Anyone think they get rooked by their vet?

[Hillbeans]

Yes I do - and i've tried out a few different Vets around the area. I actually cancelled a 3rd visit scheduled by my vet when my dog was having an allergic reaction to fleas after he "sold" me doggie shampoo and conditioner for $30 along with a bunch of $60 pills. They don't even seem to ask if you can afford this stuff before adding it to your bill. I hate to say it but I only now take the pets when they need shots and nothing more unless it's an emergency.

 

[NYCDiane]

Just curious if anyone thinks they get rooked by their vet?

I have been pleased with my vet for quite a few years, but I have noticed new people and am wondering if ownership/management has changed.

I took my 14 year old Shih Tzu (Toby) to the vet for his yearly check-up/shots. He does have a few health problems--cataracts, heart murmur and tartar on his teeth. He is currently on heart medication.

The bill today for shots and exam was $135.

The vet suggested a geriatric blood work-up for $175; dental cleaning $300-500; and canine flu vaccine $??? I chose not to do any of these at this time.

The vet asked how he gets around, I told her "Toby runs around like a pup." At the end of the conversation, she recommend that I put him on glucosomine since it would help his joints feel better. I told her "No, he gets around fine." My DH tried glucosomine and it did not help him at all.

I expect to be laid off from my job in the next few months, so I am really trying to watch what I spend. I feel guilty about not doing all they recommend, but sometimes I think they people on pet owners heartstrings.

Just like any other business, they've become more about SALES than care. They find every/any thing that your pet may need and try to convince you it's imperative that you get it done.

You should look into low cost vet care/clinics.

 

[NYCDiane]

Yes I do - and i've tried out a few different Vets around the area. I actually cancelled a 3rd visit scheduled by my vet when my dog was having an allergic reaction to fleas after he "sold" me doggie shampoo and conditioner for $30 along with a bunch of $60 pills. They don't even seem to ask if you can afford this stuff before adding it to your bill. I hate to say it but I only now take the pets when they need shots and nothing more unless it's an emergency.

You didn't need ANY of this for his flea allergy. All you needed to do was get Frontline. My cat had a flea allergy a few years ago.... the Frontline did the trick and got rid of the fleas, allergy problems were gone. Oh, and buy it from 1-800-Pet Meds instead of through your vet --- your vet will charge you almost double what you can get it for online.

 

[NYCDiane]

Another thing.... there is pet health insurance. I don't know the name of it but if you have a dog/cat that's outside a lot, you may consider getting it. It may be less costly in the long run. Look into the plans and see what they cover, what the co-pays are, which vets take it, etc before signing up.

 

[sameyeyam]

You don't have to go to a vet to get your dogs & cats vaccinations (except for rabies). Many pharmacies and feed stores carry the vaccinations and you can now get them at many online pet med stores also. It is very easy to give them shots (many websites give exact directions) and it will save you tons of $$$$$.

I just checked one website and the kennel cough vaccine was $4.98, the combo vaccine that contains parvo, flu, etc. was $5.98. It is very easy to give a dog a shot. Cats are a bit more difficult, so have someone hold onto them very tightly while giving the shot.

Check the classified ads in the newspaper, many times you will find agencies that will offer low cost rabies shots.

 

[Evi]

I only felt this way once. I had a lovely Cocker Spaniel girl who developed cancer and while she at hospital for some testing they ordered tests I didn't request and tried to bill me for them. They also prescribed some heavy duty medications for pain (my dog did not show sign of any pain and her surgeon did not think she was in pain) but he wasn't there when we checked out and another vet prescribed them so they wouldn't let me take her home until I paid for prescriptions and tests I didn't request total was in the 6k range and I was fuming but my baby was dying so unfortunately I had other things on my mind and had to pay so I could take her home. I was also convinced to have surgery done on her another 4k which in the end did not save her. So I then had to make the choice to put her down additional cost plus cremation charges because I didn't want her thrown on the back of a van from hospital and stored in a giant fridge for multiple weeks to be cremated with a bunch of other animal and not know if her ashes where the ones I was getting. In the end it cost me in the range of 12k for everything.

What did I learn...trust an honest vets opinion. Do what you can to love your pet and and when given a bad prognoses really weigh the benefit vs outcome and be truthful who your doing it for you or your pet. Sometimes the best thing we can do is accept the inevitable and sometimes we should break the bank to save them. But always get what they want to do in writing and if someone suggests something get some outcome expectations and make sure there a specialist.

I dont want a bunch of messages saying how can you spend that on a dog because in all I spent alot more on her and in truth she was worth that and a hundred times more to me. So please no flaming on what I spend my money on.

 

[kimkatmom]

My daughter's seven year old Great Dane had pyometria. She took her to a very reputable vet about 40 miles from our home. She performed the surgery and the bill was about $1,200. That was ok.

