Teeth cleaning vet prices for KC *faint*

OMG! My girlfriend just got back from the vet with KC. Apparently she needs a teeth cleaning and it's going to cost $300-$400 PLUS $140 more for bloodwork before she goes for the cleaning. I am typing from the floor right now where I am passed out in a coma due to shock. After everything else terrible recently this was the last thing I expected.. but isn't that always the way.

Do those prices sound right for a 8-9 year old cat just to get its teeth cleaned?

Other then the teeth she's healthy, although not taking great care of her undercoat and has lost a little bit of weight, but that should improve now that she is becoming less afraid of Buddy. Shes becoming a bit bolder now and coming out for feeding time, although not always happy with the choice of food flavor or perhaps full from dry food.. hard to say.

I think teeth cleaning prices depend on WHAT needs to be done. I know Baylee has a bit of gingivitis and I was given an estimate of about $100. But the estimates that I saw gradually increased depending on what needs to be done.

But then again, Baylee is just a kitten and I was told her problem isn't that bad yet (gotta make an appointment next week to take care of it, grrr). I'm not sure if it's different for older cats.

Four years ago my London uk vet used to charge £95 (about $150) for a full dental, excluding any actual extractions that were needed.

That does sound awfully expensive! Perhaps you could take her to another vet?

We just called another vet.. apparently there are 13 vets in our area and they are all part of the same "network", using similar prices and the same equipment etc etc.. bleh!

Apparently the $140 for bloodwork is because of the age of the cat it's a geriactics panel which is more then the standard $43'ish dollar panel of bloodwork. As for the actual price of the teeth cleaning.. that depends on what they find when they get in there. My goodness.. I can't afford to get my own teeth fixed "properly" and here I am going to have to come up with this so my cat doesn't suffer eventually.. and it may never.. that's the part that kills me. What we do for our animals, it is amazing. Any well wishes or prayers, send em this way cause we are going to need them, be sure to mention money while your praying for us and short of that, a teeth cleaning mircale performed by angels while we sleep *lol*

Originally Posted by Cirque

My goodness.. I can't afford to get my own teeth fixed "properly" and here I am going to have to come up with this so my cat doesn't suffer eventually.. and it may never.. that's the part that kills me. What we do for our animals, it is amazing.

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I know exactly how you feel. I desperately need to go to the dentist but I'm afraid of how much it's going to be... but my own two cats need dental work done within the next few months. Lucky they're so cute!

Cirque, those prices sound right to me. I recently got dentals for two of my cats - the bill was a mortgage payment!!!

Like other vet charges, the price varies depending on what part of the country you're in, too.

Keep in mind that the prices do go up for older kitties. My vet does a whole pre-op exam which includes the blood work, and EKG. The concern is anesthesia - dentals can go an hour or more if the mouth is in really bad shape. The vet needs to do everything possible to ensure that the cat is healthy enough to be put under that long, if necessary. Any tooth extractions are an extra charge. And because the cat needs time to come out of the anesthesia and must be observed, you're likely to get charged for hospitalization, even if the cat is only there for part of the day.

I know it's big bucks, but it's VERY worthwhile doing. Dental problems left untreated can cause major trouble by spreading bacteria to different organs of the body which then become diseased. Not to mention the pain a cat suffers with bad teeth and gums...

That's why I would get a tooth brush for kitty and brush then yourself

There are clinics here in Denver that charge that much for dentistry's, that is why our clinic trys to keep the prices within reach of the average person. Our dentistries cost $100 (could go up if the animal needs antibiotics or a major extraction) and we only charge $95. for a complete pannel on blood. We get alot of business because after people call around they really like our prices.

Lots of well wishes going your way!

Just FYI, brushing the teeth is very helpful but unfortunately, does nothing to prevent FORLs (Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions). These lesions are similar to our tooth cavities. They're caused when cells called odontoclasts start "eating" up the cat's tooth. The lesion may cause root canal infection and they require tooth extraction. They usually appear as cherry red inflammations at the gum line and are extremely painful for the cat. It's next to impossible for you to tell if this happening to your cat. We all know how stoic they are and even when they're in pain they hide it very well. One of my cats had two of these lesions and I had no idea til she had a dental. That's why a complete exam of the mouth at least once a year, is so important.

Originally Posted by eburgess

That's why I would get a tooth brush for kitty and brush then yourself

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It isn't always that simple. Many cats are genetically predisposed to teeth/gum problems and brushing isn't enough - they ~require~ a subgingival scraping at least once, sometimes more, per year.

~gf~

Originally Posted by Cirque

OMG! My girlfriend just got back from the vet with KC. Apparently she needs a teeth cleaning and it's going to cost $300-$400 PLUS $140 more for bloodwork before she goes for the cleaning. I am typing from the floor right now where I am passed out in a coma due to shock. After everything else terrible recently this was the last thing I expected.. but isn't that always the way.

Do those prices sound right for a 8-9 year old cat just to get its teeth cleaned?

Other then the teeth she's healthy, although not taking great care of her undercoat and has lost a little bit of weight, but that should improve now that she is becoming less afraid of Buddy. Shes becoming a bit bolder now and coming out for feeding time, although not always happy with the choice of food flavor or perhaps full from dry food.. hard to say.

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WOW. My 9 year old male cat had his teeth cleaned in October and it cost less than $200, and that included the bloodwork! I guess it all depends on what area you live in, but I would definitely check around with other vets.

It seems a bit high... My 16 yr old with kidney issues was about 230 with blood work... That also included sub q fluids and the antibiotics before

Merlin had his teeth cleaned and a ball of wax removed from his ear for 319 dollars. (I keep all my receipts.) For just the teeth cleaning it was 240 dollars (without bloodwork). He also had very bad gingivitis, and intead of just a normal cleaning they had to clean under the gums. (At least, this is what I was told, and my vet always explains things right to me.) The variable in the estimate I was given was the cost of anethesia - anywhere from 54 to 108 dollars. (My guess is depending on how long the teeth cleaning took and how heavy he weighed. The actual cost of just the anethesia was 80 dollars.)

The senior blood panel they did on Hans a few weeks before his bladder surgery was only 60 dollars.

I hate to say it, but your estimate sounds about right to me. Is there an animal charty in your area you can call that might have lower prices?

When we do a dentistry we always clean under the gum line with the ultrasonic scaler.

Originally Posted by eburgess

That's why I would get a tooth brush for kitty and brush then yourself

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Somehow.. I just don't see her letting me do it, shes so tiny and timid even at 8.5 yrs old. That reminds me, I gotta go brush mine!

Originally Posted by Petnurse2265

There are clinics here in Denver that charge that much for dentistry's, that is why our clinic trys to keep the prices within reach of the average person. Our dentistries cost $100 (could go up if the animal needs antibiotics or a major extraction) and we only charge $95. for a complete pannel on blood. We get alot of business because after people call around they really like our prices.

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It's a heck of a drive.. but still might work out cheaper if we take her to your Clinic.. Hum!!

Well thank's everyone, I feel a little better although not much.. and a little more informed but concerned now that I have more to worry about for poor KC.