Are vet clinics chargin too much?
Vet Question
- Thread starter jenkins2728
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Depends upon who you ask...ask me and I say heck yeah! But ask the guy who had to buy the x-ray machine, the incubators, the examination tables, and all the implements of his trade and he'd tell you he wasn't charging nearly enough.
Haha yea. I feel like vets will turn into salesman who have a hold of your money.
When you consider that a vetrinarian has almost the same amount of training that an MD does and,as Yvonne pointed out,has to buy much of the same equipment,it's probably a fair price. It doesn't mean I enjoy paying it.
Ok well I will definitely look into my local clinics. Thanks.
I recently put my 16 year old dog to sleep. She was blind and could no longer walk. Before they would euthanize her, she needed an "exam" which they tried to charge me $50 for, until I raised a stink.
I worked for a vet for 4 years as a young man, and I have mixed feelings about the profession. as far as treating tortoises, forget it. Most know far less than many of the people that post here on the forums.
I worked for a vet for 4 years as a young man, and I have mixed feelings about the profession. as far as treating tortoises, forget it. Most know far less than many of the people that post here on the forums.
I so agree with shelly about most treating torotises. My prior profession I dealt with vets regarding our police dogs, WOW, what a racket. I struggle with some vets, however they have alot of overhead, expenses, and they do need to make a living. I feel if they are competent and have a honest good faith practice, I have no problems with what they charge. I have witnesses over inflated prices, over charging, and doing proceedures that are not needed. I think most fit into the same catagory as all other businesses, make as much as they can for as little as they can.
It is 35.00 just to walk in the door plus whatever tests the vet orders and/or meds!I think it is worth it if your animal is sick.Cheaper than my human Dr.!!!
I want to be a vet 
Hahhah, I don't think I'm smart enough though Or I might be like a wildlife biologist or field biologist still not sure, something along those lines, I just know I want my job to have to do with animals
Hahhah, I don't think I'm smart enough though Or I might be like a wildlife biologist or field biologist still not sure, something along those lines, I just know I want my job to have to do with animals You can do anything you put your mind to!If you want to be a vet, go for it.You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.A wildlife biologist would be cool too.
abra said:I want to be a vet
Keep your grades up.
We have an awesome Vet, he has 2 full grown sullies, volunteers at various shelters, is director on PHS, and works with AZ G&W for captured and nuisance reptile placement and health. So I really don't mind the $50 visit, we actually get to sit with him for 30 mins or so. He does reptiles, birds, and small mammals. He also has a mobile unit to come to your home for large animals.
As for if you need to use one. Yes IMHO. Few reasons, one is to find a Vet that you like for emergencies, nothing worse they having an emergency and finding out that your vet is horrible. Another is that Torts hide illness pretty well, so blood tests can make a proactive treatment for an illness before its an issue, or a trained finger can test for stones before they need to be operated on.
Look in your area for a reptile shelter, they might run mobile clinics or have clinic days at a reduced cost.
As for if you need to use one. Yes IMHO. Few reasons, one is to find a Vet that you like for emergencies, nothing worse they having an emergency and finding out that your vet is horrible. Another is that Torts hide illness pretty well, so blood tests can make a proactive treatment for an illness before its an issue, or a trained finger can test for stones before they need to be operated on.
Look in your area for a reptile shelter, they might run mobile clinics or have clinic days at a reduced cost.
As for vets being a part of a racket or salespeople- they are amateurs about it compared to the scams some doctors pull. A doc will tell you to get an expensive cat scan when a simple cheap X-ray will often do the job, and oh, yeah- he is part owner in the cat scan lab.
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Lol @ Abra I want to be a vet that specializes in herps. You don't have to be that amazing at math right?
I want to be a vet that specializes in herps. You don't have to be that amazing at math right?
Oh yes you do! It amazes me what my vet can figure out in her head when it comes to dosages and percentages and weights. Lots of numbers and figuring.
Marty333 said:Lol @ Abra
Yes you do. You must be EXTREMELY good at math to get through 4 years of college, get accepted at a Vet school (VERY tough competition) then get a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine degree, then pass your Licensing Exam.
You don't get to be a Vet just because you really, really like animals.
Keep your grades up.
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Well as long as it doesnt have to do with shapes Im good
A loaded question if I've ever read one.
Let's put some of this into perspective.
First, Pet food companines DO NOT help pay our tuitions in exchange for us PUSHING thier products. They do, however, provide veterinary students with free food for our pets, some great learning opportunities and provide some really great medical reference materials that would otherwise be beyond the means of most veterinary students.
