Veterinary care/cost--opinions, please

[Sue R]

In total agreement with you, Julie and Bill.

[powerfulgazelle]

To the OP,

did they give you the registration information for the two chips? I have never heard of a vet implanting two without telling you beforehand? Or did I misunderstand that?

 

 

They DID tell us about using the two chips before placing them...the fee was $29 for both together. I had not heard (before they told me) that there was not a single/uniform standard for microchips, so I guess what they said about using the two most common/popular kinds increased the chances that the chip could be read if needed. And, yes they gave us the registration info for both.

 

Thanks everyone for the input...we had always gotten 100% of our old guy's care at our "regular" vet, so not familiar/comfortable with the notion of "shopping around". But, I have always harbored a little misgiving about the markup on basic services (vaccines, especially).

 

Follow up question: Does anyone here vaccinate/worm their own dogs? An acquaintance looked at me like I was nuts when I asked the question in the orig post of him. He said he buys his own vaccines/meds and vaccinates his dogs himself. (I think his are hunting dogs/retrievers...) Not sure I'd want to be the one giving the vaccine to my own dog...

[juliepoudrier]

I have vaccinated my own in the past, and do deworm and give HW preventive without going through a vet. If you get the vaccines from a reputable source and know they've been kept cold, then they're certainly safe enough to administer yourself. (Disclaimer: Some animals do have anaphylactic or other reactions to vaccines. I think they are an extreme minority, but it is a possibility, so it's something to consider if you choose to vaccinate the dogs yourself. That is, if something bad happens as the result of a self-administered vaccine, can you get your dog to the vet in time?) The biggest issue is that it's hard to find single doses--usually you have to buy multiples, which can be a waste of $$ unless you have a lot of dogs to vaccinate. Some people I know will go in together on vaccine purchases so they can buy the larger quantities and still realize the savings over a visit to the vet.

 

Right now since my dogs are on a three-year vaccination schedule, I just take them to the vet. It's not cost-prohibitive and it does give them a chance for a wellness check. And of course even if I were vaccinating at home, I'd still have the vet give the rabies vaccine so it would be considered "legal."

 

J.

[powerfulgazelle]

I have vaccinated my own in the past, and do deworm and give HW preventive without going through a vet. If you get the vaccines from a reputable source and know they've been kept cold, then they're certainly safe enough to administer yourself. (Disclaimer: Some animals do have anaphylactic or other reactions to vaccines. I think they are an extreme minority, but it is a possibility, so it's something to consider if you choose to vaccinate the dogs yourself. That is, if something bad happens as the result of a self-administered vaccine, can you get your dog to the vet in time?) The biggest issue is that it's hard to find single doses--usually you have to buy multiples, which can be a waste of $$ unless you have a lot of dogs to vaccinate. Some people I know will go in together on vaccine purchases so they can buy the larger quantities and still realize the savings over a visit to the vet.

 

Right now since my dogs are on a three-year vaccination schedule, I just take them to the vet. It's not cost-prohibitive and it does give them a chance for a wellness check. And of course even if I were vaccinating at home, I'd still have the vet give the rabies vaccine so it would be considered "legal."

 

J.

 

Thanks! I have been thinking about giving HW prophylaxis and wormer, but think I might rather the vet be the "meany" who gives the shots! (I am a registered nurse, so don't mind throwing a needle, just would rather the recipient not be my pup, I think...) I had not thought about the single-dose aspect...

 

Where do you purchase the wormer/HW med? That was one thing that I thought was high cost at Banfield...$40 for a single dose of Drontal....

[Ceredwyn]

We used the same good old country doc for many years. And I love him as a person. But he is so near retirement that I found a newer clinic a couple of years ago that has their own x-ray stuff, etc. And now I kind of guiltily regret not making the switch earlier. I think my Girlfriend might not have ended up with such bad arthritis after a couple of injuries if they'd been more aggressively treated.

 

Their spay is about $150, but this is a pretty low-rent area in rural Missouri. They have three docs, and they all seem to dote on the dogs - of course, I have special dogs ! The whole staff is just wonderful with the animals, from the receptionist and clerical workers to the techs, to the docs. They're mostly young folks, and I'm hoping they stay!

 

The standard visits are around $40-60, and x-rays are $45. This is probably lower than most areas of the country, but they're the most expensive in my area. And well worth it.

 

We do the routine worming, shots (except for rabies, because we need the paper trail), etc., ourselves. We buy the HW meds and vaccines at a local vet supply house.

[Liz P]

Well, if I had testicles and was going to have then pulled out I sure would appreciate some pain meds. Dogs are good at hiding pain. Refuse the drugs if you think your dog really doesn't need them, but don't knock the vet who is trying to make him more comfortable.

[Ceredwyn]

Well, if I had testicles and was going to have then pulled out I sure would appreciate some pain meds. Dogs are good at hiding pain. Refuse the drugs if you think your dog really doesn't need them, but don't knock the vet who is trying to make him more comfortable.

 

Amen. When Little'un was neutered, our doc insisted on pain meds. Whether it helped him or not, I'm not sure, but I know it made me and DH feel better.

