# taken to the cleaners...



## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

Do you ever feel like your vet is taking you to the cleaners? I just got back with Minnie, who has the start of an ear infection, and the office visit plus the 15ml bottle of drops cost us $107. I was blown away. I mean, 10 minutes and a tiny bottle of drops. Wow. I really like this vet, but I don't know if we can continue to afford him at these rates. I also inquired about getting her spayed and it would cost $325! Wow. I mean, I know it's internal surgery and everything, but that's a huge chunk of change. 

Ok, just had to get that out. We're checking into other vets in the area.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

What is your area? You might get some recommendations from the group here.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Check outside your area also. Our vet is expensive but they are also the only 24 hour animal hospital in the area. If I go about 2 hours the cost of half at another vet.


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

We are kind of limited in this area - we're an hour outside of Houston with nothing in between.


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## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

The only problem is at some point when you are traveling long distances, the vet cost vs the gas/time cost will probably end up being the same.

$107 seems like a lot. We pay less than that for an office visit, shots, nail clipping, 6 mos of heart worm and a small bottle of otomax.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

An office visit is $54.00. I've thought of shopping around, but my vet is close to home and I like them. My vet is also associated with the emergency after hours clinic and if I ever need to take them in after hours I will be charged his rate not the more expensive emergency rate. I have had to use this once.

I also like knowing that thie history of my pets are in one place and the vet has access to this.

A friend of mine will drive way out of her way to save $10.00 on vet fees. She spends a lot of time phoning vets for their pricing.

Some of the vet bills that I've seen posted here are really cheap.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Yep, any visit to my old vet was $100+,for exam plus medication. 

I have a new vet now. It's amazing how much cheaper they are, plus holistic.


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## lylol (Feb 18, 2009)

my vet visit is 30.00... then all the extras add up on top. 

If you really like your vet talk to him/her about working out a reduced cost. Knowing they have a patient for life may be worth it to them to work out the fees. Cant hurt to ask


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: MaryWAn office visit is $54.00. I've thought of shopping around, but my vet is close to home and I like them. My vet is also associated with the emergency after hours clinic and if I ever need to take them in after hours I will be charged his rate not the more expensive emergency rate. I have had to use this once.
> 
> I also like knowing that thie history of my pets are in one place and the vet has access to this.
> 
> ...


Ditto this. That's why I stay with my vet.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Bella spay was $300 last november, had them microschip at the same time that cost $42.50. I think the spay rate is normal. They also cleaned her ears and cut her nails while she was under for free.


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## Woodreb (Oct 27, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MinnieskiWe are kind of limited in this area - we're an hour outside of Houston with nothing in between.


What side of Houston are you on?
It was 17 years ago, but I used to live in the Woodlands and used a vet in Conroe (unfortunately I think he's no longer there and he was expensive). But there was a clinic right off the highway just outside the Woodlands, and e-vet a little further up the road going towards Conroe.


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

Thanks Woodreb for the offer but we live in the other direction.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I had to pay for an exam for puppy vaccinations. $16 for office call and $19 for the "exam" + the cost of the vaccine. All the vet did was pet Karlo. I didn't question it, as it was his first time there. She didn't take his temp, either. The next time I went, I asked why the exam fee, as all that was done were the vaccinations, the office girl waived the $19.
We go tomorrow for his rabies( I didn't want it at the same time as his vax) We'll see what they try to charge me. I knew going to this vet it would cost me more than my old one(20 miles away), It will be worth it if I have an emergency as they are only a few minutes away and she lives next to the clinic. Also is ok w/ the RAW diet, other vet was against it.


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## gsdsrule (Apr 10, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: MinnieskiDo you ever feel like your vet is taking you to the cleaners? I just got back with Minnie, who has the start of an ear infection, and the office visit plus the 15ml bottle of drops cost us $107. I was blown away. I mean, 10 minutes and a tiny bottle of drops. Wow. I really like this vet, but I don't know if we can continue to afford him at these rates. I also inquired about getting her spayed and it would cost $325! Wow. I mean, I know it's internal surgery and everything, but that's a huge chunk of change.
> 
> Ok, just had to get that out. We're checking into other vets in the area.


I recently had to take one of my Poms in and it turned out to be an ear infection. The whole thing cost $37. I think it really matters what part of the country you live in.


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## Lomax Anderson (Jul 17, 2009)

For a Good Vet I'll pay more...reciently changed back to a vet who saw my former female Gsd...had a good vet right down from us but she retired and the new Vet is scared of big dogs and she is about 23 years old ...so we switched back.They are great and a little more expensive on some things but a Good Vet deserves better pay. 
Office visit is 35 bucks but if it is just for shots then they didn't charge me for an office visit.


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## boscopup (Jun 17, 2003)

That does seem pretty high.

