Am I overreacting? VENT--
 

I was at the vet clinic today to get Toke's rabies vaccine and a health certificate for him to fly.

I love him like crazy, but he'll have a great time in Cali with three other yorkies who will be his new family. My aunt has agreed to take him in and pay for our flight over there.

Anyway, we get there and the front desk attendant is unwelcoming and has a 'I couldn't care less attitude.' That's fine, not everyone is warm and bubbly.

We get into a room and the vet assistant (I'm not sure of the exact technical term) comes in and Tokes doesn't trust her and starts acting skittish. I said she could take him in the back to take his temperature as most dogs tend to act better when their loved ones aren't around. She said she'll have the vet come in and take his temp instead.

Vet comes in and does an exam checking eyes, ears, teeth, etc. She says he doesn't need his rabies after looking at his papers, but does needs his Bordetella vaccine. Cool. She takes him to the back to do that and have a fecal done. He comes back and he smells AWFUL. I was like, "is that your breath Tokes?!" I lift his tail to see a big piece of poop stuck to his hair. It smelled really bad! I attempted to clean him, but wiping him down with wet paper towels only made it worse. The vet came back in to say he DOES need his rabies vaccine and showed me proof from my records. Ok, that's fine. I also asked her to clean his bum, and she said that it should've been taken care of before he came out, but would make sure he'd get cleaned up this time.

The vet assistant brought him back out, and he STILL had poop stuck to his butt. She left. I attempted to use wet paper towels again. I was tempted to soap his bum up, but the sink was too small and he didn't want to stay put. Assistant came back in and I told her. She seemed all annoyed and sprayed something on his butt called chlorhexiderm and cleaned it off. Not knowing what it was I freaked out inside and googled it on my phone. Nothing to worry about. He whined the tiniest whine and she was like, "OH STOP IT, I'm not hurting you!" I guess she trying to prove to me by 'talking to him' that she wasn't being too rough with him. She was also calling him a mess making it seem like it was HIS fault that there was poop stuck to him. She was just rude and weird.......maybe she wasn't trying to come off like that, but that's how I felt. I wanted to cry because I thought she wasn't being nice to him.

The vet brought out the health certificate.

I Went to the front and was just so angry. It was busy so I waited my turn. Sat for 15 minutes, cleared up. The ever-so-friendly receptionist, didn't acknowledge me sitting, so I went up and asked to pay. The bill was $209.50. I don't know why I thought it wouldn't cost more than $100 or so?!

$80 for health certificate with exam
$33 for Bordetella
$44 fecal
$6 waste
$17 sedative for 3 pills
$30 rabies/ 3 years

I rounded up to the next dollar. I know dogs are expensive, but I really didn't think that it would be that much. I guess the fact that I was already angry and the bill total really threw me for a loop. I SO wanted to complain about the vet assistant, but the look on the receptionists face did not invite me to speak to her.

I didn't ask for a rabies vaccination for 3-years! I didn't even know it came in a 1 or 3 year form. Why didn't they ask/talk to me first about it? I would've for sure only asked for the 1 year form.

Is fecal necessary for a health certificate? She didn't talk to me about this either. I felt very ill informed and that they assumed I would be ok with the costs. Maybe the fecal was necessary? Can someone tell me if it is?..

I guess I should've spoke up, but what can they do? They already performed the mentioned tasks, I couldn't get my money back if I tried.

The sedative is to calm him down for the flight because he tends to be yappy.

I'm re-reading all this and I may sound crazy, but I felt I the customer service was horrible and was ill informed of my options. I'm a student and only work part time, so I just was shocked when I received the bill on top of the service I received.

I guess I just needed to vent..

$200 isn't all that much when thinking about how I only have a few more weeks with him, but I was totally freaked by my experience there today.

All in all, am I just being a crybaby?

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. The rabies vaccine is currently good for 3 years by law. Whether the company has labeled it as 1 year, 2 year or 3 year - it is the EXACT same vaccine.

