OMG -- we brought one of our dogs and one of our cats to the vet yesterday for their annual check-ups. The cat got one shot, the dog got three shots. The lab technician took a blood sample and a urine sample from our cat to do a wellness test (recommended by the vet 'cause our cat is an old guy -- 18). And we picked up two packs of heartworm pills and a small bag of cat food. I almost gagged when they rang up the bill -- $600!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: Holy smokes!!!!! How the heck can those things cost so much?!?!?!?!
Is anyone else paying crazy prices like this for their dog & cat check-ups, or are we going to some sort of elitist vet?!?! :(
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I had a Wheaton Terrier she was the love of my life. We fed her rice and lamb - not cheap but a lot cheaper than the Vet.
Yes - that face is way more adorable than any reno!
So, we got a little shock this past weekend. Our Golden (he's 1-1/2) injured one of his back toes - the bone isn't broken, the joint is sub luxated which means the tendon holding it is either torn or broken or displaced.
Turns out - this is a 4 - 5,000$ fix. !!!!!! Even with the insurance covering 80% it's going to be significant, and since there are very few orthopedic surgeons (apparently we are sharing with Alberta) it will also mean travelling to and staying in Vancouver for a couple of days while he has the surgery and recovers.
If you look at your dog's back feet, you can see the back toes, especially the center 2, are actually weight bearing, and completely necessary for jumping and running too. So - never think "it's just a toe".
Awww, but a reno wouldn't have that face!
After reading all the posts, I realize I am not alone in paying a fortune for vet bills. I managed to find a a vet in town who does not charge as much as the others do, but I still have paid thousands of dollars for my 1 1/2 year old Wheaten Terrier. I regret not signing up for [B]Pet Insurance[/B]. My Wheatie has digestive problems which is quite common with this breed. Since his problems have already been treated, we are not able to get Pet Insurance anymore. After many xrays, blood tests, medication and so on, his problem stems from food and eating every type of vegetation he can get his little teeth on. I have had to strip my back garden of any plants that are toxic to animals (there are tons!), excluding the two 100' Black Walnut Trees, so sweeping the deck and walks is a daily routine. It has been worth every penny to finally know what to feed him and what to watch out for, except a few weeks ago when he grabbed a piece of saran wrap off the counter....$175 for the emergency clinic to induce vomitting! I am sure the grand total of vet bills would have paid for a nice reno job!!!!!:rolleyes:
I just want to say there is insurance that covers yearly shots, neutering/spaying, dental cleaning etc. - they cover 80% - I'm just getting the paperwork finished to send in for one of my pups for his yearly vaccinations as I read this. Mine is through Securican.
We've had it on him since he was a baby, and thought we would just leave it on for a year, but he's a Golden and at a year and a half still into everything so I think I'll leave it on a little longer. We have a new rescue now, and once Kuriboh is over the "accident prone" years we'll cancel his insurance.
I live in a small town, and work with the local rescue society, and we are having a battle with our vets because their prices are so much higher than in the city. If they would give people here a break on those costs at least we wouldn't have such a huge stray/feral and unwanted baby problem.
Oh yikes that is too bad about the diabetes. In case no one has told you, it's the pretty much the same for dogs as people and that means if you cut out all the carbs (grains, sugars) it really helps. Sometimes the kibbles they recommend for it are loaded with the stuff so I'll just put that out there so you know. Dogs never got diabetes until they introduced kibbles full of grains and sugars (starches).
Ironic that this old thread was revived today -- I was just at the vet this morning with Kylie & Jackson. There goes another $560, on top of the +$1,000 in vet bills I paid a couple of months ago :eek: Unfortunately, with Kylie getting older, she's developing some health issues :( Nothing too serious, but not cheap to address :(
Pretty bad that a vet would charge more just because you have insurance. We don't have insurance for our pets., but we'll stay away from Barrhaven Animal Hospital anyway!!
