Does your vet have high charges like mine does?

SophieB · 05-13-2010, 11:39 AM

Does your vet have high charges like mine does? I've just taken my lovely old dog to the vet as he has a cloudy eye and she said it's "probably" conjunctivitis and a 10 minute consultation was £32.45 and we have Chloramphenicol eye ointment 1% 4g size to apply at a cost of £17.69 and Hypromellose eye drops 0.3% 10ml size that cost £8.19 on the vet's bill....

I looked up both online and the Chloramphenicol ointment is £5.10!!!!!
The Hypromellose drops cost as low as £1.73 online!!!!

£25.88 for drops/cream - increase of £19.05 as against what I could buy them for - they don't look like prescription drugs either!!

WHERE THE HECK ARE THEY GETTING THEIR PRICES FROM?

What are your vets' charges like?

FloppyToby · 05-13-2010, 01:31 PM

vet bills are crazy. thats why i got toby insurance because i would rather pay a little each month then get slammed with a crazy vet bill that i can't afford.

smitte21 · 05-13-2010, 05:01 PM

Hmm... depends which vet you are talking about. Our local vets are very expensive... one didn't used to be but since they both built new clinics their prices have skyrocketed. Our other vet who is about an hour away is great... she's a club member and my breeder works at her clinic so I always feel fine about taking my bassets there as she has so much experience with them. Whenever they have surgery or any procedure I take them there... only problem is the distance but when I have a choice her practice is the one I go to. Her prices are a fraction of the other vets I've been to. In a pinch if I can't get in to see her I will take our dogs to the local vet as they are wonderful in an emergency but their price hikes are driving me nuts.

SophieB · 05-13-2010, 06:48 PM

Another thing is that my lovely 12-year old boy has a couple of old brown teeth at the back of his mouth and the vet spotted them and said he needs a scale doing and those two teeth possibly removed! She then said dentistry is very expensive and it would be over £250 and could be up to £500 depending on how long it takes as they charge per minute and whether the teeth are difficult to remove!!!!

I remember back in 2003 my 13-year old lady Basset needed a scale and couple of teeth taking out and I was told by my vet in Scotland it would be a minimum of £160... and it was near Christmas and we spent the holiday period at my brother's in Somerset and my dogs came with us and out of interest, my brother rang his vet, (who runs around in an old Land Rover unlike my vets and their big 4x4 vehicles...) and he asked his vet if he would look at my dog's teeth.

The vet said to bring my dog in the day after Boxing day and he scaled and removed three back teeth and apologised for charging £60 and I couldn't believe my luck as my vets would have charged about £30 just for the consultation!! He is a James Herriot type of vet in a real old 'homely' surgery, whereas my vets have a state of the art place and I suppose us pet owners are paying for it!

I think it's a bit like a postcode lottery, as it is for people who want operations! Vets presume everyone has insurance and I read some time ago that insurance companies have noticed vets' fees have been hiked up in the past four or five years!!!! It's usually when dogs get older that they need things doing and some insurances don't cover the costs as much after a certain age!!!

smitte21 · 05-13-2010, 07:17 PM

Yeah our vet near home wanted to charge us over $200 for a dental cleaning and wanted to require pre-screening blood work as well as he was over 5 years old (just five mind you). I talked to our other vet who's my breeder's vet and she did it under a very minimal anesthesia for around $60. Huge difference hey? No teeth needed to be removed and I've since learned how to scale the teeth myself as I do Roxie's for the show ring and also brush both of their teeth on a regular basis.

Miss Snickers · 05-13-2010, 08:18 PM

When I took Snickers to the "first" vet (which was highly recommended by a family member) it felt like highway robbery... every time I took her in for booster shots, (had to take her 3 times... then she ended up having to be dewormed) I walked out of there spending no less than $130-$160. Then when I asked about an estimate to get her spayed... it was $270, and if I wanted her chipped, it was an extra $30. So I then decided to take her to a different vet..recommended by other family members, and has been the primary vet on my dad's side of the family for many years. But they only charged $150 for her spay. And an office visit is $40.. and when she had her cartilage incident, I only paid $30 for the visit, and $14 for the meds. And she gets exceptional treatment... and the staff LOVES her!

