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Veterinary care/cost--opinions, please


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Okay....

 

History: My family had ALWAYS taken all of our dogs to a particular vet practice in town, as the vet who started the practice in the early 1950's had managed to successfully treat (to some degree) my grandparents' Dachshund when its back went bad and every other vet recommended putting the dog down.

 

Fast forward 30 years: With the first dog I ever owned as an adult (a rescued bulldog), I went to "old" Dr. G. (the vet who saved my grandma's doxie)...by this time "young" Dr. G. (son) and a half dozen other vets were in the practice. We are fairly close to one of the nation's top veterinary medicine schools...and when the bulldog was dx'd with hip dysplasia, a serious offer was made that, "well, we could send her to Top Vet School for a hip replacement surgery".

 

Right. A rescued bulldog with a slew of other health issues. A 2 hr one way drive for a $10K surgery? No thank you. This was after a $400 urgent daytime office visit for vomiting (not nighttime, not after hrs)...a check over, a stool specimen and some Reglan...it would have cost less to take a vomiting child to the human ER. (Keep in mind that $400 was in late 1980's...)

 

So, we changed practices. A newer group, recommended by a friend. We LOVE our vet there. Kind, thorough, wonderful. Said vet cared for bulldog til the end of her life, our Lab/GSD/collie from his rescue at only weeks old until he had to be put to sleep at 14 1/2 yrs old, just last month. Has cared for our cats thruout their lives too. We LOVE the care there, but...

 

I have always believed that the "basics"---required vaccines, spay/neuter should be, well, basic in cost. If folks want multiple-level spinal fusions for their Dachshunds, well, then let them pay for it. (My mom has a Bionic Dachshund, who has had 3 separate surgeries to fuse every level of his defective spine...$10K +....not my approach to dogs, but to each her own.) And, if a dog gets an injury, or complicated illness---absolutely, I want the clinicians who care for my pet to be well compensated.

 

So...when we adopted Sollers, a family member gave us as an adoption gift, one of these $300-for-the-first-year-of healthcare puppy packages for Banfield (the vet clinics in Petsmart). All the vaccines/office calls are covered...and a bit of discount on other things, like stool checks for parasites. Sollers has had his shots/microchip/worming, etc. done there. We like the vet okay.

 

We were offered to "upgrade" the "basic" puppy package to incl the neutering for an addl $60----$60 for a neuter, anesthesia, pre-op bloodwork, EKG, pain med, and day long stay.

 

We had originally declined this offer, as we wanted our "regular" vet to do any surgery, incl the neutering.

 

We called to arrange Sollers' neuter....and the cost at regular vet? $360....for the identical list of svcs offered by Banfield. $165-175 if you skip all the bloodwork, EKG and just get the deed done.

 

So, is it me? Does that seem awfully high? (I realize that prices may have gone up since my old guy was neutered 13+ yrs ago.) Am I being a traitor to just let the vet at Banfield do Sollers' snip? Is it bad patient etiquette to opt for the better price for something basic like a neuter?

 

Again, I adore our "regular" vet.

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Seems high to me. My shelties were $180 each. I'm surprised they adopted him out to you unneutered. Shiner's neuter and vax were all done before he left, for a $200 adoption fee. I'd seriously consider the $60 Banfield. I think your vet would understand....alot of people I know opt for low cost speuter even though they have regular vets.

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Seems high to me. My shelties were $180 each. I'm surprised they adopted him out to you unneutered. Shiner's neuter and vax were all done before he left, for a $200 adoption fee. I'd seriously consider the $60 Banfield. I think your vet would understand....alot of people I know opt for low cost speuter even though they have regular vets.

 

 

Thanks, Shiner's human! (BTW, I love your pup's name!)

 

Sollers came from an all-volunteer/non municipal shelter in a fairly rural area....$60 to adopt, they refund $35 after you mail in proof the dog is fixed...they only did one round of vaccines and dewormer...in our state, only vets can give rabies vaccine...they had no vet...so most falls to the adopter after the fact. So we knew we'd be starting pretty much from scratch with his vet care. He is just now almost 6 mos old, so was a little young to fix before now...