And on the topic of feeding raw -- we just switched our dogs to a raw diet a few months ago. They LOVE it!!! We get the raw meat from a butcher in Quebec. Not sure where it comes from -- it goes from the butcher onto a truck and to a drop-off place where somebody we know picks it up and then distributes it.
The meat comes in frozen blocks. It's ground meat from different animals, including the bones. We make a batch of veggie goop, and they get veggies mixed with the meat, as well as a fish oil capsule and a Vitamin E capsule once a day, Our kitchen has turned into a little science lab!!
I'm with you on the vet bills and have also considered whether the high-priced vet is necessarily the best vet. My dog is diabetic so, of course, vet visits are frequent. We took her in for one of her regular re-checks and she needed her teeth scaled, which required her to have anesthetic. Bottom line -- about $1,000 over two days for the re-check, anesthetic, IV drip (fluids), tooth scaling, test strips and lancets for her glucose monitoring machine, some more insulin and a topical spray to keep her from itching as a result of her dermatitis. Since she has been diagnosed in March, I've spent $3,000 to $4,000 -- I try not to add it up. Part of me thinks, "you've got to pay to get her the best care", but another part of me thinks, "yeah, they count on you thinking that way"!
If you want to experience lower veterinarian charges, do not tell your vet that you have insurance.
I have discovered that my vet likes my insurance more than she likes my dog. I discovered this one day when I wanted to get a renewal of a prescription for allergies, that I have been getting for my sheltie every spring for years. Once they discovered that I had insurance, they insisted on doing an examination, even though I have had the dog in for an annual checkup only a week earlier.
They wanted $90 for this 'examination'. They insisted, even though I told them about the exam a week ago, and so I changed vets. I told the new vet about the situation with the old vet, and now my charges are within reason.
The way I see it, if they are more interested in my insurance than in my dog, that shows that they aren't giving my dog the proper attention or treatment.
This happened at Barrhaven Animal Hospital, 2900 Woodroffe Ave, on Ottawa
I haven't found any fresh/unfrozen other than what I buy at the grocery store or butchers. People who make it all from scratch usually start from fresh, but it isn't necessary.
Meanwhile the news is still good as I found out you can partially thaw (or totally thaw) meat and then refreeze. I know we've all been told you aren't supposed to do that, but after asking butchers and checking it out, apparently it's not a big deal (most of the 'fresh' chicken you buy in the grocery stores arrives at the store frozen which is something I didn't know before starting raw feeding). The recommendation comes from worry about the time it takes to thaw allowing any bacteria to start growing but when it comes to dogs, that isn't an issue at all (remember they don't have as long a digestive process as we do so are basically immune unless in a very compromised condition).
Anyway, I buy the big bulk packs and let them thaw enough so that I can cut out and package serving sizes (or a couple of days worth per pack) and then I freeze it again. So instead of one big 20 lb lump of food I have 20 or so smaller packs in the freezer. I have never had any problems and the dog has been fine with it too. It's much easier when you can just take a pack out and use it for a day or two.
When I buy bones or 'parts' I do ask for the stuff that has been frozen individually. It's so much easier to deal with that way rather than have a large frozen mass to try and break apart (although dropping on the floor from overhead often helps there I find). My dog loves eating frozen things (I can't figure that out but she just likes it that way) like chicken necks so it's way easier to be able to pull one out at a time. It's also a bonus when it's the stinky stuff like offal as she has it eaten before I even catch a wiff.
DBD, can you buy it fresh and freeze it? It looks like it (pre-made stuff) is cheaper the more you buy.
Well that charge for a checkup and getting weighed is obscene unless they tacked on an emergency charge. Did they justify the charge to you? I would be asking for a breakdown as I can't see any reason for that unless they dinged you an extra $100 for an emerg charge ( if was during normal business hours on a Sat they shouldn't be doing that). I think a standard office visit in this city is normally around $50 - $70. Kohl could have been checked out on a Sat at my vet (and weighed no charge any time) and it would have cost you under $60. Please check where you vet is listed in the yellow pages and see if they are part of the Associated Clinics as hearing those sorts of charges, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were. Those guys charge for the air you breath in their clinics and you can just feel your credit card getting hot when you walk in the door.
