A few weeks ago I posted about this in someone's post about their vet. I'm out of country but mine was over $600 for my 10 pounder to have his teeth cleaned. But they had to put him out so there were lab fees associated with that.

Yesterday I took him for a followup for an ear infection and that was about $110. She took a swab from his ear and as we were leaving she graciously said, "Let me reduce the lab fee." So she did to $16 from $36.

But I have to tell you, it's very expensive no matter what they do. My vet has a sign up saying that pets are expensive and there will be no credit extended. While sitting in the waiting room a girl came out with her dog who was no more than 15lbs. She told the vet that she did not have anymore tablets for him, what type I have no idea. The vet tried to dissuade her saying they were $20 each so that meant that they were not mandatory. Well the girl asked for a six month supply!! Holy kamoley, that's almost $4,000.

If they had pet insurance I would surely buy it because I spend much more on my pets than I do on myself when it comes to medical treatment.

Eliot had his teeth cleaned last December. Dropped off 8 a.m. Home about 3 p.m.

Hospitalization - $40.00
Blood Collection & Handling - $20
Lab tests (Health Panel) - $65
Injection (Torbugesic LA) - $24.10
OR Fee & Anesthetic Monitoring - $24

Yes, my routine cleaning is cheaper, but I'm not there all day and no anesthesia, etc. lol
Dental, Routine - $60
I.V. Catherter Fluids - $20

If that was under general anesthesia or sedation and for two dogs, then I'd say it was about right or at least that's whay my last two vets have charged.

Can you buy the prescription through petmeds? We saved quite a bit through them for heartgaurd meds.

I would find out if the asthma drug is also a drug for humans. It probably is cheaper getting it filled at a pharmacy. Call one and ask the price! Our cat has renal failure and has to get fluids twice a day. Its 90% cheaper buying them at Costcos pharmacy!!! Can you believe that???

As for the teeth cleaning, I've never done it for a pet, but WOW!

They do have pet insurance. :)

It wouldn't be too much, in my mind, for a family member such as one of my dogs. I'm a sentimental old fool, though!

I have cats, not dogs. My vet cleans their teeth, no additional charge, at their regular check ups. Those prices you all are posting sound outrageous to me.

Can't hurt to call around and check the prices other vets charge--just be sure to also check out the vets, to make sure they're good ones, not just cheap ones.

My cats have had to have a few procedures including teeth extractions and by far the largest part of the bill is the anesthetic/bloodwork/monitoring that is charged by how long it takes, not the procedure itself. So if there are any complications, it can really add up.

To have some of my cat's teeth extracted last year was about $1,300 I believe.

FIL is a large animal vet. He thinks pet owners are insane to pay that much. Vets will charge what the buyers will pay. You are all getting duped!!!

Arcy, are you saying we should all just let our pets - members of our family - go, and not take proper care of them. I think your FIL is NUTS!

I would have hit the roof, too. Is $500 no longer considered a large sum of money?? That sounds outrageous to me, it really does.

One of my daughters used to work for a veterinary practice we all considered to be "the best." She learned that they charged more than the other places, and one reason was that they were way overstaffed. Probably another reason is what Arcy said: The clients were willing to pay. Not this client, though.

So what's the alternative? Don't do it? Not me.

Tooth disease can lead to kidney disease, at least in cats. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'd rather take care of my pets' teeth than deal with related kidney disease - or euthanasia because of it - later.

The price doesn't sound all that high to me, given what was done for the 2 dogs. Yes, of course that's a lot of money, but that's what we get into when we commit to our pets.

When my vet cleans my pets' teeth, the pet is put under anesthesia, and I agree to the bloodwork first to lessen the risk. The teeth cleaning during a routine visit isn't thorough - it's just surface cleaning. To really clean a cat's teeth, including under the gumline, etc., the cat has to be sedated.

I get it done every few years or as required.

I love my dogs and take very good care of them. But between the grooming every six weeks, the regular visits, and the unforeseen problems they are costing me thousands of dollars a year. I think I will shop around. I know there are other vets that are less expensive that deliver good care.

$550 for 2 dogs with anesthesia and blood panels is right in line. Especially with one dog having asthma which could have led to complications without proper oversight.

You did not say the age or sizer of the dogs.But larger dogs cost more also.

For those who complain about vet costs please remember that the average vet has MORE medical training than the average doctor. They have to treat multi-species and have a working knowledge of all they may treat.