[sheepandakom]

Emily,

 

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

 

 

Hey, sorry I didn't respond sooner. I went away for the weekend and wasn't around the computer much. What happened was that Banfield was using microchips on a different frequency than the other companies. Most shelters and rescue groups only had readers for the standard chips, so they didn't even know that dogs from Banfield were chipped. I found out about it when I got an email offering a universal microchip scanner that could read all frequencies. Apparently, Banfield, etc... was required to supply shelters and rescue groups with a microchip reader that could read their chips. We scan dogs when they come in now. It's a handy thing to have. Anyway, here is a link to an article Banfield Microchip

 

Emily

[powerfulgazelle]

Well, if I had testicles and was going to have then pulled out I sure would appreciate some pain meds. Dogs are good at hiding pain. Refuse the drugs if you think your dog really doesn't need them, but don't knock the vet who is trying to make him more comfortable.

 

Amen. When Little'un was neutered, our doc insisted on pain meds. Whether it helped him or not, I'm not sure, but I know it made me and DH feel better.

 

 

Of course! I am not knocking pain meds! To the contrary...I assume that dogs are wired pretty much like we are in the nervous system department, so I assume they have pain with incisions, just as we do! I would prefer that Sollers have a little something to help him be comfy...my issue was with the markup on the goods and a bit of bewilderment at the vast range in costs for the same services! (I found the Banfield price of $20 for a single dose of ketoprofen to be administered after routine vaccinations a bit much...and I am sure I would not take my own NSAID if it was $20 a pill!)

 

My question in the orig post was more to the tune of "what have the experiences of others here been in terms of cost of vet care...and do you think you get your money's worth...and what ways have you found to save on the cost of care without sacrificing the important things?"

 

In my work, I help humans sort thru the same things: quality of one hospital vs. another, practice patterns of one physician compared to another, etc. I guess when I stepped back and examined "how I have always done things" in terms of vet care, I wasn't sure if I was clinging to something that made me feel "emotionally better" (seeing the same vet we've seen for years) that MIGHT not be the most cost effective way to get the same care, so I thought I'd ask...since it has been almost 20 years since we looked for a (new) vet. For ex., I'd buy my human Rx's at WalMart for $4 instead of Walgreens for $20 in a heartbeat. I would not, however, trade my family physician for a doc-in-a-box/urgent care.... Same thing.

 

Just wondering what the experiences of others has been in terms of vet care.

[powerfulgazelle]

Hey, sorry I didn't respond sooner. I went away for the weekend and wasn't around the computer much. What happened was that Banfield was using microchips on a different frequency than the other companies. Most shelters and rescue groups only had readers for the standard chips, so they didn't even know that dogs from Banfield were chipped. I found out about it when I got an email offering a universal microchip scanner that could read all frequencies. Apparently, Banfield, etc... was required to supply shelters and rescue groups with a microchip reader that could read their chips. We scan dogs when they come in now. It's a handy thing to have. Anyway, here is a link to an article Banfield Microchip

 

Emily

 

 

Hey, thanks for that article! NOW it makes sense...I could not figure out WHY Banfield chipped Sollers with 2 chips...it did not seem to be a good "business decision" to automatically chip every dog with 2 different kinds....of course there was more to the story! Anyhow, FYI, now they chip dogs with 2 chips---one on each frequency---for $29.

[juliepoudrier]

PG,

In my experience, if you have a good relationship with your vet, you can discuss all your options re: costs. For example, when Lark was hit by a car and rushed to a local vet, not *my* regular vet, but my neighbors', when he was ready to release her, we had a long discussion about what antiinflammatory to send her home with. Of course this was an emergency case and so costs had already run quite high, but the vet was quite willing to consider pharmacological options that would be less costly to me. And the poor guy didn't really even know me. The conversation I had with him is the same I would *expect* to have with my normal vet. Most vets are quite aware that the high cost of medicine affects their clients and are not insulted when the subject is brought up. Four or five years ago when Jill needed Adequan injections (that stuff isn't cheap), my then-vet (doG I miss them!) was perfectly willing to write me a prescription so I could order it online if I could find in cheaper. In that case, it turned out that my vet's price was comparable to anything I could find online, but the point is that most vets are quite willing to work with you on costs, etc., especially if you are a regular client, and you should never hesitiate to ask. If your (the general you) relationship with your vet is such that you would feel awkward asking, then that says to me that the relationship needs fixing (i.e., find a new vet).

 

As a matter of course, I always discuss all treatment/care options with my vet, including their costs, efficacy, side effects for the animal in question, etc. I want to be an informed advocate for my animals. I would never compromise on cost if it had the possibility of affecting outcome, but those are the kinds of things you don't know if you don't ask.

 

In the cases where I've found my regular vet to be cost prohibitive for certain things, I have used other vets (i.e., low-cost S/N clinic for a rescued male kitten, local vet for routine care because it was less costly, but a second vet for the important stuff, like when Twist was having a difficult pregnancy and so on). I have taken the conservative (non-surgical route) to several injuries because it was less costly and the outcome was about as assured no matter which way I went (with the conservative approach requiring more *work* on *my* part but certainly saving me the cost of surgery, although there was cost associated with the long drives I had to make to get physical therapy for the patient). I have also said to my vet, do whatever it takes and I'll worry about cost later. So I guess you would say that my experience is somewhat varied and situational, but I do take cost into acount beause I'm not rich as Cresus....

 

J.