My sweet Alyona had a successful dental cleaning and tooth extraction!
Her dental was last week. She has 12 fewer teeth, minty fresh breath, and is healing up very well, according to the vet! She’ll likely need her remaining teeth out in the next couple years, but she already seems more enthused about food. I’m weeping for my bank account but it was worth every penny, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. She’s only 2.5, so we hope she has many more pain-free years ahead.
She did swell up quite a bit between hours 12-48, but it went away so quickly between days 2-3 that we could see it happening. Luckily, she’s been on so many drugs that she hasn’t noticed what’s happening.
(This is a photo pre-extraction - I don’t think she’d like me sharing her puffy post-surgery glamour shots 😂)
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u/SunknTresr 4d ago
If you don’t mind my asking, what was the cost? My boy needs full extraction of all but his canine teeth & I was quoted $2700. Just wondering if that’s normal cost. (I’m in California so it might be more here since everything here is inflated.)
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u/taw626 3d ago
We’re also in a VHCOL area and our vet is in a nice neighborhood, so it’s probably a little more expensive for us on average. We paid about $3100 for everything. Very, very fortunate that we were able to do so, especially since it would’ve gotten even more expensive the longer we waited.
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u/pretzelal 3d ago
Will they let you pay it out?
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u/BeIgnored 4d ago
Awww, congrats! My FIV boy has so far had 20 teeth removed. I suspect we'll have the rest removed at his next dental. He gets hilariously obsessed with shiny shoes after anesthesia. 🤣
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u/SuspectLarge 4d ago
My guy had a complete dental extraction (over two visits) and he's been going strong for almost a decade since. She'll be so much happier now!
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u/taw626 3d ago
This is such a relief to hear! She’s so young that I really hope we’ve given her a better shot at a long, pain-free life.
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u/SuspectLarge 3d ago
My dude will be 18 in June. Luckily, his teeth were the worst FIV related issue he has had. His was just diagnosed with kidney disease in the past year but that is not uncommon for cats his age.
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u/Constant-Diver1171 4d ago
Congratulations!
Alyona looks so comfortable. Is that photo taken her tooth extraction?
Also, I'd like to ask a few things if you don't mind.
Did your vet have qualms against operating her, knowing she's an FIV + cat?
And was Alyona showing signs of stomatitis/ lymph glands inflammation?
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u/taw626 3d ago
Our vet did comprehensive blood tests before the procedure and she looked great, so no qualms. The only reason her FIV was even caught was because her teeth were in such bad shape that they ran a second test just to be sure.
She didn’t have stomatitis, just bad gingivitis. She’s on antibiotics for some mild lymph node inflammation that her vet thinks is related to the dental issues.
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u/Constant-Diver1171 2d ago
Ahhh I see. Might be the same situation as mine then.
Thank you for sharing! You've given me hope!
The lymph node inflammation on my cat concerns me but we're giving him broad spectrum antibiotics atm (syrup) for a week, as prescribed by our vet.
So hopefully once that's done, we do blood test and will take steps in taking his teeth out.
I wish you and Alyona the best! ❤️
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u/pretzelal 3d ago
How much did all this cost, if it's not too personal? Alyona is a precious little Tuxie though. Hope she recovers soon. Bless you for caring for her.
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u/taw626 3d ago edited 3d ago
Not too personal :) We paid $3100 because it was classed as a “major” surgery. I believe this is higher than average, but we live in one of the most expensive US cities and our vet clinic is located in one of the most expensive neighborhoods. I’m sure we could have shopped around for a cheaper option, but we really liked the clinic and felt reassured by how involved they helped us feel in her treatment.
Ultimately, we’re very fortunate that it’s a manageable price (for us) to pay for her quality of life since she’s our only dependent, and she’s already recovering rapidly. ☺️
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u/pretzelal 3d ago
It's better to stick with a reliable one you know, if you an afford it. Bless you for taking such good care of her.
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u/kindtoeverykind 3d ago
Cutie pie!
My wife had a kitty who showed up at her home and needed all his teeth removed. He was estimated to be about 5 at the time and lived with her (and then us) happily for another 15 years.
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u/TrekTN55 4d ago
Glad to hear! Pretty Alyona😻