Tooth Extraction Cost And How To Ease Pain Until The Time Comes

[TobiDaDog]

My senior cat Sir (11-12ish?) has been a bit on the grouchy side lately. Now this...this is unusual. My family jokes that he 'had way too much catnip in his youth' because he's extremely laid back. Nothing phases him. Nothing. I once found my 1 year old niece sitting on his head, squishing him. He was just lying there accepting it. Sometimes you have no idea that you're standing on his tail until you look down and see him quietly staring up at you as if to say 'are you going to get off now?'

But yes, lately he's been a grump. Hissing at poor Reese, not wanting to be petted, even breaking his manners and stealing food from the counters. A total change in behavior from the gentle oaf that I know.

He was sitting on my lap a few weeks ago and I noticed that he had a particularly foul odor coming from his mouth. It took three people to attempt to pry his mouth open and we all failed miserably and came away with nasty scratches.

Since then he's had even MORE of an attitude change, to the point that he is no longer the king of cheek rubs because he doesn't want his sore mouth touching anything. I was able to lift his jowl while he was sleeping yesterday (on his good side) and he was fine, but the second I touched his other side he leaped up out of a dead sleep ready to fight me.

I finally managed to get a look in there and just as I suspected, he has a nasty looking broken canine tooth. (His other canine fell out in a fight with a stray tom years ago)

I would have taken him to the vet for it the moment I noticed his discomfort, but the same day I was issued a summons for court saying I was being sued for thousands in unpaid medical bills. (This is being disputed...I don't owe anyone anything)

Right now every extra penny that I've got has gone into unexpected court costs, but I'm coming into some money soon to get this resolved...does anyone know what it costs to get a tooth extracted? And if there's anything I can do to ease his pain in the meantime?

Not to mention the fact that I don't know a thing about this procedure like recovery time, whether he'll have to stay overnight, things of that nature.

All I know is that my poor boy is in pain!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Would anything here help?

(apologies for any dead links you may encounter);
Financial Assistance – Day By Day Caregiver Support Inc.

Financial Aid for Pets

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

You should look into these to help with his anxiety associated with the issue;
Only Natural Pet has a product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Music can be useful in general in helping a cat to relax whether they are healthy and especially when they're not (not 24 hours a day though, just now and then for a couple hours or so). Musicforcats . com, or there's an app called Relax My Cat or there is low volume classical harp music.

You could try one of these, only a small selection of a fast-growing section of pet products;
Richard's Organics Pet Calm-this one is drops that you put on the tip of the tongue. Also, Quiet Moments Cat treats, and there is Calming Care, Calm-o-mile, Sentry, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-ease, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe.

Also Thunderease has diffusers as does Sentry, Comfort Zone and feliway as mentioned although diffusers are expensive and not always the answer.

If it's legal where you are, you might want to check with your vet but some people have good results with CBD oil, plus there are vet-prescribed calming products too.
Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This discussion's post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi TobiDaDog .

I want to suggest that you "move heaven and earth" in order to get Sir in to see the Vet ASAP.....and, rather than spend good money on 'snake oil' remedies, use it for the exam and pain meds. ("Music for Cats" could help with ambiance)

Even if the actual surgery is to be scheduled for a little further down the road, you could get pain meds (and antibiotics if required) to tide him over the hopefully short interim.

Dental pain can be excruciating - the drastic changes in his behaviour really demonstrate that - and, on top of that, the condition itself can easily negatively impact other aspects of his senior health.

I've read of people using "Care Credit" for short-term help....perhaps consider that.

There will be lots of time to discuss the pre and post-surgery issues.....for now, he needs to be made comfortable and kept otherwise healthy.

[Once the pain is under control, you'll find a reputable and reliable coverage of all the pertinent issues around dental surgery (for any cat) here: Tanya's Guide - Dental Problems]
.

 

[daftcat75]

Budget for $1200.

This is on the high side but it's better the surprise to be a pleasant one than not so much.

