Quote:
Originally Posted by kjc  I don't trust any Banfield clinics, mainly bc they provide vaccine statistics to the government... in turn they tend to want to over vaccinate (more stats = more $$ for them) |
That's where an informed YT'er steps in and refuses the vax's except those absolutely critical. Until I became a member here, I knew little about the problem of over vaccinating and you all finally got through to me. My Banfield only recommends rabies every 3 years and gives you the options of the other vaccinations yearly except for Bordatella, which they insist on only if you are going to board your dog with them.
Before Banfield, when I first got Tibbe and he was a health and psychological wreck, a VCA vet gave me an estimate of $478.00 for Tibbe's ear mite treatment, the estimate to include testing with cultures and smears and this blood test and that powder and ointment of antifungal and antibiotic types and we hadn't even been on a routine ear mite treatment yet. I said that I'd prefer to just try a routine ear mite treatment first as he wasn't going nuts shaking his head or scratching a great lot, his ears weren't that red or not crusty or anything - that he wasn't having any huge complications and couldn't we just try a good basic treatment first as $500.00 seemed excessive to start out with to treat what seemed a basic early case of ear mites. He was placed on one of the well-known preparations and in 2 days was far better and in the 10 or 14 days he was to take it, he was entirely well for a cost of less than $20.00, I think it was.
Most any given vet clinic might have a willingness to over test and over vax and maybe over treat at times if the owner allows it. Vet's overcharging and running what people claim are unnecessary tests and to a lesser extent over-treating/over-vaccinating are pretty widespread complaints for years now and not just confined to Banfield or VCA. Wherever you take your dog, it pays to use some common sense and speak up.