Update

[lexin]

I took my darling Smokey for her annual kitty wellness check up with the local vets. Her general health is excellent, though she is a bit podgy (5.02 kilos) and yet again I need to cut down her kibble. I’m sure it’s those treats; probably if we stuck to food she’d lose that weight.

The down side is that she has dental disease on two bottom teeth either side and will have to have them removed pretty sharpish. I have made an appointment for 28 September for this. Probable cost (sharp intake of breath) anything between £800 and £1,000 once you’ve taken into account blood tests, x-rays, anaesthetic and so on. This is more than my monthly income, and will have to come out of savings. She is insured, but I don’t think it covers dental problems; in fact I’m sure it doesn’t because I just checked. Interestingly, it covers things like acupuncture and homeopathy, neither of which work.

Comments

[raincitygirl]

Ouch!!!! Yeah, Savannah's insurance policy doesn't cover dental either (but also covers homeopathy and acupuncture).

May I make a suggestion? You might want to shop around and see if you can find a veterinary practice that charges less for dental. The last time Savannah had her teeth done a few years back, the practice she was at at the time quoted me $1,800, excluding extractions. I assumed that would be the price everywhere, and didn't shop around. However, she recently switched to a new veterinary practice, which quoted me $650 for her dental (on the assumption that she didn't need extractions). That's a huge variation in price! You may have a good relationship with her current vet and not be interested in switching, however. Just thought I'd mention my experience, as Savannah goes in for her dental work at the new place this weekend.

Also, there is a product they sell here in Canada called Wysong Dentatreat (Wysong is the company that makes it, Dentatreat is the product name). It's a powder you sprinkle in dog and cat food and it's supposed to cut down on plaque. And it tastes meaty, allegedly (I haven't sampled it to try it for myself). I don't know if it actually works, but I've been giving it to Savannah of late.

[lexin]

Thanks for the suggestions. Smokey has something called Plaque Off added to her food, but clearly that doesn't entirely work.

[kalypso]

It does sound like a lot more than I paid for Tabitha and Rosie having teeth removed, though that was a few years ago. From memory, the largest single bill I ever had with them was about £350 for Tabitha's thyroid operation.

[lexin]

I really don't think it's going to turn out to be that much. I think the vet was massively over estimating so that when it turns out to be £500 I won't faint.

[stranger]

Same as above. The vet you have may be your best choice or only choice, but if you have other possibilities, check for lower prices. Plain tooth removal for my cats has been about a quarter of what you're estimating. That's without x-rays, but with anaesthesia and the various surgical charges. The handsome kitty in the icon has had a couple of teeth out, at different times. Some blood tests can be startlingly expensive, but that also varies hugely between labs, and therefore between doctors. This assumes all the teeth come out in the same surgery instead of two sessions or more (requiring two lots of anaesthesia and whatnot), that is.

On the other hand, a thousand pounds converted to dollars would nearly cover four tooth extractions for *me*, complete with reassuring oral surgeon, clever reassuring assistant, incidental x-rays and fancy painkillers throughout. I only had one tooth out, but they apparently thought I might be nervous about it for some reason. Maybe I was, just a little. There was a lot of reassurance. That part is probably harder to do for cats than people.

[lexin]

That much would cover four extractions for me, too, with reassuring dentist etc.

[lyorn]

Holy smurf! Serious Cat had two teeth removed last December, for 120 Euro. No X-Ray or bloodwork, though (I don't get that either when teeth get removed...) but anaesthesia (I'd want that too, but I get only local because Human should know better and not attack dentist, they say...).

Anyway, all the best to Smokey and you. I'd say "keep the treats, cut the food", but Human, again, should know better (but won't).

[lexin]

It is very hard to cut the treats. She knows the shape of the tin and that I'm a pushover.

[doire]

Poor Smokey.

That does sound a lot though. When Tricky had all but 3 teeth out, five? years ago, it was about £350 for every thing. It was actually a bit less than the quote as some of the procedure turned out to be unnecessary.

Did you tell the vet you were insured? Our vet tends to charge less if your not. There are some theories around that the increase in insuence drives costs, and so the necessity for insurence, up.

More positivly our Minnie was going to have teeth out when she was seen by a different vet at the same practice for another problem who said "nasty tarter build up there" and cracked it off with a thumb nail. Her bad gums recovered swiftly.

Best wishes to you both.

[lexin]

I am half hoping that the teeth won't need to be taken out but that they'll break off the tartar instead.