# Keeping Pets?? $$$$



## Tony the tank (Nov 18, 2011)

Lately I have been noticing that medical care for our pets has been soaring...went to the Vet.. The young girl was limping.. Doctor did the initial check.. Took him about 15minutes.. Then off to X-rays for another 20 minutes... Was determined it might be growing pains... Got the meds and paid over $500.00..

Last month she needed some teeth Removed.. 4 to be exact.. Over a Thousand bucks after I picked up the meds.... 

And everyone wants payment before they do anything.....I'm really surprised people have money for this in this economy..

Is it like this everywhere or just Taxachusetts??


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## terryo (Nov 18, 2011)

I think it's worse here in NY. I cost me $1,200 for a liver biopsy with medication and 1 night stay in the hospital. Then I had two of my dogs spaded, and that cost me $900. I have three dogs, 2 Chihuahua's and a Yorkie. The Yorkie has to get groomed every 4 months and that cost $70.00. I think I'm going to look into medical insurance for mine. I have to ask my Vet about this and see if it's worth it.


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## kimber_lee_314 (Nov 18, 2011)

Yikes ... my vet is so reasonable. I'm really blessed!


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## dmmj (Nov 18, 2011)

Just a word about the medical insurance, it only covers certain things, please make sure you read the fine print and what it covers,. 
Now to the costs, I don't pay anywhere near that much for visits and meds. I had to treat a russian for a RI about 2 years or so ago (was turned into me sick) and it ran around 200 to 250 that was for 2 visits and meds.


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## Yvonne G (Nov 18, 2011)

I think its a very good idea to set money aside every payday for future vet costs. You have to be very strong, though, and don't touch it until you need it for the vet.

Also, some vets will let you make payments. And sometimes you can put it on plastic (quite expensive, but helps in a pinch).


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## dmmj (Nov 18, 2011)

I do have a emergency vet account, just in case I put like 20 to 50 dollars in it every month.


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## oscar (Nov 18, 2011)

After recently getting zonked with a large vet bill, I thought it might be time for pet insurance then I went online and started checking the price for insurance for our 3 yr. old Basset hound. and it was 46 dollars a month which I still feel was unaffordable. I am not saying the cost that vets are charging is out of line cause I don't know there overhead and expenses, any way it is a very tough decision for me to make about pets when a vet bill gets into the thousands of dollars. 
Wives work friend just had an emergency with her cavalier spaniel 5 years old, was in for 6 days got sent home today and bill so far is $5,900 they don't know what the outcome will be yet and she is taking the money out of her retirement to pay for it. Wonder what her financial planner would say


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## Yvonne G (Nov 18, 2011)

dmmj said:


> I do have a emergency vet account, just in case I put like 20 to 50 dollars in it every month.



Chase Bank recently opened a branch office in my Savemart Grocery Store. Today in the mail I received a coupon telling me that if I open a personal Chase checking account they'll deposit $150 into it. All I have to do is start with $100 and leave it there for 90 days. Since I go for months, sometimes years without using the vet, I'm thinking of using my coupon and adding a few bucks every payday to the new account. (don't worry, I'll be sure to read the small print.)


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## exoticsdr (Nov 18, 2011)

PLEASE!!!!!!! Move to Southeast Texas!!!!! I could use some clients like you and will be much easier on your pocketbook. The eastern seaboard (as well as the western, I would imagine) are pretty hard on pet owners financially...my brother said that he brought his bird ( a cockatiel) in to get its wings clipped and they wanted $75.....I do it daily for $14....would rather do it for $75...but I do it for $14.


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## dmmj (Nov 18, 2011)

Sorry for going OT but chase charges a 10 dollar fee if you don't have 1500 in their bank, still 3 month fee of 10 dollars each for 150 in deposits from them is still a good deal.


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## CtTortoiseMom (Nov 18, 2011)

I agree with you and feel your pain. When I talk to my friends from other states they cannot believe how much I have to pay, even just to get my dog groomed. They tell me they pay $25 max and I pay $45 if I drop or off or $60 if I have someone come to the house.

