Oscar is long overdue for a checkup by one year - so I took him in today. He was supposed to have a geriatric panel done - but that is separate from the regular checkup and vaccines.
He is just under 17 lbs - yikes! Has some arthritis in his back legs, but he jumps normally and all. The vet suggested good salmon/omega oil so I got some from the vets. She said that efforts to have a cat lose weight sometimes don't work because arthritis keeps the cat from being as active as it was.
However, his usual great dental checkup was not so great. The left side was brilliant. The OTHER side had red gums and when the vet touched his tooth he winced. It's not gingivitis - that would have been GOOD news.
The condition is called FORL - Feline Odooclastic Resorptive Lesion. There is no known cause. Basically, the lesion eats through the tooth enamel and destroys the tooth. The vet said there was no way I could have prevented this - and because Oscar would eat mostly on the good side of his mouth, I wouldn't have noticed it.
Although he doesn't need it immediately, the dental is likely to involve 2 extractions and cost $800 - $1000. His geriatric panel will be $200 which I will have done before the surgery. The clinic doesn't normally do payment plans, but one of the owners reviewed my file and saw that I was a long-time client and did well by my kitties. So - 50% down and the balance the next month.
My vet said it wasn't at the point where it has to be done tomorrow. But still - the cost is a shock. Mom will help out, which I am thankful for. But I wish I could do it myself.
Oscar became a real head-bumping purr monster there and got lots of treats! The vet couldn't hear his heart because of the loud purr. :)
