How safe is anesthesia for an older cat getting dental work done?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Female | spayed | 10 years and 10 months old | 6 lbs
We have this 10-year-old Persian who's always grinding her teeth, so we brought her to a vet, who then diagnosed her with gingivitis and suggested putting her under general anaesthesia so they could remove the tartar. We are weighing the pros and cons here. Her dental problem is a concern but we are more worried about the risks that involve in anaesthetising a cat her age. Could you let us know how frequently severe (life-threatening) complications occur as a result of this kind of procedure?
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 2nd, 2017
Hi there. I agree having her teeth cleaned it’s a good idea especially if she has tartar buildup.I would start by having your veterinarian run some general bloodwork to make sure her organ function is good and if everything looks good and her heart is healthy and anesthesia is very safe. Having bad dental health can be more detrimental in the long run and getting this taken care of would be a great idea. Also make sure that wherever you have her teeth cleaned has full monitoring devices and that they do intravenous fluids during the procedure. This is a standard safety measure and you want to go somewhere that has that available. Hope that is helpful and have a wonderful day.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 18th, 2018
In general dental work under anesthesia is much safer nowadays than ever. Your vet will give your kitty a pre-anesthetic exam and do some bloodwork to make sure she is able to handle the anesthesia. Of course their is always a risk, however having to live with a tooth ache for the rest of her life would be cruel. She will feel so much better after a dental cleaning and removal of rotten teeth. CLeaning the teeth will also prevent detrimental bacteria from the mouth getting into the blood stream and causing kidney disease and heart disease. Since I do not know the health status of your cat, I suggest you trust your vet and discuss this with your vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 27th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Absolutely yes. This can be safely done as long as he is doing well. I would recommend blood work before the anesthesia to make sure his kidneys and everything else are healthy. If everything looks good then yes, it should be ok with close monitoring throughout the procedure. Good luck and have a great day!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 11th, 2017
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.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on November 21st, 2019
Things to look for are intravenous fluids during the procedure, bloodwork done less than 1 week (ideally day of) the procedure, monitoring the heart rate, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and temperature during the procedure. They should also institute practices to maintain the body temperature during the procedure. You may also ask about what drugs they use in their protocols and if the pets are intubated (which is recommended). You may want to set up an appointment with the veterinarian so they can examine Maisey and discuss your concerns. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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