But then, she needed 24 hour a day care to continue to recover from the surgery. While she was in the vet hospital we got phone calls from the hospital demanding payment. They essentially had her on life support. Every day my daughter would travel about 60 miles to visit her dog and every day she would ask when she could bring her home. It was always "tomorrow." Or, Dr. "So and so" isn't on today, so we need to keep her another day. Poor thing just continued to get worse. She went from a dog that weighed 110 pounds down to 70 pounds. My daughter and her boyfriend actually had to "break" her out. She brought her home and continued with the same treatment, iv's etc. that she was getting in the hospital. We gave her 24 hour a day care. THE VET BILL WAS IN EXCESS OF $16,000!!!!

The bad news is, we had to have her put down. She was literally starving to death. Then the bill from that comes along together with the cremation, etc.

And by the way, we HAD VPI pet insurance. We paid $50 a month for seven years!!! Let's see, that's $4,200. They covered $2,000 of the entire surgery and post surgery care. Oh, ya, they were good enough to kick in $75 for her to be put down. That was big of them! Needless to say, we have a savings account for our dogs now.

It was a bad dream that my daughter just couldn't weak up from! She will pay this bill for a very LONG time. Her dog was the sweetest spirit ever put on this Earth, but it makes you wonder just how some of these vets sleep at night. [Obviously, they sleep on a softer bed than any of us do.]

 

[tomthebarncat]

I consider my pets the closest things to children I will ever have. I have great respect for my vet, and do not second guess them. I am not an animal doctor nor am I a medical professional. I value their expertise and am willing to pay for it!

 

[NYCDiane]

I consider my pets the closest things to children I will ever have. I have great respect for my vet, and do not second guess them. I am not an animal doctor nor am I a medical professional. I value their expertise and am willing to pay for it!

If you have someone who is honest and reputable, it's one thing. However, if you have one of these vet offices who wants to "suggest" every little thing just to add to your tab or sell you $30 shampoo, I would think twice.

It seems that every profession from dentist to doctor to vet have turned into salespeople rather than caregivers and it's all about the money and not the healing.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

I thought you needed to have a prescription to order heartworm meds?

In the US, yes, you must have them tested first. If you treat a dog with the meds and they have heartworm, it could kill them. Once your dog is tested and negative, as long as you continue the meds every month or however often it's needed, you shouldn't need to have them tested again. There are some vets in our area that will make you retest every year, this is not necessary! Once you've gotten a negative test, you can then search the net for better prices.

You don't have to go to a vet to get your dogs & cats vaccinations (except for rabies). Many pharmacies and feed stores carry the vaccinations and you can now get them at many online pet med stores also. It is very easy to give them shots (many websites give exact directions) and it will save you tons of $$$$$.

I just checked one website and the kennel cough vaccine was $4.98, the combo vaccine that contains parvo, flu, etc. was $5.98. It is very easy to give a dog a shot. Cats are a bit more difficult, so have someone hold onto them very tightly while giving the shot.

Check the classified ads in the newspaper, many times you will find agencies that will offer low cost rabies shots.

Yeah, I've worked for several vets, giving shots is super easy. What made me mad about the whole profession was the fact that at the office I worked at, employees paid cost plus 10% of anything, and a rabies shot cost me less than $1, where they charged I think $16 plus $15 office visit to customers When I started breeding dogs, I purchased all their vaccines (except rabies) online, paid about $2 to get each pup done. Many places have rabies clinics, usually at a fire hall or something usually in the spring time. Here you'll pay a lot less for the rabies (plus no office visit) and often you can get the other vaccines there also for cheap. AND, there has been a lot of research that the other vaccines that you give yearly aren't necessary every year, and can actually harm the pets to give yearly.

Bottom line to go with the nature of this thread, yep, vets rip you off something awful and there's really nothing you can do about it but be educated and informed. Know what you pets need, where you can get it for the best price and know your pets behaviors so you can note a change that may require a vet visit.

 

[torinsmom]

My vet is a house call vet, very reasonable.

Yesterday my friend's cat (who had sugar in his urine) called him to get the official diagnosis. Total cost: $157. That included the house call, the examination, the blood chemistry panel (thorough), the shot of antibiotic (he had something else going on), the vial of insulin and the antibiotic pills. I gave her my syringes so that was not included in the price.

Where do you live in NC? It would be SO nice to have a housecall vet! Several of my cats freak when I take them to the vet, and one always ends up having a recurrence of his calicivirus when we go.

I always ask what is absolutely necessary when I take my animals to the vet.Once they wanted to do bloodwork on one cat who seemed to have an infection. I asked if we could do the antibiotics first and see if that did the trick(it did) Another time they wanted to keep a cat overnight and give him fluids. I took him home and pushed fluids all night instead. There is a difference in doing what is recommended and what is necessary.

