Over $250 Vet Bill!

[beccab]

I spent well over $550ish for our dog's yearly exam. I was beyond sticker shock. I just looked at the girl at the front desk and said "excuse me" I was sure I heard the amt wrong. Nope, well over $500. Our dog's previous vet appt was $280ish which I thought was very high. My inner voice had some choice things to say to the vet but I bit my tongue in case I need him sometime. I'm going to try the local pet store for his shots in the future. I just got a reminder from the vet recently. I get so mad when I think about it.

 

[ImprovGal]

I think the thing to keep in mind is that that the regular costs of animal care extend beyond food and supplies. I learned a harsh lesson in budgeting after one of my prior cats threw a blood clot caused by a congenital heart defect. That was immediately followed by a diabetes diagnosis in the other cat I had at the time. I had previously been paying for cat care out of my "miscellaneous" fund, but I learned I had to shift their expenses out and give them their own category. The $500 annual office visit listed above isn't as much of a budget shock if $10/week was added all along to the pet budget. Then add a bit more to create a bit of an emergency fund because really, something is bound to come up in a pet's lifetime that will require expensive diagnostics and/or treatment.
The heart condition cat was on 3 years of cardiac meds before I lost her when she threw a second blood clot. Just when the diabetic cat went off insulin and was treated by prescription food alone, she was diagnosed hyperthyroid and had radioactive iodine treatment before an aggressive cancer got her a year later.

I kept the cat budget going after she passed and then when I was ready to adopt again, I was all set for the "startup" costs of my new kittens -- adoption fees, kitten food, toys, scratchers, etc.

 

[Jockaroo]

For anyone with sticker shock at their local family vet, I do have to tell you that if you involve specialist vets the prices are astonishing. I could basically add a "0" to the end of any charge my family vet had when dealing with my previous dog's internal medicine specialist and cardiologist. We spent a huge amount during one of my dog's last year, but we gave her the best life we could and when her quality was gone, we sadly said goodbye. It did create some financial hardships, but we learned to do without unnecessary things (such as trips to Disney--shocking, I know). Our other older dog didn't have the tremendous expense, but his sudden illness and having to let go was just as painful.

For the folks getting heartworm preventatives from mail order, please do some research. The companies that make the heartworm preventatives stand by their products and will frequently pay the costs of heartworm treatment if the dog develops heartworm while on the preventative. This is only true if the preventative comes from a valid, reputable source--your vet. Annual blood tests are the way to check for heartworm and many vets will not give the heartworm preventative script, or allow you to get the medication from the clinic, without having the blood test. Giving heartworm preventative to a dog with a certain level of heartworm infestation can be deadly. Blood work is also important to test for developing illnesses and organ function. I am so grateful that I have a wonderful, compassionate vet. My dog gets the best care and I rarely feel I am overcharged for services.

Hi to OregonGirl from a fellow Scottie mom!

 

[cm8]

I just had a $250 vet trip too. My cat had crystals in his urine and they had to give him $100 pills and I had to buy prescription food. I think I'm going to make him get a job and start paying for his bills himself

 

[heatherleigh]

I had a dog several yrs ago, and purchased pet insurance for her. It saved me a ton of $. It was back when insurance was just becoming available for animals, so maybe the price has increased since then. I think it was called "VIP".

 

[MaryKLady]

Canine adult onset female incontinence can be sporadic and often temporarily remits. It also often resolves after treatment because the medications which tighten the urethral sphinter help to strengthen the muscle and neural pathways. Again this can be only temporary.

As for your home cooked diet I hope you put a great deal of research into your menu. Dogs often cannot tolerate a varied diet and because of this require supplementation of home cooked meals to insure they get all the required nutrients.

Good info, thanks. With all the questions I asked my vet, I never got anything other than her liver is bad and she's in deep trouble. The way she spoke about my dog's condition I thought she'd be gone by now but so far she's doing great

I did consult with another vet when developing her new menu. He assured me she would get what she needed. I have learned that her system, not sure why, cannot tolerate commercial dog foods anymore....so off I go back to the grocery store again...

