Post by shopgirl07 on Jan 24, 2013 10:26:48 GMT -5
All of the charges seem standard except for the new patient fee. Although I'm not sure if that's standard these days or not. I know I pay at least $50 for a sick visit for my dog and the once a year bloodwork is at least $175, maybe more.
But heck, for a $25 visit and the fact you like your current vet? Drive the 30 minutes!
What's not to love about a vet who understand that the dog is scared of the slick floor, so they go out there to take care of him. Besides, have you seen nicer wranglers?
Post by whitemerlot on Jan 24, 2013 10:45:13 GMT -5
I have encountered some awesome vets, and some who seem to want to test and charge for everything under the sun. I would stay with someone that I trusted.
My vet charges more than $25 for an office visit, but I agree that all the extra nonsense is absurd.
I've never taken a pet to a new vet for the first time when it wasn't just an annual - so I don't know if that's normal, but it sure seems like a racket.
Post by krisandgrace on Jan 24, 2013 11:11:25 GMT -5
I would also call around. My dog gets UTI's every once in a while, I used to bring her in and do antibiotics but I read that raw apple cider vinegar works well to clear them up and it totaly worked. I haven't need to treat with anti biotics for years. I know it sound crazy but it is a lot cheaper then a vet visit. I just add a teas. of Braggs apple cider vinegar to her food twice a day for two days.
Post by Norticprincess on Jan 24, 2013 11:12:31 GMT -5
We switched vets when our old vet practice started upselling and wanting to run all of these tests that had nothing to do with the original issue. New vet practice is now three vets from the old practice that got sick of quotas and up sells themselves from the new management. Prices are much more reasonable and it is the three vets I really liked. Drive is 30 mins vs 10, but worth it.
I'm always suspicious of vets. I've encountered more than a few who just wanted to get as much money out of you as possible, and some that were far from competent. Right now I'm pretty happy with 2 of the vets at our current clinic. This clinic is our 4th clinic in 7 years since I've been in VA.
All of the charges seem standard except for the new patient fee. Although I'm not sure if that's standard these days or not. I know I pay at least $50 for a sick visit for my dog and the once a year bloodwork is at least $175, maybe more.
But heck, for a $25 visit and the fact you like your current vet? Drive the 30 minutes!
Agree with all of this. I've never heard of a "meet" fee - they meet them at their first visit. But the office visit and bloodwork charges sound pretty normal. $25 is insanely low; I don't think you're going to find that anywhere else. I get wanting to have a vet nearby - we can walk to ours, and I love that - but whether it's worth paying twice as much, only you can decide.
What's not to love about a vet who understand that the dog is scared of the slick floor, so they go out there to take care of him. Besides, have you seen nicer wranglers?
This melts my heart.
I think some vets can be money-suckers while others aren't. It's luck of the draw. For you, I'd keep going to your old vet if it's only 30 minutes away.
I'm just coming in here to say I'm about to drop ~$500 for my cat's teeth cleaning, including exams, test, pain meds, and the removal of a tooth that would get infected and might kill her if it's not removed. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I have (and would) drop significant money on any of my cats. I average about $200/month just on their everyday needs.
I will not drop money on unnecessary procedures that will result in nothing but stress for my poor kitty.
I'm just coming in here to say I'm about to drop ~$500 for my cat's teeth cleaning, including exams, test, pain meds, and the removal of a tooth that would get infected and might kill her if it's not removed. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I have (and would) drop significant money on any of my cats. I average about $200/month just on their everyday needs.
I will not drop money on unnecessary procedures that will result in nothing but stress for my poor kitty.
Most procedures are up for debate though- its up to the pet owner to decide what you should do. Also depending where you leave there will be different preventative maintenance. Sure my vet suggest rattle snake vaccine but I ain't going to get it. Do your research, and know what your willing to do.
For my miniature horse the vet wouldn't do a procedure for her teeth unless we paid 2k for certain xrays, plus extraction..I decided against it and just maintain due to her age and its not causing her any pain in the meantime anyway.
What's not to love about a vet who understand that the dog is scared of the slick floor, so they go out there to take care of him. Besides, have you seen nicer wranglers?
I love this. A good vet is worth their weight in gold. Ours is not cheap but the care and no b.s. I get when i go in is worth it. In response to the poster above using Banfield, I would not use them if they were the last place on earth. I also think the quality varies by location. I wish ours was as great as the pp says theirs is. Here the banfield vets are the worst in the area. If you like your old vet and its only 30 minutes, stay there. Hope your kitty feels better.
Eh, I see vets like I see dentists. You need one, but you need a good one, and no, they aren't all equally trustworthy and great and only looking out for your pet's well being. Some are great, and some are shitty, and I've seen a shitty practise so now I'm on the lookout.
And I really do think there are huge philosophical differences between an average farm vet and an average city vet and what they will suggest and how hard they will sell it.
OK, the bolded part I definitely agree with, it's like any profession really. There are good and bad in any profession. And sometimes it comes down to philosophies. We go to a holistic vet, we pay a bit more for a visit but her treatments for the old cat aren't as "harsh" for his system as a traditional vet (who also vary in their approaches with treating/leaving and vaccine schedules and food)
I don't know if the difference in farm vets is as much "upselling" though as perhaps a difference in the owners they interact with. Most of the farmers I know only call their vet when it's SERIOUS and can't be dealt with on their own and can do a lot of basic care themselves because help for their animals isn't found just down the street. I think a lot of city owners are more likely to go to the vet for "minor" things.
