# How much does it cost to pull cat teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795 "2002-11-15T01:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/1 "2002-11-15T01:26:25Z")
One of my little girls has a bad case of [feline stomatitis](http://www.dentalvet.com/vets/cats/feline_stomatitis.htm) that neither antibiotics nor cortisone has been able to cure. The symptoms are much less severe while she is medicated, but come back in full force as soon as medication is stopped. It looks like she will need to have most or all of her teeth pulled. I know this sounds drastic, but the more I research it, the more it seems like this is really the best option. [This VET](http://www.pettribune.com/2001/090101/catsmeow2.html) sez: > [@](#): > > I just wish you could see how happy these cats are once the teeth are extracted and the gums return to a normal pink state. Four or five days of post-operative discomfort, which can be controlled with pain medication, and you will have your happy cat back. And don’t worry for a second about how your cat will eat without many of his or her teeth. Has anybody ever had a tooth pulled (for whatever reason) in a cat? I’m wondering what the cost is going to be. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/2 "2002-11-15T01:27:30Z")
Hmm. I suppose this should have been in GQ. Oh well, there are probably more cat people in MPSIMS anyway. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/3 "2002-11-15T02:15:52Z")
{joke}An operation like this is bound to be quite expensive. Why don’t you ask the dentist what supplies to purchase and do the job at home? Please be sure to tape your attempt and post on the web so that everyone can take notes.{joke} Seriously, I hope your cats recover fully. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/4 "2002-11-15T02:30:41Z")
My cat has the very same thing, and it’s miserable. I’m sure that prices vary, but it was supposed to cost me in the neighborhood of $200-300 (I can’t remember if it was $170 or 270) to have all of her teeth, from the canines back, extracted. Unfortunately, when I took her in for surgery, the vet decided that extracting her teeth wouldn’t help after all, and that she might just have a food allergy. Even more unfortunately, the prescription food that costs $30/10# isn’t helping much either. You’ve inspired me. I’m going to call him and ask him again if pulling her teeth might help; otherwise I’m afraid she’ll have to be euthanized. ☹ She’s just miserable, poor thing. Your vet should be able to give you a very close estimate, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/5 "2002-11-15T02:31:34Z")
My cat has the very same thing, and it’s miserable. I’m sure that prices vary, but it was supposed to cost me in the neighborhood of $200-300 (I can’t remember if it was $170 or 270) to have all of her teeth, from the canines back, extracted. Unfortunately, when I took her in for surgery, the vet decided that extracting her teeth wouldn’t help after all, and that she might just have a food allergy. Even more unfortunately, the prescription food that costs $30/10# isn’t helping much either. You’ve inspired me. I’m going to call him and ask him again if pulling her teeth might help; otherwise I’m afraid she’ll have to be euthanized. ☹ She’s just miserable, poor thing. Your vet should be able to give you a very close estimate, I believe. Hope your kitty recovers. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/6 "2002-11-15T03:19:44Z")
Well, $200-$300 I can handle. Heck, all of the up-front diagnistics & bloodwork has set me back $800+ so I was afraid it would end up being a thousand or more for actual surgery. Even if pulling the teeth might not help, I’d have to do it anyway before considering euthanasia. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/7 "2002-11-15T03:48:40Z")
We have a cat who has had to have teeth removed a few times because of a genetic gum disorder. I don’t know the cost-although I could ask my mother. Noel is pretty chipper-in fact, prior to the diagnosis, she was acting really sullen and grouchy, and now she’s back to how she was as a kitten-super affectionate, silly, snotty Noel. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/8 "2002-11-15T04:18:15Z")
It cost about $60 to have two of our cat’s teeth pulled. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/9 "2002-11-15T04:44:06Z")
I can also attest that our cat was a lot happier after having about eight teeth pulled. ---
**Author:** ![ghandi5569](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@ghandi5569](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghandi5569)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/10 "2002-11-15T05:45:57Z")
The price of the dental work can vary based on the vet you go to, how big the cat is (and how much anesthetic he/she will need), and how many teeth are pulled. I have a cat with 4 teeth…and she’s healthy and happy. She eats canned food, with a little bit of moist food (like happy cat). It doesn’t really matter how many teeth a cat or a dog has. You can mix the food with water so they can eat. I’ve seen a dog without a bottom jaw and two teeth that’s still able to eat very mushy or watered down food, and other than that, he’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![iconoplast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3d9bf3/32.png) [@iconoplast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iconoplast)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/11 "2002-11-15T08:59:29Z")
My cat had that done. Can’t help on the price, as my mother was working in a vet clinic at the time. She has 3 canines now, and that’s it. She is SO much healthier and happier. She has to eat canned food, which makes the other cats jealous. But the change in how she feels was flooring. Get it done, if the vet says it needs to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/12 "2002-11-15T09:29:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ghandi5569 \* > It doesn’t really matter how many teeth a cat or a dog has. You can mix the food with water so they can eat. I’ve seen a dog without a bottom jaw and two teeth that’s still able to eat very mushy or watered down food, and other than that, he’s fine. I wonder if it hurts him socially. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-it-cost-to-pull-cat-teeth/136795/13 "2002-12-10T21:05:00Z")
**Update** : 20 Teeth were removed a week ago, and the improvement is dramatic. She went back to eating the very same night I brought her home, and yesterday I saw her grooming herself for the very first time ever. Until then, her sister had been doing to grooming for both. My $255 was well spent. I hope you give this another thought, **bodypoet**.