This brings back the memory of our first yorkie, Molly Muffins and the first time she was throwing up the foamy yellow bile and us taking her in to see her vet.
They recommended x-rays too,
and what we learned is that Molly was constipated.
You could see the poop back-up (LOL) right in the x-ray!
I think he gave her some laxatone to help her pass a stool.
It was a relief that it wasn't an object lodged in her.
Of course, this was 11 years ago, and we only paid $100-$150 dollars.
But think about the opposite effect.
Your vet does NOT propose an x-ray,
you go home to more illness, vomiting,
and you go back to a second opinion and THEN you learn there is something lodged.
NOW you are really angry that the vet didn't suggest this the FIRST time.
Vets like to cover all the bases.
My suggestion would be to speak up and advocate for yourself immediately. Instead of stewing quietly about it. Ask questions-lots of them! Make that vet work for those $540 dollars!
"Why do you need EIGHT (!) x-rays?"
"Is this a lot of radiation for such a small sized dog?"
"Can you just do a couple of x-rays,since that is what I can afford?"
"$540 is a lot of money for me and much more than I anticipated. Can you reccommend another place where I can receive treatment for less money?"
My own vet actually has a big pricing book.
When we were debating which diagnostic treatments to do for our Molly when she had cancer,
he happily brought the price book in to show us these fees were all standard amounts. He does not charge prices randomly. Every single procedure is in his book with a cost next to it.
He would tell us that in his opinion, the minimum we could do was 'A',
but if we would like to do 'B', which cost X amount more, he would have a bit more information gathered to help him make a diagnosis. It was up to us.
I love my vet!
I think we all need to have complete trust and faith in our vets, or find another one. |