the Cost of Dental Care for Dogs

pre-anesthesia blood work panel, dental X-rays, one tooth extraction, cleaning and polishing of teeth, toenails trimmed

I took my dog in at 7:30 a.m. After he was weighed I was given paperwork to sign and then I left. The vet, who is a specialist in canine dentalwork, called me personally around 9 a.m. to report that everything had gone well. He told me about the tooth extraction and also explained what I needed to do for my dog when he got home and he told me I could pick my dog up at 10:30. The vet was friendly and explained things very well. When I went to pick up my dog I also received written instructions. Every procedure was itemized on the bill. The anesthesia was the most expensive. Because my dog has bad teeth I had authorized X-rays when I signed the paperwork earlier. The bloodwork is something the vet requires before any procedure that requires anesthesia. This is very important because if there is anything wrong with an animal that can be detected through bloodwork, you don't want to give it anesthesia. The receptionist and technicians were all very friendly and obviously love animals. After I paid my bill, I waited about 15 minutes before my dog was brought to me. He is small and the technician delivered him right into my arms. It was a very good experience.

Feb. is National Dental month and the vet gives a 5% discount for appointments made in Feb. Dental cleaning is as important to animals as it is in humans so it is worth the cost. Make sure to follow the instructions the vet gives you when you make the appt. I was not to feed my dog after 6 p.m. the previoius night and no water was allowed after midnight.