The vet tech was not the one to ask. The front desk would have been happy to write up a highest and lowest possible estimate before you asked for one. One would not ask a nurse at the doctors how much a procedure cost.

Arcy --I don't know where your FIL practices...but if he's large animal vet in a rural setting it is apples and oranges compared to the costs of a private practice in the "real" world.

It depends on the area that you are in, that is very high for our area but not out of line for a larger, more metropolitan area. I just paid a bunch for Bob's dental work, but it was done at a specialty hospital in Pittsburgh.

I can't recall what I paid last time I had one of my cats done. He had some extractions plus cleaning and all the lab work so it was hundreds. I used to have a relatively cheap vet. That was okay for awhile but when I had a pet with serious health problems it became apparent this vet was not very thorough and otherwise not entirely competent. They also turned over a lot of vets - not a good sign. I got a referral from
my pet sitter to a different vet. They are much more expensive but also much more thorough, more competent and fully equipped with state of the art equipment and 24/7 emergency care. Sometimes you get what you pay for. I have one older chronically ill cat and it seems I can never get in and out of there for less than $300.

Those charges - less than $250 for the cleaning for each dog, plus the meds for the asthmatic dog, are right in line with what I pay.

Dogs are usually sedated for dental cleaning, and that involves medications, someone to monitor the dog, and someone to clean the teeth. That isn't cheap.

Holy Cow! I would never spend that kind of money on a pet.

Our large animal vet does the work on our dog and cats and the cost is minimal. We spend big $$ with them on our cattle operation though.

I totally understand where Arcy's father-in-law is coming from. I don't see dogs and cats as humans. I WILL NOT tolerate mistreatment of animals, but I also do not see them as my "kids".

It is fine if you do. I can also see how attached we get to our pets.

I do think it is a crying shame for some people who don't have a cent to their name spend a crazy amount of money on vet care for a pet. My though is if they can't live without food stamps for themselves - they shouldn't be trying to keep a cat with a terminal illness alive.

The vet comes out and gives the dog/cats their shots when she does the horses, etc. She was amazed at our dogs teeth. She said they were the best teeth on a dog that age. I think it is the "fresh" food she catches.

And they are wondering why so many people are giving up their pets.They want you to adopt.Its' getting so only the rich can smoke and own pets.I had to pay quite abit for a visit.I did not mine too much but each thing wrong with my puppy I had to point it out.My pups had a rash on his stomach and worms.Test came back negetive.Next day he poops worms and I could see them with my own eyes without glasses.The rash was red and anyone with one eye could see that.I'm giving him one more visit then I'm going vet shopping.

There is nothing that says you can't learn to take care of your own pets for routine stuff like vaccines etc. to save a few bucks. Too many owners fall into the trap of unnecessary treatments that like heart worm where there isn't any (heart worm problem) around and "kennel cough" vaccines where the dog never leaves home.

Some dogs just have bad teeth no matter what but routine care at home along with proper diet can prevent costly cleanings and dental work down the road.

It's true that farm dogs and cats are seen differently from city pets. I'm actually fine with that as long as they are not abused or neglected. But it still remains that when someone takes on an animal as a pet they are responsible for the costs of living with that pet.

I personally see caring for a pet as some of the best money you can spend. The returns are way greater than a nicer car or a bigger house or a fancier vacation. I've never had anyone love me as unconditionally as my pets!

I just changed vets because my vet's prices were so high. I talked to her about it first. The place I go to now is very reasonable and was named "Best in Story County" in a poll done by the newspaper. The new vet was also recommended by friends.

Sleeperblues - you are in Wisconsin in a rural area. I suspect I live close to your area. It sounds to me that you could be getting duped. I have never heard of paying that much in this area but I don't have my dog anymore so I could be off base. You should definitely shop around.

That's a lot of money. I've never had a vet clean my dog's teeth and neither did my dad. Most of our dogs lived to a ripe old age.

We paid $125 for our Chihuahua's teeth cleaning last spring. Think they pulled 1? but the extraction charge is small...like less than $5. No blood work, just cleaning.

This is why I am done with pets. I loved my cats dearly but until my children are raised, it's an expense I just can't afford. I remember spending close to $100 each on asthma inhalers for my cat and he had one bout that sent him to three different hospitals (in two states!) that cost me over $5K. The last hospital, in Maryland, billed just like a human hospital. He was acting funny when we got there and they offered to have someone come out to the truck. I didn't bring him in with me then because I didn't want him stuck in a small crate if they we were going to be waiting a long time. When I looked at the bill much later there were all these big emergency care fees associated just with that walk out to the car. The entire bill was itemized and jacked up like a human hospital bill but there were no insurance write-offs!