The average expected income for a new veterinary graduate is around $50,000/yr. (national average, small animal medicine...now if you want to be an exotics vet or wildlife vet, knock about 10-15K off that) Now, considering that I accrued almost 1/4 Million dollars in tuition debt in the 8 years that I went to school....not looking to good for the payoff on those loans until I'm about 89 years old. I'm not complaining, I got accepted into med school about 6 months before getting my vet acceptance letter...I made my choice with no regrets. And competition? Well, there are about 151 medical schools in the US compared to 27 vetererinary medical schools....my class had 1800 applications for 100 positions. Let's see, my MD brother-in-law started out at something just over $200,000/yr, I say great for him...he is a brillian pathologist.
Let's talk a little about a typical office visit on a really sick animal. First you have to interview the client. Now, after listening to the endless stories about how long they have owned pets, and a precise history of every pet they've owned roughly since the client was passed from the womb, they have absolutely no idea WHY the pet quit eating 10 days ago and hasn't been able to stand for the last three days....but they are almost positive the pet was doing great yesterday. Now, I turn to the pet and ask them how they feel, where does it hurt? do you feel nauseous? no answers there, other than the ones that careful observation, palpation and auscultation reveal. I think you get it.
Diagnostics.....where do we start here. They all cost money, the tests, the reagents used, the lab equipment, the blood draw equipment, the electricity, the water, the technician, the receptionist who fends off phone calls while the test results are interpretted. Now, if I could just find a place to practice that had clients that knew their critters so well they could just tell me what the white blood cell count was, what the ALT, ALP, BUN, CREAT, TBIL was.....if they could just have that pesky fecal float and direct exam, urinalysis and urine sediment done BEFORE they got to me.....life would be grand. Now since that's not the case, I have to decide where to start, what is likely to be fruitful and what may be helpful and THEN have to offer the diagnostics to the client one at a time, explaining what I may be able to determine and then rank the information's helpfulness on a scale of 1-10 to the client and then sometimes wait for 20-30 minutes while they make phone calls to spouses, significant others and Uncle Bubba who told them to pour burn motor oil on it, cuz that's what worked for him last time. Oh and my all time personal favorite...."Yeah, but I read on the internet." Now, I just went for my annual physical exam....cost me upwards of $700 and I had absolutely NO CHOICE on the tests to be run, doc came in, told me to drop my pants, tickled places that I really didn't want tickled and sent me home without so much as a peck on the cheek and NO IDEA of what it just cost me.
What about explaining the test results? Now I know lots of docs that like to throw those big medical terms out and watch the client's eyeballs spin round-and-round...me? I like to let them know the terminology so they can research it if they choose, but like to explain in terms they can more easily understand, this adds about 10-15% more time to a visit.
What about drugs? Now, I could simply give a prescription and send you to the local pharmacy at which time you get a nice paper stapled to your meds explaining the who's, what's, when's and what-fors of the drug.....bet that's not how we operated, at least not me, demonstrations of administration are the norm, explaining the dosing regimen no less that four times only to have to tell most clients that it's all on the label to read for themselves---that's another 10 minutes.
Then, if there are children present, there is always one that is going to be a veterinarian and we always get hit up for time to let them volunteer so they can see what it's like to be a vet.....and we let them, but it all takes time and money. This is truly an honorable, fulfilling profession, but you CANNOT do it just because you love animals...you have to love people too,.....it all goes hand-in-hand. I strongly encourage ANYONE wanting to become a vet to go for it....no one is too old, Hell, I didn't even start college until I was 30 years old.
That said, my services are worth much more than the paltry $40 that my clinic charges for you to make your problems, my problems.
Let's put some of this into perspective.
First, Pet food companines DO NOT help pay our tuitions in exchange for us PUSHING thier products. They do, however, provide veterinary students with free food for our pets, some great learning opportunities and provide some really great medical reference materials that would otherwise be beyond the means of most veterinary students.
The average expected income for a new veterinary graduate is around $50,000/yr. (national average, small animal medicine...now if you want to be an exotics vet or wildlife vet, knock about 10-15K off that) Now, considering that I accrued almost 1/4 Million dollars in tuition debt in the 8 years that I went to school....not looking to good for the payoff on those loans until I'm about 89 years old. I'm not complaining, I got accepted into med school about 6 months before getting my vet acceptance letter...I made my choice with no regrets. And competition? Well, there are about 151 medical schools in the US compared to 27 vetererinary medical schools....my class had 1800 applications for 100 positions. Let's see, my MD brother-in-law started out at something just over $200,000/yr, I say great for him...he is a brillian pathologist.
