Question about Vet Cost (Neuter and Declaw Question)

[tiexgrr]

Hi everyone, (I apologize if this is the wrong forum)

It's been awhile since I've posted but Mozart and I are doing quite well. We just got back from the Vet this morning as he was due for his shots and a general exam.  

Anyway, while there I was discussing a few options with my Vet who again recommended Declawing Mozart in the front for medical reasons. He's had a persistant issue with a few of his extra toes, the nails are extremely difficult to cut and need constant monitoring (they have a bad habit of becoming ingrown VERY quickly.) Anyway, the Vet mentioned that it would be more cost effective to do all the front claws at once, rather then just the 3 extra's that cause him discomfort. This is due mostly to cost and as benefit to him. (This isn't due to scratching habit or personal choice on my part. Declawing is for the benefit of my Cat first and for most)

My question: 

I was quoted the following and I want to know if this is a reasonable price for the procedure. 

Feline Castration & Declaw                 - $279.50

Post Declaw pain medication              - $46.50

Cardiopet/Idexx Preanesthetic ECG     -$30.80

Laser Pain Management Post Surgical -$20.50

Total: $426.35 (with Tax)

I've never had these kind of procedures for a Cat before myself as my parents paid for the pets when I lived at home so I don't really have a base to work from. 

Is this on par with other vets? I'm fully willing to spend the money on my Cat, I'd prefer him healthy and happy over a padded bank account. 

Thanks everyone! 

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Not many members here are in favor of declawing cats since this forum advises against it. I would never do it to a cat, no matter what the circumstances. I would find some other way to solve the ingrown toenail situation.

 

[Willowy]

Yes, I would try to find an alternative to de-clawing as well. It's terribly painful and can cause lifelong problems, and a lot of vets seem to push it (pure profit!) so I don't know if you can trust that your vet is really doing the right thing for the cat.

As for pricing, I've never had a cat de-clawed so I don't know what the going rate is for that or the pain management. My vet charges $75 for a neuter and around $80 for pre-op bloodwork, but I've never had an ECG done pre-op (is there a reason your vet is concerned about your cat's heart?) so I don't know what that costs. But vet prices vary wildly. . .really the only way to know what the going rates are in your area is to call a lot of local vets and ask about their prices.

 

[angels mommy]

I have to agree with the others, even though it's because of a claw problem, I would find another way to manage it. Perhaps knowing that he has this problem, you can just always keep a close eye on them w/ weekly checks. Are you able to trim them yourself? If so, you may just have to do it more often. Otherwise, you could just take him in to have them cut every few weeks, or however often he needs it. (every 3wks?? only you know)

De-clawing can end up causing far more problems, like litter box issues because of pain, etc.. Even though it's for a non selfish reason, it may end up doing more harm that good. There are threads on here talking about this very problem from complications.

 

[jcat]

Several years ago (IIRC about 10) I found a polydactyl kitten with the same problem (claws on his extra toes digging into his pads) which were interfering with his walking, climbing, etc. and were almost impossible to cut properly. On the vet's recommendation, he was partially declawed, i.e., only on the extra toes, and that stopped the trouble. There's a big difference between declawing for medical reasons and doing it for the owner's convenience. I don't recall the exact amount I paid for his neuter, the partial declaw and follow-up, and gave his records to his new owner, but it was in the neighborhood of $300 back then, so the price you were quoted doesn't sound unreasonable.

 

[tiexgrr]

Though opinions may lean towards the "I'd never do it/ It may as well be abusive" side one also needs to consider the situation at hand and every situation is different. I appreciate all the feedback, however there are occasions when one must go against their own morals and act accordingly. 

Again, like I stated this isn't something I would personally choose, however being a polydactyl cat there is always that risk that the carrier of the genes (his father) can pass on a genetic mutation that results in a non-functional or deformed sets of extra claws (as I'm sure most know.) Unfortunately in Mozart's case the position of the extra claws and the way they have grown requires me to take him to the vet to have said nails clipped ($70for the visit). Unlike his normal claws his use of a scratching post doesn't help the natural shedding process. It is something that I could attempt at home sure, but not with out extreme difficulty and requiring two people as the process is difficult uncomfortable for him.

I don't condone the procedure of Declawing for cosmetic, or personal reasons such as saving your furniture, however if the reason is medical in nature and will greatly benefit the Cat then I see no issue I've used this vet my entire life for multiple pets I trust his opinion as he is the professional not I. If I could go another route I would. I've tried keeping up with it, I've tried encouraging his use of scratching posts/boards, and I’ve tried every option that I can think of with out any benefit. The fact is these claws need to be removed otherwise the costs of the vet visits will be exponentially higher then their removal.   

For me this is simply one of those moments when his needs outweigh my morals. I’ve waited a year to think about it and watching him suffer this long is long enough for me. 

 

[ldg]

I would only have the toes that have the problem declawed, I would not do the full declaw, "savings" or no.

 

[angels mommy]

I would only have the toes that have the problem declawed, I would not do the full declaw, "savings" or no.

  & by the way, 70.00 for a nail trim??  That sounds rediculous!!! Did you mean 7.00?

 

[Willowy]

Yes, if he's only having trouble with the extras, why remove all of them? Why deprive him of the normal use of his paws just because he has a few troublesome nails? I agree that the problem claws need removing, but not a full de-claw.

By saying it's more "cost effective", the vet seems to be saying "if you have to pay for claw removal at all, you might as well get a fully de-clawed cat out of it." Which is not very good reasoning if you're only concerned about the cat's well-being.

 

[ldg]

Costs $8.00 here for a nail trim. . Must be a typo or misunderstanding.

 

[tiexgrr]

Yes, if he's only having trouble with the extras, why remove all of them? Why deprive him of the normal use of his paws just because he has a few troublesome nails? I agree that the problem claws need removing, but not a full de-claw.
By saying it's more "cost effective", the vet seems to be saying "if you have to pay for claw removal at all, you might as well get a fully de-clawed cat out of it." Which is not very good reasoning if you're only concerned about the cat's well-being.

Costs $8.00 here for a nail trim.

. Must be a typo or misunderstanding.

No, $70 wasn't a typo. Not all vets offer grooming services. In my case it is classed as an exam the trim is extra on top of that. 

 

[tiexgrr]

Sorry I missed these two before, I thought I replied. 

I've never had an ECG done pre-op (is there a reason your vet is concerned about your cat's heart?) so I don't know what that costs. 

From what I understand it's no different then a pre-admit to a surgery we would have, they check all our vitals and what not. That's basically how he explained it.

. Are you able to trim them yourself? If so, you may just have to do it more often. Otherwise, you could just take him in to have them cut every few weeks, or however often he needs it. (every 3wks?? only you know)

Even though it's for a non selfish reason, it may end up doing more harm that good. There are threads on here talking about this very problem from complications.

I can trim 90% of them myself, however the extra three that cause problems are extremely difficult to get to, It actually requires two people and cause's him a large amount of discomfort to do it. I have to force his toes apart as far as they go just to get to them, and even then Its a guessing game on the location of the quick as the nails are abnormally shaped. 

 

[Willowy]

I don't know why a vet would charge MORE for removing 3 claws vs removing all of them, unless he's trying to coerce you into de-clawing :/ (and, yes, I've dealt with vets like that). There's absolutely no reason for that and I would tell him so. I mean, he has to get those 3 claws out anyway if he does a full de-claw, and cutting out the healthy claws isn't going to make it easier for him to get to the problem claws. Like I said, a lot of vets push de-clawing and that's just what this seems like to me :dk:.

 

[missymotus]

Declawing is only allowed here for medical reasons and would only be done on the effected claws.

No need to fully declaw when only a few claws are the issue

 

[ldg]

Being a student money also matters, that and the fact that the price isn't nearly Identical. I'll explore the option to see if the vet is willing to go that route, and will explore other vet options if I must.

I understand - don't need to be a student for money to matter. But as Willowy pointed out, there's no reason a partial declaw should cost more than a full declaw.
.

No, $70 wasn't a typo. Not all vets offer grooming services. In my case it is classed as an exam the trim is extra on top of that. 

Well clearly that's crazy. Do you live in an area where there aren't other vets? Taking your cat in for a nail trim should cost $7 or $8, maybe $10. Just as an FYI kind of thing. I've never heard of a vet charging an exam fee for a nail trim before. Our vet doesn't provide grooming services either - just the nail clipping services. They schedule the time with a vet tech, you bring kitty in, it takes about two minutes, and you're on your way. Before committing to the (hopefully partial) declaw, you may want to see if something like this is an option at a different vet, because requiring an exam for a nail trim is just nuts. Of course, taking kitty in for a trim every two weeks or so for life is a big commitment. I can understand considering the partial declaw. I can't understand even considering a full declaw, and I would tell my vet that I believe cats come with claws. Well, actually, I would find a claw-friendly vet, which is what we did. (They do declaws, but don't offer them up on the "menu" as "neuter and a declaw on the side?". They also provide educational materials first, and that's right, they do offer the application of Soft Paws service in addition to the nail clipping).

 

[ilovemia]

Hi everyone, (I apologize if this is the wrong forum)

It's been awhile since I've posted but Mozart and I are doing quite well. We just got back from the Vet this morning as he was due for his shots and a general exam.  

Anyway, while there I was discussing a few options with my Vet who again recommended Declawing Mozart in the front for medical reasons. He's had a persistant issue with a few of his extra toes, the nails are extremely difficult to cut and need constant monitoring (they have a bad habit of becoming ingrown VERY quickly.) Anyway, the Vet mentioned that it would be more cost effective to do all the front claws at once, rather then just the 3 extra's that cause him discomfort. This is due mostly to cost and as benefit to him. (This isn't due to scratching habit or personal choice on my part. Declawing is for the benefit of my Cat first and for most)

My question: 

I was quoted the following and I want to know if this is a reasonable price for the procedure. 

Feline Castration & Declaw                 - $279.50

Post Declaw pain medication              - $46.50

Cardiopet/Idexx Preanesthetic ECG     -$30.80

Laser Pain Management Post Surgical -$20.50

Total: $426.35 (with Tax)

I've never had these kind of procedures for a Cat before myself as my parents paid for the pets when I lived at home so I don't really have a base to work from. 

Is this on par with other vets? I'm fully willing to spend the money on my Cat, I'd prefer him healthy and happy over a padded bank account. 

Thanks everyone! 

My vet charges $55 nueter and extra $20 for front declaw or extra $40 for all 4 paws plus tax.  I know this because I had Mac nuetered 2 months ago and asked about the other too (did not have him declawed though).

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I haven't seen a cat, nor am I familiar with this problem. Sometimes a person just has to do what has to be done. I read where some others said do only the affected nails. I think that is what I would do in this case too. Your vet is charging an exorbitant price to trim nails. Maybe you should call some other vets in the area and ask for price comparisons. I do hope you get this problem fixed without any major issues. I am sorry you are having to deal with such an issue.

 

[ilovemia]

I would definately do it for the comfort of your cat. Oh, my vet is a country vet. I live in the corn belt of Illinois. 

 

[cococat]

A neuter for a cat around my area ranges from 30 dollars - 300 dollars.  Just depends.  Declawing costs around 250 at a cat clinic.