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I once tried the cheaper route for a couple of my dogs neuterings a few years ago, and used a mobil vet. I ended up aplogizing to my regular vet for this, as I ended up having to take my dogs to them for thier after care. They had been razor burned so badly, that their skin was sloughing off, couldnt sit down they were in such pain, had to put them on antibiotics, and rimidyl for pain, E collars, and, pay them to fix what the other vets did. It was pretty bad for the dogs. Never again would I switch just to save a buck. I learned my lesson. Unforunatly, it was at the expence of my dogs well being. Not to say this would happen to you, just sharing my experience of trying to keep costs down.

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I tried a local vet in my area and was really surprised by the prices (the vet I had where I moved from was MUCH cheaper and MUCH nicer...)

 

So, I actually switched Dex to Banfield. I really like them over there - the vets are nice, gentle, and knowledgeable. The nurses are very confident and precise. I'm much happier with the staff over there.

 

The wellness plan for puppies won me over too - SO worth it in the long run. Dex's neutering is going to be covered. I've heard nothing but good things from other customers. Overall, I'm very impressed and happy with Banfield so far.

 

BTW - not sure when you're looking to get yours done, but Dex is getting snipped at the end of Feb. I know he'll have different doctors from your Banfield, but they should use similar techniques and resources...I can give you a report, if you'd like! :rolleyes:

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We're really lucky that we have a vet that gives us a rescue discount. We pay $45 for spays and neuters--the cost of the anesthesia only. I'm not sure what he charges regularly, but I paid about $110 for my male BC when I had him done in '04. The vet that did the surgery was our old family vet who ran his practice out of his basement after he retired from large animals. I believe his costs were lower because his equipment was all older and paid for, his only help was his wife, and he had no building rental. My Aussie was done in VA by the vet I used until their prices went through the roof. At the time, I think it was right around $200. You can often find low cost clinics. I've used them for fosters before and had great luck. I figure that given the fact that they do 20-30 surgeries a day, 5 days a week, the vets could probably spay/neuter in their sleep. The incisions have always been very small and neat and the dogs have healed very quickly. I personally don't think there is anything wrong with shopping around for spay/neuter costs but wouldn't go to Banfield. From what I understand, they often have lots of hidden charges that get tacked on later, besides, I just don't really trust them after the whole microchip thing they pulled a few years ago.

 

Emily

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I personally don't think there is anything wrong with shopping around for spay/neuter costs but wouldn't go to Banfield. From what I understand, they often have lots of hidden charges that get tacked on later, besides, I just don't really trust them after the whole microchip thing they pulled a few years ago.

 

Emily

 

Emily,

 

Thanks for the info....one question: What microchip thing?

 

Sollers was chipped at Banfield...they did explain that they put TWO chips in, as soem places have one kind of reader, other places have another kind, and the two chips help insure that should it be needed, it would be more likely whatever place found him, they could read the chip with their scanner...until the day when there is a universal scanner/chip system.

 

BTW, I did notice a few "tacked on" things...and have been careful to watch for them. After routine shots, they tried to upsell a $20 of ketoprofen (doggie Motrin) for any discomfort he might have after vaccines.... :rolleyes:

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I used Banfield for 6 years. I recently stopped using them because my particular location is a revolving door for vets. It was annoying to always have someone different - hard to trust advice. River was the only dog I had to have fixed and her spay was done there. I had her chipped elsewhere because at the time Banfield wasn't chipping yet.

 

Now at the regular vet - I've already spent the yearly max for 2 dogs at Banfield in just the past 2 months between wellcare/vacc & River's eye issue & teeth cleaning. However, I feel better about the care/services I'm getting. Piece of mind.

 

If you like the vets at your Banfield, go for it. I think the free office visits are worth every penny - because you'll never have to come post on the boards asking if we think whatever it is, is serious enough to warrant a vet visit. :rolleyes:

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As one who can testify to the fact that veterinary care can be expensive (my tab with my vet last year ran around $5,000, and with Missy's problems we are running at about the same rate thus far this year), I consider the cost in light of the quality of care that my dogs receive; and when I have second thoughts about the cost, I remember the old cliche, "You get what you pay for."