Really, there are some great vets in this city who wouldn't soak you anywhere near that kind of money for a checkup and weight check.
oreo, that is highway robbery.... :eek:
Our check up on saturday was $160! All she did was weigh Kohl.
There are various raw diets. BARF is one of them and the rest go from the prey model (basically giving the dog a dead animal or bird and letting them have at it) to all manner of things in between to special blends by breed or ailment, organic or not. There are some raw forums and I can tell you it can get pretty heated with the ones that are really pro one way or the other. BTW, dogs can eat raw because their digestive tracts are shorter so they do not get food poisoning like we would but we do have to be careful to wash our hands after feeding or handling the food.
For me, I started with some of the premade blends that are based on BARF. That helped me get into it without all the prep that would make me squeemish (I thought). There are lots of pet stores (usually independents) carrying various types now and they all come frozen, various price points, and ready to go. I like them because I can feed her the tripe or organs in a ground pattie without gagging.
Here's a good site that explains a lot plus it has one page where the costs are calculated between various diets, premade vs home made, etc. [url]http://www.natural-paws.com/[/url] The owner of the site is in Calgary and also sells various products as do Tail Blazers, Especially for Pets, Pet Planet, and many others in Calgary. Smoodgie, if you called around you would probably find the suppliers in your area.
There are also some co-ops of people around who get great deals from ranchers and butchers. If you visit Raw Dog Canada (on yahoo forums..you have to join) you can find people and sources for various places and types of food.
Meanwhile, I personally have zero belief in the need for grains and carbs for dogs. I just don't see where they would get them in nature as you just never see a wolf grazing out on the grain fields or munching on leaves (there is a lot of debate on whether they get theirs from their kills inards or not). Some folks believe dogs need veggies and I fed mine veggies only when they were blended in some of the mixes. Other than that form, this pup does not like fruit or veggies at all so that sort of took them out of the equation for me (they just get left behind so it's a waste for me). My old dog would have eaten them as she loved things like carrots. So a lot depends on the dog too. You learn what they will and won't eat, what agrees with them (this a great way to feed when you have a dog that is sensitive or allergic as you can determine pretty quick what food is bothering them).
For Ebony, sometimes she gets the premade foods (they include things I find way to icky to make myself) but most of the time she gets whole chicken parts and canned salmon (Costco is great for that type of thing). The chicken is usually from sales when you can buy big boxes of legs with backs which I split up into managable bags. So, Ebony is about 20 lbs and eats a drumstick or thigh for her main meal and gets a frozen chicken neck as her evening snack. Sometimes I get beef or bison or venison from a local person who is hooked up with a butcher and a hunter (boy if you have a hunter around you can feed really cheaply as the dog eats what the hunters cast off anyway). ACtually that is the real bonus as the dogs do better on the things we don't usually use or eat anyway. The stomachs, the organs, the bones. They'll eat the stuff with freezer burn or that is a few days past what is safe for us so that works out great when cleaning the fridge. They will also eat eggs (I can not get Ebony to eat those which is too bad as they are nice and cheap and it's totally entertaining to throw a hard boiled egg in it's shell to a dog and watch them figure it out. They can eat the shells and they are full of calcium. Giving them a whole raw egg is a bad idea as I discovered as she had a great time throwing it around and it was sticky yuck all over the place being as she wouldn't eat it. Raw eggs go in the bowl with food so they don't get slopped on the floor).
I will never go back to any form of kibble. It uses cooked meats and that kills some enzymes that are very beneficial and there is no such thing as kibble without some form of starch or grain as it is needed to form the pellets. There are some dehydrated mixes that aren't too bad but still have some grains in them. The best one I know of is called NRG which comes in different combinations.
Ebony handled raw bones from day 1 and she was only 12 weeks old. I was amazed at how that little pup made fast work of chicken legs. They will eat any bones but weight bearing beef and such are generally not recommended because they a re too hard. If a dog is a gulper it's often better to get them the ground variety until they learn to chew properly.
