It’s Fridayyyy, and I bet I am not the only one ready to get this weekend going.
Today’s post is actually coming to you from the hair salon! I am going straight to the arena from here, so figured I better use my time wisely. While waiting for my routes to disappear, I’m able to chat with you fine people using my handy dandy WordPress App on my iPhone. Gotta love it!
I spent the morning knocking out some projects and gathering last minute tax receipts (because we are THAT couple who waits until the last possible moment to file every year!) before heading back to the vets.
Yesterday’s visits were, well… eventful. As some of you might have seen, I had appointments for all three of our fur babies to get their annual wellness exams, as well as updated shots. No biggie.
I started with Roadie. He is the harder one to handle, and usually the one who does our wallets in at the time of check out. Per usual, as we waited in the exam room, he was dying to see what and the world was on the other side of the door. Lots of strange noises for sure!
This was our first time to the vets up here, so everything was new to the both of us.
My overall impression of this vet is a good one. They are extremely friendly and connect with every pet that walks through the door. By the time the doctor walked in, I was pleased with my decision to bring them there and expected this trip to be easy breezy.
It was… for Roadie anyways. His teeth are great, he is still heart worm free, and we even got him a on new type of heart worm prevention. It’s through a shot, is the same price as other heart worm preventatives, and lasts for six months! All in favor for not having to remember monthly medicine, say I. I!
Great check-up.
Unsettling Vet Visit
An hour later, I was back in the waiting room with the kitties. This time, I knew we might be spending a little more time in the back because they were both due for vaccines.
I elected Aspen to get checked first, and before long, I had a series of questions to answer. According to this doctor, she has extreme irritation on her gums and a few (what would be equal to human) cavities.
Looks like someone been getting too many treats out of the treat jar, perhaps?
Then came the ear check. Both cats have always had a large amount of wax build up in one ear, and the only thing I have been told to do about in the past is clean them out whenever possible.
This time, the doctor recommended an ear swab sample to test for infections.
Before going to Cali, he went back to the teeth and told me he has deep concerns. He recommends not only a cleaning (which runs around $400+), but also running x-rays and most likely a few tooth extractions (which is estimated to cost anywhere between $500-$1,700). Whoaaaa.
Before freaking out, I took a deep breath in and out, then said, “okay, I will talk to my husband and we will figure it out.”
Next up was Cali. I already knew she was a little bigger than Aspen, and it came as no surprise when she weighed in a good two pounds heavier. Usually, weight is what the doctor harps on with them. Even though I put them on a great brand of health conscious dry and wet food and measure out the recommended amounts, I have always had trouble managing their weight.
This time, the doctor zipped passed that concern and went on to talk about Cali’s ears. Hers too looks suspicious for infection. When we got to the teeth I was worried, but luckily he said hers aren’t even a third as bad as Aspens. For Cali, he just recommends getting a cleaning to prevent future tooth and gum problems. Phew.
While waiting for them to finish with their vaccines, I started thinking:What if this place just wants my money? What if we can’t afford to take care of Aspen’s teeth the way they recommend? How did I not see this before? I felt awful… like, somehow I let them down as their mother.
We left the vets with an open bill, which I am grateful for. This gave Scott and I the chance to discuss our payment options and figure out what kind of plan we want to be on with them. I went home with a mess of emotions, and antibiotics for the cats’ ears.
Surprisingly, both Aspen and Cali tolerated me cleaning and putting medicated drops in their ears… for now.
As soon as I trusted they felt okay enough to leave, I got dressed for the gym and headed there. I feel like that is the one place I can always run to when needing to clear my head. (See what I did there – run – hehe.) I ran 3.1 miles on the treadmill and breezed through a series of dumbbell weighted arms, as well as a killer core circuit. I left feeling a lot less anxious and ready to move on.
After much debate, Scott and I have decided move forward with the teeth cleanings, but will forgo Aspen’s surgery for now. Neither one of us has ever put our cats through a cleaning before, so paying what we would for one took some serious convincing. We got both cats on a monthly payment plan that covers all vets visits, shots, blood testing, and dental cleanings for the year.
I am starting to wonder if I need to take Aspen to another vet, just confirm the seriousness of her teeth issues. Do any of you remember when I decided to have a second opinion at the dentist?
I went from needing six to one cavity filled, and did not regret going to another doctor one bit.
Friday (Pet) Funny
To leave this post on a happier note, I wanted to share this little nugget of pet owner humor with you. It is a short video rap all about what dogs when going some place new.
(Oh, and sorry about the F-bomb at the end. That’s Jenna Marbles for you!)
What AREEEE this?! It is so true! 😉
Okay, now I that I am next door at a coffee shop, it it time for me to wrap up and get ready for tonight’s game. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Questions of the Day
• Have you ever gotten dental work done on your dog or cat? Does this sound like a normal thing to do?
• Would you recommend getting a second opinion, or just do what is in the best interest for your pet, whatever the cost?

OMG heather that video made me laugh so hard! thanks for getting me thru my last 30 minutes at work. lol
Haha, glad I could help Kristen 🙂
That seems pretty high for a teeth cleaning and extractions. I live in Virginia Beach, VA and our one dog has to get his teeth cleaned every year. It’s always $250-$300. He got two extractions his first time and with the teeth cleaning, extractions, and a lump removal (which was pretty cheap since he was already asleep) it was less than $650. I would probably check somewhere else. OR you could just call other vets in your area and ask for an approximation of what they charge for teeth cleanings and extractions. Good luck! We have three dogs. They have their own savings account my husband and I throw money into to deal with all their stuff lol
Great ideas, thanks for the advice! I can totally relate to the pet savings account… I don’t even want to begin to dissect how much we have actually spent on them! lol.
Wow, quite the eventful vet trip! Hope everything worked out in the end.
Thanks for sharing this post. I am very interested in this topic. I would like to share my opinion on this.Price of the Veterinary Technician program have to be evaluated. You cannot leap into some costly program since you suppose it’s the greatest. The entire level of this endeavor is to raised you life. Your life won’t be higher paying lots of a month in scholar mortgage payments.