He'll need sedation, X-rays, IV, and injections before they even open his mouth. That's where most of your cost is going to come from. They will also send you home with prescriptions for an antibiotic and pain medicine. That's where more expense comes in. The actual tooth extraction will probably run you about $125. It's crazy but the tooth will probably be the least of the costs. It's all necessary so don't try to nickel and dime this. If you cut corners to cut costs, it could come back to bite you. The mouth is very important and worth every penny because that's the entry point for nutrition and a guardian against infection.

 

[daftcat75]

Some notes for expectations:

1. Turn down the Convenia, long-lasting antibiotic, injection. Many cats do just fine with this drug. But if yours is one who has a reaction, he can be in for a very long and miserable ride waiting weeks for it to clear his system. A week of Clindamycin should be sufficent. He'll hate it but do it anyway. An infection that gets down into the bone is going to be so much worse than the struggle he'll give you over the drops.

2. Some cats react poorly to Buprenorphine SR, a 72-hour opioid. Mine reacts poorly to not getting it. The shorter acting (12 hours?) buprenorphine either isn't strong enough or doesn't last long enough. The two times I've passed on this thinking I'd pick up the pain relief at home, Krista was an angry, feral beast. Completely different from her normally sweet on everyone personality. It's enough that the next time she needs extractions, I'd rather she be "out of it" for three days than angry and in pain. An angry cat cannot be medicated so she had to be calmed down before I could even resume her pain relief from home. You can search online or these forums for Bupe-SR or Buprenorphine SR and make your own decision.

3. Since you'll have time between now and when you can get this taken care of, please ask for a prescription for transdermal buprenorphine gel. This will help you get around the limited amount of oral opioids they would want to send you home with. It will also be so much easier to give him. You would squirt out the prescribed dose onto a finger cot and rub that into a thin hairless area inside the top of his ear.

4. If you do have to give oral buprenorphine, it is both easier and harder than other liquids to administer. Easier because it needs to be absorbed through the gums or cheek so you only peel back a lip, rather than prying open his mouth, and shoot down towards the space between cheek and gum. Harder because if he swallows it, it's not effective. Another reason why I prefer transdermal. Oral bupe doesn't taste bad at all. You could ambush him in his sleep with this stuff especially because he doesn't have to swallow it.

5. Whenever Krista has oral pain either leading up to her next round of extractions or coming home from them, I follow the pain medicine schedule religiously whether she seems out of it or needs it or not. It's easier to stay ahead of the pain than to catch up to it.

 

[daftcat75]

The foul smell suggests there may already be an infection. You should take care of this ASAP. The complications of delaying this can get way more pricey than doing it now.

 

[daftcat75]

One more recovery expectation:

The antibiotics will soup his poops. No way around that. You might be tempted to give probiotics or pumpkin but those would reduce the effectiveness. You could give probiotics separately from antibiotics like separate meals. But pumpkin will reduce the absorption of the antibiotics so don’t give him that. Put out an extra litterbox and bear it. It’s only seven days.

The antibiotics can also affect his appetite. If you notice that his eating doesn’t return to normal or it slows down as the antibiotic week goes on, ask the vet about anti nausea or appetite stimulant drugs.

Antibiotics may make him miserable. But it’s nothing compared to what he must be going through now. Please look into Care Credit, a credit card, or whatever and get it done.

 

[TobiDaDog]

Thanks for all your answers guys. I brought it up to a co-worker who goes to the same vet that I do. She had to take her senior in for a similar problem last month and he had four teeth pulled for $160. Well within my ability to pay for and much better than the thousands I was expecting to have to spend. I'll be making an appointment for him ASAP.

 

[daftcat75]

I have no idea how you are going to get the bill that small unless they tie a string around his tooth and slam a door. I don't even think you can get sedation and X-rays for that little, and I wouldn't trust the job with anything less. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to see a copy of your invoice when you're done.

