Sure - one of the things that worried me re Oscar.
deb, I agree with you. If the cat's teeth are brown, gums are inflamed, etc., then it might be worth considering. However...
I had this done to my precious kitty once, when she was 10 years old. I wish I hadn't. It took her about 3 days to recover. Then the vet had the audacity to tell me I should do it every year. "How often do you get YOUR teeth cleaned? Doesn't your pet deserve the same care?" They tried to tell me that if I didn't do it, the cat's teeth would eventually fall out and/or she would get ill. That made me so angry I walked out the door and didn't go back. What a scam.
BTW, she lived to the age of 16 with all teeth intact.
Pippy is a student, and therefore cannot afford frivolous expenses. (Who can?) I am afraid this vet is taking advantage of her.
yep - hard to know. How do your cat's teeth and gums look, Pippy?
yeah, his breath is just awful. and the groomer told me he has a lot of tartar (i cant disagree cause im not entirely sure what cat tartar is supposed to look like). hes even missing a tooth, which REALLY worries me. but he hasnt had trouble eating or complained any mroe than he usually does (being himiayan, hes very vocal when theres something bothering him) so i made him a check-up appt for monday. thats only going to set me back fifty dollars. what im worried about is that hes stressed out!! evas story about her kittie taking three days to recover worries me. today was enough of an ordeal for Pugsley. he was packed into his carrier, spent an hour getting to the groomer (three busses and a subway ride) got his poor little body shaved, and now its the middle of the night and im awake because he just puked all over my bed. on top of that, im moving and i have to take him on a trip to his new home (a couple more busses, a subway and a train) all in the next week. i dont think my baby can take much more! and seriously? raw chicken necks?! man thats nasty, but i bet its a heck of a lot cheaper and easier than more vet appointments! what about those little kittie toothbrushes? my Pugs is very mild-tempered for a himilayan, so i think hed let me brush his teeth myself.
Well, a well cat should have sort of slightly fishy breath - not stinky. Tartar looks like a brown crust. Try the chicken necks and the toothbrush first!
Fifty dollars just for a check up? Whoa!!!!!
But I think Little k may be our cat and vet expert!
forgot stuff: what choices do i have about what gets done to my cat?? they are insisting that he must also have booster shots (could have sworn i did booster shot a couple of years ago, how many can an indoor cat possibly need???), his eyes checked (im ok with that), and blood work done because he turned seven this year? thats where the bill starts adding up. why wont they accept that i have no money and will end up in collection for my credit cards if i have all this done?????
Uh huh. See what I mean?
"Whoa!" is right! MY doctor charges fifty dollars for MY checkups! (And my dental checkups are $65. $400 for a cat!?!)
What kind of booster shots, pippy? It is questionable if an indoor cat even needs most shots...they're not even exposed to feline leukemia, rabies, distemper, etc. if they don't come in contact with outdoor cats. Blood work? Just because the cat is seven years old? Huh uh. Blood work is only called for if they're looking for an answer to serious symptoms.
Find a new vet, pippy.
exactly! ive been putting off my OWN dental work all year! unless the vet tells me hes gonna die without it, i think ill skip the costly work.
So - don't get it all done!!!!!! What is the US vetocracy - a fascist dictatorship?
I haven't had shots for mine since they became indoor cats - taking them to the vet is a bit of a worry - but they haven't been since - hmmm - Oscar about two years ago - and Miranda since 1997.
What are you gonna DO about blood tests? Pugsley is not staying with you. Be assertive! Don't let them bamboozle you! You are the boss - go to a different vet if necessary. Any of your friends have a good one?
no clue what kind. just "shots." last time they gave him "all his shots" which cost a bundle and a half and now he needs more.
none are any cheaper, or any less evil. i live in a big city o everything is overpriced, unless i want to settle for sub-standard.
See my edited post above.
thanks for the help, i gotta get some sleep. its a lot later here than the little clock thingy on the screen there says it is.
Be assertive!!!!! VERY assertive. They cannot do anything you do not consent to. Take a mean friend if it will help to have back up. Sheeeesh!
I will never forget when a vet - without so much as a howdy do - put a needle through my Oscar's tummy into his bladder to get a wee sample! Now - this is a cat I could get wee samples from very easily - I fixed him with a basilisk stare and said I considered that an assault- an invasive procedure without consent. He sort of gobbled, and said that Oscar cannot GIVE consent. I said - no, that is why I am here - I have power of attorney - you check EVERYTHING you do with me from now on. ok?
Good luck Pippy!
let us know how it goes?
I keep my cats up to date on shots, but it does seem to have become controversial in the past three years for house cats. Yeah Pippy, I would start looking around for a new vet, just based on the idea of blood work as a routine for a healthy cat.
Good luck with the toothbrush, though. I tried it one time with one cat. No more.
I'm paying $45 or $50 for annual checkups and immunizations Deb, and this is not a big city. Cleaning can run a but over $100, but I've never heard of $400 for dental.
Check up AND immunization Roger - I thought Pippy spoke of just check up, immunizations extra?
Didn't find the reference, but that would be significantly higher. Well, Pippy mentions subways, so it's a bigger city than mine, and probably more expensive all around. I guess my hang up continues to be blood work as a matter of routine. That sounds like outright hustle. I've never heard of it, and I had one vet with really high rates, and another I considered an outright crook.