Veterinary care is expensive. My daughter's dog was diagnosed with lymphoma in January. My daughter opted to try chemotherapy and along with that were ultrasounds, cat scans and xrays. The dog lived for seven more months, but it was a very expensive proposition.

As a result, I decided to get pet insurance for my 2 dogs. There are all different types of policies - you can get coverage for ordinary visits or you can buy the equivalent of major medical. We opted for the major medical type. Just recently my older dog was diagnosed with diabetes and in addition to the insulin she must have daily, she was hospitalized for 2 days in a veterinary hospital. It was very costly, but I was glad to be able to say, "do whatever needs to be done."

We chose a deductible of $1000, which reduces the premium. The insurance will then pay 90% of the costs.

Just as medical care for humans has expanded, so it has for animals. I think that insurance for our animals has become mandatory for me.

Helene

We just had to have Mic's teeth done last Thursday.His breath smelled so bad,so we took him for a check up.They had to sedate him,then extract 7 teeth and clean the rest.Is on antibiotics for another week,he had gingivitus and infection. Cost was 247. The cleaning alone is 135,then the extractions were 10 per tooth.Then add some meds in there and come up with 247! We just took them all for shots the week before,that bill was around 200.Now we need to take Spitz and get him neutered.Never ends! LOL!
I'm really glad we took Mic though,I can't imagine 7 teeth hurting,I go nuts if 1 hurts! Poor guy,but he seemed to recover quickly,I am feeding him soft food for awhile though.And his breath doesn't smell any more. I asked what caused it,so I could avoid it again but they said it just happens to some dogs.All my other dogs teeth look great,nice and white.Mic's were green....yuck!They're nice and white now.

That sounds about right for teeth cleaning where we are. We have 8 cats and religiously get their teeth cleaned once a year.

Scaling the tartar buildup off the teeth of an awake animal isn't expensive. But seriously deep cleaning means bloodwork, anesthetic (Isoflurane, which isn't cheap), SubQ fluids, and antibiotics. Management of secondary health issues such as renal failure or diabetes makes the anesthesia more complicated.

We pay what we have to. Getting their teeth deep cleaned is less expensive than managing kidney, heart or abcesses later on. Bleeding gums and gingivitis are as systemically damaging in animals as they are in humans.

Att.Wild Child you said something about heart worm.Why do you say it's not necessary. How does a dog get heartworm.? I'm about to get his meds for that.They aren't cheap.Don't mine getting them but if it's something I could do without I would like to.

I came to find this thread after commenting on the heartworm discussion.
I know it seems like an exhorbited amount (the original posters cost) but in dividing it, that's an amount per dog I could only WISH to see when my crew goes to the vet.
Of course, amounts vary greatly by location so usually it's not pliable to compare on a broad span. My city has 5 vets offices, and 15,000 people.
In that, I have 4 pugs so expect to buy the vet a new car or pay for his timeshare frequently.
Last year I took 3 in for dentals(didn't have #4 yet) and walked away $1,150.00 lighter than when I got there.
I don't mind it as I take medically keeping them up as a serious concept. It's not for everyone , of course and I don't drive a brand new car nor are we wealthy but I choose this life and am much happier than I would be sans my babies in a brand new car that gets squished by some idiot driving down the road.
As for the post above me in reguard to heartworm preventative that's each owners choice but I wouldn't be without it especially considering my new fellow is currently under treatment for it. Current cost for that alone is 600.00 and will probably climb before it's over.
Hoping the vet loves his new car... lol

Goldy-- please don't misunderstand and think heart worm preventative is not necessary ever. It is not necessary for ALL dogs depending on the region and circumstances. Check out the other thread on the subject.

Here is a link that might be useful: Heartworm Thread

Take into consideration the costs of your Veterinarian. Their schooling was very expensive. Vet school is very difficult to get into - and very costly.

They also have facility costs, employee pay, their own pay, and probably a huge liability insurance premium.

Our large animal Vets do not charge nearly what your pet Vet does,for pet care. But they also are handling all our livestock. They only do our pets because we are their customers - as a rule, they don't handle any pets from non-livestock accounts.