BigBloo · 05-15-2010, 03:32 PM

My vet's charges are quite reasonable. I pay $18 for an office call, medication is normally comparable to what it would cost online and his neutering surgery was $70, total. Of course, his prices may be reasonable because both his house and clinic are paid for and his children all graduated university long ago. *grin*

Terry · 05-15-2010, 08:46 PM

When I took Tally in for her well-dog visit we found that she had a broken tooth that was causing periodic swelling on her muzzle. We already knew she was due for a cleaning. The estimate for her dental work was approx. $500 to $650 (depending on what the x-rays showed and if teeth needed to be removed). Moe's surgery several years ago to remove cysts cost over $1200. When it comes to veterinary care for Moe, Tally and Copper I don't want the cheapest I can find... I want the best.

This may be why they say pets are a luxury. You need to be prepared to give them the care they need when they need it.

SophieB · 05-16-2010, 12:31 PM

Terry... I can tell you from experience and having moved from one part of the country to several others over the years with two or three dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs etc, that expensive doesn't always mean the best!

mydawgz · 05-16-2010, 06:39 PM

Here is what I have always done for my dogs..... I never take them to the vet for shots or heartworm pills. There are several low cost clinics here in Tampa. You can google "pet clinic" or "vet clinic" in your area and I bet you will find a clinic just about anywhere. Usually all of the chain stores like Petsmart or Petco have clinics on the weekend. You will save over 50% because you are not paying the high cost of a vet visit. They check the dogs overall health, give them the shots and if you need heartworm pills, they have those also. To spay or neuter- I have always had my dogs done at my shelter or pound. It is really cheap to have it done there. Call your local shelter or find their web site and it will prob tell you the cost to have it done. I dont think it was more than $25-$30. (obviously that is not something that I take them to do frequently, so its been a while.. but I would go there if I needed that service. Finally, like Toby's mom- I have Pet Insurance through Pets Best. They have a great web site and they pay incredibly fast. I highly recommend them. Going to the vet is like throwing a dart.... they are all expensive and they are more than willing to "try" every test possible on your dogs and when you leave you still do not know the problem. I have heard countless times.... "well it COULD be THIS" or it "COULD" be THAT". They all make me crazy.

05-13-2010, 11:39 AM	#1 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 839	Does your vet have high charges like mine does? Does your vet have high charges like mine does? I've just taken my lovely old dog to the vet as he has a cloudy eye and she said it's "probably" conjunctivitis and a 10 minute consultation was £32.45 and we have Chloramphenicol eye ointment 1% 4g size to apply at a cost of £17.69 and Hypromellose eye drops 0.3% 10ml size that cost £8.19 on the vet's bill.... I looked up both online and the Chloramphenicol ointment is £5.10!!!!! The Hypromellose drops cost as low as £1.73 online!!!! £25.88 for drops/cream - increase of £19.05 as against what I could buy them for - they don't look like prescription drugs either!! WHERE THE HECK ARE THEY GETTING THEIR PRICES FROM? What are your vets' charges like?

05-13-2010, 01:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
FloppyToby Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 186	vet bills are crazy. thats why i got toby insurance because i would rather pay a little each month then get slammed with a crazy vet bill that i can't afford. __________________ A basset is an asset!

05-13-2010, 05:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
smitte21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: WI Posts: 295	Hmm... depends which vet you are talking about. Our local vets are very expensive... one didn't used to be but since they both built new clinics their prices have skyrocketed. Our other vet who is about an hour away is great... she's a club member and my breeder works at her clinic so I always feel fine about taking my bassets there as she has so much experience with them. Whenever they have surgery or any procedure I take them there... only problem is the distance but when I have a choice her practice is the one I go to. Her prices are a fraction of the other vets I've been to. In a pinch if I can't get in to see her I will take our dogs to the local vet as they are wonderful in an emergency but their price hikes are driving me nuts. __________________ Proud owner handler of AKC/UKC Ch. Olde Fashion Agent 99, CGC, TDInc. and Beauregard Smith, CGC www.savybassets.net

05-13-2010, 07:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
smitte21 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: WI Posts: 295	Yeah our vet near home wanted to charge us over $200 for a dental cleaning and wanted to require pre-screening blood work as well as he was over 5 years old (just five mind you). I talked to our other vet who's my breeder's vet and she did it under a very minimal anesthesia for around $60. Huge difference hey? No teeth needed to be removed and I've since learned how to scale the teeth myself as I do Roxie's for the show ring and also brush both of their teeth on a regular basis. __________________ Proud owner handler of AKC/UKC Ch. Olde Fashion Agent 99, CGC, TDInc. and Beauregard Smith, CGC www.savybassets.net