Let's talk a little about a typical office visit on a really sick animal. First you have to interview the client. Now, after listening to the endless stories about how long they have owned pets, and a precise history of every pet they've owned roughly since the client was passed from the womb, they have absolutely no idea WHY the pet quit eating 10 days ago and hasn't been able to stand for the last three days....but they are almost positive the pet was doing great yesterday. Now, I turn to the pet and ask them how they feel, where does it hurt? do you feel nauseous? no answers there, other than the ones that careful observation, palpation and auscultation reveal. I think you get it.
Diagnostics.....where do we start here. They all cost money, the tests, the reagents used, the lab equipment, the blood draw equipment, the electricity, the water, the technician, the receptionist who fends off phone calls while the test results are interpretted. Now, if I could just find a place to practice that had clients that knew their critters so well they could just tell me what the white blood cell count was, what the ALT, ALP, BUN, CREAT, TBIL was.....if they could just have that pesky fecal float and direct exam, urinalysis and urine sediment done BEFORE they got to me.....life would be grand. Now since that's not the case, I have to decide where to start, what is likely to be fruitful and what may be helpful and THEN have to offer the diagnostics to the client one at a time, explaining what I may be able to determine and then rank the information's helpfulness on a scale of 1-10 to the client and then sometimes wait for 20-30 minutes while they make phone calls to spouses, significant others and Uncle Bubba who told them to pour burn motor oil on it, cuz that's what worked for him last time. Oh and my all time personal favorite...."Yeah, but I read on the internet." Now, I just went for my annual physical exam....cost me upwards of $700 and I had absolutely NO CHOICE on the tests to be run, doc came in, told me to drop my pants, tickled places that I really didn't want tickled and sent me home without so much as a peck on the cheek and NO IDEA of what it just cost me.
What about explaining the test results? Now I know lots of docs that like to throw those big medical terms out and watch the client's eyeballs spin round-and-round...me? I like to let them know the terminology so they can research it if they choose, but like to explain in terms they can more easily understand, this adds about 10-15% more time to a visit.
What about drugs? Now, I could simply give a prescription and send you to the local pharmacy at which time you get a nice paper stapled to your meds explaining the who's, what's, when's and what-fors of the drug.....bet that's not how we operated, at least not me, demonstrations of administration are the norm, explaining the dosing regimen no less that four times only to have to tell most clients that it's all on the label to read for themselves---that's another 10 minutes.
Then, if there are children present, there is always one that is going to be a veterinarian and we always get hit up for time to let them volunteer so they can see what it's like to be a vet.....and we let them, but it all takes time and money. This is truly an honorable, fulfilling profession, but you CANNOT do it just because you love animals...you have to love people too,.....it all goes hand-in-hand. I strongly encourage ANYONE wanting to become a vet to go for it....no one is too old, Hell, I didn't even start college until I was 30 years old.
That said, my services are worth much more than the paltry $40 that my clinic charges for you to make your problems, my problems.
From my experience, yes vets are overpriced. I was charged a bit over $300 last time I went to the vet. I took my torts there because I knew they had parasites and wanted to get them treated for it.
So, of course the vet has to do the fecal himself to prove there are worms (I can understand this), but then he goes ahead and charges me for 3 visits because I brought 3 torts which ticks me off because he only spent the same minimal time with me as he would have if i had brought only one tort.
$300 bucks later, I leave his office with dewormer medicine that I could have bought at a feed store for a fraction of that price and then researched it myself how much to administer.
Also, he knew very little about torts, another reason why that was not a 300 bucks well spent IMO.
Katerina- if you want to be a vet, then you just have to do your best in school. If being pre-vet is anything like being pre-med, then that means that while your friends get to play and do fun things you will need to be working on projects, studying, and volunteering in all your free time (not to mention the hours you need to put forth doing job shadowing and doing your best to get a job at a place that will give you some exposure to vet medicine.)
It's very doable, but you'll need to learn to be okay with being constantly busy.
So, of course the vet has to do the fecal himself to prove there are worms (I can understand this), but then he goes ahead and charges me for 3 visits because I brought 3 torts which ticks me off because he only spent the same minimal time with me as he would have if i had brought only one tort.
$300 bucks later, I leave his office with dewormer medicine that I could have bought at a feed store for a fraction of that price and then researched it myself how much to administer.
Also, he knew very little about torts, another reason why that was not a 300 bucks well spent IMO.
Katerina- if you want to be a vet, then you just have to do your best in school. If being pre-vet is anything like being pre-med, then that means that while your friends get to play and do fun things you will need to be working on projects, studying, and volunteering in all your free time (not to mention the hours you need to put forth doing job shadowing and doing your best to get a job at a place that will give you some exposure to vet medicine.)
It's very doable, but you'll need to learn to be okay with being constantly busy.
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