The really bright side is how gorgeous the dogs are. Their coats improve, their teeth are white white and very clean and no bad breath. What you pay for in food is saved in vet bills. The other thing I really appreciate is the poops. I would say Ebony's were half size and now that she is grown there is no comparison as she has probably a quarter of the output she would have on kibble. They also aren't soft and stinky so they are easy to pick up. In my yard I have learned I can leave them. She poops, the magpies swoop in and take them away. Talk about a bonus. I sometimes find poop up on the top of my fence and have some explaining to do to the neighbours. The magpies seem to like the calcium or something in the poop. I swear there have been days when I have a dozen or so Magpies out in the yard cleaning up for me. If the magpies don't come, I can wait a day or so and the poop turns white and just disintigrates into a powder, then a dust, and then it's gone within a few days. It just doesn't get better than that in my book.
DBD, can you post the raw diet info here please?? I've heard of the BARF diet (Bones And Raw Food, I was told it stands for) -- is this the raw diet you're referring to??
Your vet sounds great. I will drive far and wide for a great vet. We have even considered driving all the way to Red Deer to see our old vet as she is wonderful and no nonsense as well. Next time I will definitly give him a call.
DBD can you give me specifics about the RAW diet you feed your dog. You can email me if you don;t think anyone else wants to hear, but I have a little girl who is terribly sensitive to grains in her food and the pure protein food we are feeding her is making her quite rotund. I think I would like to start all the dogs on it (4 at present) as I have heard it makes the difference between surviving and thriving.
What do you feed them exactly and how much does it cost? At present I am spending about $90.00 every two weeks for their food and that is about the limit of my budget. Would it be more expensive than that?
Thank you for any info you can give me.
Mrs. M, my vet is Transcanada (16 Ave & 5 St NE). Super vet, just super I can't say enough about him and generally while sitting in his waiting room you hear people talking about how much they like him . He's a wonderful vet and I have never felt gouged or overcharged. More often than not I would say he does a lot of work for little or nothing above his costs. I also know he is a great diagnostician. He's figured out a few animals I know had stumped their own vets. I swear he is intuitive sometimes. he is also super with kids when they come in with the pet so there are usually a lot of kids there who only believe they brought mom or dad along to drive them. Apparently he has chats with them so they become very responsible little pet owners.
Gads I would say $800 for a tooth is insane :eek: , absolutely out to lunch. My last dog had a few surgeries and none of them (even a major one) was over $400. What on earth could be going on with taking out a tooth to cost that much?
As for vets who apply guilt (and I am pretty sure they get extra classes in that after what some have done with me) there again, my vet sorted me. His attitude is why would you stress an animal when you don't have to (x-raying, needles for blood, the stress of just being in the office)? How is it being a good owner to put an animal through that sort of thing when it probably won't change the treatment the animal is getting. All it proves is some vets know how to increase the bottom line better than others.
Mine does recommend heart worm pills and shots but he and I have been having discussions about that as I mentioned. He is pretty open minded.
When I got Ebony I told him she was going to be fed raw. He didn't like that idea one bit, but I was not bending after what I had just gone through with my other dog and cancer so he said he'd just wait and see. Anyway, as she came in for her puppy shots he was more and more impressed with her and by the time she was spayed at 6 mos he had converted to recommending raw to his clients. He's always been more prone to recommend natural things first for problems so this fit with his attitude. My puppy was just too stunning to deny what the diet was doing. Also, I had to bring her in for a microchip at just over a year and again he raved about this pup and how he rarely sees pups going as long as she has without any illnesses (I can attest to that with my other dog who seemed to get the poops a lot as a pup). She's 2 now and still not been sick one day.
Meanwhile the reason for that explanation is that when it came to her boosters and my refusing (based on reading and such and not being sure of their benefit anymore), he had to admit I was right about the diet and we would adapt a wait and see with shots and heartworm too. To be honest, if there was heartworm in Calgary I wouldn't risk not giving the pills, but there isn't, so no need for the treatment. This dog will not be getting any chemicals or additives unless someone can give me a pretty good reason for it.
