Guess who had a dental appointment last week? Our favourite four-legged family member, Piper:
For dogs, a tooth cleaning isn’t a simple appointment involving a chatty hygenist and a lecture about the importance of flossing. It’s kind of a big deal. First of all, it’s an all-day appointment that requires bloodwork beforehand, anesthetic, IVs, and monitoring. Our vets have always insisted on x-rays because you can’t see if there are issues under the gum line. I want to trust them. I do. After all, THEY are the experts and I am not. That being said, it’s important to remember that pet care is a for-profit business.
If you are a pet owner, you know how quickly all of this adds up and how expensive it can be, especially as it pertains to dog (and cat!) dentistry. Heaven forbid there needs to be an emergency extraction done while the dog is lying on the table. Unforeseen issues can add hundreds of dollars to a relatively routine cleaning (although it’s anything BUT routine, seeing as they put the dog under while they do it).
Here’s the dog dental cost breakdown (after tax) of our most recent appointment:
- Hospitalization:$62.33
- Anesthesia: $282.50 (This includes exam, medications, monitoring, recovery and care.)
- Fluids: $95.46
- Dental eval and clean: $139.67
- Full mouth dental x-ray $207.92
The total for our appointment was $787.88, which does not include the $180 for bloodwork we paid the week before. Sigh. The reason I am sharing the costs here is that I think it’s time to have an open dialogue about the cost of these particular veterinary services. Is this what other pet owners in Ottawa have experienced? Is it more, or less, than the average? My mother thinks it might be cheaper in rural areas, but I’m not sure about that.
Don’t get me wrong. The staff at our vets are so great. They’re very kind and caring, and I do believe Piper has been treated well, but I’m hoping that other Ottawa dog owners will find this post and share the price of their dental care for (a) a cost comparison and (b) a good discussion.
Related: Some vets recommend these Dog Oral Hygiene Chews for her teeth. At the very least, this brand appears to be getting good reviews from Amazon customers, so I may pick up a bag in order to supplement her nightly brushing. (YES. We have committed to brushing her teeth every day. Does everyone do this? We just can’t afford not to, and of course, we don’t want Piper to lose any teeth.)
We always get asked about pet insurance at the vet’s, which we don’t have. What we DID do was skim a bit off each paycheque and sock it away in a TFSA. I think it’s better than pet insurance, although we’ve drained it now and need to start all over again. Sigh.
I’d love to hear your two cents about dog dentistry in Ottawa, or where ever you are!
