Doggie Dentals

[Teacher Terry]

Wow they are expensive where we live. Our little Maltese had 4 teeth pulled and the cost was $600. Once we had a molar pulled that cost 500. It goes by the time it takes. Vet bills are so out of control that either people have less dogs or don’t care for them properly. The big guy has never needed one. It is a shame because we always have 4 dogs and now will eventually have 1 or 2 due to costs.

[Ultralight]

Yeah, the estimate for Harlan's next dental appointment is $1,200.

[Teacher Terry]

Is he a big dog? I would have thought this would be cheaper where you live. Our Maltese need one every year or 2.

[Yppej]

What do you do for preventive care? I was concerned because he was an 80 pound part German shepherd but my son insisted on sticking his hand inside the dog's mouth to brush his teeth every day. No dental bills, ditto the second dog.

[SteveinMN]

Our dog had her dental issues for a while. A few tooth extractions that ran into a few hundred dollars (she had to be anesthetized for some extractions) but nothing that ran as expensive as what's quoted here.

We asked the vet what we could do to prevent the repeat performances and they suggested some dental chews they offered. They did the trick. Apparently they are coated with an enzyme that combats decay as the dog chews. Ran about $10 a month for enough chews, but she never had to go back for dental care. I wish I could name them right now but we gave away the sticks a week or so ago. <short Web search later> They're Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews and apparently they're sold outside the vet's office as well.

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, thanks so much. I will be ordering some today. I brush the younger one daily but the old dog has gotten very grumpy and bites me if I try. We once paid a thousand for a dental. Vet care here is really expensive. My friends in the Midwest pay a third of what we do.

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, I ordered the chews and they will arrive on Saturday. The cost is certainly cheaper than dentals and then you don’t have the risk of anesthesia. I really hope it works for them. Thanks for the tip.

[SteveinMN]

Terry, you're welcome. Hope they work out for you and your pup!

[merince]

Brushing or chews help. Smaller breeds usually have more teeth issues. Ours get an annual cleaning which also helps.

[Teacher Terry]

I brush but don’t want my dogs knocked out yearly and since we often have 4 it gets super expensive due to high vet costs here.

[SteveinMN]

Around here groomers will do it, so we ask them to do so, at a lower cost than the vet. But brushing at grooming visits every 8 weeks or so (who knows how well they do it?) is not enough. And our dog wouldn't let us get closer with a toothbrush.

[pony mom]

I must be one of the few who actually runs out of doggie toothpaste and wears out toothbrushes. My tiny dog gets her teeth brushed every morning after I do mine; she likes the chicken flavor. Her canine teeth are stained near the gumline but my vet says her teeth are in good shape for her size/age.

[jp1]

One of our cats lets me brush his teeth. The other says "hell to the no" when we get anywhere near his mouth, and always has. A couple years ago both needed dentals so it didn't seem to help that I was brushing one's teeth. Now they're both senior citizens and have lost the majority of their teeth. At this point the vet thinks that the anesthesia would be worse for them than living with poor teeth (domesticated cats can live just fine without teeth. they build up calluses on their gums that are sufficient to even manage dry kibble.) so we'll not be doing dentals for them ever again. While I wish their teeth were in better shape I'm glad to not be spending $600/apiece on dental visits anymore. And a dental visit at this point would probably just amount to pulling most of what's left of their teeth anyway.

[gimmethesimplelife]

One of our cats lets me brush his teeth. The other says "hell to the no" when we get anywhere near his mouth, and always has. A couple years ago both needed dentals so it didn't seem to help that I was brushing one's teeth. Now they're both senior citizens and have lost the majority of their teeth. At this point the vet thinks that the anesthesia would be worse for them than living with poor teeth (domesticated cats can live just fine without teeth. they build up calluses on their gums that are sufficient to even manage dry kibble.) so we'll not be doing dentals for them ever again. While I wish their teeth were in better shape I'm glad to not be spending $600/apiece on dental visits anymore. And a dental visit at this point would probably just amount to pulling most of what's left of their teeth anyway.Wow, jp1...I'm amazed that one of your cats sits still and lets you brush it's teeth.....my cats have always been resistant to such. Rob

[Teacher Terry]

Dental disease leads to heart disease and death.

[jp1]

Wow, jp1...I'm amazed that one of your cats sits still and lets you brush it's teeth.....my cats have always been resistant to such. Rob

The mellow one is also fine with having his nails trimmed. The other, not so much...

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, the dental sticks arrived and all my dogs love them. I used to do a afternoon treat but now give this instead. I hope it works as well for them as it did for your dog.

[SteveinMN]

Hope so, too, Terry!

[Tiam]

I took my cats to the vet today. Now in the past I never took animals to the vet. My last cat never saw a vet and died at 20 years old, toothless. But now I'm trying to be the more 'responsible' pet owner. I'm not as desperately poor as I once was, so I'm trying. But it's expensive nonetheless. Anyway the vet said one cat had the beginnings of tooth and gum disease and could use a dental treatment. That kind of care is way to expensive for me to take on.

[Teacher Terry]

So I am playing the devils advocate here. You truly are too poor to afford it or aren’t willing to spend your money that way?