A Tale of Two Kittens and One Puppy » Dentists are for animals, too

I have scheduled the boys’ first-ever dental for next Wednesday. I think I’m already a basket case. Other than when I travel, I have never been apart from the boys from the day we got them. Since I work from home, I’ve never had to drop them off at the vet; I’m always there when they have wellness checks or whatever.

I suppose I should correct that. Of course they were away all day when they were neutered. I admit, I forgot about that. But that was soooooooo long ago.

I’ve been concerned about Simba for a while now. He was off his feed for a while, which is totally unlike him. It’s not that he wouldn’t eat; just that I would have to sprinkle something on his food to entice him at pretty much every meal. That’s not the chow hound we know and love.

He’s actually eating better now, but he has lost some weight. It’s hard to tell how much, as our pet scale isn’t very accurate, but it’s enough to give me a sense of things. I’d esitmate he’s lost between 1/2 to 3/4 lb, and that’s a lot of weight for a cat, even a big boy like Simba.

I really wanted to stick my head in the sand and do nothing. After all, he acts normal. He runs around like a nut when I train him, he’s right there waiting for his portion when I get Chester’s treats ready in the morning, and he tries to steal Gizmo’s treats every chance he gets.

Not to mention the fact that I’ve had to do so much running around with Chester. Puppies and kittens always require a lot of vet time, and Chester’s no exception. I’m tired of going to the vet!

But my regular vet suggested that we should do the dental this year. This way I kill two birds with one stone: they get their teeth cleaned, and we get bloodwork done, and that should reveal if there’s something to worry about.

The interesting thing is that Simba’s teeth looked better than Gizmo’s according to the vet. I know that they can’t tell what’s really going on til they get in there. And of course that’s the other worry. The anesthesia.

Simba has had bad breath since the day we got him. Very noticeable bad breath. I’ve mentioned it to the vet, but so far they hadn’t been able to figure anything out. I’m never satisfied with the “some cats just have bad breath” line (or the some cats poop smells, etc. etc.).

So even though I have to go to the doctor on the Tuesday and I have to take Chester to the vet on Friday, the boys are going in on Wednesday for their dental. Good dental health is just as important for animals as it is for us. If their teeth are bad, the bacteria can get into the blood and damage their organs.

I actually do brush their teeth. And give CET dental treats, altho both of the boys have been losing interest in them lately.

I have also just recently lost the boys’ regular vet, and I’m extremely bummed out about it. She’s known them since they were kittens. I really liked her. I’ve been seeing a vet steadily with Chester, so she’ll do the dental on the boys. I like her, but it’s not the same feeling as a vet you’ve been going to for 5 years, who’s battled through your elderly cats’ sicknesses with you, and put down both your elderly cats — at home. Dr. Collins is sorely missed.

Technorati Tags: dental, vet, bloodwork, anesthesia