Took my cat in for what the vet said would be a routine dental cleaning. Estimate was $650-800. They call me 3 hours later saying they found 4 teeth that need extraction and the bill is now $1,750. I said yes because what am i gonna do, leave my cat with rotten teeth? But seriously how is it legal to double an estimate like that. My insurance covers illness not dental so im eating this whole thing. Anyone else had this happen??
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happened to me last year. estimate was $500 for cleaning, ended up being $1,400 with extractions. they cant really know whats going on until the cats under anesthesia and they can probe each tooth properly. still hurts tho
yeah the vet explained that too but it would be nice if estimates were a bit more realistic. like at least warn me it could be that much more
I work at a vet clinic so I can explain this a bit. We literally cannot see whats happening below the gumline until we take dental x-rays under anesthesia. A tooth that looks fine on the surface can have a resorptive lesion underneath thats destroying the root. We always try to give accurate estimates but dental work is the one area where surprises are super common. Most clinics will call you before doing extra work to get approval, which it sounds like yours did.
this is helpful to know. i have a dental scheduled for next month and now im gonna mentally prepare for the worst lol
Pro tip: some insurance companies DO cover dental disease (not just dental injuries). I switched to a plan that covers dental illness specifically because my older cat needs cleanings every year. Might be worth looking into for next time.
my dogs dental was quoted at $400 and came back at $1,100. i literally cried in the parking lot. these bills are no joke. at least your cat will feel so much better with those bad teeth out