Getting Your Dog a Dental in NYC
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Getting your Dog a Dental in NYC

Oral hygiene is an often-overlooked but still super important factor in your dog’s overall health. A toothache, sore gums, or bacteria can cause things like infections, pain, and stress. Left untreated, it can begin to affect their heart, kidneys or liver.

If you’re going to have a healthy dog, you need to address their teeth and gums too. Dental care is not always easy, and certainly not cheap. Here’s how we dealt with it in New York City.

Getting Your Dog a Dental in NYC

Dog Dentals in NYC

Adopting a puppy mill rescue meant we had a chihuahua with a mouth full of rotten teeth and breath that smelled like rotting trash. Boogie also needed a cleaning, since he was a few years old and also a rescue with an unhealthy past. Our vet recommended that both dogs get the procedure done.

Dentals are more than just a one-stop-shop type of procedure. They require a check up, blood work, and anesthesia.

After calling around to a few recommended vets in the New York City area, we realized that when all was said and done (extractions, lab work, etc.) we’d be looking at a $1,200+ price tag…per dog. 

The stress of putting our two dogs under, going through all of the necessary steps, and paying the steep price were a bit much. There had to be another way. Enter the Humane Society.

A pug flashing his teeth.

The Humane Society

The Humane SocietyThe Human Society is a nonprofit that is the nation’s largest and most effective animal protection organization. They provide direct care to more than 100,000 animals each year—more than any other animal welfare organization—through their sanctuaries, veterinary programs and emergency shelters and rescues.

The Humane Society of NY has been in NYC for over 100 years. They were founded to protect the city’s horses against abuse, but have greatly expanded to provide services like affordable medical care, a free Spay/Neuter Program, an adoption center for cats and dogs, and more.

They’re located at 306 E 59th St and their telephone number is (212) 752-4842. Their clinic is open 7 days a week, from 8:30am to 4:00pm. They offer low cost, quality care to dogs with the help of volunteers.

The Wait List

The doggy dentist performs dentals 4 – 5 days a week, and works on four dogs per day. Sessions get booked up super quickly. That means you might not get an appointment until months later. The Humane Society uses a list to assign dental appointments.

Important: you must have your name on the list to get an appointment.

Here’s how it works: call or email them to get your name on the list. If you are a new client and have never been to the Human Society before, your name will automatically be put at the end of the list.

The wait time fluctuates, but expect to wait a period of several months to get an appointment. If you have been to the Humane Society before, you will get preference, meaning you won’t have to wait as long.

Important: The Humane Society does not call you when a spot opens up. You must call them to see if there are any openings – it’s luck of the draw. They recommend calling every few weeks to see if there’s a spot.

Keep in mind that service is not as quick as if you’re dealing with a regular vet office because they’re a non-profit that runs with the help of volunteers.

Getting Your Dog a Dental in NYC

Make the Call

You can get in contact with them via phone, email, or voicemail, but you can only make an appointment by speaking directly with a HSNY representative, so we recommend calling.

I called many times, with varying wait times to get through. Sometimes I got through right away, and sometimes I didn’t.

My tactic became to call, press the necessary buttons, put the phone on speaker, and do something mindless, like wash the dishes, while waiting for someone to pick up the line. It also helps to call at unpopular times.

Once through, I was told various times that the sessions were fully booked and I’d have to wait until the next month to try again.

Be persistent, and keep calling! Put a reminder in your calendar every 3 – 6 weeks to call again.

You’ve Got a Spot! Now What?

If there’s an open spot available, then you’ll be given two appointment dates: one for a dental, and one that’s 2 – 3 weeks before your dental for a regular exam.

The regular exam includes blood work, and is done to be sure that your dog is healthy enough to be put under.

Both dates will be scheduled during your call. Have your credit card on hand, because you will be expected to pay for both the dental and the exam up front. Also have your calendar open to pick a date that works for you.

Dental Cost

The cost of the dental is a flat fee of $300. This includes any extractions needed, so you won’t have to pay any extra fees for the dental itself.