When it comes to the big gun treatments I can say my vet taught me again. When my last dog got cushings/cancer he sent us for an ultrasound (he doesn't have the machine). The jerk vet there insisted she have x-rays, blood tests, you name it even though I explained she only need an ultrasound. He refused the referral unless all the other work was done, applied copious amounts of guilt, charged me $1000 and recommended the dog be euthanized (add $350). I freaked out, grabbed the dog and an IV and left. My vet opened and I was waiting, fuming and upset. He gave the dog a shot, and she was right as rain the same day (she had a tummy upset from the stress of the other vets) and she lived another 4 months with no problem. I was so mad I went after the other clinic until they gave me my money back. My vet was also mad. How dare they question his referral for one test and make me pay for all the others we didn't need. As he said, the tests and x-rays would only tell us we needed an ultrasound anyway so why not go directly to ultrasound and save the dog stress and me expense? But no, some clinics do that trying to lay the guilt on when in reality it is they who don't have the animal's best interest at heart, only money is driving them. I still fume over that clinic as it was not my first run in with them and I have heard way to many nightmares about that sort of business.
Back to where I was going...(I warned you this hits a nerve with me so please excuse diatribe), even with the condition my dog had, the vet sorted me. He said I could pay $3000 for the treatments, stress the dog, put the dog in pain (operation might kill, after effects might kill, and recovery time would be long with little chance for a change of outcome) and still have a dead dog in 6 mos. who had suffered a great deal or I could watch for pain (which we could treat), let the dog live normally and happily and have a dead dog in 6 mos. He really laid it out for me (in a sensible way) that this condition was going to kill the dog and the choice to make was to let her live as humanely as possible. So he passed up me and my credit card willing to pay anything for even a faint hope to keep the dog alive in favour or convincing me to treat the dog humanely and without invasive painful proceedures. So, better to have a few good months rather than a few plus 2 maybe but full of stress and pain.
A second opinion I got tried to get me to go ahead, but in the end I was very glad my vet had convinced me to do what was best for the dog no matter how hard a decision it was. He was right. When it comes to some cancers they are going to win and adding painful treatments is not what a concerned owner should be doing. Meanwhile as a great vet, he let me know I was welcome to drop in anytime and I sure did those last months. Everytime he took us in, checked out what was going on and never charged me one cent for the visits. All to make sure the dog was not in pain or suffering at all.
On the other side, the ultra sound recommendation was to repeat the US every 4 weeks. My vet said no as it would only give us info and not change treatment. We would know how big the tumours were getting but what difference would that make? They were already bad enough that we knew the outcome. So the other vet would have made about $1500 on that recommendation and it would have been for nothing and would have upset the dog.
So I really think people should shop for their vet. They are not all equal. There are some really wonderful vets and some real jerks and generally there is no reason to pay dearly for a jerk to poke and probe when it isn't necessary.
[B]OH MY GOSH!!![/B]$800 is extreme. We just had 3 teeth extracted from my dog as well as a lumpectomey (nothing) and a wart removed and the whole shebang was $550. I would never return to that vet again. DBD your vet sounds remarkable. Where abouts in Calgary is that?
Well, you've all opened my eyes big-time :eek: I've been getting the feeling for quite a while that this vet is trying to push treatments on us. And then, like ctw said, I feel like I'm not a good pet owner if I don't bring our pets in for their shots when they're due, and get them heartworm pills for the summer months, and say yes to all the other things they want to sell me. When we brought in our other cat for her check-up last September, the vet said that she has a damaged tooth that should be removed. Total cost for pre-op bloodwork, tooth removel, etc.: $800. I don't spend that much on my own damn teeth!!!! Well, OK, that isn't totally true, seeing as I'm in the process of getting a +$3,000 implant :cry:
But I digress -- as much as I like this veterinary clinic, I really think it's time to look around for another vet who's more concerned about the welfare of our pets and less concerned with how much money they can suck out of me. I also feel that the wellness test is a bit of a scam -- but, Smokey is my hubby's cat, and I left the decision up to him. He really cares about his cats, and I guess those guilt pangs kicked in..... the vet explained the wellness test as providing a baseline for what's "normal" for Smokey, so that if he develops problems in the future, they'll have a guideline as to where we should be. Or something like that..... OK, now that I'm thinking about it, what the hell is the point of a wellness test?!?!? Sheesh, Smokey's made it to 18 -- I'd say that's doing pretty well!!!!!
