I feed raw bones (usually chicken) but deer and rabbit if available, in addition to their kibble. My dogs’ teeth stay in great shape. It seems once you start dental, you end up doing them every other year. I’ve heard that the scaling process scores the teeth which makes it easier for plaque to adhere after the dental even if they polish the teeth, which makes additional dental needed.
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The price sounds in line with what I have paid. I cannot recall but I think my last dental for my large-breed dogs was somewhere around $600 each with no extractions.
My older dog (13) has had 4 dentals done, two of which included extractions in her younger years. My younger dog (10) has had 3 dentals done with no extractions. My older dog will likely have no more dental work done. She has a tooth that probably should be removed but the vet is not keen on doing it because of the risk level associated with putting her under for the procedure. She is not exhibiting any significant pain and is quite happy with her life (with many drugs on board due to her arthritis and related mobility issues).
They are both on a raw diet and their treats are carrots for the most part.
I had my 6 year old dog in a while back because it looked like she had a gum abscess. She also had a hunk of plague on the tooth near that section of gum and on the other side. Vet put her on an antibiotic and, after watching her chew the crap out of the Whimzee I brought along so my dog had something to grab onto when the vet examined her teeth, the vet told me that my dog should be able to knock the plaque off herself if she ate some kind of chew like that every day. I don’t trust rawhide and other dental chews I’ve given her she eats in about 15 seconds—and if she can’t eat it, she won’t chew it. So I gave her a big Whimzee, which took her about 10 minutes to get through, every day for 2 weeks (instead of just one randomly every couple of weeks) and all the plaque came off her teeth and her gums looked beautiful. Vet was very pleased. It was expensive as hell—like buying her a daily grande latte at Starbucks—so I then scaled down to a smaller version every day and she’s still looking great months later. I figured it’s better than the cost of a cleaning and I hate the idea of putting them under.
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For my medium/large dogs who live to 13-15, I usually figure on doing cleanings twice a lifetime. The vet will start recommending it a couple of years before I actually do it, and so far so good (I’m on dogs 4 & 5, and #4 at 12 years old is due for her second cleaning. Dog 5 at 3 years old has lovely teeth because she still likes to chew on things).
My chihuahua needs teeth cleanings annually, sometimes with extractions. He is 10 and this started when he was 6. This last time, he needed 7 teeth removed and the bill was $3,000.
I will now be taking him to a clinic that specializes only in small animal dental as I thought $3,000 was exorbidant. I have paid $1,200 in the past for a cleaning with extractions.
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Oh lordy yes; my chihuahuas had to be done every year religiously. I still get my dogs done yearly because my vet has caught a couple of issues to be monitored (they often can’t see a cracked tooth until it gets much worse, for example). I do get bloodwork done beforehand; I caught one dog’s liver issues that way so I’m a bit of a nervous nelly and see it as just a yearly blood check. Mine is usually in the $6-700 range with no extractions, though. IMy vet runs a “tooth cleaning special” during one month so it might be worth asking for that. I save up and get all mine done then.
Edit: Oh, and mine all get enzymatic chews (virbac c.e.t) daily and I brush their teeth not every day, but at least once a week. I don’t brush the cat’s teeth but they get their teeth done regularly and I put that enzyme in the water they use.
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I wish more vets would do specials–or if there was a way to get them done without sedation. I’ve heard of it being performed, but it’s not common. I agree for toy breeds, annually is optimal!
Every year I take my dogs in for their annual vaccinations and overall wellness check. The vet offers a package deal that includes the vaccines, bloodwork, a fecal and a urinalysis. Once they were over a certain age I opted for the wellness package that was a little more intensive lab wise. I think the cost was around $300. At that time because the bloodwork had just been done they offered the dental at I think about $4-500 dollars. Only one dog looked like it needed it done. So anyway this long winded post is just to say that if you time the dental around yearly routine bloodwork it can be more
cost effective.
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Check with your vet on whether they run any specials for Pet Dental Health Month - yes, that’s a real thing and it’s in February. Mine offers discounts, so when I had my cat’s teeth done, I scheduled it for then. Most places don’t seem to advertise it so definitely ask.
My cat dentals were in the $300-400ish range before any discounts, so I can picture a dog being $900, and anesthesia is usually the bulk of the cost. My current cat is 10 and I’ve only had his done once. My previous cat I got when she was 6, had her for 6 years and only did her teeth once. Many vets recommend it yearly but I don’t know anybody who actually does it that frequently.
That price is consistent with what I’ve paid in the past.
I have greyhounds, dogs not known for the best teeth. About a year ago, my vet said that my older girl was going to need a dental in the next year or so and that I should be brushing everyday. When I conveyed that that was just not going to happen, she suggested giving her a Virbec CET dental chew daily. I started doing that and it helped but didn’t seem to be quite enough. I then added Plaque Off powder to her food and after 2-3 weeks all of the plaque was gone! I continued to give her both and at her last exam the vet declared her teeth were In great shape! So I just keep up with this protocol. Yes, it’s pricey but it is likely less than the cost of the dentals, plus then I don’t have to worry about anesthesia on an older dog.
I have no idea why the powder works - it’s such a tiny amount and it’s mostly kelp - but it seriously does.
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But until they get in there, and get the rads, they can’t know how straightforward or not it will be.
My vet includes up to __# extractions in her quotes on older dogs
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I paid $300 AUD for my last one in Nov. $900 USD is absolutely insane.
I feed kelp to my girl as well (as it says its good for dental health so why not try it. I purchased a 5lb bag for $50 on amazon and only need to give her 1 tsp/day so I have a life time supply here!) and she’s a good chewer, so I’m lucky there. She gets a raw bone 2 to 3 x a week but she’s only 2 so hasn’t needed any dental work yet. I’m hoping with the kelp and raw bones (plus her chewing on pizzles, collagen sticks or beef trachea) will help keep her teeth clean.
I was lucky with my lab as well and he never had a dental in his 14 year life. But he was also a good chewer of everything. Its those little dogs or poor chewers that seem to need dentals.
