Expensive Vet Bills...Give me a Freaking Break!!

[romeos mommy]

we have a wellness plan at banfield and it helps keep costs down.

[karen scarlet]

have you ever thought of your local humane society? I have a wonderful vet and she took in another vet and he was just as good..hee got an offer from the humane society and he told me he can do the sane things as your personal vet for alot less...also they have free food because they want you to be able to keep your pet..the humane societys are full as are the shelters

[bfforever]

I do "thrifty" things with my vet. I always break up my shots, but I pay for them all at once. When I come back the second and third time, he doesn't charge me for the second and third OV.

[Hanyougirlie1]

Originally Posted by romeos mommy

we have a wellness plan at banfield and it helps keep costs down.

How do you like the wellness plan with banfield? My huband and i are talking about taking baylee there.

[Ladymom]

$96 sounds like a deal to me! Trust me, it will get worse as Bailey gets older. Yearly blood panels are very important and after age six they need thyroid panels, too. An annual physical for Lady runs several hundred dollars and we don't even do shots any more!

I just spent $250 on her vaginal infection. (She's spayed, BTW). Between the office visit, the vaginal smear to make sure she had an infection, then ten days worth of Baytril, it was $125. It didn't clear right up so we had to do a culture which showed both E-coli and strep. With that and three more weeks of medication it was another $125.

I honestly don't know how those of you with multiple dogs do it.

[Wylie's Mom]

Well, I swear vet prices are all over the map. When I would go to Marcel's old vet - I swear I'd spend $200 almost every time. Then I took both boys to the most recent vet, and if you've seen my thread in Sick/Emerg, you know how awful she was -- but her charges were not as high, like the last one -- and maybe now I know why.

And then - took both boys to a Vet Derm. 2 wks agoo - $576 but worth EVERY penny. And Wylie then had to go an Internist (after results from the Derm) - and yesterday that was about $1000.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Well, I swear vet prices are all over the map. When I would go to Marcel's old vet - I swear I'd spend $200 almost every time. Then I took both boys to the most recent vet, and if you've seen my thread in Sick/Emerg, you know how awful she was -- but her charges were not as high, like the last one -- and maybe now I know why.

And then - took both boys to a Vet Derm. 2 wks agoo - $576 but worth EVERY penny. And Wylie then had to go an Internist (after results from the Derm) - and yesterday that was about $1000.

Yes, when you start getting into specialists the vet bills can really get up there. I am so glad they are available, though, for "complicated" furbabies like my Lady and your boys!

[ARCHIE]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Oh and as Chachi said, when they do yearly blood work (which they should do as he gets older), it will be a lot more.

Ellie's is something like this yearly:
Exam $30
Blood Panel, CBC and T4 $100 or so
Urinalysis $40
Fecal $20
Heartworm Test $25
Titers $80
Heartworm meds $70
And then everything else specific to Ellie...

I'm moving to Michigan!
I can't remember all that was on Bud's bill last year but these I
remember:

Exam :$68.00
Heartworm Test: $78.00
Fecal: $28.00
Total bill was $297.00, without heartworm meds. I had some still
at home!
I was just reviewing his last year exam because he goes at the
end of the month and there are some injections he will not be getting
this year, per me! Lepto is one.

P.S. I am going to inquire about the Titer's.
I was told it was over $100.00 but that's ok if it saves
Bud from being over innoculated.

[ARCHIE]

After talking about his yearly coming up I just called the vet for an
appointment.
Guess what?
The vet does not do Titer testing!
What do you think about that? I thought they all did.
My neighbor gave me the price she was charged so I just asked my
vet and he dosen't do it! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[babybuddy]

Check with your local ASPCA/ or other shelter....they sometimes have vet clinics that are inexpensive.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

After talking about his yearly coming up I just called the vet for an
appointment.
Guess what?
The vet does not do Titer testing!
What do you think about that? I thought they all did.
My neighbor gave me the price she was charged so I just asked my
vet and he dosen't do it! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It sounds like pure stubbornness because it isn't hard.
All he does is draws and sends it to a lab.
Now some think that titers are a waste of time or that they will never replace vaccines but they seem to be a fair starting place to at least try and avoid vaccinating yearly. I would hope if he doesn't do them, he at least offers to follow the AAHA recommendation of every 3 years for DHPP. If not, I'd be gone.

[rebeccag]

I've had the same vet throughout my life for all my animals so I keep him for my 12 year old pekinese just to be loyal. He's done a lot for my family pets throughout the years so I keep him for our Peke. Now that I have 2 pups I found a vet a little less pricey. My female went yesterday and it was only $88.00. If I had gone to our family vet it would have been about $150.00. That's what we paid for our pekinese annual visit. Anyway, there should be a cheaper place in your area. There are low cost spay and neuter clinics that offer low cost shots you may want to google on in your area. My friend used to take her cats to Animal Advocates, it's a low cost vet care facility and it was about 1/2 what she would pay at a regular vet....maybe checking around. Maybe check with the humane society in your area....It is a lot of money but you can cut corners if you check into cheaper places. Just to give you an idea, I refer people who buy my bunnies to low cost spay and neuter clinics and a girl just got her male neutered for $50.00 at a place I recommended. She checked on her own and they were all $300 + in her area....googling helps! You just have to check around.

[~Yorkie~Mommy~]

I'm just glad that its ALLLL OVER with and pray to dear God that Bailey doesn't get sick and the next time he has to go back to the vet is for his next year's shots or if he does get sick hopefully I will be working by then so we could afford it!

I read someone talking about getting teeth pulled and Bailey needs ALOT of his baby teeth pulled and his teeth cleaned but I'm afraid to ASK how much thats is going to be

[TresCutePiggies]

It can be expensive, but they are so worth it!

I spent around 20k in about two years treating my bullmastiff for cancer. That hurts especially when you are right out of college, but I'd do it all again if given the choice. I got almost two more GOOD years with my big boy. The specialists really do up the cost, but I suppose that makes sense.

[Izzy Princess]

Just pray that your baby does not get an illness..the costs can add up. With Izzy diagnosed with pancreatitis this past November we have spent so far over $2,000...and that's not including new food and supplements and regular routine checkups. My husband and I would do anything to keep her healthy. You gotta do what you gotta do..they are our family members and have to be thought of when you get any type of puppy..all the what ifs and can you afford it.