Sounds about right, even better than I could probably swing and I've been making major-donor contributions to my vet's kids' college funds for many, many years... *lol*

My vet insists owners sign off on high/low estimates before taking a pet for any involved procedure such as teeth cleaning/extraction with anesthesia, so you don't get blind-sided when you go to pick up your furkid afterwards.

I called a competitor vet who is supposed to be less expensive and it would have costed the same, so I feel a little better. Guess I should try to brush their teeth myself. I could probably overpower the little poodle, but my big girl has some strong jaws!

My dog got her teeth cleaned (no extractions, but including anesthesia) and it cost me $2000. I'm used to expensive vet care. I live in an upscale area (tho I'm not near rich) and we treat our dogs well. Our vet has done wonderful things for our pets, including stitches and opening her office at 9 at night when one dog ripped open her abdomen jumping a fence.

We've had many animals over the years,mostly dogs,and we never had any of their teeth cleaned.We took them to the vet at least once a year for their check-ups.Our vet told me their teeth were always in good shape because we fed them just dry foods and gave them the milk bones
Kathi

Jannie, I'm speechless.

I'm speechless, too.

I think back to my childhood dog (from the early 1970s) and that beastie only went to the vet for rabies shots and profound physical problems and things such as that. I think an office visit was $15 or so.

How'd we go from that to $2,000 for doggy dental care?

BTW, he was a mutt from the pound and he lived to be 14 years old. That dog had a great life, and he was very loved.

Third-party payee systems have wreaked havoc on medical costs for humans. Apparently, they're having the same effect on doggy health care.

I don't know how people afford this stuff.

Rose

Rosemary - I agree! When I had my first cat, giving him insulin for Diabetes was a big deal. Back then they did X-rays, now they do ultra-sounds. My vet's idea of cleaning teeth was scraping the tartar buildup off with his thumbnail while we were in the examination room. Now it's deep cleaning with anesthetics, IV fluids and Convenia shots.

Our vet does hip replacements on dogs. We took Boots for radiation treatments on his cancer. Sammy has cold laser therapy for his stomatitis, and takes Interferon-A. Veterinary medicine has exploded along with human medicine, and that all has a cost for the equipment and the training.

Treating diseases is much more complicated now, because there are so many options which weren't available back then. There are a variety of medications and procedures now that didn't exist back then. It's difficult, because now you are left with the dilemna - how can you NOT do something, even though the cost is high. To say we've put our vet's kids through college is probably an understatement, but what choice do we have when something is treatable?

Doesn't sound high to me......Around here it starts at $200 and that doesn't even include all the charges.