Re: pet Insurance, I have VPI pet insurance for my dog. I have the plan that is for emergencies only. It has already paid for itself. My dog was all set to be spayed after her first heat, she had her heat was supposed to go in a week later when all of a sudden she was very sick, the vet said it was pyometra and she needed an emergency spay. Because it was "emergency" 80% of it was paid for by the insurance.


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## Tony the tank (Nov 18, 2011)

Oh..I forgot to mention..if the young ladies limp doesn't improve in the next few weeks with the meds.. They would like to do a MRI...For a reasonable $1100.00 and what ever other incidental are needed...

I also hate the fact that the small vet practices are disappearing.... Turning into VCA hospitals... Or group practices... And some of those places seem more interested in billable charges more than doing the right thing...


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## wellington (Nov 18, 2011)

I have pet insurance for my bull terrier. She was 4 in July and I have already spent over $15,000.00 to get an ACL fixed and two surgeries to have a foreign object removed. Her insurance is through the ASPCA and is not that expensive, 200.00 plus but they will only pay upto $1500.00 per incident and only 80% of covered costs. It's not much but every little bit helps when your spending a lot. Our office visits are $59.00 to walk in the door and if you have to go to the emergency vet, like we had to, twice, it's $99.00 to walk in the door. I used to work for a vet when I lived in Michigan, what a shock when I moved to Chicago and had to pay their prices. I used to do stool samples for worms, etc. myself and we charged $15.00, in Chicago it's $38.00, ouch, really hurts when I used to do it myself. Our love for our animals are not cheap, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and my husband was warned about what I would spend, anything it takes to save my pets.


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## exoticsdr (Nov 18, 2011)

As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.


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## CtTortoiseMom (Nov 18, 2011)

When my daughter was 10 she had her ACL repaired and I only paid a $250 copay but her surgery came to around $15,000 as well.


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## dmmj (Nov 18, 2011)

Ok who is for a mass exodus to texas? hos is the job market there? and the taxes?


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## Tony the tank (Nov 18, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.



I might do that..arrange a mini vacation in Texas if the young lady needs surgery... And since we never go any place without the dogs...It might work out...You have a pool?


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## exoticsdr (Nov 18, 2011)

Tony the tank said:


> exoticsdr said:
> 
> 
> > As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.
> ...



Pool? No pool....not until I can get a few "Coasters" to come and let me do some surgeries....hahahaha

Doc


Seriously though, please feel free to contact me if you need to.


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## Tony the tank (Nov 18, 2011)

wellington said:


> I have pet insurance for my bull terrier. She was 4 in July and I have already spent over $15,000.00 to get an ACL fixed and two surgeries to have a foreign object removed. Her insurance is through the ASPCA and is not that expensive, 200.00 plus but they will only pay upto $1500.00 per incident and only 80% of covered costs. It's not much but every little bit helps when your spending a lot. Our office visits are $59.00 to walk in the door and if you have to go to the emergency vet, like we had to, twice, it's $99.00 to walk in the door. I used to work for a vet when I lived in Michigan, what a shock when I moved to Chicago and had to pay their prices. I used to do stool samples for worms, etc. myself and we charged $15.00, in Chicago it's $38.00, ouch, really hurts when I used to do it myself. Our love for our animals are not cheap, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and my husband was warned about what I would spend, anything it takes to save my pets.




Don't get me going on fecal test.. $59 bucks to have Tonys stool sample Checked ..


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## oscar (Nov 18, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.



Thinking that some of us will be making a road trip someday. But do we have to play with the roos, I think they kick and box or is that only in the cartoons.


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## exoticsdr (Nov 18, 2011)

dmmj said:


> Ok who is for a mass exodus to texas? hos is the job market there? and the taxes?



