My cat has bad teeth. Is risky anesthesia the only cleaning option?

Question

Can local anesthesia be used when normal anesthesia is a higher risk? My cat has bad teeth health, and has tartar in his teeth. The vet has said that normal anesthesia would be a risk for my cat, are there any other ways to have his teeth cleaned? Pet's info: Cat | Norwegian Forest Cat | Male | neutered | 13 years old | 9.9 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

Local anesthesia is sometimes used for things like removal of a skin tumor or repair of a wound, but it isn't going to be effective for a dental cleaning in a pet. The purpose of anesthesia in dental cleaning is to immobilize the pet, as pets will not sit with their mouths open for us to clean their teeth. We sometimes use local anesthetics in addition to general anesthesia with dental work if a tooth needs removal (we will put a local block at the site of the tooth), but it acts just as pain relief and numbing of that area, not to keep the patient still. I would discuss with your vet the risks versus benefits of anesthesia based on your cat's teeth. We do dental procedures all the time in older pets, but before we do so recommend a geriatric workup which may include bloodwork and urinalysis, blood pressure and ekg, and x-ray of the chest. These help us ensure the anesthesia is more likely to be tolerated. If your cat is in pain or having trouble eating due to the teeth, sometimes the benefits of the dental outweigh the risks.

My cat has bad teeth. Is risky anesthesia the only cleaning option?

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