Dental Fees - Woah I had no idea.

So, here I am contemplating getting a cat.  I have all the supplies ready to go and everything set up,  minus the cat.

Then I stumbled upon possible (likely) dental charges for simple cleanings, then there's extractions and so on.

A few sources seem to think it's genetic and not necessarily related to wet or dry exclusive diets.  The end result being, you can feed your cat raw chicken wings / drumstick etc. in the hope that you don't get a massive dental bill down the road.

I'd love a furry pet again in my life, but damn...some of these bills people are talking about are astronomical (at least to me).  

Bah, maybe I'd be better off with a guinea pig.  Do they like being cuddled? Lol...sorry, just venting. 

Dental issues do seem more genetic than anything else. Feeding raw bone-in meals may help. However, I think that same as for people, brushing regularly is the key. There's a good video with instructions on how to get a cat accustomed to it at the Cornell Vet site.

Thanks for reply - do you know if pet insurance covers that kind of thing? Dental cleanings / extractions and so on? Or, is the insurance prem. not worth it?

IMO working for a vet Insurance is definitely a good idea as it covers unexpected expenses and emergencies.  Most insurance companies offer a 'wellness' plan in which things like vaccinations and/or dental cleanings are covered up to a certain amount.  I think that dental health has a genetic aspect to it as my 14 year old cat has never had her teethcleaned, yet my 4 year old and 7 year old need theirs done.

You would have to check the specific policy. IME most pet insurance does NOT cover routine exams including dental cleanings. However, anything out of the ordinary like extractions would be covered.

Yeah, ok so far - Petplan in Canada here, has dental (non-routine) [only if you got kitty checken by vet. within last 12 months and paid for it yourself].

The search continues - considering routine can be $500+ according to some posts.

I have a question about insurance and dentals. Is there a waiting period for full coverage? Can I buy insurance this week and have it cover extractions in the next couple of weeks?
Sammy really needs a dental and I am certain he needs quite a few teeth extracted. I can pay for the dental, but not the extractions. I would like to get the insurance before the dental exam and notes about his teeth go into his medical records, in case there is an issue with pre existing conditions. So far, nothing is on file anywhere about his teeth.

I know this is a cat site buuuutt.. I had a guinea pig when I was young, about 10, and that thing LOVED to cuddle.  Without giving too many details, lets just say he enjoyed the.. um.. more well endowed women of the family to cuddle with. (He would basically fall asleep in between the ladies girls, if you know what i mean) 

As for cat prices, my kitty has cost me ALOT!  I got her from the shelter, and had her teeth cleaned.  I do not recall how many they pulled, but it was quite a few, and I think the price for that was around 3 or 4 hundred dollars. 

Two years later, same thing, more expensive.  The harder the teeth are coming out, the more it costs.

This last time she only had one tooth pulled, so it cost much less.  But keep in mind, with the vets I have seen, they always do blood wook before to make sure the cat is ok, and that can be costly. Then hating pain myself, I always pay a bit extra for pain meds for the cat.

That being said, the love I get back, even after taking her beloved food away for a day, is more than any cost of dental visits.  And she is doing just fine without many of her teeth  

I am happy too to see someone thinking ahead about how much a new fuzzy friend would cost.  Volunteering at a shelter for many years, its sad to realize how many pets are given up because they can't even afford the basic vaccines.  I was and still am so worried about if something tragic happens to my cat, how I will pay for it.  I made my parents agree to help me if needed haha.  Its the only time in my life I have demanded they help me!  So far, that thankfully has not been needed.

Good luck with your decision, oh and if you are going the route of rodents, rats make excellent pets.  They however do not live very long.

Depends on the cat, diet, genetics, lifestyle, and previous lifestyle ... and the vet. I've only had one dental bill in the last 30 years (4 cats all of whom lived long lives) and that was for a broken fang. One of my cats went in for a check-up a few years ago and we got a locum vet who said that the cat had a cavity and needed dental work done. The cat was not even aware that he had a cavity and neither were we. As the cat was showing no symptoms or pain, we were reluctant to proceed as we had been told under no circumstances to put this cat under anesthesia - almost lost him during the neutering operation. Subsequent vet checks with the regular vets have shown no cavity. Another vet in town invariably says that dental work need to be done, but her husband is a dentist. My current vets check teeth at every visit and say there are no problems (cats 13 and 16).

