Teeth Cleaning

clawmarkz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
15
Purraise
0
Location
Montclair, NJ
My cat is over 8 years old and my vet told me he needs to get his teeth cleaned because he has a tartar buildup. It's awfully expensive ($500). Is this absolutely necessary or are there alternatives?
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Dental disease can lead to heart valve and kidney infections, among other things, http://www.scaredy-cats.com/articles...ophylaxis.html , so professional cleaning is often necessary.
I just question the price tag you quoted. I had both cats' (6 years old) teeth cleaned in July, and the vet charged about €82 ($97) per cat, and that included a physical, anesthesia and prophylactic antibiotics. Could you call other area vets' offices and ask about their average charge for dental cleaning?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

clawmarkz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
15
Purraise
0
Location
Montclair, NJ
Thanks, Jamie! I'm definitely going to look around for another vet now that I know I'm getting ripped off.
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
You may not be - I live in Germany now, which has "fixed" vet prices (vets can charge 2 to 3 times the fixed rate, depending on the severity of the case), and I don't know what the prices are like in Jersey. I recall reading an article in "Cat Fancy" that said the average price was (I think) $180. At any rate, it was below $200. There are other members in the TriState area - maybe they'll be able to comment on the price once they see this thread.
 

AbbysMom

At Abby's beck and call
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
78,298
Purraise
19,403
Location
Massachusetts
That price sounds really high to me too. We had it done for Molly a few times and it was nowhere near that price.
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
My 17 year old with extensive blood work and extra antibiotics was only 350...
 

stampit3d

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 5, 2005
Messages
2,864
Purraise
1
Location
Michigan USA
I`ve not heard of such a thing before....my cats are only 1 year old...I know they make kitty tooth brushes that you wear on your finger to brush their teeth...I used to laugh a bit thinking about anyone brushing a cats teeth...but maybe there is something to it after all???
Anybody out there brush their cats teeth? Would i be able to talk my 2 -1yr olds into letting me do theirs?
Linda
 

starrymoongrl

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
50
Purraise
1
Location
Morehead, KY
I brush two of my cats teeth and though they're not crazy about it they let me do it after I've loved on them for a while and they're relaxed. The best thing is to let them lick some of the kitty toothpaste off your finger first to get them used to the taste. Some cats like it, some don't. Since they don't have many teeth it doesn't take long and if you need to you can hold their scruff like their mother used to do to keep their head where you need it.
 

xocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
20,608
Purraise
16
I had both of my kitties teeth cleaned this year. They were about 4 1/2 yrs. old. With a full blood panel, anesthesia, heart monitoring etc it ran about $300 for each cat.
That is about as inexpensive as it gets in the area where I live.
I feel that it is an essential, life extending procedure. I will have it done again when it becomes necessary.
I hope that is a few years down the line.

Their breath smells so good now & their teeth look great.


If you choose to check other vet's prices, make sure that they are top notch doctors & their surgery is clean.
 

mybabies

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,431
Purraise
3
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>If you choose to check other vet's prices, make sure that they are top notch doctors & their surgery is clean<<<<<<<<<<<<<

and MAKE SURE they KNOW what they are doing and that it is the VET and not the Tech doing it!

I had one vet removed my young boys thyroid saing he removed his thyroid glands, and the LAST vet I used was going to charge me $250.00 without a bloodtest (that already ran me $150.00) for a TECH to PULL my girl's teeth. THIS one is charging me $350.00 to PULL them without the blood test BUT HE does the work himself! OH and HE charges $450.00 to just do a dental!!!!
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Originally Posted by bby_cee

do you have to get your kitty's teeth cleaned at a vet? can you just brush it yourself?
You can brush their teeth yourself, but sooner or later a professional cleaning is usually necessary, just like it is with people. Brushing your cat's teeth yourself cuts down on the frequency of the professional dental cleanings, so it's advisable.
 
Top