 

[TobiDaDog]

I have no idea how you are going to get the bill that small unless they tie a string around his tooth and slam a door. I don't even think you can get sedation and X-rays for that little, and I wouldn't trust the job with anything less. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to see a copy of your invoice when you're done.

She says that they only charged her for the cost of each tooth, the bloodwork, and the anesthesia. They even tested him for FIV for free and didn't charge for his overnight care. She said that he received excellent post op care as well. I don't doubt it from this particular vet even if I was expecting a bit higher cost. They do fantastic work and care for the animals.

They have received hundreds of good reviews saying just that...that they don't nickel and dime people and still take good care of the animals, no half efforts for half the price. It's why I switched to them.

I was actually the one that recommended this vet to my co worker some time ago and she loves them.

Didn't expect such a small price, but I do trust them.

 

[daftcat75]

I’m happy it’s affordable. I’d still love to see the invoice when you get back.

Get ‘er done!

 

[TobiDaDog]

He is going in for surgery on Tuesday morning

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[adering]

Just a secondary observation. If I were suddenly sued by someone, even if it was something completely in error, I would not delay pet health treatments. Forget losing the case. Even if you win the case, it can take a long, long time to get to that point. If whoever is suing you wants to get really clever, they might get a judge to basically tell you that you are no longer allowed to spend your own money without court approval. You could end up having to "ask" for permission to use your own money on your cat, and there's no guarantee the judge will take your side.

 

[TobiDaDog]

Just a secondary observation. If I were suddenly sued by someone, even if it was something completely in error, I would not delay pet health treatments. Forget losing the case. Even if you win the case, it can take a long, long time to get to that point. If whoever is suing you wants to get really clever, they might get a judge to basically tell you that you are no longer allowed to spend your own money without court approval. You could end up having to "ask" for permission to use your own money on your cat, and there's no guarantee the judge will take your side.

It hasn't been a matter of choosing whether to withhold any care or money...it's more of a matter of I don't HAVE the money. I don't have a thousand dollars to my name. If I had the money on hand, I'd have done it the moment the issue came up. You can't spend what you don't have in your pocket though.

Not to mention that this has been an extremely unexpected issue on both accounts. I was issued a summons for court on the last WEEK of my '21 days' that the paperwork said, meaning that they withheld the papers until the last minute. I was forced to plead guilty in order to pursue anything further, which cost me nearly $200 to file AND I have to pay a matching fee to the opposing side's lawyer. That's $400 right out the gate on top of the $2,000 that I am being sued for.

I have had to pay off another medical bill out of pocket $5,000 in the same week. That leads me to having paid $5,500, with another $2,000 pending. On top of regular bills and having to pay for cat food, dog food, and litter, that leaves me with...basically nothing.

I was thrilled to find that the bill for the vet would come to less than $200, because that's basically the last scrap of money that I have in my pocket.

 

[Furballsmom]

Would anything here help?

(apologies for any dead links you may encounter);
Financial Assistance – Day By Day Caregiver Support Inc.

Financial Aid for Pets

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

 

[TobiDaDog]

I was able to cover the costs, thanks. And after much hard work and racing all over town to different law offices, I got the entire lawsuit dropped, so no more funneling money into that!

Sir is in surgery right now.

 

[betsygee]

That's great news all the way around. Let us know how he does.

 

[white shadow]

.
I'm happy for you that all's settled away on that front....for me, that kind of thing was very stressful and draining.

Something I have done with excellent results is , after dental surgeries, to confine and isolate these cats to one room and allow them to recover all by themselves. It just works best for all, most especially for the recovering patient.

Consider that - prep of the room is best done beforehand.

If he eats wet foods, consider picking up a few cans of "Hill's a/d" from the hospital. Most cats find it irresistible, it's like a smoothie in texture and can be easily syringed if needed.

Remember pain meds!

Will stay tuned.
.

 

[Furballsmom]

I was able to cover the costs, thanks. And after much hard work and racing all over town to different law offices, I got the entire lawsuit dropped, so no more funneling money into that!

Sir is in surgery right now.

Good for you,

to Sir!!