Q: My vet is telling me that she should have my cat’s long canine teeth removed. Why? She is fine. She is eating well and seems completely normal. True, she has started eating soft foods in addition to her dry food. The vet says she is uncomfortable and her teeth are loose. He told me that this procedure would cost between $850 to $2,500, depending on infections. This seems outrageous to me. Her teeth look OK.

A: Thanks for your question about your kitty’s teeth. As the veterinary field has evolved, dental care has been at the forefront of routine wellness care. When I was growing up, I don’t think any of our dogs received extensive dental care simply because it wasn’t a prominent part of the field.

Routine dental evaluations and cleanings are recommended, often annually in our veterinary patients. I know you mentioned that it doesn’t seem like your kitty is uncomfortable; however, animals, and cats in particular, can be really good at masking their discomfort, and her taking an interest in wet food could indicate that she is uncomfortable.

I think the most reasonable thing to do would be to have her teeth professionally cleaned and evaluated under anesthesia. Ideally, this would also include X-rays of the teeth. Dental X-rays are a vital part of oral health assessment because the part of the tooth that we can see, the crown, is only a fraction of the size of the actual tooth, as the roots can be large and affected by disease even if the crown looks normal. Dental X-rays allow us to visualize the entire tooth, which helps determine a course of action. I understand that this can be quite pricey and overwhelming, but it doesn’t seem like it is an emergency, so perhaps it is something that you can budget for and anticipate pursuing in a few months.

Q: I recently lost my sweet blue point Siamese at the age of 17 to kidney failure. His entire life he was on urinary tract high-quality cat food. Why did he still die of kidney failure? Was there anything else I could have given him or done for him to prevent this?

— Sally Schubert, Annapolis

A: Hi, Sally. I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your Siamese and I hope it brings you comfort knowing that 17 is a ripe old age for any cat. To answer your question about kidney failure, I think it’s important to first realize that kidney disease is probably one of the most common age-related diseases in our feline patients. Unfortunately, among cats, the Siamese breed is more at risk than other breeds for the development of kidney-related disease. Based on your letter, it sounds like you did everything right, especially keeping him on a diet that promotes urinary health. Other things to keep in mind include the importance of routine wellness visits to your veterinary provider. Diagnostics like senior wellness bloodwork profiles are great ways to detect things like renal failure. As with many diseases, early detection often allows sooner intervention and with that, a better chance at successful long-term management.

Ask The Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions or photos to vet@baltsun.com.