Lots of jobs, depending on what you do....no state income tax, property taxes high by our standards (but not by yours) and housing probably much cheaper than what you are used to. I watch alot of HGTV and those home renovation shows and am amazed that houses with no land go for $500-800K and folks act like it's a bargain.


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## wellington (Nov 18, 2011)

Tony the tank said:


> wellington said:
> 
> 
> > I have pet insurance for my bull terrier. She was 4 in July and I have already spent over $15,000.00 to get an ACL fixed and two surgeries to have a foreign object removed. Her insurance is through the ASPCA and is not that expensive, 200.00 plus but they will only pay upto $1500.00 per incident and only 80% of covered costs. It's not much but every little bit helps when your spending a lot. Our office visits are $59.00 to walk in the door and if you have to go to the emergency vet, like we had to, twice, it's $99.00 to walk in the door. I used to work for a vet when I lived in Michigan, what a shock when I moved to Chicago and had to pay their prices. I used to do stool samples for worms, etc. myself and we charged $15.00, in Chicago it's $38.00, ouch, really hurts when I used to do it myself. Our love for our animals are not cheap, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and my husband was warned about what I would spend, anything it takes to save my pets.
> ...


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## CtTortoiseMom (Nov 18, 2011)

Our wallets and our animals would all do better in Texas!!! To Texas!


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## wellington (Nov 18, 2011)

Texas? I don't like the kind of "Bushes" you have in Texas, they aren't in the area you live are they? I could sure use a vacation, and my bully is due for her shots. Make me an appointment, when's the caravan heading out?


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## exoticsdr (Nov 18, 2011)

CtTortoiseMom said:


> Our wallets and our animals would all do better in Texas!!! To Texas!



Erin, as always, I appreciate the sentiment...you, Robert and family (humand and furry/shelled) are always welcome here.



oscar said:


> exoticsdr said:
> 
> 
> > As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.
> ...



I bottle raised my roos and the male does tend to get a little froggy with me, but is very gentle with strangers. The female is very sweet with everyone.



wellington said:


> Texas? I don't like the kind of "Bushes" you have in Texas, they aren't in the area you live are they? I could sure use a vacation, and my bully is due for her shots. Make me an appointment, when's the caravan heading out?



AAWWWWW, now why did you have to bring politics into it?...Now I'm going to have to charge you a "political differences premium". 
But, you're still welcome to come....smile.


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## Floof (Nov 18, 2011)

Oh man, I hate going to the vet. Back in my home town, the vet charges $45 just for the office visit... Much less anything else. It was $800 or so to get a tumor removed from the boxer's neck. It was $2000 for my mom's dog's broken leg and spay surgery. Some ungodly expense that broke the bank and had us in debt to the vet clinic (payment plan) for years to get the boxer's torn ACL fixed (was too young to know how much it was)... And those were just the big expenses... I don't think we ever once walked out of there for under $100. Seriously, ouch!

Then we moved down here to Utah, and found a vet that actually charges reasonable prices. Our first visit, we wanted to get a skin tag removed from the boxer's chest, and it was a whopping $25 office visit charge, and no charge for the procedure. Cheapest vet visit I have ever experienced. Today, we took the little dog in... Time for his boosters, plus a dose of dewormer (he managed to get a tapeworm, ew!), and the office visit included a quick nail trim and cursory facial hair trim. We even took the boxer in to get a dose of dewormer. After all was said and done, the visit was $52. That same visit to our last vet would have cost $200 minimum ($10 for the nail trim, an extra office visit charge for looking at the second dog, and otherwise inflated prices).

I'm really, really hoping my old vet was just a "boonies" phenomenon, only one other vet in a 30-40 mile radius, and that his costs aren't representative of the region, because I'm thinking about moving back to the PNW in the next year and I really can't go back to paying an arm and a leg for basic care...

Then there's the cost of vet care for exotics.. Every reptile vet I've gone to charges $40-50 office visit, plus overall higher cost... But I can understand having to pay more for the specialized service...