Cats, however, if they develop any health problems can be expensive.

happybird said:

I have a question about insurance and dentals. Is there a waiting period for full coverage? Can I buy insurance this week and have it cover extractions in the next couple of weeks?
Sammy really needs a dental and I am certain he needs quite a few teeth extracted. I can pay for the dental, but not the extractions. I would like to get the insurance before the dental exam and notes about his teeth go into his medical records, in case there is an issue with pre existing conditions. So far, nothing is on file anywhere about his teeth.

Click to expand...

I think it may depends on which insurance company you go with.  Just call them anonymously and ask.

Hi,

Out of the hundreds of cats that I have owned in my lifetime, I have only had two that has ever needed to have dental extractions.  I have never taken anyone in for routine dental cleanings.  The first cat had gum disease and had a few loose teeth.  I took her in to try and save these teeth with a good cleaning and regular brushings at home. I was shocked when the vet pulled the teeth I was trying to save.  My other cat has a genetic issue with his teeth that causes them to rot from the inside out.  He has had a lot of teeth pulled.  Keep in mind that the cost for any dental work includes the cost of the putting them under.

I've heard that pet dentals are much higher in cost in Canada than anywhere else. A more or less basic dental (no extractions, no resorptive lesions) can cost you about $700+ and that is just a basic cleaning of tartar and such (with most of cleaning work being done by vet tech, not the vet). With an extraction or two, costs go over $1000 easily. Depending on the clinic, some are much more gentle and reasonable in their pricing than other clinics. This kind of pricing makes it near impossible for many people to consider getting a cleaning done for their pets.

I am worried Sammy might have stomatitis He keeps getting a recurring gum infection. Antibiotics clear it up, then about a week or two after the antibiotics are done, the infection comes back. Poor little guy. The infection is back again. He is all drooly and his mouth is so tender, he doesn't like me touching his face Plus, the drool is stinky, so I have to give him little sponge baths, which he hates

I hate having him take so many antibiotics (we have been through three courses since December) and I am beginning to think drastic measures will be necessary to fix him up for good. Sigh. I am going to start anonymously calling around to pet insurance places tomorrow to get more info and quotes. Plus, I need to call my vet and get another prescription for his antibiotics and update her on the situation I have had dental issues and I know how much it can hurt.

Luckily, my vet is family and has been able to help us out, but I cannot bear to run up another large bill. I feel so guilty. She has been very gracious and I don't want her (or us) to feel like we are taking advantage. She is a private, mobile vet, so she wouldn't be able to do dental work, but I am sure she will refer us to a good practice. And I don't want to potentially run up a bill there because, in a sense, we are a reflection of her. I certainly wouldn't want that to ever be an issue. I just hate having yet another expensive issue to discuss with her Sammy is the most important thing, though, so I will suck up my pride and do it. I want my little guy to feel better and stay that way.

Sorry this is so off topic for this thread, I was kind of continuing my post from above (and venting a bit of worry).

I don't know of any insurance company that would cover pre-existing illness unless you can prove it is hereditary or congenital, the symptoms were not showing before you insured your cat(s), and depending on the policy, they were insured before they are two years old. The exclusions, definitions can vary among insurance companies. And the hereditary nature must be widely accepted, known-not only to the vets but to the pet insurance company.
Also, if prior to coverage, you took your cat in for a dental checkup and any treatment recommended was carried out, then you may be covered. As others have said, some cats are predisposed to dental problems, and may develop gingivitus/tartar even if you brush or feed your cat raw/bones. Been there, done that: Ritz is scheduled for her second dental in three years the end of March. Gingivitus is not considered an illness, disease and cost (around $300) will not be covered. But it covers most everything, including recurrent UTIs. I end up being reimbursed for around the amount of the premium, and have a lot of peace of mind that should something catastrophic happen, like cancer, money won't be an issue.
And as others have stated, in effect: the devil is in the details.

I think you have to check the vet out. One vet I went to said all my cats teeth were bad almost every time I went in (once a year) and 'cleaned' them for 125.00 a pop. I really wondered if they found another way to make a buck or if my cats teeth were that bad. I don't know if it truly helped but I started putting an additive in their water that supposedly helps with plaque AND I switched vets, and this one checks their teeth and says how clean they look!  So in the long run another opinion might be cheaper! If the cat is eating fine and seems to not be in distress, I'm not going to fret about it, I've got lots more to worry about!

Also, some vets run specials; the month of March, dentals are 20% off. So keep that in mind, too.