Has anyone had their cat's teeth pulled - how much did you pay?

My long time foster cat has a severe case of stomatitis and periodontal disease and to treat it he will have to have all his teeth removed. Because of the difficulty of the procedure it has to be done by a veterinary dentist which makes the whole thing very pricey. But since I live in the Chicago area, where things are more expensive than other places, I wonder if the price I was quoted, $2500, is more than it would be in other areas.
I'm curious to know what other people whose cats have had the same procedure done paid for it and in what area it was done. If the savings are significant it could be worth it to travel.

Thanks!

My Goodness, that is insanity!
First of all, what kind of Stomatitis does he have? Some types of Stomatitis are in fact resolved with full mouth extraction, but some aren't, and requires periodical specialized dental treatments plus daily medication. That is the case for my boy, who has LPS stomatitis.
He did not have to have full mouth extraction, is on daily meds (a proprietary blend, not prednisolone), and has periodic dentals. He is doing great so far.
Dr. Wiggs (you can google Dr.Robert Wiggs in Dallas), was the creator of the treatment he is in, and considered by many as "the father of veterinary dentistry" in the US. In his clinic, where I take Bugsy, I had many conversations about full mouth extractions, and was told that in Bugsy's case it would be over a 70% chance that I would end up giving him daily meds for life no matter what; that the problem would not be resolved with the procedure.
In any case, $2500 is way too much. I have never heard of that price... I know people in here who have done it for as low as $300s (in the country area, if I am not mistaken), and the most I have seen was $1,500.
The clinic I go for was temporarily closed due to Dr. Wiggs passing away last November, but they just reopened; if you want, PM me and I give their information, there is nobody I trust more in regards to stomatitis, and I am sure they would be happy to talk to you about your boy and what to do...
Good Luck!

Wow, if I could get it done for less than a thousand it would be done by next month! Now I'm shooting for the spring because I really don't have the money. It could probably be cheaper to have it done elsewhere and stay in a motel for a few days that paying $2500. That is not including the pre-op work he needs.

What kind of meds does your cat take? My boy is currently on Clindomyacin and Buprenorphine and we are going in to get a Depo-Medrol shot.
I'm not quite sure what kind of stomatitis he has but it is severe. His mouth really looks horrible. He has lost several teeth, some are broken and others are loose. He has puss in the back of his mouth, it's all red and it's clearly painful. The dentist, who is supposed to be one of the best in the area, said that his only chance was to have his teeth pulled. According to her the prosecure isn't 100% and about 10% of the cats continue to need medication but all get better. My kitty also has inflammatory bowel disease and the meds is affecting that. It's a mess and I feel so bad for him. I just want him to have a decent life because he surealy hasn't so far. When he came to me he weighed only 5 pounds. He now weighs 9 pounds and could perhaps put on another pound or so. He was a sad sight back then and so, so sick.

It really is amazing how much prize can differ on the same thing. I was getting the Buprenorphine from my vet and at first I was paying $43 for ten doses. Then all of a sudden it went down to $23 for ten doses which I paid for a long time, every five days. Then a few weeks ago a vet that I had not seen before, in the same office, told me that I could get it from a compound pharmacy for $98 for 150 doses! A huge saving. I'm so upset that they had me paying $23 every five days when they knew that I could get it for a lot cheaper elsewhere. We're a rescue and have several other cats to pay for. I would think that they could put profit aside for a little bit to benefit a rescue cat. It's not like they don't get a lot of money from me anyway. I'm there at least once a month, sometimes more often.

Well, I'm going to keep looking for another dentist. It has to be a dentist and not a regular vet. If anyone knows about one in the midwest please let me know.

Hi,
My boy also has IBD, it is actually common in cats with LPS stomatitis to have IBD...
The medicine he takes is a proprietary formula developed by Dr. Wiggs, and under patent process - it is not any one drug that is on the market today, and it is mixed by them.

Before Bugsy started his treatment, he also had Depo shots, Clindamycin and pain killers, much like what you are doing now... That can buy you a couple/few months, but long term is really bad for his system - specially depo... It was awful for Bugsy.

I agree with you that it has to be done by a dentist, not by a vet... Agreed 100% there.

If going out of the State is an option for you, how would you feel shipping him to Dallas to get treated here? You don't necessarily need to come over and stay... You can come over if you want for the initial procedure, but I can also pick him up and take him to the clinic... He can be boarded there...
The meds cost $36.00/month, and can be shipped to you anywhere - they have patients from out of state and that's what the do.
Just an option for you to think about... And yes, it will be under $1,000 for the whole thing, I am pretty sure... With or without extractions... I have been treating Bugsy there for the last year, and they are not only Dr.s, they are family... There is no better place, really, IMHO. Stomatitis is their specialty, it was Dr. Wiggs specialty... He devoted his life to it - decades of his life to it.

Wow...that's much more than I paid when Cotton needed his teeth pulled. He cost us around $500, but that was with the vet doing the surgery. A friend of mine was quoted $1100 for the same procedure with a veterinary dentist.

I'm not even in the US, so I don't have any real advice for you, but do try and get another quote. That seems really high.

