Take your pets to the vet - Periodontal Disease

[foxytv]

Thanks for this post Jac. Our indoor kitty got fixed and got her shots when she was borrn, but she will be 3 this year and I have not kept her up-to-date on her shots. We also inherited an outdoor cat about a year ago - and have not yet taken her to the vet, so we don't even know how old she is.

 

I finally got 2 cat carriers, so they will be going to a mobile pet med for theit shots next Saturday ... and I got 2 free vet exam coupons at PetSmart when I bought their flea & tick treatments a few weeks ao, so after they have their shots, I am going to set up their vet appts.

 

Your post reminded me of how necessary all this really is. Hugs to Cody...

[Jacqueline]

Oh good, I'm so glad this thread was a reminder to a lot of you ;o)

 

The vet called Sat and here, Cody's PTT blood test results came back high. Normal is 10-12% and his were 56%. I'm kinda of confused on the whole thing, but it's basically a blood clotting test, it determines the time it takes for your blood to clot. So it's supposed to take 10-12 seconds and his takes 56 seconds from what I understand. I am going to do more research on it. I had to take him Sat afternoon so they could do a retest for accuracy. I was alil confused by this too. I didnt understand why we couldnt go by the original results since the #'s were off so much they were prob accurate. They wanted to charge another 50.00 to retest. Isn't that what lab work is for, to get results, but he wants to make sure they are really that high and that the lab didnt do an error. He only charged me 16.00 though b/c I said I didnt want to pay for their error, if that's what it was. I remem for Bella I had to do so many retests it kinda annoyed me they wouldnt just go with the original results. I understand some might need to be retested but every fricken time, they want a retest. Anyway, I'm just waiting for them to call today with his results. I was thinking of looking into a humane society nearby though, b/c these vet visits are costing me SO much and from what I hear the humane society's are more reasonable and they are just as good.

[Jacqueline]

early in the week the results came back and they were the same. he now has to be tested AGAIN to see what factor it is, they seem to think its severe. blood work will cost $120 b/c they are sending it somewhere different. how many more blood test ill need to do, i have no idea so im starting to panic- for him AND for lack of $ for this. i started a thread asking for nearby clinics, i called around a few places and they are all expensive- 400 for dental, 50+ for blood, and to pull teeth which he needs, is 500+ a tooth as well. the one lady said she charges by hour to pull teeth so its less expensive, and i asked what her hourly rate was and she said "$420".. ummm okayyy. if i had the $ id do it no questions, but i do not have over 1000 to dish out. i left a VM with the pa spca so i hope they can help. they have a messaging system, and i also emailed them. keep finger's crossed.

 

i also dont know if its me but he is eating funny, like he's having a hard time so maybe im just noticing it b/c i know now he is missing teeth and his gums are sore. i feed him in the downstairs bathroom (the dog gets his food if not) so i just feed and leave but now i've been watching.

[Preciousmi811]

I am so sorry to hear this. There is no easy way to do it but most vets will let you make payments to them. Speak directly with the veterinarian not with the front desk. The bad thing about shopping around with vets is you want someone you trust and who cares. I made vet payments but it was so worth it I could not imagine being with my kitties. The blood work is mandatory for dental so the cat will not pass from other complications while under anesthesia. The labs only run certain tests at certain locations. That's why they keep taking it and sending it to different places.

 

Unfortunately this is just a hard situation because you need to find out if there is an underline issue that caused your cat to have such bad dental problems.

 

My cat ended having several periodontal diseases (due to inbreeding, rag doll breed I found in the desert) that is why it progressed so bad to worse than your cat had.

 

Keep us posted on Bella.

[Jacqueline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Preciousmi811 I am so sorry to hear this. There is no easy way to do it but most vets will let you make payments to them. Speak directly with the veterinarian not with the front desk. The bad thing about shopping around with vets is you want someone you trust and who cares. I made vet payments but it was so worth it I could not imagine being with my kitties. The blood work is mandatory for dental so the cat will not pass from other complications while under anesthesia. The labs only run certain tests at certain locations. That's why they keep taking it and sending it to different places. Unfortunately this is just a hard situation because you need to find out if there is an underline issue that caused your cat to have such bad dental problems. My cat ended having several periodontal diseases (due to inbreeding, rag doll breed I found in the desert) that is why it progressed so bad to worse than your cat had. Keep us posted on Bella.

Aw thank you for your advice. Actually though, there are 2 cats I'm talking about...theres Bella who is the blk cat in my pic, just recently passed in May. She had cancer they think b/c of how quickly she went. The cat now I'm talking about now is Cody, he's my male cat. But anyway, I will talk to my vet and see what he says about your suggestion. However when I took my female cat there in the past, Bella, I had asked them about making payments or something b/c it was costing a ton of $, it was right near my wedding so of course I was strapped, in the end it wound up being close to 1000 with her. So I doubt they will do anything. And now, I still dont have an extra $1000 for Cody ( I'm feeling like I'm at a wall as far as options go so I might just save and have the surg at my local vet when I get enough. I know Joe dont want me to, he thinks they're ripping me off, but I dont really care what he thinks right now. I am waiting for the SPCA to get back to me and will go from there.

[SDSteph]

Awww sorry to hear of your sick kitty. Pets can get expensive. I cashed in my 401K last year when my cat spent a week in the vet with numerous urinary tract infections. $7000 and three years later my 401 is growing again and my amazing kitty cat is peeing like a champ I hope everything works out.

[Amarillis]

This definately should be a wake up call. I only feed Jack (dog) and Turk (cat) dry food, as it is best for their teeth. They have always had annual exams.

 

I actually brush Jack's teeth every morning, gross, yes. When he was a pup, i read that it was in his best interest to do so...and now it is a part of our routine, I say ''brush, brush'' and he comes to the bathroom - reluctantly, but he does it.

 

Last Christmas, SIL's mother (not MIL) lost her dog at the age of 8 to dental disease. I am not a vet, but apparantly before they put a dog under anaestetic for dental work, they inject antibiotics to ensure that the bacteria on the teeth does not get in the blood stream. Well, that is precisely what happened -- SIL's mother blames the vet for not administering the antibiotics early enough, when they did the dental cleaning, the bacteria got into the blood stream and the dog died.

[mich999]

Good luck. My cat needed several teeth pulled as well and the cost was definitely over $1000, but it was worth it. My vet would also do payment plans if needed so definitely check with your vet. I don't think your vet is ripping you off - whenever they go under for surgery, it's expensive and becomes more complciated the more teeth they have to pull. I hope both your cats recover well and feel better soon.

[Preciousmi811]

My fi gave me soooo much grief too. Stay strong because your time will come when you can give him a hard time. After my last big cost of medical bills I have all 4 cats on health insurance. Of course nothing serious has happened since then but they did pick up bartenolli disease and the insurance paid for a big chunk of it.

[KimmyG]

Poor Cody, sorry to hear. Hope his gums/teeth recover and it doesn't break your bank. We try to brush our dog's teeth once in a while, definitely not as as often as Amarillis (my new role model!).