IV drip is an optional extra for cat dental

[Tiddlypom]

Black cat (12yo) is in for a dental today after a sore area of her gum was found on her annual health check. One or more extractions are likely.

I’ve opted to pay the extra for another blood panel (she had one a year ago, no issues) plus £150 extra for her to go on a drip. Vet recommends the drip, but doesn’t insist on it.

I suppose that costs always count, but I certainly wouldn’t stint on having a drip. I remember the same when the late JRT had his dental years ago and paying extra for him to go on a drip.

Is this standard for drips to be optional for dentals?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Why does your cat need to be on a drip? Unless she is severely dehydrated, or the anaesthetic is particularly risky, then your vet should be able to explain why the drip is recommended.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Why does your cat need to be on a drip? Unless she is severely dehydrated, or the anaesthetic is particularly risky, then your vet should be able to explain why the drip is recommended.

Vet did explain - it’s for optimal support and to assist with warming her up afterwards - she’ll likely be very wet after the dental. They’ll warm the fluids.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Not sure if I am visualising this correctly......dentisty is usually carried out with the animal lying flat on a tilted table, to direct all liquids used to flush away from the airways. Animal has mouth and head dried afterwards, and goes straight on to a heated pad. It sounds like you are being given the choice of 'best practice' which comes with a guilt trip if you decline. How on earth are you supposed to make that decision for your pet, with no veterinary expertise?

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wasn’t guilt tripped, I could have declined.

But I do want to do the best for the cat, so was going to opt for drip support even before the discussion was had. So if she had some kind of unfortunate event during the dental I wouldn’t feel like I’d let her down by opting out of the drip.

 

[leflynn]

Prev vet I had to request a an IV drip after my dogs dental and they questioned me, current vet does it as standard for most procedures for cat and dog, I've always asked for it if not standard as they seem to recover better and quicker (also have been older animals and greyhounds)

 

[skinnydipper]

I haven't had a cat need an op for many years but I've always agreed to a drip for dogs even when bloods okay. It helps to support the kidneys.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

The practice I use gives a cost breakdown with the consent form and it appears separately on that, and on the invoice, but they've never mentioned not having one for general anaesthesia, though I haven't had a cat operated on for yonks: the last op anything I own had was a rabbit neuter about 2 years ago and he came home with 1 shaved ear where he'd had a drip in.

 

[Amymay Again]

I haven't had a cat need an op for many years but I've always agreed to a drip for dogs even when bloods okay. It helps to support the kidneys.

And I was very helpfully advised by you a few years ago to request the same for my dog when she went under. Which is what has always happened for the few ga's she's had as a result.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I've recently had dentals on a 13 year old dog and 17 year old cat (shall I post link to just giving ). I was offered bloods for both given their respective ages, also fluids but they are a more normal option I think (was £69 for the cat ). I've got my GSD booked in for spaying next month and again was offered fluids which she will be having, but not doing bloods as she is only 2.5 years.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Cat back home minus three teeth which must have been causing her bother, poor thing. Vets and vet nurses are all very enamoured with her.



Tucking into a pouch laced with antibiotic drops.

All costs inc the GA, IV fluids, blood panel, full dental x Ray , extractions came to a tad under £570, which I reckon is very reasonable. Think it was on special offer.

Bit of a stand off going on, as cat wishes to go out but vet wants her kept in til tomorrow morning.

 

[Clodagh]

I never have bloods or drip. But would consider it if the animal was elderly or in poor health.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Cat back home minus three teeth which must have been causing her bother, poor thing. Vets and vet nurses are all very enamoured with her.

View attachment 148029

Tucking into a pouch laced with antibiotic drops.

All costs inc the GA, IV fluids, blood panel, full dental x Ray , extractions came to a tad under £570, which I reckon is very reasonable. Think it was on special offer.

Bit of a stand off going on, as cat wishes to go out but vet wants her kept in til tomorrow morning.

My girl had 4 out . Vets gave me ab tablets for her which was fun , difficult at the best of times but with a sore mouth a real challenge. She’s on blood pressure medication too . It was worth it though , she’s eating like the proverbial horse now .

 

[druid]

Anything of mine going under GA has pre-op bloods (unless run in past 6 mo) and IV fluids. I want all the supportive care I can offer to mitigate risks

 

[Red-1]

Heck didn't have the bloods first when he had GA, because I wouldn't agree to GA if it wasn't necessary, so blood results were neither here nor there. He had best drip care and nursing afterwards though.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Err, running bloods prior to the GA help to alert the vet to any underlying health issue that the animal may have and which might affect it during and after the op. I’d never stint on those.

Recent bloods would be ok, but our cat’s last bloods were 12 months ago taken during a routine senior cat health check. All good on yesterday’s check, too, but still a v.useful comparison for vet.

Cat seems grand this morning and hoovered her loxicom laced 1.5 pouches of cat food. She complained bitterly all night about being kept in, though she usually sleeps indoors anyway. She stomped off after her breakfast on urgent cat business.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Err, running bloods prior to the GA help to alert the vet to any underlying health issue that the animal may have and which might affect it during and after the op. I’d never stint on those.

Recent bloods would be ok, but our cat’s last bloods were 12 months ago taken during a routine senior cat health check. All good on yesterday’s check, too, but still a v.useful comparison for vet.