So far as a fecal being necessary for a health certificate for flying..I'm not sure. I've never gotten a health certificate to ship a dog. I'm always asked if I want a fecal or not for my dogs. I also don't get bordetella. That seems a little high for a bordetella vaccine

Thanks for your reply. Has it always been good for 3 years? My Rabies Certificate from last year said he would be due back in a year, which was today. The certificate I received today said it's good for three years now. Last year's producer was Merial. This year's is Pfizer. I don't know if there's a difference?

Sorry for what has happened.Hope you are feeling better!

It sounds like all the vet work was necessary. However, they should have let you know how much everything would cost beforehand. Sorry you had a bad experience. I would go to a different vet next time.

Most states have required rabies every three years for several years now. A lot of vets still give it every year for revenue and because rabies used to be required every year. A study was done and the vaccine was found to last for at least three year, although many believe it lasts for 7 years to the lifetime of the animal. There is currently a Rabies Challenge study going on right now, and hopefully we can extend the time between rabies even more as it causes the most adverse reactions of any vaccine in our dogs. Overvaccination has been such a problem...you really don't want to give the rabies vaccine anymore than it is required by law. Whether it's called a "one year" or "three year rabies" it's the same vaccine.

There are some states that still require rabies every year by law, so the vaccine companies take the same vaccine and label it differently so that it can be used in all ares. However, as I said..it's the same vaccine.

Current vaccine protocol is to give first rabies vaccine at 4 months of age (later for smaller dogs if possible). Then a booster is to be given one year later. After that, a rabies should be given ever three years (by law). Unless you live in a state that still continues to require it every year..

Ohhhhh, I would be choked too! There's nothing worse than poor customer service :thumbdown

Thank you for your replies! I do feel better and he was worth it, but I was bummed out for a little.

Thank you MyFairLacy for the information. It helped!

My boyfriend is bringing home chinese takeout for dinner and we're going to have a quiet friday night in. :)

I would be mad also. I dont think they treated you or your baby well. Im sorry this happened to you....

Maybe the person wasn't meaning to sound rude? I'm really particular about the kind of customer service I get anywhere I go. Sometimes I get people that think they are being funny or personable, when all they are doing is irritating me. Even if she wasn't meaning it to be rude though, I would have been bothered by it too.

With the vets I have been too, I have always had to ask about prices, they wont say unless I ask. But I have gotten those shocking bills too where I thought It would only be so much and it ended up being doubled, it definitely makes it even worse when the people are being rude. I usually call the vet before I go in and ask how much everything will cost, that way I know what to expect.
I stopped going to my last vet because of the front receptionist who was always there when I would go in.

The Bordatella, fecal and exam were way too expensive compared to pricing I have seen.

When in doubt, ask for an estimate. If they won't give you one, they don't want your business.

I would've been very unhappy about the poop thing.

I guess the vet telling him to stop would have everything to do with how she said it. Talking firm is one thing. Yelling is another...

$80 is way overpriced for just an exam/office visit. Is it the Health certificate that cost more??? I really dont know anything about the health certificates..never looked into it.

I usually pay $38 for the exam/office visit at the vet I see here, and it was $50something for the office visit/exam at Texas A&M Vet clinic (and that was to see an internal medicine specialist). I've paid two very different costs for fecals in the past - one was $9 at a vet where my parents live and one was $30something at Banfield (had to go there when i discovered rylie had tapeworms..yuck..they take walkins).

Customer service is really important to me too. I would hate feeling like a vet didn't spend enough time with my pet or treat us well. If I was really unhappy I would have complained.

$50???
I paid over $142 for a consult with Ellie's specialist.:eek:


Exams are $30-$40 here.
Fecals are about $15.
Vaccines are $15-$20.



If your dog is being shipped cargo, it may not be a good idea to sedate him.

Yeah I think it was $56 just for the visit/exam...before my 20% student discount lol.

He's going to be flying in cabin with us in his crate. I think that's the only way I'd feel comfortable with him flying. I have to see him off and see how well he does with the other yorkies. If things don't go well, I can always fly him back home with me.