To Pull or Not to Pull - Cat's Tooth. (DVMMOM?)

I feel like that is way too much. I had one of my cat's teeth pulled a few years ago. I don't remember what it cost, but it certainly was not half of $750. I can't see that there would have been any way I would have agreed to that. Get a few more quotes.

You need to find out what exactly that $750 entails and what is included - everyone thinks, "Oh, it's just pulling 2 teeth!" but depending on the age and the health of the cat, there is preanesthetic bloodwork that should be done, anesthesia, IV catheter with fluids, pain medications, antibiotics, dental radiographs (x-rays), extraction of whatever teeth need to be extracted (which usually involves having to use a high-speed drill to make it easier and making sure all the roots come out, so it's not just "yanking them out"), cleaning/polishing the remaining teeth, etc. When my husband had to get a root canal done, we did not have dental insurance at the time and we were quoted between $500 to $800 - when people have medical insurance, they typically are not aware of what things actually cost, it just gets billed to the insurance company. But then when people have to pay for the equivalent for a pet without insurance, it seems like a lot.

It also depends on your area where you live and how progressive of a vet practice it is. Some vets are not totally on the up-and-up when it comes to the latest recommendations for pet care, including taking dental disease and pain management more seriously. You can try getting some other opinions, but keep in mind that probably at each different practice, they are doing to probably charge an exam fee to see your cat, come up with a treatment plan and a cost estimate. And like I said, not everyone is doing the same level of work. I admit, it always irks me when people think because Vet A only charged XXX to do a dental cleaning or spay a dog, that Vet B is ripping people off by charging people more. But maybe Vet B is being more proactive when it comes to anesthesia safety and pain control. Or especially with dentals, some pets have minimal issues and it's just a straight-forward cleaning, whereas others have significant problems and the work is a lot more involved. What you were quoted does seem high to me, but I don't have enough information to totally make a judgement call.

I would try to clarify what exactly your cat's care will include and entail, and then see also if they are able to give a low-end and a high-end for an estimate. But can I tell you if it should be done? Probably it should, because no animal should have to live with chronic pain, but also I am not there to look at your cat, and without an exam and dental x-rays, I can't say for sure.

Four years ago I paid just over $1,000 for my cat's dental work. For me it wasn't just going in there and plucking a couple teeth out. He was nine years old so I opted for the safest, best treatment available including pre-anesthetic blood work, IV fluids, every possible medication necessary, a cleaning afterward. My cat had seven teeth pulled but everything listed above is the same for two teeth or ten teeth.

I hope the pet owners understand this....it's not a Medicare covered procedure and is pretty darn advanced veterinary medicine these days.

Golly jeepers. $750 to take out teeth? When I had my dog, I let them clean his teeth when he had to have any procedure that included anesthetic. One of those procedures included pulling two teeth. It cost me less than $200. I think maybe you need to call around and get some quotes...

I know you love your cat, sweetie, but oh my!!!

That's extortion. I wonder if there is someone else in the area that can do it for cheaper? I rescue a stray that was hit in the face with something. Dont know if was a car or what, but all the little front teeth were broken and damaged. She was too frail and sickly to have anything done to her and she went 6 months till they fell out on their own. She was just fine, I had her on antibiotics for other issues but other than that, she did just fine.

I am not sure if the price is reasonable or not - sorry. But, seeing as I have spent more than that on ongoing, chronic, care for several cats - I would just try to set up a payment plan with my vet.

But, many years ago we had a family cat that wound up with an abscessed tooth. Required surgery to remove the tooth, clean the abscess, and put in a drain - it was gross, required lots of after care, and I am sure cost my father a small fortune. Plus, it was most traumatic for the cat.

Check in with another vet, or two, and get prices and options. Do ask about complications if the teeth are not extracted. And think about poor kitty with "chronic pain from broken teeth" - what a horrible way to live.

I forget how much it was for our older cat (somewhere between $500 and $600), but included in the tooth pulling was a partial cleaning, pulling I think 4 teeth, sedation, and a senior blood panel before they would put him under. Oh, and medication (antibiotic and pain meds). Ask the dentist to break down the charges for you. I do not regret having the cat's teeth pulled. He's much happier and he doesn't miss them.

I'm an RVT. Essentially an RN of the veterinary world. Unlike many vet assistants this means I've had coursework, state testing and licensing, and special training for x-ray and dental work. I agree you are being quoted for pre-anethetic bloodwork, a dental cleaning, extraction, IV fluids and antibiotics. A cats mouth has some really serious bacteria. This is why cat bites on other cats frequently have abcesses and bites on humans can be dangerous. The teeth should be cleaned prior to extraction because you are creating an open wound in the mouth and you want to remove as much harmful bacteria and plaque as possible. Also cleaning can expose other dental damage and it is better to discover that while your pet is under and it is cheaper to correct and add a procedure than pay for an entirely new procedure. The age of your pet can determine how extensive the bloodwork needs to be and if IV fluids are recommended. Anesthesia is more difficult for the kidneys on an older pet so fluids help "protect" the kidneys. If they are front teeth they have one root but some molars have 3 and if the tooth is broken the roots are still attached and require more work to extract. A healthy root is just more difficult to extract.

As for being told not to pull them in the past and someone who wrote here that their cat was "fine" with multiple broken front teeth. Cats are solitary animals in the wild. As opposed to dogs who have a pack to protect them when sick. Cats are really really good at hiding pain. For a cat to show signs of illness (weakness, fatigue, pain etc) they have to be in bad shape. I've had dentals where the cat seemed fine when awake but when I discover or examine a problem under anethesia their blood pressure or heart rate shoots up because it is painful. I interviewed at a cat only practice but when the doctor looked at me blankly when I asked what his pain management protocol was for declaws the interview was over. Some older doctors are really behind on their management and evaluation of pain in animals. A declaw is an amputation of the last bone on the toes with the claw by the way. I think we would all appreciate some pain meds if our toes were being amputated.

So feel free to compare prices but compare procedures as well. Cheaper may mean less care for details.

Depends on what pulling the teeth involve. My brother had his dogs teeth pulled. Because of the dog's age he first required a thorough exam including a heart and lungs assessment to be sure he could survive anesthesia. Then he had to pay for an anesthesiologist; one from outside the office. Actually, I think he had to take him to a veterinary hospital which cost more than having a procedure done in the office. He had to stay over night. I think it cost around $500 but it could've been more.

I, too, suggest you call around and get additional estimates. Be sure to know exactly what has to be done. You could ask your vet for a report and take that to a couple of other clinics.

yikes- I got a quote to pull one of my cats teeth and the quote was less than half that - aprox. $350.

I work for a Vet. It sounds like they are going to also clean your cat's teeth along with pulling the 1's that are giving him problems. If your cat is old(7-or older) they probably are doing pre-anesthic blood work, IV catheter,IV fluids, maybe a long anesthetic, But if it's just for extractions of 2 teeth. We charge 30.00 for a minor extraction or up to 100.00 per tooth for a major extraction.plus the price of anesth. blood wk. cath. etc. Hope this helps.

That number seems high but tooth extraction is expensive because it is surgery. Get a few quotes from vets in your area, they should be happy to provide you with one.