Ended Official BYC Contest - Guess when we'll hit 22,222,222 million posts and you can win!

[Kiki]

This was a dialogue thatnoccered back in 2013/14..... All our dogs had their last round of shots back then...... As well live in county only and have a long standing history of very healthy dogs..... And the care and triage knowledge base when I rather call or email her what's up.... I'm one of her *VERY RARE* clients whom she has the she trusts to do above and beyond the minimum she asks. Even during the last months and days of our two that we had to put to sleep over the last 2 weeks....... (Heavy sigh) it's a wonderful & trusted relationship I have with her.

 

[pozees2]

Yes definitely look into ordering!!! Chewy and 1-800 Pet Meds and probably other places carry them for far cheaper haha Gator’s bill was always insane cause he was like 140 lbs so everything cost way more.

Even little Luna is a lot! I should really look into those shot clinics.

Chewy and 1-800-Pet Meds are contributing to everything else the vet's office does getting more expensive. We take away part of their profit by using these services. Their overhead hasn't changed, in fact if anything it's continued to grow, just like all of our bills.

 

[RUNuts]

Chewy and 1-800-Pet Meds are contributing to everything else the vet's office does getting more expensive. We take away part of their profit by using these services. Their overhead hasn't changed, in fact if anything it's continued to grow, just like all of our bills.

Our local vet just sold her clinic to a national chain. She can now vet and let the administration stuff be handled by someone else. She gets more time off. They brought in a second vet too. Can't blame her. Difficult conditions for a small business owner.

More laws, more requirements, less profit, less incentive.

Welcome to the world of box stores.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Chewy and 1-800-Pet Meds are contributing to everything else the vet's office does getting more expensive. We take away part of their profit by using these services. Their overhead hasn't changed, in fact if anything it's continued to grow, just like all of our bills.

Yeah, that makes sense but still, they could compete and make the prices more reasonable. Then more people would probably buy from them and they’d at least get some profit instead of none. I think it also depends on area a lot too because up here in the northeast and I’m sure California and stuff it’s way more expensive than down south or the Midwest. Also every vet I’ve been to, even the one we used to go to that was pretty cheap, raises the prices by like a dollar or two every year. The fee used to be like $65.

 

[Tesumph]

Chewy and 1-800-Pet Meds are contributing to everything else the vet's office does getting more expensive. We take away part of their profit by using these services. Their overhead hasn't changed, in fact if anything it's continued to grow, just like all of our bills.

Chewy has great marketing and incredible customer service, but yes, they are hurting small business owners big time. I have had to deal with them on the "other side" and they are not as honest or convenient as they seem.

Yeah, that makes sense but still, they could compete and make the prices more reasonable. Then more people would probably buy from them and they’d at least get some profit instead of none. I think it also depends on area a lot too because up here in the northeast and I’m sure California and stuff it’s way more expensive than down south or the Midwest. Also every vet I’ve been to, even the one we used to go to that was pretty cheap, raises the prices by like a dollar or two every year. The fee used to be like $65.

No they can't. It's only getting harder to become a vet and stay a vet. I promise, contrary to popular belief, your vet is not rolling in it.
Also.. skip the fecal and get the bloodwork next time.

 

[pozees2]

Yeah, that makes sense but still, they could compete and make the prices more reasonable. Then more people would probably buy from them and they’d at least get some profit instead of none. I think it also depends on area a lot too because up here in the northeast and I’m sure California and stuff it’s way more expensive than down south or the Midwest. Also every vet I’ve been to, even the one we used to go to that was pretty cheap, raises the prices by like a dollar or two every year. The fee used to be like $65.

Commercial rent is one of the highest costs of doing business, and commercial rent in the northeast is topped only by commercial rent in Southern California. That is a very high cost of doing business, but that isn't where it stops.