 

[Jess6001]

This past year our 12-year-old dog has had to go on 2 twice-daily meds which cost us about $40 per month. I'm in school so that's a lot of money! Plus vet visits that are between $50-150 (depending on what you're going in for).

It's a good thing I love that old girl so much or else the cost would really get to me!!

 

[Tinkerdreams]

You want to hear a wowzer in sticker shock? Three days before Christmas last year we purchased 2 sheltie pups. Both just stole our hearts. 5 days later, I had to take one to the animal hospital because she had diahrea and was vomiting. Come to find out she had parvo. This tends to kill most dogs so they gave her supportive care to the tune of $2500 for a week in the hospital

I just couldn't refuse her treatment. If she hadn't had it she would have died. She is a lovable, affectionate puppy and I wouldn't have done it any different.

Our pets give us such joy, they are worth it.

 

[Mommie2two]

Yep, my husband keeps saying that our cats and dogs need to get jobs to earn their keep. I think our beagle would make a great greeter at Walmart!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

I paid $225 for a check up for 1 cat so you really got a bargain.

 

[DawnM]

I no longer take my dogs to the vet. They won't give them shots without a check up AND heartworm test. It comes to $160 per dog plus any shots they need.

They have called several times to bring them back in but I have told them that as soon as I find a way to pay for my children's dental bills I will take care of the dogs next. That isn't entirely true, but I just can't justify almost $400 per year anymore for the dogs.

My dogs are healthy and I give them meds from online and get their necessary shots from the county for $10 each.

Dawn

 

[cnlmom]

I am sorry.....anyway you say it....$49 for just the rabies vaccine is a gross overcharge. That same vaccine will run you 8-10 bucks at your local Animal Control facilty. Most areas have low cost rabies days where you can get vaccines at a much more reasonable price.
I am all for good vet care and absolutely understand all the work involved in becoming a vet and how much it costs to run a office, but $49 bucks is a HUGE mark up.

 

[LuLuO]

I feel your pain. My dog will have her annual check up this Friday and blood tests, urinalysis, shots, physical exam, fecal exam, Interceptor and Frontline for a year will probably run me close to $400 and that doesn't include her prescription food that runs about $2.50 a day and her medication that is about $30 a month. But, she's worth it.

 

[ceecee]

Yep, my husband keeps saying that our cats and dogs need to get jobs to earn their keep. I think our beagle would make a great greeter at Walmart!

I girl that my daughter dances with does modeling and they actually hired their Springer Spaniel for $200.00!

 

[Nandid]

Wow thats a high Vet bill. I have four dogs and my yearly checkup for all four comes to about 60.00 bucks. That includes the vet listening to their heart and taking temperature. Every three years its a little more because of rabies shots, but other than that i administer all my dogs shots(distember 7 in 1's and the bordatello) Most farm supply stores sell the distemper shots and the bordatello. Call around it really saves money. My dogs are really healthy and i've been giving them shots since they were pups.

 

[Sillybowtie]

I started to take my pets to a vet in rural part of town. You are not paying for the building. I also ask if they have any discounts for teachers and also they give out coupons.
I call my cat the $1,000+ cat. He has had a UT infection and stayed at the vet for a week (he was so cute walking around with his IV), he accidental scratched a girl and had to go into quarantine for a week because I was a week late on the rabies shot. (He injured his vocal cords and now can not meow from that trip).
For a long time I would just go to the SPCA and just get a rabies shot but the last time we went to the vet I let them run all tests and found out he has FIV. Now he has to be an inside cat but at 15 years old he is liking inside more.
I also have 2 hedgehogs and that can get expensive at the vet because they are exotic but do not need yearly shots!
After these pets are gone we are not having any more for a while. If I want a pet fix I will pet sit family members animals.