Upselling at the vet?

[my3bears]

Want to start by saying I love my vet and have had no issues there ever. This past visit was the first time I've felt a sales pitch vibe and I've been going there 4 years.

Took my cat last week to get her annual shots. Vet said she is getting into "senior" status now that she is 8. That seems a little young to me but whatever. Vet talked me into getting bloodwork done. The only reason I agreed is because the cat had surgery 2 years ago for bladder stones, and I guess the vet wanted to check new bloodwork against that bloodwork to make sure everything is okay still. Fine.

Vet also tried to talk me into getting extensive teeth-cleaning done, including putting my cat under to do the scaling, etc. I have had healthy and well-cared-for cats my whole life and have NEVER put them under to get their teeth cleaned. Maybe I've been a terrible pet parent without knowing it?

I really don't want to do it. It's traumatizing for the cat, and expensive for me, and just seems unnecessary at this point?? Am I a terrible pet parent to say she's too young to start getting treated like a senior?

FWIW I spent $2k on the bladder surgery 2 years ago so I will do whatever it takes to keep my cat healthy when necessary. But I don't want the vet to see me and see dollar signs, either!

[badgergrl]

I think putting cats under to clean teeth is a standard procedure at most vets- I have two cats one who had had it done multiple times and one once.

[imojoebunny]

I think a lot of people are looking for the "best" care for their pets, since more and more, people have a strong connection to their animals, often stronger than to anyone else. The "best" care as they think of it, so vets feel they have to offer services for optional things like teeth cleaning and preventative care, which are legitimate things, but not necessary for every pet. It's like people who get the "executive" physical or spend money on optional dermitalogical or dental procedures. It's not wrong, it's a choice. It probably won't help you live longer.

[my3bears]

Okay that's reassuring that they're likely not trying to upsell.

That being said, in the cost/benefit analysis, is 8 years old appropriate for being put under for teeth-cleaning as a preventative measure? And how often do you do it, yearly? This question is more for people who do the teeth-cleaning on their cats

[mbcdefg]

My vet does this. I like the vet's office very much, but I don't need half of what they pitch to me. 

It's OK to say that you want to think it over. You can always come back later to get something done, if you feel that it's necessary. 

[fayeelle]

Your vet sounds right on with recommendations (not a sales pitch) for your cat based on age. Well, I can't see teeth on the computer but if there was tatar then yes, an early cleaning is better (and cheaper) than waiting for a painful problem dowm the road.

As a pp mentioned before (moblie, sorry I can't see who that was!) he is recommending the best options for your cat based on the exam and age of the pet. You can always say no and there shouldn't be any pressure although they may give you one more rrason they feel its medically indicated ;-)

Heres a perfect example. Cats love kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. Both of those diseases show up on bloodwork and usually show up in cats starting at age 8. If bloodwork is run yearly (recommendation for all dogs/cats over 8) and either of these are caught early treatment can start immediately and hopefully before any major symptoms arise, especially with kidney disease. Treatment can of course still be done if they are symptomatic but sometimes requires hospitalization.

The most recent survey by pet owners is that around 90% want all options presented so they can choose how they want to move forward. Unfortunately eveyone wants to sue everyone and vets are a target. If the bloodwork wasn't recommended to you and documented if you declined it then you could sue them if your cat came in with Stage III renal disease years later. It happens and it sucks.

[hamster]

Can't speak to the dental thing, but we do Wyatt's blood work annually and he is only 2 (i also do my own annually as well). While we have a medical reason to, it's something I'd likely do anyway. It's good to have a baseline and see how things change internally. I actually thought about doing it when we first got him, but it seemed overkill. I regret that now, fwiw.

[LoveTrains]

That doesn't sound like upselling to me at all. it sounds like all normal stuff considering that your cat IS a senior now at age 8. Dental cleaning is normally done when needed, and if your cat has never had a dental, now sounds about right (without seeing the cat's teeth). It is standard procedure to anesthetize an animal for a dental.

[fayeelle]

Forgot to add.....about the dental. Yes 8 a very reasonable age to have a dental done especially since it hasn't been done before. Anesthesia is necessary for sure and bloodwork should be done prior to that as well. So, if you are in the position to have the cleaning done ask your vet if they can use the bloodwork they just did to help with the cost. If normal it should be "good" for 30 days.

[yentl]

One of our cats needed a teeth cleaning a couple years back when he was 7. We got a second opinion (I never really trusted our first vet), which was that yes, our kitty, needed his teeth cleaned and would need to be put under, but there were "upsells" (antibiotics and a few other items) in the first estimate that would be unnecessary unless they found teeth that needed to be pulled. It ended up being nearly half the cost of the first vet's estimate.

The first vet would also tell me at every appointment that giardia had been going around and our cats needed a fecal sample. I would always say they had no symptoms of giardia and decline it.

Upsells happen in my experience, but cats do need their teeth cleaned. And problems with teeth are not fun to deal with if they get worse. If you're concerned, get a second opinion.