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## wellington (Nov 18, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> CtTortoiseMom said:
> 
> 
> > Our wallets and our animals would all do better in Texas!!! To Texas!
> ...






Political? Me, a Chicago girl political! I just don't like certain Bushes Thanks for letting me still come.


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## Floof (Nov 18, 2011)

Oh, and I love the mass exodus to Texas idea! Nice climate AND affordable vet care, can't get better than that!


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## lynnedit (Nov 18, 2011)

My sister is a vet in Moscow, Idaho, in a small converted house with 1-2 other vets. Really reasonable and some of her stories are amazing. A new big fancy Vet clinic went in last year. They lure you in with a less expensive 'spay', then they get you.
Too bad. 
I would drive to Texas, but too many states in between, darn it!


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## CtTortoiseMom (Nov 18, 2011)

lynnedit said:


> My sister is a vet in Moscow, Idaho, in a small converted house with 1-2 other vets. Really reasonable and some of her stories are amazing. A new big fancy Vet clinic went in last year. They lure you in with a less expensive 'spay', then they get you.
> Too bad.
> I would drive to Texas, but too many states in between, darn it!



That is sad, I would choose the converted house over the fancy place any day!


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## lynnedit (Nov 18, 2011)

yeah, remind me to tell ya'll sometime about the time she sewed up the chicken's butt... the prized chicken got a little too cocky with the neighbor dogs...


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## Morty the Torty (Nov 18, 2011)

I've been taking my 4 yr old puggle to Banfield since she was a baby and I love it there. At $25 a month I feel it's affordable for all her vet visits


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## ALDABRAMAN (Nov 18, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> PLEASE!!!!!!! Move to Southeast Texas!!!!! I could use some clients like you and will be much easier on your pocketbook. The eastern seaboard (as well as the western, I would imagine) are pretty hard on pet owners financially...my brother said that he brought his bird ( a cockatiel) in to get its wings clipped and they wanted $75.....I do it daily for $14....would rather do it for $75...but I do it for $14.


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## Yvonne G (Nov 18, 2011)

dmmj said:


> Ok who is for a mass exodus to texas? hos is the job market there? and the taxes?



We can stop and pick up members on the way - car pool!!


I get a break on labor at the vet because I usually bring in rescues, but for my regular pet/animals he charges $35 ofc visit then $25 on top of that for exotic exam. Then plus whatever procedure or medication is required.


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## Torty Mom (Nov 18, 2011)

Having my Blue and gold groomed $25.00. Beak, nails, and wings.


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## exoticsdr (Nov 19, 2011)

Hey don't get me wrong, I feel that most vets charge totally incorrectly for thier services...i.e. too much markup on meds and not enough value placed on the medical know how. There is a huge disperity between human medicine prices and veterinary care prices and perhaps that is because of the value placed on human life as compared to the lives of our pets, but that is a conversation for another day. The problem is the education is just as if not more expensive, the building, diagnostic equipment, treatment equipment, surgical equipment and monitoring equipment are all exactly then same in function and cost....so while a doctor's office charges your insurance a couple hundred dollars for your visit and you pay a $20 co-pay (the doctor may order several hundred dollars of diagnostics also, none of which you are consulted on or have a choice in), the vet makes $30-50 (and has to ask permission and justify our diagnostic choices) Out of that about 50% is going to pay staff salaries, ~20% to Uncle Sam, 20% to maintenance, utilities, property taxes etc and the rest is gravy. My school loans totalled to right at $250k...average starting salary when I graduated was $45-55k. MD's average start when I graduated was $200K+.

Should an ACL surgery cost $15000....I don't think that is quite fair, should an uncomplicated spay cost $800...no, I don't think so.....I do feel that $1500 is not unfair for an ACL repair...it's a technically difficult, time consuming surgery for the doctor and the technical staff, we charge spay prices by the dog's weight and there is an added charge if the dog is in heat or pregnant...a spay on a 150# Mastiff who is in heat may cost as much as $300 (premeds, injectable anesthesia, gas maintenance anesthesia, ECG monitoring, Pulse oximetery, blood pressure, surgery, and having a technician physically monitor the patient from first injection until they are awake and able to stand).....is that really too much, I don't think so. I could give example after example. BTW, I generally end up doing several thousand dollars a month work of work at no charge.


