Cat Question - took our pets in to vet today for their annual...Hornblower and others

[sheryl]

Our female, yellow lab is 12 1/2 years.    She is arthritic; the vet recommended glucosamine.  I asked if human grade is acceptable to which he replied, "yes".   He said to give 500-1000. 

 

Also, her flap in her larynx does not close/open properly and this is causing hoarseness in her bark.  Surgery is recommended in younger dogs but he said due to Jordan's age he would not recommend surgery.  He said it's a neurological issue.  

 

Now our 9 yo female Ragdoll cat has severe tarter on her teeth.  He recommended having her teeth cleaned under anesthesia which will be expensive.

 

Do any of you know of a natural, at home remedy (store bought) that would work to eliminate the tarter build up in a cat?

 

Also, have any of you used glucosamine for a dog?   Any suggestions on the larynx issue?
 

Hornblower, please chime in!



 

[Pawz4me]

I always give a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement to my older dogs. I always give human versions of supplements whenever possible. There is little regulation of human supplements but I suspect there's even less for things manufactured specifically for pets.

 

There are various tooth sprays and water additives that supposedly help with tartar. I would be very leery of putting them in a senior cat's water. Kidney issues are such a concern with cats that I do everything I can to encourage them to drink more, not less. If I really wanted to try something in place of a dental cleaning I'd probably give kitty raw chicken wings or necks.

 

The Veterinary Oral Health Council has a list of their approved dental products for dogs and cats.

[Pegasus]

We also have routinely given Glucosamine and chondroitin to any older dogs we've owned, usually this product:

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32457

 

If the cat is healthy enough to withstand the anesthesia, I'd probably go ahead and have the teeth cleaned by the vet.  You could probably do some things going forward to keep the tartar from building up so bad again but at this point, nothing is going to make a significant dent except for scraping it off. It's only going to get worse untreated and the anesthesia gets more dangerous as the pet ages.

[ktgrok]

Prescription T/D food can be used to supplement the cat food, and it really does help a lot. Takes a while, but helps a lot. That said, if you can save up for the dental cleaning it can make a huge difference in the kitty's health and lifespan. 

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Fwuw, I,ve watched my vet pick the tarter off my very submissive, elderly cat's teeth. The vet used her thumb nail and "popped" a strip of tarter off her molars. She was 16 at the time and had a heart murmur. The vet did not recommend her to go under and was kind enough to remove it.

 

She is now close to 20 and has been eating dry, grain-free food. She appears to still have all her teeth and I haven't noticed a significant buid-up. I don't know if the dry food makes a difference or her breed (Tonkinese) just have good teeth.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Fwuw, I,ve watched my vet pick the tarter off my very submissive, elderly cat's teeth. The vet used her thumb nail and "popped" a strip of tarter off her molars. She was 16 at the time and had a heart murmur. The vet did not recommend her to go under and was kind enough to remove it.

 

She is now close to 20 and has been eating dry, grain-free food. She appears to still have all her teeth and I haven't noticed a significant buid-up. I don't know if the dry food makes a difference or her breed (Tonkinese) just have good teeth.

I found the description of removing plaque in this blog posting.

http://catmaven.blogspot.com/2009/10/tooth-care.html

[Spy Car]

Raw chicken feet for both. Lots of bioavailable glucosamine, and chewing the raw chicken feet will help clean teeth. if the cat won't eat chicken feet, I'd get raw turkey necks as Pawz suggested.

 

Bill 

[hornblower]

Hi Sheryl :) 

I would do the cat dental. 

The worst & most dangerous tartar is under the gumline, where it cannot be picked off on an awake animal.  

Do preop blood work. It adds another ~$50 but it helps to know how bad the kidney & liver values are & you'll have a baseline for as she ages. 

 

Cats will rarely gnaw bones. I know people who successfully transitioned cats to raw but it's not easy if that cat is not used to it. Cats are amazingly picky. And again, even if you transition them to raw, they don't gnaw like a dog. It prevents new buildup but will not really treat the existing tartar. I really think the dental needs doing. 

 

I can't recommend any specific brands of glucosamine because they're different across the border anyway. I've done both human & vet, in a variety of joint remedies and honestly, I suspect none of them do a whole heck of a lot. My suspicion is that they'd help a bit much much earlier - like around 6 years old in a large breed dog. I think by the time you get to this age, in an arthritic dog you need nsaid's. I also did cartrophen injections with Bear & I think they helped. I might be starting those soon with Daisy.  They're not too expensive. You have to do a loading dose of one / week for 4 weeks & then it's just once a month. I think it was something like $30/injection? 

Swimming is great if she swims, esp in a pool. Best is actual therapeutic swimming with a vet physio. Don't let her jump and no harsh fast turns so be careful with ball chasing. And try to keep her as lean as possible; the less excess weight on the joints, the better... 

hth! 

Edited June 9, 2016 by hornblower

[sheryl]

thanks, everyone, for your replies.

 

dd and I visited my sister today and she has pets.  I thought she may have brainstorm with me.  she lives in Michigan but is here locally for a while.  she said in Michigan she took her dog in to this special animal rescue group/organization that offers extremely low prices on their services.  she was able to have her dog's teeth cleaned under anesthesia for about $150.  a vet's office would cost several hundred dollars.  she googled and found such a place that is going to open here in the fall! 

 

I like these ideas.  earlier today I remembered our next door neighbor used to work in a vet's office.  her grown daughter presently works at a vet clinic as well and is a dental vet or whatever they are called.  I told her about my visit today and she knows of a place here that may be similar so I'm awaiting to hear back from her!

 

 

 

 

[StephanieZ]

Sounds like a good vet. 

 

Glucosamine is cheap, safe, and can help many dogs. 

 

There is nothing you can do for your cat if the dental disease is significant, which it surely is.

 

If you had a couple rotten teeth, a dozen deep cavities, and severe periodontal disease, deep infected pockets of pus and swollen soft tissues, and maybe a broken tooth or two . . . would there be anything you could do short of a dentist to get a healthy mouth? Nope.

 

The *typical* pet's mouth that is at least 4-6 years old has really bad dental disease if they aren't getting regular home care and professional care. You need to get the disease out (broken and rotten and loose teeth and the sources of infection) and *then* home care (tooth brushing, check YouTube) can help a great deal to slow down the need for the next professional cleaning. Do *not* initiate brushing before the mouth is cleaned up. Just imagine how painful that would be . . . 

 

And, BTW, the procedure that vets typically get the most glowing thanks for is dental care. "He's a puppy again!" "I thought he was ready to die, but he is happy and friendly again!" etc. That dental disease is *painful* and getting it fixed makes a *world* of difference.