Cat seems grand this morning and hoovered her loxicom laced 1.5 pouches of cat food. She complained bitterly all night about being kept in, though she usually sleeps indoors anyway. She stomped off after her breakfast on urgent cat business.

The pre op blood tests on my 13 year old dog flagged up that he had high stage 2 renal disease, he had shown no symptoms. He is now on a renal diet and the levels have dropped to low stage 2.
Glad your girl is doing well, mine was a drama queen for 3 or 4 days, but she is a tortie !

 

[FieldOrnaments]

Honestly if diagnostics are relatively non invasive and safe the more info the vets have on your animal the better it is for everyone.
I work on an "well whilst [animal] is in we might as well" and it of course always helps you as the owner make better informed choices on husbandry.

 

[Highmileagecob]

I think the main issue is that the professional does not say 'I would like to put the cat on a drip for X and Y reasons, ' but asks the lay person 'would you like me to put her on a drip?'
Too much is being offered as an extra these days, and it is difficult for the average owner to navigate without compromising health. We are paying vets for their expertise and knowledge and we should not be buying different levels of care.

 

[rara007]

The problem is the majority can’t or won’t afford the ‘best’ level of care, a compromise is often better than all or nothing.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The problem is the majority can’t or won’t afford the ‘best’ level of care, a compromise is often better than all or nothing.

True, and even without paying for the bloods or the drip at least the cat would have got those three problem teeth extracted. They must have been causing her a lot of discomfort. They couldn’t have been left in situ, it was either deal with them or PTS an otherwise heathy older cat.

I’m not a vet, but I do come from a family of medics. You don’t get asked pre GA if you’d like to save the NHS money by doing without pre op bloods or IV fluids.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I must ask my vet about this. Arlo can needs a dental. It was booked at one point and the little darling must have put it in his dairy as he refused to come home the day before (to be shut in over night as usual) so I had to cancel!
Drips and bloods have not been mentioned at all. I kind of assumed it would just be all in and not something that you may get to opt out of

 

[Tiddlypom]

Cat has been back for her second post dental check up 9 days after the procedure and has been pronounced as healing very well. She has now been discharged .

She was her usual friendly and amenable self, barring the protest yowling all the the way to the vets and back in the car

I do notice that the vets and vet nurses do seem to be much more cautious about handling cats than they are with dogs . I make a point of doing as much of the lifting, holding and steadying as I can to show that this one is indeed an amenable cat.

I imagine that a ferocious feline is a formidable patient.

 

[Highmileagecob]

When I was a vet. nurse, we had a system of annotations on the top corner of the record card. OLC denoted Old Lady's Cat, which translated as never picked up or handled, It could be very challenging to avoid injury to self whilst trying to smile and prevent the patient escaping!

 

[Aru]

Cats always win when they decide they have had enough of handling and there are not as tolerant as a general rule of strangers manhandling them as dogs. My old cat,sweet as pie at home, needed to be given gabapentin before any vet procedures.When she said no she decided quickly and used teeth and claws to reinforce the point. Cat bites with intent tend to result in iv antibiotics for the victim...The gaba kept her smoochy and relaxed even for bloods.

Bloods are optional in the under 7s where I work, though offered to anyone who wants them and we explain what they are for. Over 7 they are an auto inclusion and an owner has to specifically chose not to have them. Age is a precursor for a lot of the issue's we are looking for on blood work. Kidney and liver disease in particular, but it does also screen also anaemia and underlying infections. Having a baseline blood panel also gives something to compare against as a baseline normal for the pet if there's future illness.
We do occasionally have to reschedule procedures or change drug protocols especially for pain relief based on blood results.
Iv fluids we don't make optional...but it does make procedures more expensive for everyone as it's an autoinclusion.
Iv fluids make it easier to stabilise the blood pressure and do reduce your risk of kidney issues in particular. Recoveries also tend to be smoother when kept on Iv fluids and having an automatic fluid inclusion means all animals have Iv access in case we need to give emergency drugs.
Its damned if you do, damned of you don't at this point in vet med though. It's tend to be finances that make a lot of medical decisions.
I don't do procedures on my own animal without Iv fluids though, i see to much benifit now we do them regularly instead of as an add on like in some places ive worked in the past. I will occasionally not do preanesthetic bloods depending on what they are in for and age etc.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks very much for your very helpful and informative post, Aru.

It did strike me as odd for both the bloods and the iv support to be opt-in rather than opt-out, but that’s just down to costs to the owner, isn’t it. I can understand not getting bloods done in a younger animal, but if the animal is already in for a procedure I’d get them done anyway, not least as a baseline.

We are very lucky with this black cat who adopted us during lockdown, she really does have a very sunny nature.

Still feeling guilty that I hadn’t noticed anything amiss myself, and that her dental issues were picked up by the vet at her annual jabs/health check. Clear to see when pointed out to me .

 

[suestowford]

I imagine that a ferocious feline is a formidable patient.

I have one who is a lovely cuddly cat most of the time. But she is horrible for the vet. When she has her booster she has to be injected while still in her basket otherwise they'd not get near her. Then it's a case of checking as much of the rest of her as they can before she explodes into a blur of teeth and claws.