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## wellington (Nov 19, 2011)

I just wanted to correct a misunderstanding, the ACL surgery wasn't $15,000.00, it was $6000.00 and the other two surgeries to remove objects she had swallowed equaled a little more than $9000.00 for the two. You can get a cheaper ACL surgery, however she was only two and would only have upto 70% movement, at such a young age and being an active Bull Terrier, we opted for the more expensive surgery. I think the biggest cost in vet care is location. The rent/property where I live is one of the highest in the city. If you lived/survived on the West side of the city I'm sure you would pay a lot less. I also have to have a veterinarian that understands how important my animals are to me and that they are not just a piece of property and that yes, I will be involved in making the decisions. I feel a lot of vets, like human doctors, here anyway, want to order several test at once instead of waiting for results before going on to the next thing. Yes I will pay what it takes, but don't do more than what is needed. I also feel though that a human doctor could never be a vet, it takes an animal lover to be a vet and to be able to help a patient that can't tell you a thing that they are feeling, but a vet could be a human doctor, but they probably would hate it. Who wants to put up with a bunch of whining patients!. The cost is sometimes a killer, but as long as there is a chance, I will pay. My hats off to all Veterinarians, l am glad you are there to do what you do. It may not feel like it sometimes, but you are always appreciated, by me anyway.


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## CtTortoiseMom (Nov 19, 2011)

Everyone has terrible vet stories. You live, you learn. I go to one practice for my dog and another for the tortoises. My vet's are wonderful people and genuine animal lovers. A little research goes a long way. Do I have to pay in full, of course! Why shouldn't I, Vet's have to make a living too! As an animal owner/lover I feel that having a decent Vet is a necessary expenditure and a worse case scenario fund should be established before the animal is taken in.

I am not saying that it did not sting a little when Sid got an abscess and needed surgery or when I dropped $350 a couple weeks ago on my basset hound because she ate paper towels and got a bellyache. But, in those instances the peace of mind that my beloved pets were in good hands was worth it.


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## AnthonyC (Nov 19, 2011)

I love my vet! Is he cheap... heck no, but I don't care. I bring my dogs to him for their annuals, and I take them there when they are sick & as long as he identifies & rectifies the problem I'm happy. Do I like shelling out big bucks for the visit, treatment, and meds... NO.. BUT I sure like it a lot better than having a sick, sad, unhealthy dog. 

HAPPY DOG; HAPPY OWER!


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## Tom (Nov 19, 2011)

Boy have I got some vet stories... both good and bad. I worked retail pets for around 8 years until I left for college and I was usually the guy who took the pet store animals to the vet. Once I graduated from I college I went to work as an animal trainer for the entertainment industry. For the last 15 years I have worked at a compound with over 100 animals of all shapes and sizes, plus I work for several other companies that have there own 100+ animals. Also, my wife is a veterinary sales consultant and she knows and works with nearly every vet in a 100 mile radius of here. There are good ones and there are bad ones, just like any other profession. We had one vet who was a good vet and charged us a reasonable amount while also giving us a "professional discount", due to the large number of "pets" we brought in. Having me as a client is like having 150 regular pet owners. At one point he brought in a "consulting firm" to evaluate his business and try to make it more "profitable". When the consulting firm was done, the rates on everything went up, we started getting nickel and dimed for everything, and the discount went away for certain things. We started getting charged more for a spay or neuter, and then the would be an additional $25 charge for bandaging, $35 for injectable meds, $35 for this and $15 for that..., all on top of the originally agreed upon price. So a "$50" cat neuter would end up costing us $128 after all the "hidden" charges. I tried to discuss this with the vet several times, but to no avail. I tried to explain that his business would not be more "profitable" if his customer felt ripped-off and left to go to one of the other 15 vets in the area. I guess since he wasn't paying me stupid amounts of money, he was immune to MY "consultation". I explained to him that he had essentially paid these "consultants thousands of dollars to tell him how to ruin his business and drive away his best customers. We left and so did many others clients. He nearly went bankrupt before finally reverting back to his old ways, but by then we had found a more reasonable vet closer to us. Sad... we really liked him.

