When veterinarians at Flatbush Vet first examined a new rescue cat this year, he was so thin and scraggly that they assumed he was an “old man.”
After some TLC, though, they realized the feline — now named Gordon Baggins — was just a year old. He was so emaciated and dirty, in part, because severe dental disease had left him unable to eat or groom himself properly.
Gordon was added to a long waitlist of pets in need of dental care. Soon, he and thousands of other animals will be able to get that care — at a discount — at Flatbush Vet.
A year and a half after it first opened, the low-cost veterinary clinic is gathering donations as it prepares to launch dental services for Brooklyn’s rescue animals and beloved pets. Affordable dental care for animals is much-needed across the city — in part because dental disease is fairly common in pets, especially cats, and in part because the service is usually very expensive.
“This has been by far the highest-need, most-mentioned, most-requested service since we opened,” said Will Zweigart, founder and executive director of Flatbush Cats and Flatbush Vet. “As rescuers, we were expecting that.”
It’s fairly common for animal rescuers to find a friendly cat like Gordon, start getting it ready for adoption, then find it requires dental work that would cost $1,000 or more, he said.
Since Flatbush Vet opened in 2023, it has diagnosed dental disease in nearly 2,000 animals. Of the 533 cats rescued by Flatbush Cats in 2024, 12% had dental disease — including 57% of cats over the age of 5.
There are fairly few clinics offering low-cost pet dental services, and many animals in need of help.
Rescuers aren’t the only ones affected. Pet owners also often struggle to pay for dental services, Zweigart said. The overall cost of veterinary care has skyrocketed, and many people struggle to afford basic veterinary checkups.
“I’m very familiar with the reality, which is that there are a lot of pets out there right now who are in homes with families that love them, and they are suffering because of the financial barrier of veterinary care,” he said. “You can try to do right by a pet, but we know the stats, most Americans just don’t have $2,000 sitting in the bank.”
Offering affordable dental care was always part of the plan for Flatbush Vet, Zweigart said — the dental suite was included in the clinic’s original floor plans — but they wanted to solidify their core wellness and surgical services before expanding, especially because dental procedures can be so complex.
Before a pet’s dental appointment, they need bloodwork and X-rays so the veterinarians can diagnose their issues and plan the procedure. All pets have to be under anesthesia for dental work, and the procedures themselves can take hours, especially if multiple extractions are needed.
Flatbush Vet will be hiring a dental surgeon, two licensed vet techs, and a veterinary assistant as well as purchasing all the specialized equipment needed for dental procedures.
But the nonprofit needs donations to help train the staff and purchase all the equipment. Zweigart said the clinic aims to raise $200,000 from supporters in New York City and around the country.
In 2022, Zweigart raised $2 million to build Flatbush Vet. At the time, he said, it felt like an “audacious goal.”
“A lot of folks who donated to the clinic are thrilled now to see that their gift is sort of giving back in perpetuity, and we hope the same will be the case here,” he said.
When the dental suite is up and running, its first patients will be cats in the care of Flatbush Cats. By about June, it will open appointments to the public.
Flatbush Vet said it will prioritize cases where animals are in pain or are at risk of euthanasia due to their dental issues, and will start with cats only before adding dog dentals in the future.
While dental services will still be relatively pricey — it will be the highest-cost procedure Flatbush Vet has ever offered, Zweigart said — the clinic will offer monthly payment plans with low interest rates by partnering with VetBilling. Research has shown that accessible payment plans are critical for pet owners seeking veterinary care, he said, and many clinics require payment upfront.
Offering affordable dental services will ease two kinds of pain, Zweigart said: that of animals suffering from dental issues, and that of owners who can’t afford care.
“We’re relieving that pain, that guilt that pet owners who love their pets so much often carry,” he said.