 

But then again, that is just me... :rolleyes:

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I am with Buster, we go to the most expensive vet in town. But honestly I don't even think about it. Anytime I have a concern I can call them and say this is Blaze's mom and they say "oh, hello Mrs. Putnam". I like that. It means and stands for something. Only one time have I gone against what they said to me and that was when they wanted to put him on Prednisone for his foot when he hurt it. The only other thing is that he likes to see all of his animals every 6 months, we do not do this, we only go once a year. But they have a web site and once a month send out a news letter, and I actually use it a lot, there is a lot of good information on it. He diagnosed Blaze with a reverse sneeze and I had never even heard of, told me to put him on a fish oil supplement and we haven't looked back. If I ever see any of the vet-tech's or front staff out, they always say hello and ask about both my babies. I couldn't imagine NOT having that relationship.

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Switching vets for the $$ is a hard call. I think I go to the best vet in the greater Jax area. I've been using him for 15 years. I can call him at home, at 3 in the morning and he will meet me. However, he knows I won't call for a stubbed toe :rolleyes: The repore you build is worth it. My vet will discount my bill on anything they can and new techs can't believe the low client ID number we have. My dogs are comfortable there, know where his private office is, where the scale is and most important of all - where the cookie jar is. Peace of mind is more important to me on most visits. If you are comfortable with Banfields in your area and feel safe using them....A spay/neuter is still a surgery, no surgery is simple and straight forward.

 

Karen

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and when I have second thoughts about the cost, I remember the old cliche, "You get what you pay for."

 

But sometimes when you are paying for services at a low cost veterinary clinic, you are paying for someone with a lot of experience doing spays and neuters, since they do them in volume and it's their bread and butter.

 

I LOVE my vet clinic. I would not take my animals anywhere else for health issues (and the amount of $$$ I dropped there in the last 18 months proves that) but I would not take animals there to be neutered. For rescue, certainly, I wouldn't be able to afford their $300.00+ fees for spays. But I have been using low cost spay/neuter clinics for the last decade for my dogs, even my personal dogs, and it has always been a fine experience. They do an excellent job and charge less than half of what my vet does. That makes them affordable! And even my vet would agree that the low cost clinics do a lot more neuters and therefore may be better at it.

 

But as soon as there is a health concern, we go to my regular vet. I am not convinced the low cost neuter clinics are as well versed in other areas as my vets are. And of course my relationship with my regular vets is important to me too - John cried with me when we had to put Briggs to sleep. I am not going to get that sort of support from a low cost clinic.

 

I wish veterinary care in general were more affordable, and especially the important bits like neutering - more low cost options need to be offered to encourage people to take advantage of them. I know that when the low cost clinics opened up here, the "old boys club" of vets who were keeping the prices high tried every trick in the book to discredit them or put them out of business as they felt they were being undercut. I respect business, but in the greater scheme of things, the benefits of low cost neuters is more important than anything else. IMO.

 

The caveat being, of course, that some clinics are better than others.

 

RDM

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When I first moved here, I actually started using two different practices, one closer to home and one closer to work. The one closer to work was pricier but I really and truly trusted them with my dogs. I used the one closer to home for routine stuff. When Twist was pregnant (and having difficulties) you can bet I took her to the pricier vet for care.

 

I have since moved again and found a practice that includes a holistic vet, and they do large animals and make farm calls. I could have chosen a small animal vet a little closer, and perhaps a little less expensive, but I now have a relationship with the vets in this practice and feel more secure about getting needed help in a timely manner should I need an emergency farm call. When I make appointments, I generally specify the vet I want to see because I do like continuity of care.

 

Willow's recent surgery wasn't cheap, but it was at the lower end of the estimate they gave me. I am now having to think about Pip's neuter, and because he's a cryptorchid, it will take longer than a normal neuter and so will cost more. I have toyed with the idea of the low-cost spay/neuter clinic near here, but still haven't made up my mind. I'll probably just wait till my next bonus comes and then earmark whatever's necessary to be able to have the surgery done by the practice I normally use.

 

I think you need to do what you feel comfortable with. For me, I really have to feel comfortable with the vet I'm using, and that means that the vet has to be willing to listen to my concerns and take me seriously when it comes time to discuss treatment alternatives (i.e., I want a vet who treats me like someone who has a brain and uses it). Given two practices with vets I liked equally, I'd choose the less pricey one, of course, but I'm willing to pay a bit more if I think the standard of care my animals get is worth it.

