Vet cost rant

[silkieluver_07]

Well my bunny got hurt pretty bad Thursday night (another rabbit reached through his cage and pulled him through). Anyhow, he required lots of stitches and has a broken leg. My bill totaled $170 ($60 just for the emergency visit). The wrap to keep his leg wrapped in cost me $11, when I could buy a huge roll at the farm store for $4. It's truly ridiculous. Two baytril pills cost me $6 when their around $1 each online. Is there anyway I can print off the price online and see if they will ex amount of money off my remaining bill?

 

[Funky Feathers]

Quote:
They receive "such a bad rap" because they deserve to. I've worked in 3 different vets' offices over the years, and every single one has had cats and dogs that have had horrible reactions to Hartz crap. Obviously they don't have the same ingredients in the same concentrations, because their stuff kills. I don't care how they label it. I have seen dogs and cats in horrible seizures because of their flea crap. I've seen animals so sick they couldn't be saved, and not because the owners couldn't afford treatment, either. If you've used Hartz flea treatments and haven't had a problem, then you're just lucky. I won't even buy a cat toy made by Hartz, that's how much I hate that company. They should go out of business, permanently.

I agree totally, Hartz kills, I have seen it too many times. Even pet mice dying from their feed! I would trust a cat toy not to be poisoned if it's from that company. I have seen many cats burn up (their skin) from Hartz flea products. Bad, bad stuff.

 

[krcote]

Do not ever forget my friends, you will always get what you pay for.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
Wormer that expensive is probably Cestex or something similar - Without reading all the thread, I'm guessing not round worms which the wormer is far less expensive. That's a tape worm med.

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
They receive "such a bad rap" because they deserve to. I've worked in 3 different vets' offices over the years, and every single one has had cats and dogs that have had horrible reactions to Hartz crap. Obviously they don't have the same ingredients in the same concentrations, because their stuff kills. I don't care how they label it. I have seen dogs and cats in horrible seizures because of their flea crap. I've seen animals so sick they couldn't be saved, and not because the owners couldn't afford treatment, either. If you've used Hartz flea treatments and haven't had a problem, then you're just lucky. I won't even buy a cat toy made by Hartz, that's how much I hate that company. They should go out of business, permanently.

what she said.....

 

[AKsmama]

Quote:
$60 for an emergency visit is cheap. $170 to repair a broken leg, supplies, and antibiotics is way cheap. You're not paying for just the supplies. You are paying for the veterinarian's time and expertise, and the technician's time and expertise as well. Could you repair and heal your rabbit on your own? If you could have, you should have just gone and bought that $4 roll of Vetwrap and done it yourself. Why, why why do you expect the vet to take money off your bill? He (or she, whatever) helped your animal with his/her knowledge and supplies. That vet has overhead. He has bills to pay. Techs and receptionists to pay. Suppliers and drug companies to pay. He probably might still be paying back student loans as well. Why does everyone expect something for little or nothing these days?

 

[scbatz33]

$170 is cheap. For a broken leg! I had to take my rotti to the after hours vet for vomiting blood cost me over $300. When you have pets they can be expensive. Sure I have learned things over the years to save myself some money, but I surely couldn't set a leg. My foal has a hernia. Sure, I could band it myself and hope for the best. But, I'm going to have the vet do it. He's licensed and insured and does them far more often than I do (as in I've never done it) and I'm PAYING for his knowledge. Do I think $200 is high - sure. Is it worth me killing my horse over - um, no.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I feel lucky that I have recently found an excellent vet practice that really cares for the animals and I feel what they charge is reasonable. My husband and I are business owners ourselves and I know just exactly how absolutely horrendous overhead is. Office space, insurance and employee expenses are through the roof and the list just goes on and on. And then after all that, yes, they do still need to make a living. I'm not saying there aren't offices that go overboard, I recently left one that I felt did indeed go to far. But in general I don't expect good service and meds for dollar store prices.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
$60 for an emergency visit is cheap. $170 to repair a broken leg, supplies, and antibiotics is way cheap. You're not paying for just the supplies. You are paying for the veterinarian's time and expertise, and the technician's time and expertise as well. Could you repair and heal your rabbit on your own? If you could have, you should have just gone and bought that $4 roll of Vetwrap and done it yourself. Why, why why do you expect the vet to take money off your bill? He (or she, whatever) helped your animal with his/her knowledge and supplies. That vet has overhead. He has bills to pay. Techs and receptionists to pay. Suppliers and drug companies to pay. He probably might still be paying back student loans as well. Why does everyone expect something for little or nothing these days?

Well I am SORRY. First of all, I don't have money for an emergency vet bill. I work at Subway of all things and am cutting back on my number of pets because I cannot afford to pay for them all. I am a high school senior with upcoming college bills. My parents make me pay for eveything because we are going through rough times right now, let me tell you its pretty sad when I have to pay for my own senior pictures. Sorry if I sounded cheap. I also could have given my rabbit the same treatment the vet gave. I know how to give stitches and clean a wound. The broken leg he doesn't know whereist is broken so he just had me wrap it in the stretchy gauze. I'm just saying that it was possible for me to do the same thing he did. Sorry again if I sound harsh and critical, but I'm in a tough monetary situation.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Hi Hannah, with animals things are bound to happen. If money is tight, stock up on that cheap VetWrap ($1.79 in some places), $1 Baytril, a roll of white bandaging tape, some gauze, peroxide, antibiotic ointment, and a few other essentials for a first aid kit. I will be happy to talk you through treatments. Just PM or call me. I was a Vet Tech for 10 years. I can't do surgery or prescribe meds, or make definitive diagnoses but I will help where I can.

I am good friends with the Vet I worked for in Baltimore.