got a call from the vet...wwyd?

[klf73]

I had my girl spayed last month and when they tested her for heartworm, part of the test also tests for lyme. Her lyme came back high so they wanted to do a specific lyme test to see if she needed to be treated for $75. I couldn't really afford the extra but did it. It came back positive so they gave her antibiotics (not sure why they couldn't just do it in the first place). So today I brought my australian shepherd in to get neutered and his also came back high so they wanted to do the same test. I told them I thought it was a waste of $$ and please just give me the antibiotics. They are going to but didn't seem happy about it. I told them they stay together in the house, run together in the same pen, walk the same places so to me it just seemed silly to spend the extra $$ for a test and then still have to spend the $30 on antibiotics. Would you have paid the extra $75?

 

[wegotchickens]

Nope!

 

[Camelot Farms]

Absolutely not!

 

[chicklunatic]

No way! I'm glad you were brave enough to tell them so. Vets can really clean out the pocket book!

 

[Karrie13]

Me either!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Absolutely not. And considering the vet wanted me to knowing the other dog was tested high, that shows they are only in it for the money and likely NOT the best interest of your animals. I'd be shopping for another vet that would be more considerate and less money hungry myself.

 

[wegotchickens]

Honestly, I would think a good vet would've
A) known you had another dog, and
B) treated it at the same time.

I'm sure that's what my vet would do. Plus they'd give me a discount on the larger bottle of antibiotics.

 

[klf73]

actually this is not my vet. I couldn't afford the $300 the local vets wanted to spay my girl so I got a certificate for under $100 but this was the closest vet that accepts them. My dog spay was only $65 through them (same I would have paid in NC at our old vet while dh was stationed there). I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being unreasonable. Thanks for the responses. They will be getting their follow up appts through my vet....

 

[PotterWatch]

I would have done the same as you. When one of my dogs was suspected of having kennel cough, my vet was ready and willing to give me medication for both of them if need be, without further visits or testing, as it should be!

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

The antibiotic is not expensive and has no side effects I am aware of, why pay for the test? My Dobe girl was acting sick 2 yrs ago. The first vet did an xray, ran blood tests and $300 later said she had an intestinal upset. When she didn't get better we went back and saw another vet. He looked at the results of the first blood tests, heard her symptoms, the same ones I told the first vet, and ordered doxycycline. The second vet said we could run the test panel but it would be expensive and since all her symptoms matched a rickettsial disease ( lymes, rocky mountain spotted fever etc.) he would just treat for that. My girl was sick for awhile and I think the delay in treatment caused a longer recovery. I don't know if dogs can have been exposed to the disease and not show symptoms which seems to be the case with your dogs since they were not acting ill. Good for you for getting them spayed and neutered.