[tacoflavoredkisses]

Like PP said, cats are very good at hiding illness. My previous cat went in for a teeth cleaning because her gums were in bad shape and they had to pull 10 teeth. I didn't realize how bad her mouth was and it was why she lost a few pounds over a year's time- she was in pain eating her dry food and I didn't know.

I don't think it's an upsell- just an option.

[LoveTrains]

Mar 30, 2015 10:21:05 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Mar 30, 2015 8:47:36 GMT -5 hamster said:

Can't speak to the dental thing, but we do Wyatt's blood work annually and he is only 2 (i also do my own annually as well). While we have a medical reason to, it's something I'd likely do anyway. It's good to have a baseline and see how things change internally. I actually thought about doing it when we first got him, but it seemed overkill. I regret that now, fwiw.

You really don't need yearly blood work on a 2yr old cat, unless they are sick. I'm surprised a vet recommended this,

it's her dog and he is sick. 

[lmdbww]

I know nothing about cats but, I always think my vet is trying to upsell me. Like the time when Maya had a vet appt a month after getting a dental and the vet who examined her (not my reg vet) said her teeth looked horrible and she needed a dental. She didn't know what to say when I told her that Maya just had one.

It also always just so happens to be Dental Special month the same month that her appt is in (which is not the same month every year) and they send me some "special discounted price" in my email.

[hamster]

Mar 30, 2015 10:30:43 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Mar 30, 2015 10:26:20 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

it's her dog and he is sick. 

Oh, well that's a different situation than OP's.

Yes, and I acknowledged that. But my point is that it's always good to have a blood work baseline, whether you start at 1 or 8.

[alleinesein]

Our kitties are well loved, cared for and spoiled rotten and they still need to have their teeth cleaned.

My Siamese will be 18 in a few months and she had a tooth abscess last year. She has now had 2 teeth removed since I got her and has had her teeth cleaned a few times. Kitty dental health is important and vets do not just recommend it to upsell. There are some dental issues that are hereditary and while cleanings can't prevent them they can help keep an eye on them and diagnose them before they become a major issue.

Besides--cats are hard enough to bathe and give meds to...do you really want to try to brush their teeth?? Someone would end up in the ER and you know it won't be the cat!

[mich1]

Here's another to chime in that it does not sound like upselling.

Senior blood work is normal, it can catch early stages of kidney disease where you can do things to make it kinder to their kidneys. This and other diseases can be caught through the blood work.

About teeth cleaning, it really depends upon the cat. I had one cat whose teeth looked as good at 1 year old as they did at 14 years. He never accumulated calculus, no gingivitis, nothing. I had another cat (same food, at the same time) who needed his teeth cleaned because you could see inflamed margins along the gums and the accumulation of calculus and tartar. It really is a cat by cat basis.

My current cat was under a year and has wound up with a tooth cleaning already. Fingers are crossed that this was a one time thing, but he never lost his baby fangs and his adult fangs grew in on top of them. The 2 fangs on both side caused incredible inflammation (if you look in your cat's mouth, you can see puffiness and redness along the tooth line on the gingiva....you can also feel and see the calculus and plaque if you look at the teeth). When the vet rubbed the area, it bled and I had noticed that his breath was pretty bad. The vet pulled the baby fangs and cleaned his teeth while he was out. I doubt if he'll need his teeth cleaned for another 7 year or so, they look pretty good almost a year later.

Bad teeth have been associated with many systemic diseases in humans, and it makes sense to extrapolate this data to our pets.

[msmerymac]

Another comment agreeing with your vet: I have an 8 year old cat who had bladder stone surgery 1.5 years ago. She's now considered a senior. She is at risk for kidney failure (unrelated), so we've already been doing blood work a few times a year, but now she's going in for semi-annual exams as well as the senior blood panel.

[rubytue]

We had one cat with terrible teeth who legit needed cleanings every 2 years starting at 2 years old. We were contemplating just pulling all her teeth since she needed 2 or 3 pulled each cleaning. She passed at age 6 so we never got there. She was just not healthy But she was always put under for them.

Other cat is 13 and still hasn't needed a dental.

[Pibs]

I agree with the others that it doesn't seem like upselling. We do yearly bloodwork on our monstas, and our vet just recommended that we start doing it twice yearly on our oldest cat who is ~12-13ish. The other is 10, and she doesn't think twice yearly is necessary at this point.

As for dentals, I think it's a very important part of cat health. We do it when our vet suggests is. So, that means the older cat has had it done twice, and the younger one had her first one this year. We did use a vet dentist, and they want us to have yearly checkups and cleaning. I'm on board with checkups, but not with yearly cleanings just because anesthesia isn't without risks and the monstas are older.

[dexteroni]

Ditto everyone else; this sounds like proper preventative care to me. 8 is a normal age to begin bloodwork, and it's not surprising that an 8-year-old cat might need a teeth cleaning. It's not an insult to your pet care, some pets just have better teeth than others, just like people. And I can't imagine trying to clean a cat's teeth without putting it under. The vet and techs would be torn to shreds! You won't have to do it every year; just when the vet recommends it based on examining her teeth.