Dr. Westin is right about things depending on the area. I did a job in rural Louisiana and needed some emergency vet care for possible poison ingestion. The bill for all sorts of amazingly good vet care was around $90. I could not understand how they could stay in business in such a nice vet hospital for so little money. That would have been a $500 dollar vet bill on the East or West coast. The Louisiana vet explained that in those parts people would rather just get a new dog than pay a $50 vet bill for something easily treatable. Very sad. The service was excellent. The care was top notch. And this vet knew his stuff. I tipped him $50 and asked him if he'd like to move to CA. He said the money would be better, but the overhead would be even bigger. I sympathize with vets. The schooling is astronomically expensive, but its very difficult to earn the money back from an average pet owner.

When I was a little boy I had a $3 pet rat. After two years it developed a brain tumor (very common). Our vet said he could do brain surgery for $300 dollars. (This was in the 80's.) $300 for BRAIN SURGERY! It cost that vet around the same amount of money to learn brain surgery as it did a human brain surgeon. Can you imagine finding out it would cost $300 for brain surgery on yourself. I'd go find a doctor that was charging at least 1000% more. In the end we decided that since he was already so old and that the surgery might not save him anyway, that we'd just euthanize him and give him a proper backyard, teary-eyed, burial.

Its tough to make it as a vet. Especially when a relatively minor procedure costs more than the purchase price (or replacement cost) of the animal. That's why I find it silly that someone wants to save $20 on the purchase price of a tortoise, but ends up with a $500 dollar vet bill because the cheaper tortoise simply wasn't cared for as well to begin with. Sure a russian from Petco is cheaper than one from a breeder. But guess what...

Finding a vet like Dr. Westin is like finding gold. If you are lucky enough to find one like that treat them well, be appreciative and send more business their way. You do NOT want a vet like that to leave the area or go out of business. To anyone getting charge $59 for a fecal with no office visit, my sympathies are with you... I've been there too.


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## Jacqui (Nov 19, 2011)

I have to admit, in the past I have had a couple of the most wonderful Vets. They were of the "old fashioned" variety. They lacked many of the modern machines and techniques, but made up for it in experience, ingenuity, and heart. My last Vet and I shared laughter, shared many learning experiences, and cried together as we had to put animals to sleep. He knew I took in strays even tho I didn't have the money to be doing so. He would end up almost giving me his service for nothing more the bare cost of meds. He at the end was just doing the Vet practice as a way to keep from being bored. It was a emotional, as well as financial loss for me when he died.

It's been a couple of years and I still can't find a Vet that "fits". I had one Vet who came out and took care of my horses. I liked him, except he seem to act like as a fat old lady, I was not up to doing some of the basic shot giving myself.  I managed to baby that horse thru just fine thank you.  

For the cats, I tried a new Vet in town. While I like the tech, the Vet does nothing for me at all. A short time back, I had a feral kitten/cat with a broken leg. That caused me to find out that this Vet had no xray machines.  Knowing they lack full care abilities and I really dislike their office hours, I am having major doubts with them. They are pricey too. (Also doesn't help I had to do three sets of treatments and two types of meds on the last bunch of sick kittens with respiratory issues. Worse part is several still have some symptoms of it, just not major ones.  There went a couple of hundred dollars I was saving for spaying their mothers.  )

So I went back to the Vet, who did the horses. He was awesome with this feral cat who was so wild, she was sedated just to look at. Actually she attacked him, as he tried to get her out of the crate and then escaped to fly around the room a little.  I was so embarrassed, because this kitten/cat had a bad case of fleas. He just took it in stride. She also had ear mites and he patiently cleaned her ears out well. 

