Wow! that does sound like a lot! I got quoted $500 for a teeth cleaning for my westie at one vet!! That's ;ike 5 times more than for a human!!
Not to be accused of defending this vet because I am not, but he is a vet and it is different from a groomer. There is a lot of liability and he could be sued if he clipped the nails and didn't examine the dog first because he is a vet whereas a groomer does not have the same liability risk becuase she is not expected to examine the dog before doing something to it. If it were later discovered that the dog had something wrong with it and the vet should have discovered it when he clipped the nails he could be liable.
I think that if the animal was a regular patient of that vet and had had regular exams he wouldn't have insisted on an exam.
I liken it to a dental office because I work in one and someone cannot just call and ask for an appointment to get their teeth cleaned for example...they have to have an exam first because the doctor has to "diagnose" what type of cleaning you need...is it a regular prophy, a deep scalng or perio therapy?
It is also possible that they don't like to do nails so they charge a lot to make it worth their time...I don't know. |