Veterinary costs reality check

[teppi]

Hello everyone,

I originally took Taro to the vet because he had watery eyes and I wanted to get them checked out and he had a general wellness exam at the same time. The vet said he looked well, except he seemed overweight (at 540g, really??) and that his teeth looked good... and I came home with some antibiotic eye drops for him. A few days later I noticed his chest fur was damp and that he seemed to be pawing at his mouth quite frequently. I asked the vet if she might have possibly injured him during the dental exam (because I know my little guy is a wild beast and does NOT like to be handled) and she kind of brushed it off. A week later the drooling was definitely getting worse so I took him back. The vet said instead of using a speculum to examine his mouth like she did the first time, she used a different instrument and got a better look. Said his teeth have worn down unevenly and created points that are ulcerating his tongue and they need to be filed down. Then I got an estimate for the procedure, including a head xray and got the worst sticker shock of my life.
For a tooth filing, it's 1,250.00 on the low end and 1,350.00 on the high. I realize I live in a very expensive city but this seems like way too much. Wondering if folks wouldn't mind looking at the breakdown and letting me know if it seems realistic or exorbitant? I'm thinking I may want to get a second opinion.

Much appreciated!

 

[Amethyst]

It's been awhile since I had a chin need teeth filing (like 20 years) but I think it was more like in the $200 range, maybe a bit less. I would definitely get a second opinion.

 

[teppi]

Thanks for the reply Amethyst. I know I'm a skeptic by nature but the timing of this all just makes me suspicious. Taro has never had dental issues. Of course it is possible that the teeth are pointy and need to be filed. But the vet first tells me his teeth are all good, symptoms show up after, she reverses her diagnosis and gives me this estimate. It just doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

 

[BellaBella]

That is very high. I take my girl in about every six months to get points filed down and it’s usually @$250. X-ray would be about another $2-250. I go to an exotics only vet.

 

[JamaisVu]

Everything on that list seems to be extremely on the high end. I go to an exotics only vet and X-rays are ~ $200 (including the ~$50 sedation costs). The one time I was concerned about teeth problems, the vet told me that if they needed to file down teeth it would be around $200-$250.

The only time I had a quote anywhere that high was when I was considering surgery for one of my chins. I'd definitely get a second opinion.