05-13-2010, 08:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Miss Snickers Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Middletown, PA Posts: 103	When I took Snickers to the "first" vet (which was highly recommended by a family member) it felt like highway robbery... every time I took her in for booster shots, (had to take her 3 times... then she ended up having to be dewormed) I walked out of there spending no less than $130-$160. Then when I asked about an estimate to get her spayed... it was $270, and if I wanted her chipped, it was an extra $30. So I then decided to take her to a different vet..recommended by other family members, and has been the primary vet on my dad's side of the family for many years. But they only charged $150 for her spay. And an office visit is $40.. and when she had her cartilage incident, I only paid $30 for the visit, and $14 for the meds. And she gets exceptional treatment... and the staff LOVES her! __________________ I could sure go for a Snickers Blizzard right about now!

05-13-2010, 06:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 839	Another thing is that my lovely 12-year old boy has a couple of old brown teeth at the back of his mouth and the vet spotted them and said he needs a scale doing and those two teeth possibly removed! She then said dentistry is very expensive and it would be over £250 and could be up to £500 depending on how long it takes as they charge per minute and whether the teeth are difficult to remove!!!! I remember back in 2003 my 13-year old lady Basset needed a scale and couple of teeth taking out and I was told by my vet in Scotland it would be a minimum of £160... and it was near Christmas and we spent the holiday period at my brother's in Somerset and my dogs came with us and out of interest, my brother rang his vet, (who runs around in an old Land Rover unlike my vets and their big 4x4 vehicles...) and he asked his vet if he would look at my dog's teeth. The vet said to bring my dog in the day after Boxing day and he scaled and removed three back teeth and apologised for charging £60 and I couldn't believe my luck as my vets would have charged about £30 just for the consultation!! He is a James Herriot type of vet in a real old 'homely' surgery, whereas my vets have a state of the art place and I suppose us pet owners are paying for it! I think it's a bit like a postcode lottery, as it is for people who want operations! Vets presume everyone has insurance and I read some time ago that insurance companies have noticed vets' fees have been hiked up in the past four or five years!!!! It's usually when dogs get older that they need things doing and some insurances don't cover the costs as much after a certain age!!!

05-15-2010, 03:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
BigBloo Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 46	My vet's charges are quite reasonable. I pay $18 for an office call, medication is normally comparable to what it would cost online and his neutering surgery was $70, total. Of course, his prices may be reasonable because both his house and clinic are paid for and his children all graduated university long ago. grin

05-15-2010, 08:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
Terry Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Tiverton, RI, USA Posts: 3,525	When I took Tally in for her well-dog visit we found that she had a broken tooth that was causing periodic swelling on her muzzle. We already knew she was due for a cleaning. The estimate for her dental work was approx. $500 to $650 (depending on what the x-rays showed and if teeth needed to be removed). Moe's surgery several years ago to remove cysts cost over $1200. When it comes to veterinary care for Moe, Tally and Copper I don't want the cheapest I can find... I want the best. This may be why they say pets are a luxury. You need to be prepared to give them the care they need when they need it. __________________ Moe and Terry "Don't worry, be happy"

05-16-2010, 12:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 839	Terry... I can tell you from experience and having moved from one part of the country to several others over the years with two or three dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs etc, that expensive doesn't always mean the best!

05-16-2010, 06:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
mydawgz Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 107	Here is what I have always done for my dogs..... I never take them to the vet for shots or heartworm pills. There are several low cost clinics here in Tampa. You can google "pet clinic" or "vet clinic" in your area and I bet you will find a clinic just about anywhere. Usually all of the chain stores like Petsmart or Petco have clinics on the weekend. You will save over 50% because you are not paying the high cost of a vet visit. They check the dogs overall health, give them the shots and if you need heartworm pills, they have those also. To spay or neuter- I have always had my dogs done at my shelter or pound. It is really cheap to have it done there. Call your local shelter or find their web site and it will prob tell you the cost to have it done. I dont think it was more than $25-$30. (obviously that is not something that I take them to do frequently, so its been a while.. but I would go there if I needed that service. Finally, like Toby's mom- I have Pet Insurance through Pets Best. They have a great web site and they pay incredibly fast. I highly recommend them. Going to the vet is like throwing a dart.... they are all expensive and they are more than willing to "try" every test possible on your dogs and when you leave you still do not know the problem. I have heard countless times.... "well it COULD be THIS" or it "COULD" be THAT". They all make me crazy.

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
Basset.net Advertisement