# how much for a tooth extraction?



## santander (26 March 2013)

Our old pony that we acquired last year has a two teeth side by side according to the vet. Her teeth were in a terrible state when we got her and he rasped them so that she was no longer in discomfort, but said ideally the tooth should come out. She's 20.

She lives out, and can eat grass well and maintains condition well in the summer. Trouble is they need hay in the field at the moment but she's getting the short straw as she takes so long to eat it. I supplement her with ready mash by the ton but it's a right old ballache waiting for her to eat it! 

My question is, as everything comes down to money, is how much would it cost me to have this tooth extracted? the vet was reluctant to say on the day of the rasping so I wondered if you could post your experiences! 

Thanks in advance xx


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## cm2581 (26 March 2013)

I've had two horses that have had teeth removed. The first was a 24yr old and the tooth came out relatively easily under standing sedation and total cost was under £500. I have another who has had two teeth removed, one under GA by repulsion surgery and the other orally under standing sedation. These two teeth and all the subsequent complications (bacterial and fungal sinusitis, osteomylitis, nerve reaction requiring CT scan) has topped £11.5k. This was thankfully covered up to £10k by insurance as two separate incidents and the 2nd occurred before they slapped an exclusion on the policy! This is probably the two most opposite ends of the scale so you will now understand the reluctance of the vet to commit to a cost!! My latter bill is extremely rare and the horse was much younger so the tooth removal was more complex than with the 24yr old as the roots were fairly short.


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## rockysmum (26 March 2013)

Get a good equine dentist to have a look.  When my oldie had a problem tooth it came out in ours hand.  Didn't even charge me as he didn't do any other work on him (paid for the others though )

He charged £30 to remove a wolf tooth from our young warmblood though.  I also had to pay for a tube of the new oral sedative (didn't need injection) vet was on site anyway for someone else so I paid towards the call out.

Total cost was less than £100 and this is the horse from hell, the vet cant get in the stable with her, but the dentist can.


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## Goldenstar (27 March 2013)

Removal of tooth under standing deep sedation including the X-rays on the day ( not all the pre treatment and diagnosics was £1200 in a six year old but the teeth are easier to get out of oldies.
I would never let an EDT try to remove a tooth having had a horse with permanent issues caused by a botched removal.


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## rockysmum (27 March 2013)

I think some of you are missing the point here.  

OP has taken on an old horse, it wont be insured.  Realistically she is not going to be paying £1200 for the tooth removing, so the poor old girl will continue to struggle.

For the cost of an EDT and a tube of sedative the mare can be comfortable.


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## cm2581 (27 March 2013)

If an edt has to do anything other than wiggle the tooth by hand to remove it easily then both the edt and owner would be commiting a criminal offence and a horrific act of cruelty. If the tooth was that loose the vet would have removed it at the time of rasping. Even at 24 my mares tooth root was around 3 inches long. Molar tooth removal in a horse is a major surgical procedure. The hole that is left once the tooth has been removed needs to be packed with swabs and cleaned on an at least daily basis for at least a week. It also has to be remembered that this is an abnormal situation. Without an xray it is impossible to tell if the two side by side teeth have intertwined roots. Obviously this will make removal very much more difficult. I would recommend getting an xray done which will give you and the vet a better idea what is going on and make a decision from there.


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## rockysmum (27 March 2013)

cm2581 said:



			If an edt has to do anything other than wiggle the tooth by hand to remove it easily then both the edt and owner would be commiting a criminal offence and a horrific act of cruelty. If the tooth was that loose the vet would have removed it at the time of rasping. Even at 24 my mares tooth root was around 3 inches long. Molar tooth removal in a horse is a major surgical procedure. The hole that is left once the tooth has been removed needs to be packed with swabs and cleaned on an at least daily basis for at least a week. It also has to be remembered that this is an abnormal situation. Without an xray it is impossible to tell if the two side by side teeth have intertwined roots. Obviously this will make removal very much more difficult. I would recommend getting an xray done which will give you and the vet a better idea what is going on and make a decision from there.
		
Click to expand...

Ahh yes, we are not talking about the same thing at all.

I had assumed with a very old horse we were talking loose teeth that are eaily extracted under sedation.  According to our EDT and the vet they can cause colic as well as weight loss and therefore better gone.

Sorry, I have looked again at the age, OP your mare should not have teeth that loose at 20.  Mine is 37.





I


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## Silverfire (27 March 2013)

Cost will probably depend on how long it takes to remove them. Two of mine had teeth out last month, both were having problems eating haylage. Both done by a vet. 26 year mare with loose tooth pulled out quite quickly under normal sedation was about £100 with the sedation. Second one 20 years old, had 2 teeth removed under drip sedation, took nearly 2 hours, holes were packed with dental putty cost about £450 with the sedation. He had bute for for nearly two weeks after, didn't wash his mouth out at all, would of been impossible because he hates his mouth being messed with, he was checked again four weeks later and both gaps healed well. Both horses eating much better.


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## Gloi (27 March 2013)

Elderly Shetland went to the vets, normal standing sedation, had loose tooth removed and and other gaps cemented £120


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## paulineh (27 March 2013)

I had a tooth removed from my 24 year old. Light sedation and a quick pull of the tooth and It came out. 

I paid for the sedation by the vet and my EDT finish the job. £75 all in.


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