 

 

J.

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and when I have second thoughts about the cost, I remember the old cliche, "You get what you pay for."

 

That is also true when you overpay for foolish reasons like slick promotions and emotional rationales

 

I'm amazed at the people who get talked into pain meds for neuters now. I guess since so many people nueter maybe 2-3 dogs a lifetime they let the vet decide this for them. And he gets his decisions made by the drug reps. Who are promoting a cash product...and so on.

 

I have to yet to see any dog post neuter in pain. I've done dozens a year for a while now, and 99% of them are bouncing back to the car.

 

Mono and cryptorchids are similar to a spay, and I think a little pain to help them curtail movement is a good idea. Most though, were in no pain that I could see. They went right back to life as usual.

 

Cleanest, quickest healing neuters you can get around here are $20 at the once a month deal at an animal shelter.

 

Undescended testicles nueters run about $200 at the vet's office.

 

I got Sally spayed and a broken canine pulled for $180. I could have paid $1200 for the tooth by itself at the dog dentist, but it turns out he's selling a bunch of hoopla that didn't improve the care she would get.

 

I wouldn't pay for pain medication unless I saw the dog was in pain. The risk of side effects with the anti-inflammatories, and the cost, is not worth it otherwise.

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Lenajo, keep in mind that many dogs are very, very good at hiding pain. Its a survival technique. I, too, have seen my fair share of neuters and spays, and I've been there wen the animal is waking up. They're disoriented, scared, and yes, they do seem to be in pain...at least you can see a noticeable difference when the pain meds start to kick in. Another reason for the pain meds is so that the animal leaves the incision sight alone. If it hurts, at all, they will want to lick/bother that area. The pain meds make them less likely to mess with it at all. I believe pain meds are necessary.

 

An average neuter typically costs $150-180 range...I agree with Mr. Snappy in that those cheap spay/neuter clinics are going to have a wealth of experience to draw from, because that is almost all they do. However, in a lot of clinics, your animal is not only getting spayed/neutered, they're checking the teeth for any problems, able to spot anything else awry with your animal without zooming through surgery to get to the next one. So, there are pros and cons both ways. I wouldn't worry about insulting your vet, they're costs are simply what they are, many understand that. Banfield gives me an uneasy feeling, with all the doctors flying in and out of there...kind of like going to WalMart to have your pet fixed while you shop, or something. I would rely on a clinic that depends on you and your happiness before it depends on a retail store...

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I have to yet to see any dog post neuter in pain. I've done dozens a year for a while now, and 99% of them are bouncing back to the car.

 

I was just commenting on a recent thread that this used to be my experience too before the vets switched over to laser surgery. Now the dogs I know have acted very uncomfortable after the surgery (for a day or two) and the length of time owners are expected to keep their dogs quiet is twice as long.

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I would research the Vet at Banister if you can. Have you heard anything bad about them and so on? If you feel confident that they are a good vet, why not save a buck.

I take Daisy to the same clinic as our K-9 Unit, they are very nice, friendly, clean and the best part, cheaper than some of the other places in the City. I don't really know much about neuters, but Daisy's spay cost $360 because of her weight and the fact that spays are harder to do than neuters, since the uterus can actually be the entire lenght of the dogs abdomen. My best friend is taking her 5lb dog for a neuter that is apparently going to cost her $200, and that, I feel is a rip off! Typically I will only spend $100 on our yearly check ups. This includes the appropriate vaccines(we do rabies every 2 years), and physical and usually takes us about 45 minutes with all the chit-chat and any questions I have. I haven't looked elsewhere because I really like them and if I need to come in on an emergency durring business hours the shcedule me in so that I don't have to pay the emergency price.

I guess it comes down to how you feel about the cheaper people. Sometimes it good, somtimes it's horrible!