Our 7 year old dog had a dental cleaning in April. Cost (with our 13% Ontario taxes) was $1,000. Three teeth were treated for gingivitis - no extractions. Had he required extractions (and I am not including a Canine tooth, because that really costs) the bill would have been closer to $1,500. Because he is 7 he required the geriatric blood panel (7 is not old for a 22 lb. American Eskimo but 7 is the magic number for "mature" dogs). He of course had to be knocked out for the procedure - had the EKG, the meds etc. etc. I agree, having a dog is very expensive these days. At the moment he has an abscessed cornea - diagnosed as Conjunctivitis May 25 (we noticed a bit of discharge night of May 24 and were at vet's next day - our guy has very clear eyes). So we used the antibiotics for 12 days, he was rechecked - needed more antiobiotics. Finally seemed to be clearing and then boom, the real culprit showed up - it was an eye ulcer. Responded well at first to the must give every 3 hours from the fridge drops but then stopped healing. We were sent to the board certified animal eye specialist and there are not that many in Ontario - who diagnosed the abscess. Regular vets do not have the major magnifying equipment that specialists do. So 4 types of drops for quite some time - they wanted to delay surgery to see if eye would scar over. It is working so for - we are now down to one set of drops - with next appointment being in Oct. We have been to the eye specialist 5 times now. I worry though because just as with people abscesses always seem to retain that bit of pus. Personally I would have wheeled him in to surgery right away (we used to have mini Dachshunds who had worst case neck/back disc disease - so in my mind why delay the inevitable). But for the moment, the eye is scarring white as opposed to yellow, but we have to keep a close watch. We have no idea what caused this. We do have pet insurance - it was a Canadian Plan - cost was reasonable, but the company wanted to expand into the U.S. - so they bought a U.S. company and now the company is American with a Canadian Branch. They do NOT cover Rechecks - and that is where the major $$$ come in. The original plan never did cover the initial consultation, but every time we go back in there is a huge bill - for the recheck. Since this has been going on since May 25 you can imagine the bills - and we have been reimbursed about $500. Our premiums used to be $32 a month - they are now closer to $80 a month for the same age group that he was when enrolled in 2005 - and until this eye issue we had no claims. The plan now offers better options to new subscribers - started in 2009 or so -not available to original clients - which has caused a lot of unhappiness. The plan was great when it started - we had planned on just having a savings account. A lot of people signed up for it and are now not happy with the changes. But when your dog is 7 1/2 years old you are afraid to drop the coverage. The complaints at the specialist's office are all the same - rechecks should be covered. Of course our plan covers only major medical/accident. We have to keep our pup in good health -so the $1,000 for the teeth was preventative, he had to be neutered (no argument there), has to have all of his shots (done). He is on Heartworm 12 months a year - the vets have found that this generally prevents stomach disorders during our so-called winter weather - and so far so good. Yes, a 12 month supply of Sentinel is expensive, but not as expensive as a vet visit in January and requiring antibiotics. He also gets the Kennel Cough shot because he goes to daycare one day a week, is occasionally home boarded and gets groomed. Also there were major outbreaks of KC in Toronto in 2007 and 2010 - with 2010 being especially bad. Vets had to stop performing regular surgeries and their waiting rooms were full of KC patients - it was a nasty strain that frequently turned into pneumonia. No, the vaccination will not prevent your pup from catching a different strain of KC but vets have found that if your pup has been vaccinated, recovery is generally quicker - certainly was for our dog in 2007. Got him in fast - in 1977 we almost lost a just adopted dog to KC so we don't wait. He also gets the Lepto shot since there was an outbreak in Toronto a few years ago and I met the sole survivor. Thank heavens his food was not on the recall list a few years ago during the China debacle. We have great vets who love dogs as do their vet techs. Running a practice in Toronto is not cheap - and owning a dog is becoming extremely costly. We are in our 60s and our guy will be our last pet - cost being one of the factors. But since an Eskie can easily live to be 18 we have several years to go. I can't imagine not having a dog (well in the cold of winter when he needs to go out I can dream) - but we won't be able to afford one. I remember our Beagle who lived to be almost 20, adopted at age 7 from the Humane Society. Except for the then require shots, he never had a health issue - barring the original KC incident. I remember when Top Choice was a quality food. What scares me more than procedures are what the blood panels can reveal - came as a shock to me a few years ago.

I just had my yorkies teeth cleaned and the cost with 3 extractions, pain meds and antibiotics was $289.
She was put to sleep and spent the day at the vets.
They also cleaned her ears and cut her nails.
I live in a pretty upscale place also, but my vet is very reasonable.

The most recent visit Caesar made was to a clinic to get a
rabies/parvo/distemper shot and be microchipped. It cost
$54. We are in southern Colorado. My DD said in Denver where
she lives it would cost a lot more.

Kathi, I wonder if that is the difference, does everyone who has to get their dogs' teeth cleaned feed their dogs wet food out of cans or bags? We and my dad has always used dry dog food and dog biscuits. Very rarely do they get wet food, it's maybe once every couple of years.

We feed dry food with a little water, dry cookies, and hard bones from Red Barn. no need for cleanings.

I don't think dry food has anything to do with it. I once read a veterinary dentist who said dry food doesn't have anything to do with tartar buildup.

If we all ate nothing but pretzels, we'd still have to have our teeth cleaned.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dry Food and the Myth of Cleaner Teeth

Here's more info. Dry food might delay tartar buildup, but apparently it doesn't prevent problems at the gum line. There appears to be some thought that because dry food has a higher carbohydrate content it might actually stimulate tartar. Anyway, here's more info.

Does Dry Food Clean the Teeth?

Dry Food, Carbs and Teeth Cleaning

Here's a good link that explains deep teeth cleaning:

Veterinary Dentistry

Well one thing for sure, I don't feel so bad about paying nearly $2000 for Bob's dental surgery 2 weeks ago! LOL!!! My local vet had extracted 2 canines and a molar but her charge with all the x-rays and meds was less than $200.When we had to go to the specialty clinic for more extensive surgery real life smacked me in the face!

Shouldn't make a difference but Bob is a cat.

Lynn, you made me laugh. I forgot Bob was your cat! And I was going to wish your hubby a speedy recovery, lol.