I feel so duped and gypped!!!!!!! :mad:
bigmama, I'm hoping that my horse's foot problem is something less serious -- it's possible that she just has bruised feet from the harder ground and riding her on gravel roads. I took her for a ride last night, and she seemed fine. The vet is coming out tomorrow to take X-rays -- even if it's not a serious problem, the X-rays will at least help to confirm that the problem is or isn't navicular syndrome.
It is a problem in some areas of Canada but we don't have a problem here either I believe it came from the Southern States I am sure if you have had your dog to the Vets for reg. shots they would have told you about it if it was a problem in your area. I would check before travelling to far from home with the dog if it a problem in that area ie. trip to Florida.
What is this Heartworm thing? I have a 8month old schnauzer with thick dense fur, I don't think a mossie could possibly get in there to bite. I come from a country riddled with mossies and malaria in summer and have never heard of heartworm there. :rolleyes:
DH doesn't like to have the shots done but is forced to as we have to kenel our dogs and most kennels won't take them without their shots. We had a Vet before we moved and he told us once every 3 years was often enough and once in 5 yr.s for Rabies. He was an old school Vet and said that getting them to often doesn't hurt them just your pocketbook.
Gosh great tips guys!!
I must price around as my dog is due for shots but if too much here he will be waiting until we go on vacation back home. My Mom lives in country and I have been taking him to a nearby vet there. I can get his teeth cleaned for just over a 100 there which is very cheap!!! She really loves the animals and she may suggest a few things but always explains and prices etc
Gosh Smoodgie that was a pricey visit you had there and I really hope your Horse is OK!!!
DBD,
What a great vet you have! I have had the "wellness" tests pushed on me (I have since changed vets). I succumbed the first time for a 13 year old sheltie.....but same thing, what did it tell me but she was old? They have a way of making you think "What, you don't care enough about your pet?" When they wanted to sedate and x-ray my current dog, an Aussie, because she was limping on her hind leg after a strenous weekend of frisbee catching. I asked another vet for a second opinion. He had the "wait and see" approach....he said to wait at [I]least[/I] 2 weeks for the strain to get better! She was better after a week, and I changed vets to his practice.
I understand they are in business to make money, but I hate getting gouged!
My first regular visit to this vet is this spring....hopefully I will be just as happy!
Many thanks for the tip about treatment.....I will always remember that one now...
ctw
What the #$@$ is a wellness test supposed to do? Sheesh an 18 year old cat would seem to have already done pretty well without having any tests to say so. I mean there are proactive approaches, but it's a little late at 18 isn't it? let me guess...$350 - 400 for the blood/urine tests?
I'm afraid this is one thing that always hits a raw nerve with me. I love my vet. I never feel overcharged or dooped with him. Others send me into a complete dither when they are gouging. My first vet I caught red handed, bald faced lieing to me just to scare me into some tests. Then I found this vet and he has taught me one valuable lesson, no tests unless it will change treatment. No tests for nice to know type things. No tests when a few hours will tell you what you need to know (for instance when my last dog had the poonapoohs she got a shot and I was told to come back if she wasn't better within a few hours. No blood test to test for giardia when chances are that's what she seemed to have and sure enough, she was better without tests. Experience should be good for something when it comes to vets but some just use them anyway). So when she got ill enough that I had to take her to emerg here I realized what a racket some vets have going.