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Here's my experience. My current vet is not cheap, and he's a little more than an hour away. But he works with me on costs and gives me every break he can. More importantly, he is one of the three or four most intelligent people I've ever met, and very good about explaining options and his rationale for the option he recommends. Very current on research, board certified in internal medicine, loves border collies, likes to work on sheep. Damn good surgeon. He told me that his philosophy is that he runs his practice based on selling his knowledge, not drugs, dog food, or whatever. Sure, he stocks those things, but that's not where he's going to try to make his money, because someone will always be able to undersell him.

 

Last winter I had two dogs that needed to be neutered. Regular vet charges $250 to $300. A local vet would do them for $125 -- same pre-anesthesia checks. What the hell, I thought. I wouldn't mind saving $250 and $350, and if I happened to find a local vet I could work with along the way, well, so much the better.

 

It was the classic case of getting what I paid for. When I made the appointments, both times I asked for 10 minutes with the vet before leaving the dog. In both cases when I arrived she was already in surgery and couldn't be interrupted. I never met her. They sent me home with acepromazine for the first dog -- a 38 pound Border collie -- with instructions to administer 50 mg twice a day to keep him calm. Calm, hell: it just about made him comatose.

 

The second dog's scrotum blew up like a balloon. Fortunately it wasn't the artery that wasn't tied off correctly, and he eventually resorbed the blood. (He needed pain meds, but would not have if the neuter had been done properly.)

 

I now happily drive the distance when I need to. I happily pay reasonable fees for good service for a vet whom I see personally every time I bring an animal in. And who I look forward to seeing. Who returns my phone calls. Who works with me to care for my animals.

 

I have worked two very good vets in my life. The current one, and one who died about four years ago. I have had about a dozen mediocre vets -- or perhaps they were good vets in bad practices, but I was never able to find out because of how the places were run. Both the very good ones are or were solo practitioners who value spending time with the client, and who view or viewed education as one of their most important services -- right there on the same level as medicine. If you find one, don't let him or her go. Drive the hour. It'll save you money and help you understand your animals' medical needs in the long run.

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Having finally found a vet for my dogs' routine care after 7 months of searching, I have to say I'll drive to get the right service and skills I expect in a vet and I'll also pay as needed for that service and skill level of course. My new vet is 30 mins away (just across the state line in NC) and part of a holistically minded clinic - their prices are very competitive with traditional vets in the area, but they spend more time with owners and the staff is much easier to work with. It's a fantastic deal!

 

All that being true, I'd still go with our shelter's vet for s/n - she spends at least 4 hours/day each week doing the surgeries and she is fabulous. We actually had an adopter come back and tell us that her vet was so impressed by the incision that he called other vets in the practice over to check it out when they went in for booster vaccines shortly after adopting the dog. :D

 

Dr. E uses glue for small to medium animals, so most of the time there's not even the need for a suture removal. Pain meds are sent home on a case by case basis. Spays for dogs are $55, neuters are $45, even without proof of low income status. :rolleyes:

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I've used the same vet for over 20 yrs and am very reluctant to let anyone else doctor my pets - even when it's someone my vet has referred because of a needed treatment outside of her skill levels such as last summer when Sara had liver surgery. The bottom line is I trust my vet, can call her at any time day or night, can get easily understood explanations from her regarding a diagnosis or treatment, can get meds w/o an office visit, know that she will refer me out if she's not sure she can diagnose or treat an illness, etc. - but IMO, in order for any vet to stay in business, their clients need to use their service for routine treatment including spays and neuters. So for me, I'll use my regular vet for everything I can.

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I'm amazed at the people who get talked into pain meds for neuters now. I guess since so many people nueter maybe 2-3 dogs a lifetime they let the vet decide this for them. And he gets his decisions made by the drug reps. Who are promoting a cash product...and so on.

 

I worked for a Vet for 3 years as a Vet tech. We usually never used pain meds except for the people that insisted. It usually is a waist of money, but just makes the owners feel good. After we moved to another area, I had a dog neutered and was charged for an e-coller and pain meds both of which I never used. Some Vets just look for more ways to charge more.

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Bill points out a very important thing: a good vet that you can trust and who is willing to work with you is worth his/her weight in gold. I, too, am willing to pay more and drive farther to go to a vet that I can trust and who is willing to give (okay sell) his/her time to me (that is, is willing to take the time to discuss my animals' care with me in something more than a harried and perfunctory manner).

 

J.

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