Don't think I WON'T spend money on my babies. I have had two trips to the emergency vet, one for calicivirus and one for a reaction to the rabies vaccine. I just try to limit what they do if I can and I ask a lot of questions, so if it happens again, I know what to do(benadryl works for a cat with hives, 1mg per pound of body weight ;-))

Marsha

 

[kim929]

When I had my boxer, I spent thousands trying to save him... nothing worked, I believe my vet strung me along. I paid 125.00 for one blood test, 3 x's. Then I got my yorkie. I took him to the local pet store for his shots when they had a clinic and there I met a wonderful vet. She was the vet for the greyhound race track in our state, when they finally closed that she opened her practice in the pet store. AT first I took my yorkie to my regular vet where they wanted 600.00 to nueter, pull and clean his teeth. My new vet charged 100.00. When asked why she doesn't charge like the other vets, she said her father started the practice years ago believing the pounds were full of animals the owners couldn't afford to take care of, so he would rather have people afford their pets then have them abandoned. She continues in the same way. The animals are well taken care of and even better, because they can get the help they need.

 

[Disney Ella]

I understand that vet's don't receive reimbursements from insurance companies as doctors do and have to charge more to make a living, but I agree that they do tend to gouge the customers sometimes.

My 14-year-old cat developed chronic kidney failure a few years ago and had to be given subcutaneous fluids every night. The vet's office charged me $26 for one bag of Lactated Ringer's, which lasted one week. After paying these prices for a few weeks, I investigated online pet supply companies and was able to reduce my cost to $4 per bag. The vet was already making a lot of money from me from the frequent exams and blood tests my cat had to have. Why gouge someone who was just trying to extend the life of a dying cat? I could understand paying twice or even three times the cost of a bag of Lactated Ringers, but not six times the cost.

 

[tomthebarncat]

If you have someone who is honest and reputable, it's one thing. However, if you have one of these vet offices who wants to "suggest" every little thing just to add to your tab or sell you $30 shampoo, I would think twice.

It seems that every profession from dentist to doctor to vet have turned into salespeople rather than caregivers and it's all about the money and not the healing.

I live in Germany were it appears that medical professionals care about their profession not about becoming rich!!

 

[fakereadhed]

I know we don't get ripped off by our vet, but often feel like we're ripping her off.

We drive to a rural community that's about 40 min. away. Anybody with a farming community nearby should see if they have a large animal vet that also runs a small animal clinic. She does not charge for the exam, only for tests and treatments.

New puppy shots $14.
Neuter/umbilical hernia repair $80

Best of all, the vet is friendly and really connects with our dogs. They love going there.

 

[NYCDiane]

I live in Germany were it appears that medical professionals care about their profession not about becoming rich!!

Unfortunately, in America, it's "all about the money" for the majority of "health care providers" (whether they are people doctors or pet doctors!)

 

[Pembo]

We gave our golden retriever glucosamine/chondroitin for years. It really helped him. A lot of dog foods for "senior" dogs have it in the formula.

 

[i'mfluffy]

I love my dogs like they are people. They pretty much get treated like princesses. So I've never felt like I was paying too much. I had a rottie who ended up with a severe infection in his ankle that went down to the bone and required 2 months of super strength antibiotics. The first vet misdiagnosed it and told us to put antibiotic ointment on it. Because of this incident I alsways tend to overeact when the puppies get sick. My parents on the other hand are constantly getting ripped off by their vet. The dog went to the vet a couple of months ago and the vet wanted 3k to take care of her teeth. My mom said no thanks.

 

[horseshowmom]

You don't have to go to a vet to get your dogs & cats vaccinations (except for rabies). Many pharmacies and feed stores carry the vaccinations and you can now get them at many online pet med stores also. It is very easy to give them shots (many websites give exact directions) and it will save you tons of $$$$$.

It is very easy to give a dog a shot. Cats are a bit more difficult, so have someone hold onto them very tightly while giving the shot.

Check the classified ads in the newspaper, many times you will find agencies that will offer low cost rabies shots.

Shots can be gotten at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) and pharmacies that cater to pet owners. Co-ops often have them. We do this ourselves with the exception of the MinPin. Since he often travels with me, I have to have proof of his shots (I dayboard him while I"m in meetings).

My vet showed me a good way for giving a cat a shot (takes two people though). One person grasps the skin on the back of the cat's neck and gently shakes the cat back and forth. That distracts him/her while the ohter person gives the shot. I have one cat who has immune issues and from time to time has to have shots. This works very well.

 

[dawson5]

I understand that vet's don't receive reimbursements from insurance companies as doctors do and have to charge more to make a living, but I agree that they do tend to gouge the customers sometimes.

My 14-year-old cat developed chronic kidney failure a few years ago and had to be given subcutaneous fluids every night. The vet's office charged me $26 for one bag of Lactated Ringer's, which lasted one week. After paying these prices for a few weeks, I investigated online pet supply companies and was able to reduce my cost to $4 per bag. The vet was already making a lot of money from me from the frequent exams and blood tests my cat had to have. Why gouge someone who was just trying to extend the life of a dying cat? I could understand paying twice or even three times the cost of a bag of Lactated Ringers, but not six times the cost.

I can't speak for the vet but it might come down to ordering. I would assume the online place might be able to buy in bulk, therefore able to give you a break. My husband years ago negotiated a price on windshield washer fluid if he bought so much. He was not able to use all of it but really wanted that price. He called around and found other dealerships to split the shipment so they could all receive that discount. They would not have been able to buy it at that price if they had not pulled their resources together. Just a thought.