One unfortunate emerg vet saw us when she had a bladder infection. I brought a sample in with us and they tested it, said it was an infection but felt she should have x-rays and an ultrasound (cha ching!). I asked how that would change the treatment and he said it wouldn't so I said no, give us the shot/pills and we'll be on our way. Gads he tried to convince me for a good 10 minutes and when I told my vet he just laughed and congratulated me for not being sucked in.
As for insurance, after going through cancer/cushings with the first dog I was really aware of what things can cost so was considering it when I got Ebony. My vet told me that the only time insurance pays for itself is the first and last year of an animal's life (which was certainly true of the first dog). He felt a person was better putting the same amount of money into a bank account and crossing their fingers that they would never need it as most people don't end up getting their investment back.
As for annual type things, well this pup is not getting shots or any of that other junk anymore (my vet and I are still debating that and so far we are going without). I've gone totally natural with this one (after reading about cancer etc. with the other). She eats only raw food and will only be taking things like heartworm if we happen to go to an area where it exists (none in Calgary at this point). I have come to realize there is some real questioning going on in the vet world when it comes to some of the things we have been lead to believe.
Meanwhile I would ask why the cat needed that testing, why it needs shots (if it's an indoor cat). As well you might want to read up on vaccinations for dogs as there is some question as to why they would need them annually. In people we seem to get away without boosters every year so what's going on here? You can get rabies shots that are good for 3 years, so why get them every year? The reality is mosts vets make a min of 30% of their annual income on shots so can get pretty stiff when questioned. The ones who are in it for the animals, don' t mind discussing it.
Anyway, if you have other vets around, call them and ask what they would have charged for the annual check/shots and see what you find out. I know here there is a huge difference in offices with some being almost triple what one like mine would charge. Boy $600 I'd be upset too.
UGH -- NOW it looks like my horse might have a serious foot problem :( The vet is coming on Saturday to take X-rays *Sigh*
That sound you hear isn't a maelstrom -- it's my money getting sucked down the drain!! :cry: :cry: :cry:
We pay about $80 for yearly shots and check up per dog. It may be worth it to check around and get prices from other vets as that price sounds pretty high to me, but it may just be the city you live in. We used to take our dogs to a nearby small town for their shots and check ups and paid significantly less than the "citified" vets. No vet insurance pays for regular check ups or maintenance on dogs. Dental cleanings, yearly shots and check ups are not covered. For someone like me who has 3 dogs full time (4 right now) vet insurance is pretty expensive, but well worth it considering we are covered up to $12,000 over the life of our pets. We spent $5000 trying to save one of our little guys (didn't make it) and decided after that it was a worthwhile investment as I never wanted money to become an issue if one of mine got cancer or something.
They have got to be so expensive and they have you in a hold. I try to call and price it out before we go as I have also been hit with one of those bills. They are very good at suggesting this test or that test and really the cat is 18 years old what is the test going to tell you only that the cat is old which you already knew. Any time you get any kind of blood work done it is through the roof. I don't think your Vet is any worse than the others they are all expensive.
I am wondering if it isn't a good idea to buy medical insurance for pets, especially when you have a few. I have no idea what the insurance covers but it may be worth looking into. Years ago I used to drive to Carp, Ont. as I found a vet there that was more reasonable than some others. A friend drives to the Gatineau , Qc to vet. who charges less.
I stopped all the heartworm meds 2 years ago for my dog. Year after year another $30 blood test and $90 for meds. The reason being the dog is never around mosquitoes. I do not get all the annual shots either anymore, only every 3 years. The dog is never boarded out so no kennel cough shot either. We had dogs /cats as kids who never had shots after the ones given when they were just weeks old and they lived to ripe old ages. The family could just not afford it.
My dog is fed a premiun organic expensive food. No by products, no fillers, human quality ingredients. That is where I draw the line.
Maybe I am just an irrresponsible pet owner, I do not know but the Vet. business has becomea racket. :rolleyes: I do not remember years ago getting reminders either in the way of a mailed postcard or a telephone call, that a pet was due for a blood test, shots or a check up.