No, having her live out her life in pain is not an option, I was just curious if anyone had it done at that age or older. Our vet is great, with the older ones she uses a different type of anesthesia and extra fluids.

I have never had this experience but I do sympathize with your anxiety. Of course you do not want her to suffer in pain if she is having a dental problem.

Maybe she won't need dental work. Is there a chance of that?

If it's minor, could they sedate her lightly and just do a quick fix as needed?

Let us know what you decide.

A slim chance, but I think the chewing on one side and the drooling and bad breath probably mean she does need some sort of intervention. She is a former feral and still not easy to handle, so light sedation probably wouldn't work.

We'll see what the vet thinks after the blood tests and exam this afternoon. If all are good and she is likely in pain we'll have it done first thing next week.

I had rotten teeth removed from my 17 year old cat. He did fine and I felt better knowing he was not in pain anymore. Ask the vet if the drooling is due to pain or infection.

Well, the vet said her blood work is surprisingly good for her age, but she has 4 infected teeth. So, she is going in next Wednesday. Depending on how extensive the procedure is going to be, she might do half the teeth next week and the rest next month, because she does not like to leave the old ones under anesthesia too long.

They discovered a mass during the procedure, so everything is on hold until the biopsy comes back.

Oh no. That is a tough one. Praying for a good outcome.

Very good news, the mass turned out to be inflammatory tissue. The weight loss may be due to thyroid issues or just simply because she was not eating as much due to pain. Her thyroid is being checked and we'll have results some time next week. But if that is the case, that is at least easy to treat.

Wonderful. Wishing kitty a smooth recovery to become a healthy senior.

age is not a disease... though the older a pet gets, the more likely it may develop a disease. I have done dentals on pets over 24 years old, and some in very poor health but in severe need of dental work so the only realistic option was do go ahead with the dental. Done thousands of dentals. very few regrets. Health is the primary concern,... not age.

Great news, Petra! I'm happy for you and kitty!!