Teeth cleaning for elderly cat

Question
My cat is 16 1/2 and has been recommended by a vet to have her teeth cleaned. I am concerned about putting her under anasthesia. She has only been to a vet twice before and other than desexing has not had any operations. She is a very timid cat.
I'm just wanting some reassurance that it is okay for a cat her age to be put under anasethesia.

Answer
Hello,

Your cat is quite old, but your vet can decide on whether to put her under anesthesia after careful examination. If it was my patient, I would consider some blood work and an x-ray before the procedure and decide upon the results. Doing a check-up like this will also be beneficial to find out about her general health condition, and it will also be helpful to find out diseases early enough to give an appropriate treatment. At this age it is important to do regular check-ups.

Kind Regards,
Caglar Kondu Erkip, DVM