Even though every time it's the same. Pumpkin howls through the car ride, has meow-offs in the waiting room with the other kitties, and Dr. Hendrix is an absolute pleasure. He and his staff are awesome and today he even shook/held my hand and asked me how I've been after he examined kitty.
Today's appointment went fine. Overall, she's a pretty healthy kitty. However, she's had some oral issues. They have been hesitant to do another cleaning because her age and anesthesia don't mix well.
A few months ago, we tried some new food. Which I don't love because it's all carbs and pumpkin has gained weight and has become a water-drinking fiend. She's like a crack addict for water. It's ridiculous.
The vet said the new food has actually done an amazing job on her teeth. A little gingivitis, but a big improvement-- on one side. The other side isn't as good. I've noticed that when she eats, she favors one side. And it makes sense because she's got a rotten tooth on the other side. He probed it and she did NOT react favorably, so it's obvious that it bothers her.
The vet expressed his concerns about a full teeth cleaning, even though the gingivitis would improve, because of the age + anesthesia factor. I asked his advice, and he said that if it was HIS 13-year old cat, he'd get the rotten tooth pulled and skip the thorough cleaning, to keep the anesthesia time to a minimum, and he'd do it only if her kidney function labs looked good.
So yes, I may choose to get Pumpkin's tooth pulled (if her labs look good) and she may not recover from the anesthesia and she may die. Or I may choose to skip the procedure and avoid the whole 'dying during surgery' issue altogether. That sounds like the best option to me.
However, I've experienced tooth pain. I know it can be excruciating. And I'd rather take the chance of her dying on the table than let her keep living in pain for my own selfish, kitty-loving reasons.
So. While I haven't actually scheduled the procedure yet, I know I need to and it's in the back of my mind. I'm probably over-reacting because they won't even DO the procedure if her kidney function tests are abnormal, which is the real risk of anesthesia, and even then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
But that's the latest news on my punk.
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