Question for Cat People

[m4rk0]

there have been a lot of "show us your kitty" topics on here, so I know some of you are cat people..  apparently most guitarists are...

anyway, I have a general question, one of our cats seemed to be in terrible pain and smelled like hell since last week., so we had her  checked out today.
turns out she is not dying, but her teeth are in terrible state and most of them need to be pulled. no big deal, has to be done.
but the estimate I got was between $700 - $850. is that not ridiculously high? are we being ripped off or should we get a second opinion?
I expected it to be 200, but not up to 850!!!! that is a complete warmoth!!!!!!

 

[AndyG]

My wife is the cat person at our place (I'm the dog person), but, generally speaking, vets are not cheap.  We got an estimate for some dental work on our dog (a Golden Labrador), and it was just over a grand.
Where things get expensive with animals is the anesthetic.  Obviously, no animal will allow you to work in their mouths when they're awake!

We are lucky to have a family friend as our vet, so we do get a break on certain proceedures, but that estimate is about par for the course when it comes to dental work.

 

[bbl4ck]

I had a cat that had the same symptoms as yours.  Breath just smelt like Kaa Kaa.  Turned out we think he got a slight nudge by a car and busted and cracked a few of his teeth.  I think he had to have 4 teeth removed and the cost was ~$350, but that was 10 years ago.  Considering how the cost of everthing has gone up, that seems to probably be a fair price.  Good luck with kitty...  :icon_thumright:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I don't think that's high, especially considering the overhead at a Vet clinic and they went to the equivalent of med school to learn the A and P of more than one animal.  This is how they make it back without insurance.

 

[AutoBat]

veterinarians have quite the lucrative business, and animal anesthesia is never cheap.
I don't have money for my cats to get that type of luxury, so I have 1 that's missing a fang.  They're indoor cats, so it's not like it's the worst thing in the world.
If I had more cash, I'd probably have both their teeth cleaned up.  I have them on hippy cat food (chicken soup for the cat lover's soul) now. It's quite amazing how many petfood makers put fillers and other bits in their food that aren't really good for animals.

 

[swarfrat]

Yeah, not saying its cheap, but probably in line with anything you'll find anywhere. I gotta wonder about quality of life for a cat with no teeth though.

 

[Jusatele]

I have to agree with the quality of life
I love my cats. my current pair are around 12 years old and i would do a lot for them
But are you going be doing what is best for the cat ? Is it going to need special care to be able to eat with no teeth? or repeated trips to the vet to deal with gum issues?
What will happen and what will it's future be?
Why I ask is what would be best for the cat ?

 

[m4rk0]

What is the alternative?? she is in terrible pain right now.. and she is way to lively to put down..
she will keep her front teeth, and according to the vet it is no problem (and fairly common) for a cat to go without teeth..

Maybe I should call this lady...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP4NMoJcFd4

 

[Superlizard]

Vet bills today are yet another way the average schmoe gets bent over.

Plus, they have you by the sack "don't you want your pet to live?".

And they know it.

Oh and, I dig cats but I've got a dog and some Angry Birds...

 

[B3Guy]

call this lady. she keeps a low profile, but she's good with cats, that's for sure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs

 

[AndyG]

What is the alternative?? she is in terrible pain right now.. and she is way to lively to put down..
she will keep her front teeth, and according to the vet it is no problem (and fairly common) for a cat to go without teeth..

That's certainly where the fine line is.  We had a cat that developped kidney problems, and lost about half of her body weight inside of a week ... so the decision was obvious, even if it wasn't easy.
They say it is a sign of an affluent society when people can treat animals as part of the family.  Vets may take advantage of that, but for someone that needs as much schooling as a human doctor, what they charge is somewhat justified.  The number of people who treat their animals as disposible comodities when they get tired of them is truely sad.  Many animals do not get the medical services that they need.
As someone who has both cats and dogs, we realise that if something happens to one of our "fur kids", it is going to cost us.  But we are ok with that simply because we chose to have pets in the first place.
I'm sure that won't make spending the coin on the dental work any easier, but hopefully will help with the decision.  If the cat has a lot of potential years left, that one-time expense is worth it.  If the cat is older (even if it is still frisky), you have to judge whether its remaining years are worth the proceedure.  Not an easy decision, to be sure.
Good luck.

 

[Jusatele]

I am sorry, i THOUGHT it was all the teeth, ASSUME ASS, me ass for assuming

Sorry

 

[line6man]

I am sorry, i THOUGHT it was all the teeth, ASSUME ASS, me ass for assuming

Sorry

I always assumed you were an ass, anyways. :laughing7: