Teeth! Just Had A Shocking Conversation With My Vet!

[Azazel]

Ailish just had her teeth cleaned last week and the way my vet does it is I have a choice. If they get in there and she needs an extraction they call me to get permission. I can decide that if they can't get ahold of me they go ahead and do it OR if they don't get ahold of me they don't do it without my permission. I elected to have them go ahead, since I would do it anyway and I don't want them to have to keep her under until I get back to them or have to put her under again to do the extraction. Plus, the bill is itemized, so I would see any extractions.

I read cats can resorb their teeth, so that could have happened. I can't imagine they would extract and it wouldn't have an effect on the bill!

This is what my vet does too. They always call to get permission before pulling teeth. Partly because it costs money.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ This is nice . Never had a chance to see a chart of kitty teeth !

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[riley1]

I thought the original issue too was that they pulled teeth without telling you. Which wouldn't make sense because extractions are expensive and they don't usually do that for free.

But they were already missing at the time of the dental right? So many pets have the wrong number of teeth just due to genetics or them falling out, it is extremely common for them to be a bit crooked also just like in people. I can't imagine them just not mentioning hey btw there are a few teeth already missing being a reason to never go back, that is a bit harsh.

However if they gave you a dental chart that shows all the teeth in the mouth, like below, and just failed to mention the ones missing I would be a little annoyed sure because that is just lazy. I dunno. They did a major procedure on your cat, they kept it safe during that procedure, it now has a happy healthy mouth thanks to them, I just would say it is a bit of an overreaction to discredit them for not mentioning a few missing teeth that they didn't even remove...

This is what I have a problem with! 1. I brought my cat in about two weeks after I got her to be checked over by my vet. She had all of her teeth & was about 1 year old. 2. I brought her in once or twice a year for vaccinations and wellness exam. Apparently, she was loosing her teeth all along and nothing was said! 3. I ASKED about a dental 18 months ago, she had it and was missing 6 teeth and I was never told anything! 4. I brought her in about 6 weeks ago for a rabies shot and they said she needed a dental and may need a tooth pulled. I think by this time she had lost a total of 7 teeth and nothing was said. I got a call asking if I want the bad tooth pulled and was told one of her canine's was going bad. I told them to pull the bad tooth and leave the canine. (I did not understand that she was reabsorbing her teeth). 5. Last Friday I noticed a upper canine was missing and I wanted to verify that this was the canine that was going bad so I talked to my vet. It was not until I said she has already lost TWO teeth and I don't want her to lose anymore that the vet SAID she has lost a total of NINE teeth. I asked how many were lost 18 months ago and she said six. I said I was shocked that nothing had been said about her tooth lost in 4 1/2 years in that she had been to see the vet at least 5 times during that period. The vet said she normally talks about these things at checkout after the dentals but didn't see me. She said most people don't care. (she knows I feed my cat raw food and bring her in every time she sneezes!). She said it would not changed the outcome. She said recently she had developed a procedure that they gave out the dental chart; didn't I get one? NO, I got a big bill and a rabies certificate! I just kept expressing my shock. I never said I was leaving the clinic as I had not thought that far ahead but she said "well, we can go ahead and deactivate your chart! SO, YOU THINK MY LEAVING HER PRACTICE IS A BIT HARSH?????? I have paid these people a lot of money to take care of my cat. Her behavior has been slipshod and careless!

 

[riley1]

~ This is nice . Never had a chance to see a chart of kitty teeth !

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Thank you! Wish I would have been given one of these at any point!

 

[Azazel]

This is what I have a problem with! 1. I brought my cat in about two weeks after I got her to be checked over by my vet. She had all of her teeth & was about 1 year old. 2. I brought her in once or twice a year for vaccinations and wellness exam. Apparently, she was loosing her teeth all along and nothing was said! 3. I ASKED about a dental 18 months ago, she had it and was missing 6 teeth and I was never told anything! 4. I brought her in about 6 weeks ago for a rabies shot and they said she needed a dental and may need a tooth pulled. I think by this time she had lost a total of 7 teeth and nothing was said. I got a call asking if I want the bad tooth pulled and was told one of her canine's was going bad. I told them to pull the bad tooth and leave the canine. (I did not understand that she was reabsorbing her teeth). 5. Last Friday I noticed a upper canine was missing and I wanted to verify that this was the canine that was going bad so I talked to my vet. It was not until I said she has already lost TWO teeth and I don't want her to lose anymore that the vet SAID she has lost a total of NINE teeth. I asked how many were lost 18 months ago and she said six. I said I was shocked that nothing had been said about her tooth lost in 4 1/2 years in that she had been to see the vet at least 5 times during that period. The vet said she normally talks about these things at checkout after the dentals but didn't see me. She said most people don't care. (she knows I feed my cat raw food and bring her in every time she sneezes!). She said it would not changed the outcome. She said recently she had developed a procedure that they gave out the dental chart; didn't I get one? NO, I got a big bill and a rabies certificate! I just kept expressing my shock. I never said I was leaving the clinic as I had not thought that far ahead but she said "well, we can go ahead and deactivate your chart! SO, YOU THINK MY LEAVING HER PRACTICE IS A BIT HARSH?????? I have paid these people a lot of money to take care of my cat. Her behavior has been slipshod and careless!

I don’t think you’re overreacting. There are too many vets out there to have to stick with one that doesn’t give you all the information you deserve to know. If the vet is sloppy with providing information to me then I worry that they are also sloppy with taking care of my cats.

 

[FeralHearts]

Wow. Okay, they never said a word. Yes, I'd be really miffed as that's not an oversight. That's, IMHO, a big fail on keeping up on kitties overall health.

XOXOXO