Dental Extraction - Page 3

Its an upper molar. There's actually a big chunk missing out of it. So far the only estimate I have been able to get on the phone is at Univ. of PA VMTH: $1100-1200. all inclusiveThey want at least 1/2 of the estimate in front for a deposit. I have about $300. in the bank, a couple small checks coming around Xmas time, so I am beating the bushes trying to raise some funding. My friend is sending me Antirobe to start T on right away pre-surgery to get going on the infection.

I have VM's left for Dental specialists at a couple of other places and a few more leads to investigate (friends of friends of good surgeon vets, etc) I even wrote the head of Dental Dept at the Univ. of PA to beg for a teaching grant, with pix of T in hopes he will fall in love and help us out here. I used to get some teaching grant help for things now and then at UCD, but that kind of money is getting tighter and tighter and I don't know anyone on staff at a VMTH anymore like I did when I lived in CA.

I suspect one of the local vets would be willing to dig that tooth out, but I have a "thing" about carving up a dog on a grate over the sink in a back room with minimal equipment and out-dated facilities, non-surgically trained staff, etc. T is my baby. I'm not about to risk losing him to save borrowing a few hundred bucks. I'm hoping the anti-biotic will buy me a few days to shop and raise funds. I wish I knew how long its been infected. I don't look in the back of every dog's mouth every day. He shows NO signs of anything being wrong.

If that doesn't work, there's bound to be a bank here in town where everybody there wouldn't recognize me and a security camera I can reach with a can of spray paint without a ladder.

Hang on T.  Momma's on it.  :-D

It's not funny when you're broke and your dog needs treatment... I sympathise Shelley and if I win the Lotto... I'll send you the cash!

Two Moons,

I have reconciled myself to the fact that just about EVERYTHING costs more in Seattle.   My own root canal ran to $3500, so the dog's was a bargain.  The vet does the dental work for a lot of the schutzhund folks and police dogs in the area.  He is one of, if not the best dental vets on the West Coast.    He has never steered me wrong.  When I have taken in puppies at 4 months  whose bites seemed "off," he nevef  took advantage.  One was a bit overshot and he told me it was normal for gsds at that statge, not at all unusual and would correct itself as soon a the canines came in.  He was right.  The pup ended up with a perfect bite.  The latest was canines not coming in the proper position.  He "prescrived" having her hold or pull on balls of increasing size over the course of a few weeks.  Again, right on the money.  The first week the bite corrected.    Some vets would have been pushing for braces

Here are the photos from Eriel's root canal-

Pretty cool pix dawgsome. I had root canals done on both of Cheetah's upper canines in '89 or '90, with custom made gold crowns. http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/577755.html

She had the most expensive but coolest mouth at the '90 Nationals. Too bad she lost both the crowns in C. I wanted to yell "Stop the Trial! Somebody get me a metal detector!" I never found either one of course, and the exposed got stuck on the fabric of the protection sleeve. She had to tear herself off it to let out. (but "out" she did!)

I wish I had a picture of the Kormeister's face when we went for her re-survey and he looked in that mouth. Definitely a Hall of Fame moment!

SS

I suspect one of the local vets would be willing to dig that tooth out, but I have a "thing" about carving up a dog on a grate over the sink in a back room with minimal equipment and out-dated facilities, non-surgically trained staff, etc. T is my baby. I'm not about to risk losing him to save borrowing a few hundred bucks. I'm hoping the anti-biotic will buy me a few days to shop and raise funds. I wish I knew how long its been infected. I don't look in the back of every dog's mouth every day. He shows NO signs of anything being wrong.

Even though we are not dentists, we do a very good job.  :)   Probably why our dentals cost so much.  One person is doing the dental and another is monitoring the patient.  The dentals get quite pampered, hot water heating pad, catheters, everything monitored, EKG and temp included, etc. etc.  We are all about pain management too.   For a canine tooth on a big dog, we will send those to the dentist.  We usually use the drill on a molar like that. 

The antirobe should help yes.   :)

Dogs are pretty amazing with their teeth problems.  We had one last week that her face was all swollen and was an infected carnasal tooth.  She was probably one of the few, that really was uncomfortable. 

After nearly 3 days of searching I think I may have found the "right" place to take T for his slab-fx'd molar. http://animalhospitalofmtpocono.com/aboutdr.html

Its $90. for the exam. No estimate available for any procedure, but payments possible. The hospital is about 445-50 min. from me, farther out in the sticks than even I am, but apprantly a lot of vets in the tri-state (NY, NJ, PA) area refer dental cases to Dr. Valese. They say he is very reasonable because his overhead is so low and he really enjoys his specialty. I guess we'll see...  The 24/7 care is also attractive. (Most of the vets around here would rather die than look at an animal after hours. Grrrr) I wonder how long they'll want to keep him after surgery? I have a sleeping bag and a toothbrush in the van...

So, I guess I'll make an appt. ASAP. Sucks out weather is going in the toilet, but I have AWD and tire chains (and a good floor jack) so as long as I don't hit something we ought to be alright.

I can't believe I am going to spend what it would cost to replace my own missing crowns on my dog... but I am.

SS

Good luck T and Shelley,,  keep us updated.. 

yes best of luck to both "T" and you and try to keep warm. i hope the price does cause too much suffering, maybe the vet will take a future pup in exchange for the dental work - who knows bartering can be a great thing

Carol ("T") is scheduled for surgery tomorrow to extract the upper molar. One of our training group members is a vet, a Cornell graduate, who works at a top notch hospital 45 min. away in Bethlehem. She has graciously agreed to do the surgery. It does feel better that a friend is handling the procedure. I started him on antirobe day before yesterday, and of course he will get pre-op bloodwork done in the morning (they have a nice lab on-site) but I will be nervous as hell till I take him home tomorrow night and till we know for sure he is recovering perfectly.

Please say a little prayer for T. I know I probably worry too much. He is in excellent over all health other than the broken molar, but my T-zer-B-zer  is my full-time companion and I would be crushed if some unusual complication occured and he didn't make it.

SS