I took Bosco to a vet in the city near me for a while, but found they were horribly expensive. Switched to my current vet who is 30 minutes away, but is more in a rural, less rich area. Office visit is $35. Of course, the rare times I'm there, it's usually for things that end up costing $150. LOL. But the breakdown in those cases is legitimate, like when there is bloodwork, some expensive med, etc.

I don't know what a spay usually costs, as Kira came to me already spayed (twice! ) and my other dogs have all been males, but a neuter for Bosco at age 2 with hip and elbow x-rays taken at the same time ended up around $200 or so? It was pretty cheap, especially since the previous expensive vet wanted like $250 just for hip x-rays (no elbows or neutering!).

My vet is also supportive of the raw diet and alternative medicine, and she'll even ask me if I have a natural remedy for something like an ear infection before prescribing something. The downside to my vet is the distance, as she's in another city. So I can't easily go there for a simple weight check or something like that, but it's worth the drive to go to a supportive vet that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!


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## meisha98 (Aug 27, 2008)

Talk to the vet and maybe they'll give you a break. If you like them, you've been with them for a while and it isn't easy to go elsewhere, this may be your best option. Times are tough all over and I'm sure they'd rather get some money from a steady client than no money from a lost one.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

My bill for the exam, 1 bottle of Mometamax for a VERY mild ear infection, and 1 bottle of a preventative ( for "swimmers ear", imagine THAT lol.) was *$72.*

Normal office call is $46. I was only charged $30 since it only took about 5 minutes total.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: carlygirlI think it really matters what part of the country you live in.


That is so true - I would be THRILLED to pay the "outrageous" prices people quote from other areas of the country. EVERYTHING is more expensive here in the Bay Area, usually a LOT more expensive. 

I could probably shop around and find a cheaper vet, but I've been going to the same place since 1986 - they know me and my pets, many of the people have been working there for years (one of the vet techs who also seems to pretty much run the place has been working there even longer than we've been going), and I trust my vet completely. He lives about 45 minutes away from the office, and when Dena was sick he drove in after hours on his day off to help us, twice, which put him there all 7 days that week. He had given me his home and cell numbers and insisted that I call if I have any questions or concerns, and he has the staff do the same thing. (There's a bumper sticker on the wall of the treatment room that says: What Would Schuchman Do?, and I assume they are to take that literally!) I asked him if we should take her to the emergency vet and he would have none of that saying he would meet us there shortly. Unfortunately, she was so sick that she couldn't be saved, but his knowledge and dedication are amazing, and although we spent thousands of dollars those three weeks I know there were many hundreds of dollars of treatment and tests that we were not charged for. That's worth more to me than saving a few bucks on routine care.


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## Sean Rescue Mom (Jan 24, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mom
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: carlygirlI think it really matters what part of the country you live in.


Ditto, I couldn't agree more. 
We live in the Chicago metropolitan area and found out that most of the vets here check one another for their prices. We have total trust in our vet(s) and have been going to them for a long time. They always go over the charges and if we cannot afford an unexpected expense they will let us pay what we can and then pay the remainder later.


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

It definitely depends on the area you're in. When I lived in Billings, MT stuff was cheap. Office call was $40. . .X-rays were like $75. Was nice. Here in CT, I pay about $70 just to walk in the door. It's absolutely ridiculous. The vets we generally see here are nice but I know they're probably not pro-raw or pro-minimal vaccination. Ris was due for her annual exam this month so I did some price shopping. One vet was $70 for the office call, $72 for the heartworm/tick test, and $109 per vaccine titer. Our other vet was $60 for the office call, $75 for the heartworm/tick test, and $70 per vaccine titer. I was heading home (to Syracuse, NY) for a visit anyway so I decided to schedule Ris for an appointment at the vet hospital where I used to work. Whole visit cost me less than what it would have cost me for an appointment and heartworm/tick test here. I paid just under $140 for a heartworm/tick panel, distemper/parvo titers, a fecal exam, and the physical exam. Not to mention the vet we saw there is great.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Our vet is reasonably priced for the number of services/vets on staff they offer. Some things are higher than others, I think Anna's spay was like $250? The only thing that is outrageous is the prescriptions! For like 15 deramaxx for Duncan it was like $98, I can get a 30 count bottle online for like $60, same with his Dasiquin. 

If you can find the prescriptions online and the vet is easy to work with in getting you the prescription you can come out way cheaper...even with shipping.


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## Smy3pitas (Jan 26, 2006)

Our vet visit is 35.00. BUT! we went to PAWS in our neighborhood and received a coupon for the neutering.. WE bought coupon from PAWS and it was 60.00 for the neutering, ( it was like a donation thru the vet). What a steal.! But there were some stipulations for each vet. OUrs was we had to do it before 18mths old. So, I guess what I am saying is ask the vet or maybe your animal shelter in area about neutering!


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