Teeth Cleaning

I just brought my 10 year old cat in for a first ever teeth cleaning and they called me and told me because she produces a funny nasal sound they do not want to put her under for fear she may have nasal polyps. She has always made this sound ( especially when she is stressed) and the vet is now suggesting I go to a specialist so they can do a nasal scope. Depending on the results of that we will decide what to do about her teeth cleaning. I am stumped now because already the teeth cleaning was going to cost between $600-$1200 and now there will be an extra expense as well as procedure that I have to put my poor kitty through. Her blood work is perfect and she eats and plays normally, and overall is a very healthy cat. The vet said on a 1-4 scale her tartar level is a 2. So I am wondering what I should do? I was already anxious about putting her under for the teeth cleaning and now I am just anxious as well as confused. Should I follow the vets advice and put her through this nasal exam or do I let it go. How risky is it to not get your cats teeth cleaned.
Thanks for your advice.

[Savas]

Well...it's considered a "low risk" procedure, but any procedure involving anesthesia has an inherent danger. At her age I would say you should get it done in the next year. Perhaps you should call a specialist (not the recommended one if your wary) and get an opinion on the necessity for the scoping. Then based on the findings you can take it from there. there's no reason to do the whole thing all at once, especially if finance is an issue.

Your other option is to pick up some pet insurance. It should defray the cost if it goes over a certain amount. don't tell them about the need for the scoping, but do mention the cleaning. A decent cheap plan should cover costs over a thousand dollars.