He knew money was tight and this was a feral cat, so he (after Xray) made it clear she would be fine left as is. If I wanted, he could operate and even talked with his new assistant who offered to do the surgery for cost, if we decided to go that way. I mentioned I wish he would do spays for costs and he stated he couldn't due to all the associated things to doing one, but he could do neuters for a greatly reduced cost with my numbers. Ya know, I am starting to like this Vet. 

To me, biggest thing is trusting my Vet and being able to work with him. I don't need the hand holding and if given the supplies am good at self doctoring. If money was completely no object, I would be visiting the Vet more often, I will admit that too. Spending sums of money on my "pets" is also easier to swallow, then spending the same on the feral cats who it always seems I get spayed and they die or leave. Yet those pesky unspayed ones, never get sick or die, they just bring me new bundles of furry joy.  My children remind me how much better my financial world would be, if I ignored all those hungry misfits who show up at my door. I spend over $8 a day on their food alone. Doesn't sound like so much until you do the math for a month or a year. 

It's strange, I would never think of asking a doctor or dentist for humans to charge me less, but my poor Vet is another story. Never stopped to think about that.

To all the Vets who may read this... thank you for being so kind and generous to us stupid fools with bleeding hearts that sometimes over extend our bank accounts for these critters, and thus asking you to do the same for us. Your all a hero to us. 

... still wish I'd gone on to be a Vet or atleast a Vet Tech. 



exoticsdr said:


> As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.



 Wondering how many cats I can squeeze into how many kennels that would leave room for a driver in the vehicle still....

Soooo like how many spay and neuter on cats could you do in a day?


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## Kristina (Nov 19, 2011)

terryo said:


> Then I had two of my dogs spaded, and that cost me $900.









ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!

I paid ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS for TWO SPAYS AND A NEUTER! And that was at the "expensive" vet! I just had my dog spayed, two cats neutered and one cat spayed for EIGHTY DOLLARS back in June! Holy CRAP!


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## Yvonne G (Nov 19, 2011)

Jacqui said:


> exoticsdr said:
> 
> 
> > As far as I can tell, it would be cheaper for all of you to drive to Texas and let me do your surgeries. You can stay at the house, play with roos and after a day or two drive home and still be a couple hundred richer than you are now.
> ...



If we did it on the down low so your hubby's boss didn't know about it, we could get quite a few animal crates in the big truck!


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## froghaven5 (Nov 19, 2011)

Morty the Torty said:


> I've been taking my 4 yr old puggle to Banfield since she was a baby and I love it there. At $25 a month I feel it's affordable for all her vet visits



We made the mistake of using Banfield and their pet insurance when I had 1st got my dog. I had not done my research. Thought it would be convienent to go there as I used Petsmarts puppy training as well. The vet was good (though she had to carry her inhaler around with her as she was allergic to animals  ) So after 3+ years of their service my dog got bladder stones. Anyway they wanted to do all kinds of tests ( they did do an x-ray and blood work) to determine she had bladder stones and wanted to charge an outrageous fee for surgery. My mother-in-law suggested we talk to her vet. She did the surgery for about 1/3 of the price and found a lump in her chest that we had not noticed. Turns out it was the tip of a needle that had encapsulated after it had broke off in her. She removed this as well. Spoke to Banfield and told them why we were not coming back and they expected us to continue to pay for the insurance. After much fighting with the company I was finally able to get out of the insurance since the broken needle was their fault. Did a google search on Banfield insurance and then read what terrible things people had to say about them. My new vet told us it was not worth getting insurance for the dogs, but would be better to have a separate account for them "just in case". 
There is 1 avian vet around here. Costs $150 just to walk in the door. no treatment. Because of this we usually end of treating our poultry ourselves, usually with good results. Our vet will help us get needed meds if we can't get it at the local feed store. She does not treat poultry, but has raised ducks herself. 
Our exotic vet is the best! I can call him for advice and he will tell me what he thinks and he is mobile so if I need him to come here he will


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## Jacqui (Nov 19, 2011)

emysemys said:


> Jacqui said:
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> > exoticsdr said:
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If we used the entire trailer, we might even be able to fit in all the ones that need to be taken care of.


