Anyone have an elderly cat go through general anaesthesia? UPDATE

Miss_J

My cat is now 18 1/2, up until this year he has always been very spritely and full of life, despite being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism a couple of years back. 6 months ago we lost his brother and then a month later my cat fell funnily from the desk and ever since seems to have suffered with arthritic pain which we use small amounts of metacam to help control the pain. He has really bad teeth, which until recently haven't caused him a problem but now he isn't eating as much so is slowly losing weight (his thyroid is reasonably controlled), he's also drooling and has really foul breath. My vet has strongly recommended a dental treatment for him which means he'll have to go under GA which is booked in this week, I feel horrible though, thinking of putting his little body through that but as the vet pointed out without it he could potentially starve himself to death with the soreness in his mouth. Anyone else had an elderly cat go through a GA and do ok?

sukysue

Yes my mil had her 18 1/2 year old cat under GA for a nasty abcess that needed draining and dressing recently . They were absolutely fine afterwards just a bit groggy for a couple of hours till they slept it off. I think the GA's they use nowadays are very quickly cleared from the bloodstream not like years ago good luck op I am sure your cat will be fine if toothless, bless!

missprice

Yes my sweet Moggie went through first GA ever at age 16.
She had skin cancer and needed her ear taken off ( a pinectomy )

And yes that went really well and 10 days later took the cone off from her head.

And although it is not even faintly related she broke her leg so badly 1 month after the ear op, she had to be pts.
Broke my heart that we had put her through all that to lose her so soon after.
Would post pic of her minus an ear but unsure how.

RuthnJasper

Not a cat, but my previous dog got through one just fine at an advanced age. It depends on the individual animal and the vet, I think.

Presumably the vet knows your cat and certainly wouldn't want to make him suffer. I'd have thought that he wouldn't recommend the minor op. if he thought the cat couldn't cope with it. Obviously there's a risk with ANY general anaesthetic - but if your vet thinks your cat is up to it then, for me anyway, it'd be a chance worth taking.

Good luck; hope all turns out well. xx

scaredy_cat

my old cat (rip) had a ga for dental treatment at about the same age. she was fine, and lived to 22 1/2 yrs old.

paddypaws101

I am in exactly the same situation with my old boy. His breath is beyond stinky recently and I really think he needs a dental. Vet has previously said he would not rush into giving GA at his age but I think I am going to need to have a chat with him soon and bite the bullet.

Miss_J

Thanks everyone, it's made me feel much better reading those replies. My vet has said that they will do bloodworm first to check that he can tolerate a GA ( he already has his bloods checked monthly) and that they will give him IV fluids during the procedure. It won't be my vet doing the work as he'll be transferred to the larger practice where they carry out all the surgical procedures, which makes me a little more worried. I made the receptionist put a big note on his file to remind them how old he is.

teddysmum

Not a cat, but Monty, a 13-year-old dog, who had a bad heart, needed a dental and was fine after GA.

As with a my other dog with a bad heart, the vet said that the infection from bad gums/teeth was more of a threat than the anaesthetic. Modern anaesthetics are much safer and instantly reversible in the case of a dental (as opposed to internal surgery).

Deep sedation is an alternative to GA and was used, by my previous (now retired ) vet, on my other dog, but the new vet prefers GA, as the sedation can cause choking.

Tiddlywinks

Big question... would you want to live with toothache for the rest of your life? That would be awful wouldn't it? You'd do just about anything to take away the pain... your puddy needs you to do that for him.

One of my old girls had a GA for a cancer op last year - at 16 and another had her thyroid op at 16.

There is more of a risk with age but you have to trust the vet to guide you.

He can't be enjoying life at the moment so I think it's got to be worth the risk.

I hope he's OK - please keep us updated.

RuthnJasper

Miss_J wrote: »

Thanks everyone, it's made me feel much better reading those replies. My vet has said that they will do bloodworm first to check that he can tolerate a GA ( he already has his bloods checked monthly) and that they will give him IV fluids during the procedure. It won't be my vet doing the work as he'll be transferred to the larger practice where they carry out all the surgical procedures, which makes me a little more worried. I made the receptionist put a big note on his file to remind them how old he is.

My dog had these tests prior to the GA also. And don't forget - vets are there to make animals better, not encourage them into suffering. I know how very worrying these things are; one is always inclined to think the worst.

The ops are probably done in the larger place purely due to the amount of space needed whilst animals come 'round from the anaesthetic. Also, dogs (and probably cats too) generally "sing" very loudly when coming out of the anaesthetic. Even with only two or three animals, this can be very noisy. If your local branch is relatively small, with most of their back rooms taken up with medicine cupboards and office space, then it makes sense to have the cacophony of the critter-choruses from sleeping patients situated where there is room to accommodate them properly.

Let us know how it goes with your little mate. x

Miss_J

Thanks again everyone. He's booked in for tomorrow. He's fast asleep at the moment, wish he would wake and eat a bit more because he has to be starved from 9 tonight. He had a good eating day yesterday so doesn't seem as hungry but I wish he would fill his tummy a little more. Hoping that this helps him and doesn't push him into decline, my hubby keeps pointing out that at his age he is in decline, but I do want him to be as comfortable as possible. Woke up this morning to some lovely cuddles from him, hope there's many more lovely mornings like that.