Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Curious to how much others have paid for a dental...
With all of the 'trimmings' (blood work, EKG, etc.), the estimate for a dental for Robin at the local veterinary hospital is $650.
For Jonas at the Specialty Center it will probably be around $2,500.
Jonas' estimate doesn't surprise me, but Robin's was a little shocking. She had a dental before but I can't remember how much we paid. I'm wondering how far afield this is from other veterinary hospitals.
Curious to how much others have paid for a dental...
With all of the 'trimmings' (blood work, EKG, etc.), the estimate for a dental for Robin at the local veterinary hospital is $650.
For Jonas at the Specialty Center it will probably be around $2,500.
Jonas' estimate doesn't surprise me, but Robin's was a little shocking. She had a dental before but I can't remember how much we paid. I'm wondering how far afield this is from other veterinary hospitals.
Here in Queens, NYC, I usually pay less than $650 - with the trimmings - and it is around $450 to $500, tests included. And this is considered to be a fairly expensive local practice.
The specialty hospital must have a board certified dentist. I would hope so, at that price!
I just minutes ago had a friend tell me that his vet (in Denver) charged him $300 to have his cat's teeth cleaned.
I'm sure it must, but we're not in what I would consider even a solidly middle class area. This hospital is one of the most expensive in the area though (and I wouldn't trust anyone else)
Man I am just still shocked at the cost of this dental stuff. I am not meaning to brag or pile on while you guys all have to shoulder these hefty bills, but it remains amazing to me that I've never had to put Amber through a dental procedure. Must be some seriously lucky genetics I guess.
If I had to pay more than a few hundred bucks I think...well, I'm sure if I had to I'd do it but sheesh. All I can say is good luck and it seems like it would be something worthwhile to shop around, at least within reason, assuming you feel comfortable with different vets.
I'm sure it varies quite a lot by different cities and perhaps by differences in the practices. Some of those differences may only be in perception rather than actual expertise or equipment, I would think.
Here in Queens, NYC, I usually pay less than $650 - with the trimmings - and it is around $450 to $500, tests included. And this is considered to be a fairly expensive local practice.
The specialty hospital must have a board certified dentist. I would hope so, at that price!
Yep, they do (have a board certified dentist). Jonas only goes there because when he was a wee baby kitten he arrested during a surgery and had no heartbeat for three minutes. It was a long time ago and he was in truly terrible shape...the arrest wasn't a surprise at all, it was just a shock that they got him back! We only did the surgery (it was to remove his eye) because we were sure he would die anyway if we didn't.
Since then he's had a number of surgeries (6 or 7) that went fine with no complications, but it's the first one I remember and it makes me crazy nervous. I wouldn't do a dental if he didn't really need it, and since I have to, I feel better doing it somewhere where they're prepared for anything.
Yep, they do (have a board certified dentist). Jonas only goes there because when he was a wee baby kitten he arrested during a surgery and had no heartbeat for three minutes. It was a long time ago and he was in truly terrible shape...the arrest wasn't a surprise at all, it was just a shock that they got him back! We only did the surgery (it was to remove his eye) because we were sure he would die anyway if we didn't.
Since then he's had a number of surgeries (6 or 7) that went fine with no complications, but it's the first one I remember and it makes me crazy nervous. I wouldn't do a dental if he didn't really need it, and since I have to, I feel better doing it somewhere where they're prepared for anything.
What a history for poor Jonas! 3 minutes no heartbeat and then 6 or 7 surgeries!
So, what are you going to have to pay for his dental at the specialty hospital? This is making MY heartbeat stop!
Man I am just still shocked at the cost of this dental stuff. I am not meaning to brag or pile on while you guys all have to shoulder these hefty bills, but it remains amazing to me that I've never had to put Amber through a dental procedure. Must be some seriously lucky genetics I guess.
If I had to pay more than a few hundred bucks I think...well, I'm sure if I had to I'd do it but sheesh. All I can say is good luck and it seems like it would be something worthwhile to shop around, at least within reason, assuming you feel comfortable with different vets.
I'm sure it varies quite a lot by different cities and perhaps by differences in the practices. Some of those differences may only be in perception rather than actual expertise or equipment, I would think.
You would pass out if you knew what we have to spend on routine stuff like dental care with our cats each year. And I am only talking about dental care that MUST be done, not just overly conscientious cleaning.
We have had only a few cats who didn't need to have their teeth cleaned or work done on them more than once, per cat, and in some instances, several times over the lifetime of the cat. (Interestingly, the one who, in 16 years of life with us, never needed to have her teeth cleaned nor a single tooth removed - she never went under sedation for dental work because her teeth were so amazingly healthy, as were her gums- was our only non-rescue cat, a purebred American Shorthair, given to us by the breeder who is quite ethical about how she breeds (if you believe in breeding in the first place, that is!).
Our other cats all have needed dental cleanings every couple of years or so, and of course our FIV+ ones have a tendency towards gingivitis so that adds to the need to clean them a lot.
But cleaning the teeth, if needed, on time makes a dramatic difference in the long term health of the mouth. I can testify to that and in fact was recently discussing this topic with my great lady vet. We both said that because of the on-time, regular cleanings for the teeth of our late FIV cat, he never suffered from serious problems, and he would have, because he had gingivitis, if we had not done this. But it is yet another expense in caring for cats! <groan> I can really understand why many people with a tight budget, who are conscientious, hesitate to adopt even one cat!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
