Doggie Dental Cleaning $400-600.00???

[MermaidsMom]

I called to make an appointment to get my dog's teeth cleaned today and was told they estimated it would cost $400-$600!! Can this be true? I wish I could take him to MY DENTIST and they could use the nitrous on him for less than $200!

I did not make the appointment, but he needs it done.

 

[happygirl]

What is involved in a doggie cleaning

 

[Pakey]

I think I paid in the neighborhood of $300 but the difference may be the sizes of our dogs. Mine is under 10 lbs (and only has a few teeth).

 

[WDWBarb]

I just got an estimate of $250 each for both of my dogs. Just a regular cleaning where they knock them out and scrape!

 

[Tuffcookie]

My vet charges $175.00.

TC

 

[MermaidsMom]

There is something seriously wrong with this picture. He is a small dog, approximately 20 lbs, and had his teeth cleaned less than 2 years ago. They charged a little less than $300 then, which I thought was robbery, but now want almost double. What are they thinking? Now I will need to call around and go through the whole deal with picking thru hidden costs of blood work, etc. with new vets. Rats!

However, tomorrow morning, instead of $300 for cleaning my dog's teeth, my vet will be getting $0. Their office is never very busy and I would think they would rather have alot of money than no money at all.

 

[C.Ann]

There is no way that I would pay that amount of money to have a dogs teeth cleaned - unless I was extremely wealthy.. I think it's ridiculous.. Obviously keeping your pets healthy is important, but that's insane..

 

[LindaR]

OMG! I just went thru this in March! My dog was sick and I took him in on Thursday 3-12-09 (out-of-control allergies). THAT bill cost me $306 and we scheduled a teeth cleaning for Monday 3-16-09. They charged me $391.

So two weeks ago I am filing receipts for my boss and she had taken her chihuahua for a cleaning $152 and her poodle for a cleaning $152. I called her vet and asked if they charged alot less for small dogs or dogs that didn't have many teeth???

The vet's wife is a friend of mine and I brought MY bill in for her to explain the charges for me. Seems like MY vet gave my dog FOUR different pain meds under anesthesia!!! Then prescribed pain meds for at home. X-rayed his teeth, ran an IV........these are things that don't HAVE to be done unless there is a problem. My FORMER vet just liked to automatically do EXTRA things without consulting first! And to top it off they had told me that they would have to pull two of his teeth (rotten) but they only pulled one and said he might get another month or two out of that other rotten tooth!!! Within two weeks, his breath was horrid again..........so they could get almost $400 from me AGAIN.

I switched vets. You CAN shop around!!!! A routine cleaning (even with a simple extraction) does NOT have to cost that much. Learn from me.

Kinda sad. This vet was a very nice guy with a wonderful staff and I have been there for years. He got WAY too comfortable and made too many assumptions and lost a good customer.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I think that's too much. Even with the extra's that our dog got when we took her in, it was around $300..and that's with extra stuff. Dh wanted her to be comfortable since she's an old dog but I don't know what that entailed. This year when I took her in, I made them go line by line and I told them what I wanted and what I didn't....she was still comfortable...she was knocked out, with extra blood work and some other stuff too, it cost a little over $200. So I don't know what that comfort package included when dh had it done. Definitely shop around and make them itemize.

 

[JR6ooo4]

do you brush the teeth regularly?

neither do we, hehehehehehe

Mikeeee

 

[Imzadi]

I just answered a similar thread about cats, where my ex-roomate's cat died.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2193175

Be really careful that this is a necessary cleaning and you are not simply being used to pay the Vet's rent (during this economic downturn,) at your dog's expense.

 

[Disney Ron]

OP...my DH was quoted very similar prices to you for our dog. He just laughed it off and said they must be nuts. We love our dog but would not pay that for his teeth cleaning. To bad there is not such a thing as Doggie Delta Dental coverage.

 

[puffkin]

I think that sounds high. I just paid a little over $600 for my cat, but that included a diagnostic vet visit, tons of bloodwork to rule out other problems (she was losing a lot of weight), antibiotics because her gums were infected, the cleaning, IV, pain meds and 11 teeth extractions. The poor things mouth was a mess once they got in there...no wonder she wasn't eating. It would have been a lot less if we hadn't needed the first vet visit and all the bloodwork to rule out other problems.

 

[Tantor]

do you brush the teeth regularly?

neither do we, hehehehehehe

Mikeeee

Okay, you are going to laugh....I do brush both my dog's teeth. It makes a HUGE difference. I was sick of paying to have the dog's teeth cleaned so now I brush!

 

[rbork]

Our Vet starts at 300$ for a cleaning and goes up from there depending on the LEVEL on cleaning/how much plaque and stuff they need to remove.
I was in for an annual and they recommended a cleaning. I asked for the charge ahead of time before I scheduled the appt. I felt bad but said no thanks, not at this time. AGAIN, choices are made in this economy and I don't have 300+ right now to clean the dogs teeth. Heck my kid is costing me 5700$ for orthodontic right now. SO, unfortunely the dogs teeth are on the back burner so to speak. CHOICES

 

[DawnCt1]

It sounds high to me too. A lot depends upon the age of the dog. After a certain age, and I don't have a clue what it is, an "older dog" needs preop blood work; kidneys, liver, etc. Jude builds up tartar and had a cleaning almost three years ago. He is due again. He is a great dog and I asked my groomer if she could scale his teeth. She did! She got a lot of stuff off and his teeth look good. I am making a point to brush his teeth often. She told me that every time she grooms him, she will clean his teeth. I prefer that to putting him to sleep. Clean teeth however are important to prevent diseases like endocarditis.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My dog was sick and I took him in on Thursday 3-12-09 (out-of-control allergies). THAT bill cost me $306 and we scheduled a teeth cleaning for Monday 3-16-09. They charged me $391.

I am surprised this would be scheduled so soon after dog was sick and presumably other medications were in his system. Red flag there, IMO.

Seems like MY vet gave my dog FOUR different pain meds under anesthesia!!! Then prescribed pain meds for at home. X-rayed his teeth, ran an IV........these are things that don't HAVE to be done unless there is a problem

.
You would need to look and see what the recommendations are of the AMVA re dental cleanings. They may recommend those things. Depending on the vet, they may or may not choose to follow the recommendations, but I wouldn't necessarily fault one for following them if they are the recommendations. One could argue you need the XRay to see if there are problems. And I don't know about four, but some pain medication seems humane as dental work is painful.

And to top it off they had told me that they would have to pull two of his teeth (rotten) but they only pulled one and said he might get another month or two out of that other rotten tooth!!! Within two weeks, his breath was horrid again..........so they could get almost $400 from me AGAIN.

That seems strange. Most probably would have pulled it the first time if it needed to come out, I'd think.

I'm curious now to see what my vet charges. I've never had it done to any of my dogs. My second German Shepherd died under anaesthesia during an unnecessary surgery. Because of that, my dogs don't go under unless absolutely necessary (even though anaesthesia is far safer now than it was back then). Last time I had my dog groomed, the groomer did a great job cleaning her teeth.

 

[Tantor]

Brushing Dog's Teeth = Less money spend on vet bills

My oldest dog is 10 and the vet say's she is in extremely good health. I brush their teeth every second day....takes seconds to do.

 

[MinnieMe2]

I'm putting $$$ together to have my oldest dog's teeth cleaned. He's an 8 1/2 year old basset, and even with routine brushing, he needs it done. It's expensive, but he'll feel better after, and I don't want him losing teeth any sooner than he has to.

By the way -- I started using a battery-operated toothbrush on the dogs a couple of years ago. They don't mind, and it does a great job!