20 minutes to do. Right? I used to do my girlfriends old car (1989 Nissan Pulsar) in no time flat. If your rotors don't have too many miles on them, all you should need is a jack, sockets and wrench and a c-clamp big enough to clear the caliper (might not even need that). Maybe a can of brake clean and some goop to stop the new pads from squealing.......and that *usually* comes with the new pads. Front wheel drive cars are a snap. I would think that you could do it in the parking lot of where you live, especially with help. Have you ever done brakes before? Did I remember you saying you had a service manual? I can try to step you through if you need help.