Cost of teeth cleaning for diabetic??

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Blue and Freddies Mom

Member
Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had had their diabetics cat's teeth cleaned recently. My two sugar cats are now 12, and the vet says there is some build up of tartar and they should have their teeth cleaned. I guess after 12 years, I shouldn't complain!! They recently had their annual check-up which included blood work so we won't have to do that part of it. I was wondering how much people have paid, maybe it is more costly with a diabetic? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Depends on the clinic and even the state, here in Connecticut it seems I pay a lot more than other folks do, but it's well worth it since bad teeth can lead to more problems. Did you ask the vet for an estimate?
 
I've been given prices from $400 to $800 depending if it's just a simple dental or if there's extractions. i don't think whether the cat is diabetic or not changes the price of the actual dental. but monitoring BG levels that day could increase the price i would think.

remember, whenever anesthesia is involved in an older cat, it's crucial that there be pre-anesthesia bloodwork and iv's ready to go, etc.....so alot of people freak out at the price. having all that stuff in place beforehand can mean the difference between life and death. take it from one who lost a kitty on the table. i can't say for certain 100% what happened in my case because i didn't know about that stuff back then so i didn't ask for it first nor did i know to ask about it after she died. knowing what i know now makes me feel guilty and that's not a good feeling. i can't help but wonder when her blood pressure dropped suddenly and she was deprived of oxygen too long to retain brain function, if there was an iv in place already, would she be alive today?
 
mocha had a dental done just over a month ago. It DID include pre bloodwork to make sure she was safe to go under. She ended up needing 8 teeth extracted. The cost of her dental was in the four digit range. :shock: I do live in MI, and mocha did go to a board certified vet, I'm sure that played a part in the higher price.
 
I was quoted around $600 for Pablo's dental, and that was without the cost of bloodwork. I did all of that at the clinic where I work to save money.

When they got in there and realized he needed both upper canines extracted, the bill increased to $1200. And the vet is a fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and has all the snazzy new equipment, so I'm sure that influenced prices too!

My feeling is that if they quote you much less than $400, they're probably NOT doing all the things they should, like pre-dental x-rays, IV fluids, constant monitoring of all vitals, etc. Because honestly, that stuff is expensive! And I'd rather pay more than regret it later.
 
Like others have said - depends on location. When I was living in FL I was quoted right around $300 for everything including blood work. I just had Oscar's teeth cleaned here in IN back in Nov and it was $100, but that was without blood work and I didn't know it really should be done.
 
i used a board certified dentist in nj and maui had her teeth cleaned last month - the cost, including 2 removals was about $1200. Shocking, more than I expected, but not too bad considering... and it was a dentist specialist
 
I'm in NY and dental day for us was 1 fd Molly and 1 civvie Lincoln. Not including the bloodwork, appointments beforehand, updated vaccinations beforehand, and antibiotics given beforehand, the surgery and teeth extractions for both cost about $1500. A lot of money, yes, but afterwards the civvie turned into a kitten again which was priceless :smile:

Good luck, please keep us updated.
 
FYI, extractions usually add a lot to the cost. I am in the Midwest and a normal dental with no extractions is less than $300. That includes pre-op bloodwork. If I remember right, extractions can add $150 for each tooth. So you can see how it adds up quickly. Why they charge that way, I don't know. It's cheaper to get a human tooth pulled!
 
WOW $150 per tooth to be extracted?! Haha, I think it was like $15 a tooth for us. I guess I am VERY spoiled with my vet ... but they are no specialist either ;-) We live in a generally low income area, so prices at any vet are not very high.
 
I'm shocked! Everything seems to be more expensive here in Germany except vet costs. Like all other medical/professional service the goverment sets a price schedule (a cataloge of maximum costs) the bill is then itemized.

For example all prices are in Euro 1€ =$1.40

V 1.3.10 Zahnsteinentfernung/-prophylaxe (tartar removal)
a) manuell 11,46 (manual)
b) Ultraschall (with specialized ultrasound equiptment)
einfach 20,05 (simple)
schwierig 40,08 Z (difficult)
c) Ultraschall mit Scaling, Fluorierung und Nachpolieren 68,72 (ultrasound technique, with floride sealing and polishing)

In addition individual services will be added

Allgemeine Untersuchung mit Beratung (general consultation and exam)

g) Katze (cat) 8,02

Venenkatheter einlegen (infusion IV) 13,74
Blutstatus komplett (complete blood panel) 14,31
Inhalationsnarkose, Intubationsnarkose (inhalation or intubation anesthesia)

Kleintiere (small animal) 34,36

Extraktion (tooth extraction)
a) einfach (simple-complex)

5,72- 20,86 per tooth

So added up the basic cost for a simple cleaning (manual) with pre-exam and general blood work, plus inhalation anesthesia and IV the total cost is 90,48€ ($126.62)

Additional costs would be materials (bandages, IV solution), medications (pain meds, antibiotics) and perhaps boarding if the cat is left for the day or overnight.

I have heard people have paid between 75€ ($105) and the maximum I have heard was around 500€ ($700) list of vet costs

Just for comparison, we have a government health insurance here but it does not cover dental services. My insurance pays for an exam by a dentist but not for "cleaning, polishing, sealing etc." My dentist uses the luxury ultrasound mashine and a simple scaling and polishing costs €80 ($112) of course I don't require any blood work, anesthesia, intubation, or IV's. My insurance pays for any extractions, medications (antibiotics etc.) and basic fillings (with amalgam only) any special services such as dentures, caps, bridge work, ceramic or gold fillings they pay only the basic cost and I have to pay the addition expense.

Totally off topic: As you can see doctors (and vets) are regulated by the government in thier earnings and this is how socialized medicine works, also keep in mind (as the USA moves towards such a system) that although thier earnings are limited they still earn a good living and the education is free, so they have no loans etc. to pay back.
 
Hillary's post reminded me that I scanned Pablo's bill into my computer to save, so I thought I'd post exactly what it cost me. I apparently got a 20% discount, which is frightening, considering what it cost WITH the discount!

Pablosbill-1.jpg


When his canines were extracted, instead of just leaving holes, they filled them in with synthetic bone that was supposed to help his bone fill in more quickly. Pablo had an amazing recovery and never even acted like he was in pain, so I'm glad I traveled 2.5 hours away to go to a dental specialist. It was worth the outrageous price for Pablo's well-being. Oh, and I brought my own glucometer and tested him during the dental (I got to stay with him) just in case his blood sugar was dropping, which definitely didn't happen because he stayed in the 400s all day. But other than that, there was nothing special about him being diabetic.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top