Is dental surgery for tartar safe for my senior cat with heart problems?

Question

I have an 13 year old male cat with teeth problems. It may be tartar. He seems to be in good health except for his teeth. He now eats special high calorie wet food, that cat's and dog's eat after operation. His current weight is 9.9 pounds (4.5kg). Before he got sick, he was a bit overweight at about 17 pounds (8kg). He's a Norwegian Forest Cat (mixed with something else) and has a genetic heart problem (cardiomyopathy). Should I make him go through surgery, or just let him be and do nothing? Pet's info: Cat | Norwegian Forest Cat | Male | neutered | 12 years and 11 months old | 9.9 lbs

Ann Dion, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. I am sorry to hear that Tiger is feeling sick. Tartar and tooth disease can worsen heart disease, especially if there is already heart disease present, however anesthesia in a cat with HCM is going to have increased risks. The decision to go to surgery or not will have to be made with you and your vet, depending on the severity of Tiger's heart condition. You can try feeding him a dental diet to help prevent more tartar build-up and if he will let you you can try brushing his teeth. You won't get the stuff on there off without anesthesia and a dental cleaning, but you can prevent it from getting worse. Good luck with Tiger.

Is dental surgery for tartar safe for my senior cat with heart problems?

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