The cost of vet care

[Angelic Vampyre]

I just dropped $5000 on my birds (parrots) I had to put one down and sell about 50 of them and did not go anywhere near the cost of vet care. I still have one very sick bird that has to go back mid october if I get her that far. My credit cards are very very sick at the moment

 

[SarahBeth9394]

Thanks for the info on the Ivermectin.

It's not that I can't afford the bills it's the fact that I have to charge it and make payments. That account was specifically for any emergency vet care which we used this summer when our Main Coon got sick. We didn't go looking for another pet because we had what we were comfortable with. We told my daughter that all of her allowance will go to the puppy care (I won't make her pay for the neuter because she would never have an allowance).

The thing is veterinary care has become really high tech. We live in the country and all the vets do equine and bovine care. They have large facilities. I am going to call around the next big town over and see what the vets there charge. I told hubby that now that we will have 3 dogs and 2 cats I'm gonna look into pet insurance.

I'm guessing that a nail trim must come with the office visit because they didn't charge me for that and they waive the office visit fee when you get a vaccination and at least another service. I told my hubby I was going to look into getting the vaccines and doing them myself. He laughed at me because I have trimming their toenails. He did say if that's what I wanted to do then that's fine with him.

Oh and different people make different decisions on how to treat their pets. I personally could not see spending thousands on surgeries when I have children to raise. There is a point where it is too expensive and we all decide that individually. I certainly wouldn't look down on someone for putting down a pet because the treatment is as much as their house payment.

 

[Duck Keeper]

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Kind of random and off topic, but are you tacking (as you say) because of bloat? To prevent it?

Or am I totally off base?

 

[Duck Keeper]

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I know Drsfostersmith.com sells vaccines to use at home, maybe you could check out their pharmacy?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

When I had to put Jerry down last week I had to take him to Chattanooga because the vet here was gone. There it cost me 45 dollars just for them to see him. He was very strait with me an said that that treatment for Harts poisining would cost over $500 an would most likely not work. He said he could do blood work for $100 an see if there was a chance but he was sure it was to late. I would have loved to spend the $600 to try but I'm disabled an that is almost my hole months income. I had no choice but to put him down. That cost me another $35. The cost of everything didn't upset me but having to pay $45 to be seen says a lot about the vet. He did send a nice card.

I ran a garage when I was younger. For those that dont know a good mechanic never stops going to school, never stops having to put out for thousands of dollars of the latest diagnostic equipment an spends most of what they make on "malpractice insurance."

I never charged to look at a car an talk to the owner about there options. I also never charged people for procedures that failed to fix there cars. I was the expert if what I did didn't work I felt that it should come out of my pocket not the owners. Many times I had to take a loss on a car an go without dinner that night but I slept good knowing that I may not be getting rich but I was doing what I loved.

I don't think most people chose what there going to do with there life by how rich they expect to get from it. But at some point most people let profits get in the way of there love of the job.


Again, I have no issue with what a vet chooses to charge. I choose to buy my shots at the feed store for $3.50 each. Not because paying a vet $25 to do it is too much, it is a strain on me but I would pay it. But because they need to charge me $45 a dog for the privilege of them seeing me. Maybe my dog would still be alive If I had taken him to the vet to get flea meds? Will I with my other dogs? Unfortunately no. Not because I cant afford the meds but because I cant afford the $45 privilege of seeing me charge an the cost of the meds. Does this mean I dont love my dogs as much as the next person? No! Does it mean that I shouldn't have dogs? No!

Anyone who says someone should not be aloud to have a pet because there not wealthy enough to pay for vet bills needs to get a chance to live in poverty for a while an see how they feel about it then. People that have almost nothing take better care of what they do have than people that have it all.

I better stop there.

 

[SarahFair]

If I was to take my dogs to the vet to get their rabies shot it would have costed me $200 per dog.
A fee for being new
A fee for being seen
A fee for the shot.

I went the the TSC clinic and get them for $25 each

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
I agree that some of the people with little money take better care of their pets--I saw it often at the clinic. If a long term client had temporary money problems we let them pay off their bill in a couple of payments. We could not afford to do this for new clients--although a few squeaked by if it was an emergency.

I also remember when I volunteered at the zoo and a very well dressed woman was talking about her dog having disc disease. I asked what breed and she said "a standard dachshund." I lit up and said "mine too! Rhoda had to have disc surgery at the specialist for more than my monthly salary but fortunately she is doing just great now!" I asked her how hers was and she said "oh I had her put to sleep--it was too expensive to have the tests and the surgery. Besides she was too old." Saddened by her remark I asked how old her dog was and she said she was nine. Interestingly enough my dog was also nine. This woman drove a new BMW when she left.

 

[gritsar]

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I'd be looking around for a rabies clinic if I was you. $5 per animal.
They hold rabies clinics around here twice a year.

 

[redhen]

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Kind of random and off topic, but are you tacking (as you say) because of bloat? To prevent it?

Or am I totally off base?

yes..hes a giant breed and deep chested...i dont want to take the risk of bloat... or actually, they can still bloat..but they (hopefully) wont torsion.

 

[cutiepieacres]

I appreciate vets and what they do but at the same time I know I can do most of it myself at home for way less as long as it doesn't involve mass surgery or prescriptions I cant get.

That being said my little chinchilla Paris prolapsed he uterus the other day and after a failed attempt to put it back I took her to the vet for a E-spay. Cost me over $500 and thats after I declined the blood work and chest x-ray for a heart murmur. Granted there was only the option for surgery right then or I put her down so I figured I would pass one the extra $300. Its been a week and so far shes doing ok still not eating like I want her too but alive at least! I also declined to bring her back in for another $39 for a "recheck" where they can tell me what I already know and risk stressing her even further considering she had a seizure the first time when the tech took her temp kinda rough after I already told her I had taken it at home right before I left and it was normal, she let me know her temp reading was the same as what I had just mentioned to her...