Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Dental problems in 20 year old cat.

Species: Cat
Breed: non specific
Age: More than 15 ye
My cat Jack, who is 20 yrs old and has a predominant heart murmur and obviously a poor candidate for any surgery, has been diagnosed with a tooth abscess. It has been over a month since they have given him one injectable two week cycle antibiotic. He has reacted to the antibiotic and pain meds extremely well. His entire being seems to have changed back to a state that I have not seen in years. This is a good thing. At this time he shows no signs of pain or swelling and has not required any pain meds for several consecutive weeks. Is it possible to keep the infection at bay indefinitely with antibiotics on a regular basis? If so, should he be given a schedule for the injection, or wait until symptoms begin to resurface? We do not have the money to take the chance of his survival during surgery. We do not want to put him down unless he is in a constant state of pain and unable to continue a life of quality suitable for him.

Your advice would be most helpful and appreciated.

Sincerely,
Anne and Lance Schmidt


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Congratulations on having a 20 year old cat!

These situations are tough. Ideally it is best to do an anesthetic and clean the teeth and pull the infected ones but this is not always possible.

What I usually do in cases like this is do a week of antibiotics once a month. It sounds like your vet is using Convenia which is good for 2 weeks. This is ok as well.

It really is up to you and your vet how often you give these injections.

What I would likely do is give the injection and then see how things look in a month. Then, the next time, see if we can spread it out to 5 weeks and so on.

I hope he continues to do well!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Sheltie leaking urine. We have noticed that my spayed 5 1/2 year female Sheltie has been leaking a little... (13960 views)

Frontline Plus and Advantage Multi? Can I give my dog Advantage Multi plus the Frontline Plus. I know the Advantage... (16744 views)

Dog's face is swollen. my dog's face is swollen, her muzzle is swollen on both sides and very firm/hard... (129451 views)

Crusty ears on stray cat. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. There is a small stray cat I... (10996 views)

Dog leaps to her feet. Why does my 12 year old lame Siberian Husky suddenly leap to her feet and walk off.... (7788 views)

Gunk in cat's eyes. hi my cat has had her vaccination today but now noticed there gunk coming out of her... (7021 views)

Vomiting and diarrhea in pregnancy. My dog has had 1 or 2 ties and it's been about a week now and she's starting to have... (6431 views)

Tums for calcium? Missy is pregnant with her second litter. She developed a calcium deficiency and... (18292 views)

Damaged intestines? A few weeks ago I busted Diesel eating berries off a tree in the back yard. I told... (11691 views)

Cat is whiney when peeing my 12 yr old cat cherokee had a bladder infection about 2 months ago. i changed the... (6799 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.