Thanks all. I have made an appointment with another vet who is a friend of a friend so I think I’ll get an honest opinion.
I just want my kitty’s best interest in mind!
My oldest cat lived to over 19 and never had her teeth cleaned. She did have two teeth pulled when she was around 17 -18.
My other cat is 14 and appears to have very healthy gums and teeth - no brushing.
And the last cat is 10 - also appears to have healthy teeth.
They all get grain free dry food daily, and grain free wet food daily (a meal of each a day).
There are some small animal vets that will charge as much as the customer is willing to pay.
[QUOTE=candyappy;7575119]
I think you are being ripped off. If a dentist can do an exam, clean and ex-ray human teeth for under $200 a vet should be able to as well.
I have never , ever had a cat get its teeth done. Never had a cat with teeth problems / health issues. All my cats live into their mid teens. I feed my cats kibble only, no other food unless they choose to hunt it and consume it. That might have something to do with it, I don’t know? My cats are indoor/ outdoor.
My mom has had her cats teeth done in the past, but she feeds both soft and dry food , plus treats and her cats stay indoors 99% of the time.[/QUOTE]
Humans don’t get bloodwork done prior to a cleaning nor do they require anesthesia and pre-medication sedation.
When my cat had his teeth done the 3rd time (needed dental rads so did full anesthesia and went ahead and did the dental) he had urinalysis, cbc, and chem before hand. My experience has been with the vet hospital, so a little different but generally anesthesia is meds, catheter, fluids, monitoring, etc. Extractions too can be easy or hard depending on the tooth.
[QUOTE=candyappy;7575119]
I think you are being ripped off. If a dentist can do an exam, clean and ex-ray human teeth for under $200 a vet should be able to as well. [/QUOTE]
You don’t need general anesthesia for your dental care, and you likely get dental care on a regular basis. Nor does your routine dental care include extractions of any teeth or cleaning below the gum line. Here, I pay $300 for a visit with the hygenist and bite wing radiographs, not even full mouth.
I’ve had two cats that never needed their teeth cleaned, 2 needed it rarely , and one that had over 8 teeth pulled in the 3 years we owned her.
2 of our current cats have excellent teeth, the third has awful teeth and is due for another cleaning 10 months after his last cleaning.
Second opinions are never bad ideas. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples…not oranges.
Ask for a detailed estimate. Ie. the $800 may include full mouth radiographs, IV fluids, registred technician doing anesthesia, pre-op bloodwork, antibiotics and painmeds. Where another clinic (cheaper) may have an unlicenced tech doing anesthesia, no IV fluids or monitoring, no pain meds etc.
Detailed estimates and second opinions are 100% justifiable.
Not all cats with plaque need dentals, but you cant argue a cleaner mouth = longer term happier teeth. I have had to have 4 teeth extracted from my cat before age 12 due to painful neck lesions.
I think that a second opinion and an estimate is wise but do be sure to find out exactly what they’re going to do.
I’ve worked in several different clinics and have second hand experience with others. Some will do a dental prophy for $150. They’ll use IV sedation instead of gas anesthetic like isoflurane, they don’t run fluids, they don’t do pre anesthetic blood work, they don’t have a tech monitoring during the procedure, they don’t do rads, and they don’t have a well trained tech doing the prophy.
Then I’ve worked at others who do it right and without extractions, it would run about 400-500. Depending on the teeth that needed to be extracted, 800 might not be out of this world.
I will admit, I do not brush my dogs’ teeth. I do get them checked every year. My eldest dog is 11. He’s only had one dental prophy in his life and that was because we were looking for a problem. He still didn’t really need one. I would ask year after year “are you SURE he doesn’t need one?” and the doc would laugh because I was about the only person ever they’d told no. My dog has great genetics i guess!
but I have also seen dogs who needed cleanings as often as 3-4 times per year else they’d be losing teeth or having infections.
With cats, there are also some antibiotics that can be given if a cat has serious dental issues. But generally speaking, most pets are going to need to have their teeth cleaned every few years. The bacteria that builds up along the gumline when there is calculus can get into the bloodstream and cause injury to organs.
[QUOTE=Ibex;7575009]
Where do you live…? When I lived in a more yuppy area, I had a vet who charged like crazy for everything. My favourite was the time they wanted to, in the course of an annual exam, check blood pressure. Sure, no prob. Old vet back east did that as routine. Nope… extra $60 on my bill! :eek: I drew the line when I got the same song and dance about my cat’s teeth. $800 ANNUALLY, EACH, or else they wanted to charge more each time.
When I moved out here I found a sane vet… nope, kitties didn’t need teeth done at that time and the anesthesia was deemed more of a risk than the dirty teeth. Each of my old cats got done a couple of times in their lives… passed at 16 and 17.[/QUOTE]
Yep, I had a $40 blood pressure test. That really put me off.
Well, my bill for yesterday (not including the blood work) was over $500.00. But he did have to have three extractions, and they had to put in stitches, gave him nerve blocks, and sent us home with pain meds.
[QUOTE=tabula rashah;7574855]
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to do but that’s an insane amount of money.[/QUOTE]
Wow several posters agree that $800 is high. Not in my experience. Like Squish cautioned, what is included in the quote?
[QUOTE=Bicoastal;7576041]
Wow several posters agree that $800 is high. Not in my experience. Like Squish cautioned, what is included in the quote?[/QUOTE]
I guess it’s all in what you are willing to pay. I love my cats dearly- they are treated very well- good diets, all spayed/neutered, annual vet exams and vaccines, but there’s no way I could justify spending $800 just to get their dental work done. I don’t think that in any way makes me a bad person.