The cost of the exam is $40, so your payment to the Humane Society up front will be $340.

You will also have to pay for the blood work the day of, which is usually around $80-$133, depending on your dog’s needs and age.

Be aware that payment is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Our last dentals at the Humane Society cost us $421 per dog – that’s $842 all together for both. Here’s the break down:

  • $300 per dental (x2)
  • $40 per exam (x2)
  • $81 for blood work (x2)

That’s a huge savings!

Pros and Cons

The pros for getting your dog a dental at the Humane Society are:

  • Quality care: The Humane Society has amazing vets that provide top notch care for animals.
  • Price: Their affordable dentals cost less than half of what dentals cost in other animal hospitals in NYC. This is great, especially if you have multiple dogs.

The cons for getting your dog a dental at the Humane Society are:

  • Wait time: You’ll most likely have to wait months to get your dogs dental scheduled.
  • Constant Calling: You might have to call a few times before you’re able to secure an appointment. Be persistent!

In my experience, the pros certainly outweigh the cons. Our dogs have each had two dentals done at the Humane Society and we’ve had great experiences with all four procedures. While it’s annoying to have to call and stay on top of things, it’s a small price to pay for saving well over $2,000.

Remember though, it’s not the place to go should your dog need emergency dental care, and there will always be a wait.

Our Tips

If you’re thinking of getting your dog a dental at the Humane Society, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Use their services at least once, for something like a routine exam, so you won’t be considered a new patient when it’s time for a dental and be put at the very back of the list.
  • Email them to be put on the waiting list – it’s faster than calling.
  • Set reminders in your calendar to call every 3 – 6 weeks and see if a spot has opened up.
  • Always have your credit card within arms reach when you call, just in case you are able to book your appointments.
  • Have your calendar up so you can schedule a date!
  • Your dog must be spayed or neutered, or you must have a plan to spay/neuter them in order to get a dental.

Our experience with non-anesthetic dental cleanings for our senior dogs. What worked for us, how it went, and whether it was worth it.

Senior dogs in NYC

Recently Marcelo turned 10, and we were unsure about putting him under anesthesia. 

As dogs age, putting them under becomes more and more of a risk. Was there a way to keep up his dental hygiene without the risk of anesthesia?

We tried anesthesia free dog dentals, right here in New York City. Learn about our experience and whether it worked or not. It could be an option for you. 

Have you ever gotten your dog a dental? How much did it cost? We’d love to hear!

Learn more about dog-friendly NYC here


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Getting Your Dog a Dental in NYC

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8 Comments

  1. Humane Society is not currently taking dental for dogs. Any vet in NYC area that does cleaning for less than $1,000?

  2. I am in dire need of finding a vet who will take a look at my dog’s gums. It is infected, bleeding constantly and has a horrible odor for the past the two weeks. In January He had a bad fall where he fell on his fast and broke his fang tooth. The human society did a biopsy on the gum because it was swollen and looked like a mass but the results came back saying there there was no malignancy in the gums.

    Now his gums have swollen so badly that I can’t see any of his teeth on the right side and it continues to bleed.

    It seems there is no vet in MYC that does dental work.

  3. I have also called other places in NYC but all dental care is cancelled because of COVID. My local vet charges about 2k for the dental work. Does any one know of any place that charges similar prices to that of Humane Society or Animal League?

  4. So there is a place in Manhattan called pearly bites. They are specifically for dog/cat dentals. The price is also upfront. From what I can see, doggy dentals are very expensive and their prices are a little bit lower than the rest. I’m very sad that the Humane Society is no longer doing dentals after taking my dog for a check up they told me all is well with my dog…her teeth are now falling out.

  5. I love my dog but I can not pay his dental treatment so sorry doggy this 10 years with you was a nice time we run together we en joy together now I’m crying because you are my love my friend but I can pay for your treatment rest in pace my love because I going to send you to sleep I do not want see you suffering and not body can help with this matter

    1. Fundraise, look for cheaper vets outside of the city, or relinquish your pet to a rescue if you don’t have the means to care for them. Needing a dental should not equal death for your dog!

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