The blood tests we can get these days are light years better than they were 10 and 20 years ago. Our vets almost all have the equipment to run at least some of those tests in their offices because that's what it takes to stay in business. That equipment is very expensive to buy and very expensive to run and maintain, but we all want the best for our little loves, and we want to know what might be wrong, or not wrong, the same day whenever possible. We are busy people, most of us, and going to the vet has become an event we have to schedule around work, and/or kids, and for some of us, a trip to town; same day results mean we can do a lot in one trip.

Now throw in the cost of help - not only does becoming a vet cost about the same as becoming an M.D., the vet tech had to pay for school to be certified, so the vet has to pay her or him enough to live on and pay off school; school costs have skyrocketed, techs owe as much now as some of us owed on our first foray to a 4-year school back in the 70s and 80s.

I get that some people have had income loss that leaves them with little choice but to acquire meds at the lowest possible cost to keep their critters healthy, but for those of us who accepted the cost of having pets and still have about the same income, supporting the local vet who spent the money to have meds on hand that I need is a cost I'm willing to bear to keep him and his staff in business.

 

[CindyinSD]

People like helping. I like helping, and I'm not under the impression the vet is pulling in barrels of cash, but there's a limit. We have three dogs, two of whom we didn't ask for. One inherited from my mom, on her death, another an ill-advised impulse of a family member--taken in to insure the safety of the grandkids. And our own doggie. We're not taking them in for their annual well-doggie visits any longer--just for when the rabies shots come due. It's gotten out-of-hand, price wise.

We don't buy thousand dollar phones and expensive restaurant meals, nor $5 cups of coffee. I don't go to the doctor myself; DH has to, but he's on medicare so that's okay. I'm on Obamacare, for which I'm instructed to be grateful--I don't go to the doctor.

So yes, when we take the dogs to the vet we don't buy heartworm meds. I'm not buying them online either--not when I can get sheep dip for nearly nothing a dose--not even pennies. To me, it honestly feels like a bit of a scam--not by the vet, but certainly by the manufacturers/distributors.

 

[MROO]

@MROO is the winner!

That's SO COOL! It figures that, for the first time in a couple of years, I haven't been on for a few days in a row (doing online coursework,) so I almost missed it!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's SO COOL! It figures that, for the first time in a couple of years, I haven't been on for a few days in a row (doing online coursework,) so I almost missed it!

Congrats buddy.

 

[pozees2]

People like helping. I like helping, and I'm not under the impression the vet is pulling in barrels of cash, but there's a limit. We have three dogs, two of whom we didn't ask for. One inherited from my mom, on her death, another an ill-advised impulse of a family member--taken in to insure the safety of the grandkids. And our own doggie. We're not taking them in for their annual well-doggie visits any longer--just for when the rabies shots come due. It's gotten out-of-hand, price wise.

We don't buy thousand dollar phones and expensive restaurant meals, nor $5 cups of coffee. I don't go to the doctor myself; DH has to, but he's on medicare so that's okay. I'm on Obamacare, for which I'm instructed to be grateful--I don't go to the doctor.

So yes, when we take the dogs to the vet we don't buy heartworm meds. I'm not buying them online either--not when I can get sheep dip for nearly nothing a dose--not even pennies. To me, it honestly feels like a bit of a scam--not by the vet, but certainly by the manufacturers/distributors.

Yep, I definitely understand all that. We laugh when some financial expert tells his or her audience to go out to dinner fewer times, cut back on vacations, etc. - we don't do any of that. Any time I can figure out how to do something at home I do it if it means a better outcome, or the same outcome for less $, or if it's all I can afford. When I had dogs, I did everything I could myself, and the cats are indoor only, with no exposure to parasites or disease, so they don't go to the vet unless they're sick and I can't figure it out, or I can figure it out but I can't get the meds I need without a prescription. I think most of us here approach things similarly. The drug companies have been scamming the consumer for decades now, making tiny modifications to prevent availability of generics; they claim they are trying to recover their cost of R&D, but their profits say otherwise.