That said, the "meet the vet" seems a bit odd to me. My vet had questions about what our animals were like, but that fits with the holistic approach. Also, the fact that "my cat hates everyone and doesn't like vets even more" was useful for her to choose the treatment approach. Weird the first time I was asked "what does your cat like" but it does make sense.
Post by daydreamer on Jan 24, 2013 16:41:20 GMT -5
Oh. Your poor kitty. UTIs are no fun.
Based on the meet and greet fee, which I assume means they do something special in the first visit, and the recommended blood work up, it seems like this vet's philosophy is that a high intervention level of care is best. Does this fit with your approach to pet care? You have to decide.
We took our cats to a new vet recently for a check-up and shots and there was no new patient charge nor did they recommend blood work ups. (The fees were in line with what you were quoted.) This vet was clearly low intervention as they didn't even ask if they were indoor or outdoor cats!
Post by heliocentric on Jan 24, 2013 16:43:38 GMT -5
This thread makes me want to hug our vet and buy him some kind of giant gift. He is super reasonable, very frank and always considerate of cost.
I could see a higher fee for an initial visit, but not an additional office visit fee on top of that.
Do cats needs bloodwork of they are not sick? My vet has never suggested that once in 10 years of seeing our cat. I have never heard of that until this thread and now I feel like I am neglectful.
My cat gets a blood panel/urinalysis for something just over $300 usually. Every 3-4 months. :/
Sorry, just venting.
FWIW, if he doesn't have a UTI and instead has kidney or liver or bowel problems causing an issue, you'll need the bloodwork. But I can't see why théy'd necessarily do it pre-emptively.
When our male cat wasn't pooping, we took him to a vet a minute away from our house. It was $600 to x-ray him, give him an enema, bathe board him overnight when he shit in his carrier and rolled around in it, and we received no medications for him.
When he STILL wasn't pooping a couple days later, we took him to our old vet in the town where we used to live. It was still $500, but at least they gave us some medicine for him and he was fine within a couple days.
Also, check Yelp reviews and whatever else online to see what people say about the vet, the office, the staff, the level of care, the price, etc. Our emergency vet hospital is pricey and needs payment up front, but they have literally been a lifesaver for two of our cats and the price is the ONLY negative thing I can say about them.
I actually agree with Token about vets being like dentists. I drive an hour to another state when I visit family 4 states away to see my old dentist because I can't find another that I trust as much. That's 10 hours drive for a teeth cleaning haha.
Our first vet hounded me to do a skin scrapping because of a dry patch on his back and blood tests. I called Hilo's breeders and they said the vet was trying to scare me and told me several related stories about other people who have her dogs and been tricked into spending several K's with no results at vets. Then I hear the bitch laughing at me in the back room and used some fancy name for Neosporin to trick me into buying a tiny little tube for $10 (for his puncture wound) so $160 later I never went back.
I took Hilo to Banfield just for a microchip and they tried to sell me a $300/mo insurance package. I already have insurance on Hilo and he doesn't need even $300/yr in care. At least they didn't push for unnecessary work.
Not all vets are bad though. Our current vet, recommended by a neighbor, required no meet fee, no check up, and didn't push for anything. I just needed a rabies shot and he did a check up anyways...free. He noticed the dry skin patch so I commented. He offered to do a skin scrapping if I wanted but said there's not really a need. I'd drive up to an hour away just to go there.
Post by midnightmare81 on Jan 24, 2013 21:46:29 GMT -5
OMG... a "MEET" fee... that's crazy talk right there! I have never encountered this or even heard of it. They are basically charging you 2 fees for one visit since they would be "meeting" them during the regular visit while checking them out
As for blood work, I have never had that done on a dog who wasn't sick. I would not be paying for something like that when there is no reason to believe it was needed. Do you get blood work at every physical?
TBH, I have never even brought my pets in for a physical. I know my pets MUCH better then any vet as far as personality goes, and since I pet them regularly, I would know if something was wrong much easier then the vet would. I don't get physicals for the same reason. Maybe that makes me a bad pet parent, but I just don't buy into looking for issues that don't exist
$59.... and he went ahead and extracted a few teeth that we had been monitoring so we don't have to go back. Well worth the drive, and kitty is already happier.
Post by UMaineTeach on Jan 24, 2013 22:03:53 GMT -5
due to the 'other place' when we got our cat I make a initial well cat/get to know you appointment with the town vet since I read I might not get a sick visit w/o being established. the receptionist when I called was like "you want to do what??" the vet glanced her up and down, felt her belly, and said it's a cat... and let us go without any charge.
Post by RoxMonster on Jan 24, 2013 22:06:26 GMT -5
Our vet is awesome. They routinely don't charge us for the actual visit, just any shots/medication, etc. And we just got our dog a month ago! We were able to get her in right away for a cold/ear infection without being established and they were wonderful. The wellness check the shelter wants within a week, they do for free (another area vet charges $200 for it). They sent us a handwritten note after our first visit to thank us for choosing them and a few days after each visit, they call to see how your pet is doing.
We haven't had a pet before, so I don't know if this is normal or not, but we've been very happy with our vet and between 3 office visits, I think we've spent maybe $25 on actual visit, and $16 of that was for clipping her toenails.