I think the starting quote for San Diego is around $400, but $750 might be the going rate for Los Angeles. It does sound high, though.

 

Make sure its an AAHA accredited vet hospital for best results and safest procedure.

 

Did the vet grade his dental disease? Given the asthma complication, I wouldn't consider it unless it's a high grade 2 bordering on 3.

I just got a quote for my small dog that was around $450 as well, but it's New Hampshire...so not really comparable. He also has grade 1 disease, which is an improvement over 2 years ago when I got him, it was grade 2 then. That was achieved just with giving him things to chew.

 

Definitely phone around and ask for quotes over the phone. Just about everywhere here charges the same; around 1,000 dollars... then I found a place (probably the only vet in the city) that does it for at least HALF that cost. Insane.

 

That seems a little high.. I got a quote for a full mouth extraction for $750 at my vet in LA. I got the same quote for $450 here in Indiana from a VCA vet.

I would definitely call around and if you live near the east side of LA I can give you the name of a great vet.

 

In SE Virginia I just had Coco's teeth cleaned by my cat only vet (no extractions) for $165 + $49 for blood work + $25 for antibiotics before and again afterwards. Grand total $264.

 

You have to compare apples with apples. Just like a human dentist they all don't practice the same. They dont all have the same training, certifications, skill levels.

Does your vet have the latest equipment including radiographs to assess the extent of disease and doing the invasive procedures? Was there a vet tech there to monitor the cats vital signs while the vet did the surgery? etc. There can be a lot involved if your going to get the best care and highest results in your cats dental.

 

Does your vet have the latest equipment including radiographs to assess the extent of disease and doing the invasive procedures? Was there a vet tech there to monitor the cats vital signs while the vet did the surgery? etc. There can be a lot involved if your going to get the best care and highest results in your cats dental.

No, no and no. They all charge the same, only explanation for it is that they're all in collusion... even if they use REALLY old equipment and don't have things like dental x-ray machines. Heck, half the time the vet tech is doing the cleaning, not the vet! And the procedure only takes about 30 minutes, high end an hour if they're pulling quite a few teeth.

 

Same for human dentists by the way, at least in Canada. There is a provincial fee guide and there is some variation of course as nobody has to charge at fee guide, but it has nothing to do with modern equipment or extra certification (unless it's a specialist) and everything to do with what the dentist wants to charge and going rate in the neighbourhood. Pricier doesn't mean better.


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I would definitely call around. I was quoted between $750 - $1000 and the woman that I bring my cats to for hand scaling recommended a clinic she knew was much more reasonable. They charged $260; this included anesthesia as well as 2 extractions. I, of course, researched this clinic beforehand to make sure my cat was in good hands. I was really happy with everything about it.

I should also add this is in the Bay Area which isn't cheap.

 

Thanks for all the responses! A quick follow up:

The vet diagnosed mild to moderate tartar build up, and mild gingivitis (which would make it a grade "1"). So while he definitely recommends treatment, and sooner the better, he wasn't too concerned with waiting a few months.

The actual estimate from them is $525 to $900. It includes full cleaning by a registered technician, a dedicated assistant for monitoring, full digital X-rays, EKG, and more. The cost increase is in case we want sealant, and in case there's a blood pressure drop and they use IV fluids.

We'll wait a couple of months, letting his asthma control stabilize, and the reassess and compare prices. (Thank you for the AAHA accreditation tip.) Hope this information comes in handy for others.

 

The actual estimate from them is $525 to $900. It includes full cleaning by a registered technician,

A registered tech is nice, but that doesn't mean they're any better than someone else.

dedicated assistant for monitoring,

Read into that them checking the pulse and respiratory rate maybe twice, the rest of the time there's a machine beeping telling them what they need to know.

full digital X-rays, EKG, and more.

I don't think these things are important/expensive (while the machine is expensive, when you're using it daily for an entire career it certainly pays for itself in short order)/time consuming.

So yeah... they can make it sound fancy, but most likely it isn't.

 

X-rays Are Important!!

 

I knew that would come across wrong. :lol: The important bit was referencing DIGITAL x-rays. A 30 year old machine can still get the job done.

 

OK! Thanks for the clarification!

 

Update:

Cost
I talked to 6 clinics/hospitals in the area, and it looks like $500 is the minimum cost no matter what. While the base price (which includes cleaning, scaling, anasthesea, IV fluids) can be as low as $300, you add pre-anasthetic bloodwork and X-ray, each costing $60-100, and perhaps some meds to go home with, and you're easily at $500. Also if you're not doing it at your regular vet you need a preliminary exam for another $50-60. Extractions add between $15 and $120 per tooth.

A few of the well-regardless places completely refused to give any pricing without an exam. I understand now how pricing the procedure is fairly complex, has many components and why it can vary and cause frustration. (One Yelp reviewer gave a low rating because her cost was double the estimate, but admitted her dog needed 11 extractions (which makes you wonder if she could've noticed the situation sooner for the dog's sake)). The solution is to educate the consumer, though, not hide information.

Practices
Most places have technicians do the procedure, the minority have vets doing it. Sometime the vet handles the anesthesia and supervises, sometimes it's 2 technicians, but if extractions are needed the vet always does them. It's hard to get precise answers, but it seems that in most places the 2nd tech/vet who administers the anesthesia is not present 100% of the time for the duration of the procedure. Many do it at a central treatment room so the 2nd tech is right there but their presence is shared between more than one pet.
Everyone I talked to said they use EKG for monitoring, and use digital X-Rays and not older film radiography. Hopefully that indicates usage of modern equipment.

If your pet needs extended recovery and an overnight stay due to complications, none of the places are staffed for that and would refer you to an emergency center (which may or may not be next door). Admittedly (and thankfully) this is rarely needed.

One tip I learned is to ask if they do bloodwork in-house or ship it out, to understand how comprehensive and serious the clinic is. OTOH at the place that gave me the best impression, the vet said they can do in-house but she prefers to send it out because she can get a bit more information.


Last, as with human healthcare, you can't just shop for it as you would on Amazon. We're already on our 4th vet in 2 years (1st was next to the adoption center for free treatment of a preexisting condition, 3rd because we moved, 4th because we weren't happy), plus a specialist, so there's this growing paper trail that needs to be transferred every time. You end up spending extra on new-patient exams and similar tests, or risk details getting lost between practices. And unnecessary vet trips aren't helping the cat's well-being either. So if your current vet is good (short of stellar) and somewhat pricey, there's still a strong incentive to give up and just stick with them.