I’ve also seen an awful lot of small animal vets who are pretty good at ripping people off. Like when my MIL came home the other day from the local vet with a bill over $500 for an exam (not emergency, scheduled), a film xray (1 view) and 10 227mg Previcox- that is just crazy.
While I think your MIL’s bill is very high for what you listed, I don’t see it as being “ripped off” unless they lied about pricing. You take your car to the shop, you ask for an estimate. If you don’t like the estimate you check with other shops. However if you don’t ask, or agree to the pricing I have a hard time seeing it as being a ripoff. That’s the clinics pricing, be an educated consumer. Don’t spen money ad clinics you feel are not a good value. If enough people vote with their money either the clinic will change, or they will close. Basic economics.
[QUOTE=candyappy;7575119]
I think you are being ripped off. If a dentist can do an exam, clean and ex-ray human teeth for under $200 a vet should be able to as well. [/QUOTE]
When your dentist tells you to hold still and open wide, do you do it?
Thought so. Try that with a cat (or a dog) and let me know how that goes for you. Now try adding the noise of the ultrasonic scaler and the need for a subgingival scale, under the gum line. Do you see the issues here?
[QUOTE=Horsegal984;7576198]
While I think your MIL’s bill is very high for what you listed, I don’t see it as being “ripped off” unless they lied about pricing. You take your car to the shop, you ask for an estimate. If you don’t like the estimate you check with other shops. However if you don’t ask, or agree to the pricing I have a hard time seeing it as being a ripoff. That’s the clinics pricing, be an educated consumer. Don’t spen money ad clinics you feel are not a good value. If enough people vote with their money either the clinic will change, or they will close. Basic economics.[/QUOTE]
Okay so maybe price gouging is a better term for it. And, yes, I still think it’s wrong. Don’t forget that as a whole, the general public is far less educated on pet/animal health than the population of COTH.
I don’t think it’s an issue of education in medicine. I think it’s a basic principle of asking about prices before agreeing to services.
-start boarding without asking how much
-buy a car without asking how much
-order a meal without knowing if its $15 or $200 a plate
-replace a transmission without an estimate
Again, I’m agreeing that if that’s all that was done it seems quite high (and more than I would be willing to pay) it’s not entirely fair to blame the clinic if MIL didn’t at least ask about costs.
The price might be high, glad you’re getting a second opinion.
Many of my 17 yo cat’s health problems have stemmed from dental issues. If I could do it over I would have her teeth cleaned regularly and from a younger age. In her advanced age she can’t handle the anesthesia so we just have to live with what we’ve got.
Cats don’t get plaque on their teeth because they eat canned food!!!
Cats get plaque because in the wild, they don’t generally live into their teens, and tearing flesh from bone is probably a great way to clean your teeth. (in their wild diet).
I had a cat whose dental issues turned into cancer of the jaw when she was 19. She would probably have lived a few more years if I hadn’t been too broke for more frequent dental care when she was younger. It is most definitely worth doing.
I live in a major metro area and I expect light sedation, blood work, and cleaning to be under $500, and with extractions, more.
My 14 yr. old just got a bunch of extractions (basically everything but her canines) and she is now super sassy and much healthier in every way. Better weight, eats better, better coat, blood work better, etc. It was nearly $1000, but I’m certain it just bought her a much healthier old age.
My old cat had to have his teeth cleaned at one point but the plaque had formed visible yellow rocks on the surface of his teeth. He need only the one cleaning though - switched him to an oral care dry food and he was happy to eat it (larger-than-usual kibble size but he didn’t seem to care. Perhaps because he was a stray and was happy to eat anything).
Don’t forget your area plays a huge role in vet prices.
Area A where business rent is $2500 a month and average house cost is $350,000 is likely going to find you cheaper costs.
Area b where business rent is $8,000 a month and average house costs are $750,000 will probably cost significantly more.
Generally, its quite relative. Most states/provinces have price guidelines to follow for each procedure. You will get major variations in services (such as dentals) at some clinics within the same state because of cut corners or extra services added.
When my dog had her dental (4 teeth extracted) it was $1,100 before taxes. That was average cost for the procedure around here…however, “household income” is pretty relavent.
[QUOTE=candyappy;7575119]
I think you are being ripped off. If a dentist can do an exam, clean and ex-ray human teeth for under $200 a vet should be able to as well.
I have never , ever had a cat get its teeth done. Never had a cat with teeth problems / health issues. All my cats live into their mid teens. I feed my cats kibble only, no other food unless they choose to hunt it and consume it. That might have something to do with it, I don’t know? My cats are indoor/ outdoor.
My mom has had her cats teeth done in the past, but she feeds both soft and dry food , plus treats and her cats stay indoors 99% of the time.[/QUOTE]
If it were necessary to put humans under general anesthesia (with preanesthetic blood work, premedication, intubation, O2 and BP monitoring, etc.) to perform a teeth cleaning and if many of those cleanings involved extractions, human dentists would be charging WELL over $800. You just can’t compare your dental cleaning to the dentistry procedure for a cat.
Contrary to popular opinion, veterinarians rarely charge enough for their time and expertise. Luckily for all of us pet owners, they price their services to be mostly acceptable to the masses, not to make the average business profit margin.
I don’t know where the OP lives. $800 for a dental may be excessive. But maybe the cat needs multiple extractions, requiring extra time under anesthesia, more labor and more materials. Maybe $800 was an upper limit estimate and maybe it’s what the market will bear in the OP’s area.
