Please share what you pay to have your horse’s teeth floated, manually. Location/ region too please…
If you could, please state floater’s credentials: vet, dentist, lay dentist.
Also mildly curious to see how many just sedate off the cuff… but that’s a discussion for another thread. I’m hoping to get a general consensus of cost of floating here. Thanks so much.
Basic manual float by my dentist in dc metro was like 90 but could go up for particularly bad mouths or sedation/extra sedation, used as needed. I’m pretty sure both vets people used in the barn had a base rate for floating that was maybe closer to 75.
First you have to find a dentist who will DO a manual float these days. Then we pay what they ask! Our current tooth person os also a Vet, so is legal to do sedation if needed. I think he is 100 a horse, we have him yearly. Husband paid the last bill, I did not see it.
We have had a Vet attending the Dentist, in case sedation was needed. Dentist went to school, was a very good Dentist but not licenced to give sedation, and he wouldn’t. Either have Vet on hand or schedule a 2nd visit when Vet WAS there to sedate for the work.
We do not normally need sedation for floats. Everyone stands pretty well for working on, no fighting with them. Baby might get it for wolf teeth removal. Actually just did this with yearling filly last week to get hers out. They were thin, sharp and already an inch long. Glad they are gone, hate to think how big they would be by next year!
Do you pay farm call fees? If so. What is he charge?
My dentist does a manual float and is very well known throughout Massachusetts. He charges $90ish, and my horse gets done twice a year. Sometimes my horse needs a bit of sedation, which he will also do.
Lay dentist in Northern IL charged $145 and did a pure $h!t job. Never again.
My real, non-vet dentist charges $100 and does a wonderful job.
Rochester, NY
Non-vet dentist does an excellent job with speculum and manual float. Very seldom needs sedation for horse but if needed, vet or owner must administer. Gives lots of breaks and takes about an hour for each horse. Has dental chart he brings and updates every year so you can see year over year notes from each visit. $100 per horse and is also eye candy for us owners!
Last time I had a non-vet do a float (2010) the going rate without sedation was $75-80 in Massachusetts, so I’ll agree with the above MA poster that $90 seems about right now.
Heard back from my Rockstar Dentist, who’s not raised my rate in years.
Noob vet wanted $140, plus $75 barn call, and mentioned sedation as if it was routine, regardless.
Nuh-ungh. Not happening. Vet didn’t answer when I asked how many they’d done…
Thanks guys. Thought I had hallucinated what I paid in the past… Looks like nobody is paying >$200 for a float anywhere. Which is what I thought.
Northern VA. My non-vet dentist is $100 flat rate for anything/everything. Float? $100. Teeth pulled? $100. No farm call. He’s amazing, and I hope I never have to use anyone else. Sedation is extra, but on most he will try without first. Mine unfortunately need sedation, but one of my barn mates is a vet tech, so sedation is cheap!
[QUOTE=Sansena;8635472]
Thanks guys. Thought I had hallucinated what I paid in the past… Looks like nobody is paying >$200 for a float anywhere. Which is what I thought.[/QUOTE]
I was routinely paying ~$200 a float for a dental specialist vet to do a power float. That’s with farm call, sedation, etc, in Colorado. Hand tools used as needed, but the majority of the work was power.
Same work by same sort of individual is maybe $140 ish here in MN?
Realize you’re specifically asking about manual, but $200 for a float certainly isn’t outside the realm if you open that up to power tools.
I have a vet do my gelding’s teeth (not his usual vet, but one who specializes in teeth)…I think it cost me $140 back in July. Located in MA.
Actually I stopped having a dentist do my horse’s teeth and started using a veterinary specialist that power floats (alternating with my own vet that hand floats). He travels up to my area twice a year, knocks my horses out with “the good stuff” (the way I like it so they are comfortable and the vet can do a solid job without a head-tossing bloody mess) and I pay $200 per horse before we even get to anything special–I believe my 4 year old’s pulled front tooth cost me around $140ish last year (but that was drugs, exam, and extraction with minor float to back molars as he had been mostly floated by my other vet weeks before…he’s a real special flower and whatnot).
IMO a thorough float is well worth the cost if you have a quality specialty practitioner in your area. Some can even help you with bitting (and other things you wouldn’t think of) if that’s ever a concern.
Non-vet dentist, $75.00. No additional charge for the farm call. No sedation. Speculum with predominately manual float although he will use the power tools briefly if necessary. My horse doesn’t need to be sedated.
For horses that need to be sedated the owners make their own arrangements.
Near Fair Hill MD.
[QUOTE=Sansena;8635472]
Heard back from my Rockstar Dentist, who’s not raised my rate in years.
Noob vet wanted $140, plus $75 barn call, and mentioned sedation as if it was routine, regardless.
Nuh-ungh. Not happening. Vet didn’t answer when I asked how many they’d done…
Thanks guys. Thought I had hallucinated what I paid in the past… Looks like nobody is paying >$200 for a float anywhere. Which is what I thought.[/QUOTE]
I’ve had a previous vet do my last horse’s teeth. I’d never use a vet again…I just don’t feel like they do the same quality work as someone who only does teeth. My vet would only power float too. When my dentist saw my horse’s teeth 5 months after the vet had done them, he couldn’t believe that they had even been done as he still had points and his mouth was all out of balance.
I had my normal vet do mine probably 14 years ago? He went for more dental training, was very pleased with himself, yadda yadda. Back then it was $145, trip charge included.
I had my vet’s junior vet do it 5 years ago I think? It was $275, with trip charge. Wasn’t especially pleased with the job, either.
I really like my dentist now, although I don’t like the vet he brings with him very much. She’s scared of bigger horses and she almost laid my 16.1hh TB flat out when she sedated him :uhoh: He came without her to do my tiny pony and it went pretty well, though.
[QUOTE=Sansena;8635472]
Heard back from my Rockstar Dentist, who’s not raised my rate in years.
Noob vet wanted $140, plus $75 barn call, and mentioned sedation as if it was routine, regardless.
Nuh-ungh. Not happening. Vet didn’t answer when I asked how many they’d done…
Thanks guys. Thought I had hallucinated what I paid in the past… Looks like nobody is paying >$200 for a float anywhere. Which is what I thought.[/QUOTE]
How do you think your lay dentist got his start he had to start somewhere? Think when he was just getting started he had done ‘a lot’ either?
I pay $200 for power floats because hand floats are essentially useless.
[QUOTE=finneas;8636260]
I’ve had a previous vet do my last horse’s teeth. I’d never use a vet again…I just don’t feel like they do the same quality work as someone who only does teeth. My vet would only power float too. When my dentist saw my horse’s teeth 5 months after the vet had done them, he couldn’t believe that they had even been done as he still had points and his mouth was all out of balance.[/QUOTE]
You do realize the exact opposite happens too? Right? Anyone can do a shitty job.
$90, Connecticut, no sedation, non-vet dentist. I had my vet do my old mares teeth years ago, He sedated her and took waaay too much off her teeth with a power float. Our current dentist does a wonderful job, but if you need sedation you have to do it yourself or have your vet come out & do it.
[QUOTE=Justmyluck;8636496]
You do realize the exact opposite happens too? Right? Anyone can do a shitty job.[/QUOTE]
Yep. I was just saying that the vet is not always the best person…and you should do your research…Thanks.
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