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## Maggie Cummings (Nov 19, 2011)

As a truck driver I used to make a lot of deliveries for ConAgra to McAllen/Phar and San Antonio. Are you around there? Mile after mile of nothing but cactus and bushes (the plant kind) I like Texas, I like the people and the rednecks. But it seems like it takes so much time to drive anywhere. Also you really have to watch out for deer between El Paso, Laredo and McAllen. There are sooomany! Then of course, it finally happened and it was out in the middle of nowhere between Laredo and McAllen with no help. They had to send a tow truck from San Antonio. I was broke down on the side of the road for 14 hours then for 3 days while they repaired my truck. Also the Mexicans and the big Bubba truck drivers really have it against lady drivers. They think we can't do the job. I got into several backing contests with big bubbas, sorry... I guess all that is kinda off topic...


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## Yvonne G (Nov 19, 2011)

Jacqui said:


> emysemys said:
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Well, duh! When I say "big truck" it means the trailer too!!


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## Laura (Nov 19, 2011)

carecredit.com is a good place to check out for those time when you need a little extra to help pay a bill.. 
pets are expensive..


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## exoticsdr (Nov 20, 2011)

Jacqui said:


> I have to admit, in the past I have had a couple of the most wonderful Vets. They were of the "old fashioned" variety. They lacked many of the modern machines and techniques, but made up for it in experience, ingenuity, and heart. My last Vet and I shared laughter, shared many learning experiences, and cried together as we had to put animals to sleep. He knew I took in strays even tho I didn't have the money to be doing so. He would end up almost giving me his service for nothing more the bare cost of meds. He at the end was just doing the Vet practice as a way to keep from being bored. It was a emotional, as well as financial loss for me when he died.
> 
> It's been a couple of years and I still can't find a Vet that "fits". I had one Vet who came out and took care of my horses. I liked him, except he seem to act like as a fat old lady, I was not up to doing some of the basic shot giving myself.  I managed to baby that horse thru just fine thank you.
> 
> ...





Probably more than you could squeeze into your vehicle. haha



emysemys said:


> Jacqui said:
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Now I'm starting to get frightened! Did I mention that it's best to call for an appointment? hahaha


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## Jacqui (Nov 20, 2011)

If I could catch everybody who comes to my place for food let's see...

we would need to fit in....

17 known females
19 known males
and then about 6-8 unknown gender cats and kittens.

So ya, I think I might need an appointment.


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## Mao Senpai (Nov 20, 2011)

I think it all depends on the location... my cat cost about 50 dollars to get spayed and maybe 100 to get her worms and earmites treated and all of that includes the vets fee. But I don't know anyone to take my torts to if they needed it so.. that could be tricky.


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## exoticsdr (Nov 20, 2011)

Jacqui said:


> If I could catch everybody who comes to my place for food let's see...
> 
> we would need to fit in....
> 
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That's alot of kitties!!


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## Jacqui (Nov 20, 2011)

exoticsdr said:


> Jacqui said:
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> > If I could catch everybody who comes to my place for food let's see...
> ...



Yes it is.  I actually do have some that are spayed and neutered.  Just seems like the only ones that end up leaving or dead are the ones I have already had fixed.  Before I went on the road a few years back, I had only one female not fixed and just a handful of males. Since then we seem to have picked up a huge influx of strays and as a result a few kittens into the mix. With the vast numbers to care for, you can see why to me even saving a few dollars per animal can make a huge difference.


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