Well, I was just quoted from veterinary dentist to extract my cats teeth , due to resorption lesions , cost anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000... That's wayyyy out of my price range... So ,please send me the information on the clinic in Dallas, Dr. Wiggs I believe it was , if anyone has the number for them..
Thanks!!

Thill said:

Well, I was just quoted from veterinary dentist to extract my cats teeth , due to resorption lesions , cost anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000... That's wayyyy out of my price range... So ,please send me the information on the clinic in Dallas, Dr. Wiggs I believe it was , if anyone has the number for them..
Thanks!!

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Dr Wiggs unfortunately passed away but the clinic is up and running and they are still doing the stomatitis cocktail. I did it with my cat but unfortunately it stopped working after a while. It works great for others though. The phone number to the clinic in Dallas is 972-385-8400.

Thank-You!

My guy had to have a few of his teeth removed, an inspection of the mouth (for a liquid filled bump on his jaw), and a few other small things while he was out and it was $1,700 CAD. One fang was broken off in a fight and a few others were in poor shape so for about 5 teeth it was around $1,200 or so. It is not cheap but I didn't shop around because I trusted the vet so I may have found a better deal.

I live in Canada. My cat had *many* teeth removed (quite a few had been removed previously) so not quite a full mouth extraction but a lot of work. I live in Canada and it cost about $1500 or so from what I recall. Something like that.

Wow !!!! It's much more expensive in America and Canada than it is here in England. My cat Purdy had to have all her teeth removed about 18 months ago and it cost £140. Which converted to US dollars would be about $230. I also had two of my other cats teeth cleaned with odd exaction at the same time. They cost £120 each.
Makes you wonder about the difference in price for same operations in diffent countries. :lol3:

I really need the name of Dr Wiggs clinic we live in Dallas. Our cat has stomatitis and had all but canines pulled and is still suffering. Maybe they can help. Please relay the info of where I can reach this clinic Thank you for any help!

They have changed their name and Dr Wiggs has passed away.  I think they still have the same treatment available.  Here is a link to the website http://www.vetdentdallas.com/

I know this is an old thread but in case anyone needs this info. My poor kitty was diagnosed in March and after spending about $600 on steroid shots and pain mess, I went to a Board Certified feline specialist. She too recommended a full mouth extraction and the quote I received for everything included (X-rays prior/ blood work/meds after for pain and antibiotics) 2,000. This is a clinic in Ormond Beach, FL. I am doing it later this week. She is young and I she will continue to have this issue and if I spent $600 in 4 months, there is not telling what I will spend in the years to come. I have to take my chances with the FME.

Hi ,

I have a 10 yo neutered male cat that has bad Stomatitis, I have never heard of the disease before and it was diagnosed rather late. The cat is refusing to eat anything solid. I mash up soft cat food and add some kind of fish juice

I have done a lot on internet searching for answers but there doesn't seem to be a lot of help for the disease. It sounds like extraction is the only way to go ?

.  

Ziggy'smom said:

 If anyone knows about one in the midwest please let me know.

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I not only live in the Chicago area but have had 2 different cats that needed teeth pulled due to FORL.  The best specialists I have seen are at - The Chicago Cat Clinic in Chicago:  http://chicagocatclinic.com, Arlington Cat Clinic in Arlington Heights:  http://arlingtoncatclinic.com, and not specifically for dental issues but excellent specialists at - Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove: http://www.vetspecialty.com. The later diagnosed and saved our dog when he was only 3 yrs. old and prolonged his life for 13+ years.  We did once take a cat to another animal specialty hospital but had a very bad experience and ended up going to one of the above mentioned hospitals instead.  I'd be glad to answer any questions or concerns you have in a private message.  I don't remember the exact price of our cats' dental bills but might be able to find it.  Please keep in mind that it's not cheap but the old saying rings true, "you get what you pay for."  We were extremely pleased with the professional and exemplary care received by the specialist we went to.

Here in Florida, I took my cat to several vets and finally found a board certified feline specialist in Ormond. She agreed that the best treatment would be a full mouth extraction. It cost us $1800 in summer of 2015. My kitty has been a new girl ever since. It was worth it to us, especially since she was so young. Although she was a rescue, the specialist felt she was no more than 3 years old. Good luck and I sincerely hope it all works out.

Ziggy'smom said:

My long time foster cat has a severe case of stomatitis and periodontal disease and to treat it he will have to have all his teeth removed. Because of the difficulty of the procedure it has to be done by a veterinary dentist which makes the whole thing very pricey. But since I live in the Chicago area, where things are more expensive than other places, I wonder if the price I was quoted, $2500, is more than it would be in other areas.

I'm curious to know what other people whose cats have had the same procedure done paid for it and in what area it was done. If the savings are significant it could be worth it to travel.


Thanks!

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I was quoted $2,000 in the summer to have all my kitten's teeth extracted. In terms of full disclosure he died post-surgery from an unknown heart condition. All his teeth had to come out or he would have progressed to stomatitis like your cat. $2,500 is probably about right but see if the specialist will accept a payment plan.