[screwedup]

Mar 30, 2015 7:46:57 GMT -5 my3bears said:

Vet also tried to talk me into getting extensive teeth-cleaning done, including putting my cat under to do the scaling, etc. I have had healthy and well-cared-for cats my whole life and have NEVER put them under to get their teeth cleaned. Maybe I've been a terrible pet parent without knowing it?

I really don't want to do it. It's traumatizing for the cat, and expensive for me, and just seems unnecessary at this point?? Am I a terrible pet parent to say she's too young to start getting treated like a senior?

My husband is a vet, though not in private practive now.  Cats and dogs are considered seniors at 7.  Also, how on earth do you expect them to clean a cat's teeth if the cat is not put under?  Cats don't hold still or open their mouths on command.

[my3bears]

Mar 30, 2015 14:23:19 GMT -5 screwedup said:

Mar 30, 2015 7:46:57 GMT -5 my3bears said:

Vet also tried to talk me into getting extensive teeth-cleaning done, including putting my cat under to do the scaling, etc. I have had healthy and well-cared-for cats my whole life and have NEVER put them under to get their teeth cleaned. Maybe I've been a terrible pet parent without knowing it?

I really don't want to do it. It's traumatizing for the cat, and expensive for me, and just seems unnecessary at this point?? Am I a terrible pet parent to say she's too young to start getting treated like a senior?

My husband is a vet, though not in private practive now.  Cats and dogs are considered seniors at 7.  Also, how on earth do you expect them to clean a cat's teeth if the cat is not put under?  Cats don't hold still or open their mouths on command.

Helpful. Thanks for explaining to me that my cat won't hold open her mouth on command. Not sure I could have figured that out without your help. 

[my3bears]

Mar 30, 2015 11:02:54 GMT -5 rubytue said:

We had one cat with terrible teeth who legit needed cleanings every 2 years starting at 2 years old. We were contemplating just pulling all her teeth since she needed 2 or 3 pulled each cleaning. She passed at age 6 so we never got there. She was just not healthy But she was always put under for them.

Other cat is 13 and still hasn't needed a dental.

Sorry to hear your kitty passed at 6   

[my3bears]

Thanks to Pibs too. I think I was misunderstood re: being put under. I would never ask them to clean her teeth without it, but anesthesia has risks of its own. I was more asking if the teeth cleaning is worth the risks of being put under. From all the responses it sounds like it is!

FWIW I give her baths and cut her nails without incident. She's pretty calm! But not THAT calm!

[dexteroni]

Mar 30, 2015 18:43:50 GMT -5 my3bears said:

I think I was misunderstood re: being put under.

I would say so. You said "I have had healthy and well-cared-for cats my whole life and have NEVER put them under to get their teeth cleaned," which sounded to me (and obviously to others) like you didn't think the anesthesia was necessary. And then you gave screwedup semi-attitude for responding the same way that a lot of us did. Nice! lol.

[my3bears]

dexteroni, like you said in your post, some cats just have better teeth than others. I guess I was just lucky with previous cats that they didn't have bladder stones OR bad teeth.

I didn't get an attitude from any other posters (including you). I thought screwedup's post was unnecessarily snarky considering my intention was not that cats shouldn't get put under for teeth cleaning but that I wondered if the risk of being put under was worth the procedure. And like I said in literally my second post, I was reassured that it may not have been upselling but truly necessary.

[polarbearfans]

At 7 we started doing wellness visits every 6 months with blood work annually to give a baseline. 8 is defiantly senior status.

Our oldest has genetically bad teeth, and had teeth cleaned and pulled at 3 years. She should probably have another soon. She won't allow us to brush, and she seems to have trouble with dry food. Other cat didn't need a cleaning until he was 7. A lot of health problems can develop from bad teeth, just like people.

I don't think your vet was trying to up sell you. Pet care is evolving. Standards are changing.

[sarahsas]

Ditto what the other posters are saying. My 4 year old cat needed a cleaning and lost several teeth. My 6 year old cat is going to get a cleaning sometime soon as well. Some cats have pH issues in their mouth that cause bad teeth. Unfortunately mine do. What I wouldn't give to only have to give them dentals when they got senior status!

[lexxasaurus]

That's all of what I heard at my girl's appointment last fall. She just turned 9, and both blood work and dental cleaning under anesthesia were recommended. I've known quite a few older pets who didn't get dental cleanings and when they finally went in, multiple extractions needed to be done so I think that's a good preventative measure that's being offered nowadays.

[Deleted]

Kitty teeth cleanings are very important.

In nature, cats rip through their prey, the pulling and ripping through hair, muscles, and bones cleans their teeth.

The standard diet of kibble and canned food actually isn't good for cats, but it's the best most of us can do.

Mr. Wiggles, who is currently fighting off an infection from a fucked up tooth, endorses this message.

Attachments: