Insane Veterinarian bills

Definitely a costly thing for sure, my current dog had a twisted stomach back a couple years, $2K for the bill. It was also an emergency surgery thing, she started acting really weird, wouldn't lay down and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. I'm an IT professional, not a vet, so when she started whimpering I knew she was in pain and took her up to the only emergency vet in the area about 30 minutes away as it was around 8-9pm at night.

Fortunately I got her to the vet right away and didn't wait as the vet told me that the longer you wait on a twisted stomach, the more likely there will be blood flow cut off and necrosis. She said she had a very good chance but also gave me the option of putting her down as not everyone can afford surgery like that. Well, I could so I told her to do it. Didn't sleep much that night but I went up there right away in the morning to pick her up, she was up and about with the vets dog and she did very well without any issues. Brought her back home and gave her the medication and kept her quiet so she could recover.

She is still doing great, apparently the type of dogs with the small rear area under the stomach like she has a far more likely to have a twisted stomach than dogs with a larger area there. Was probably a good thing that it happened when it did as the next week I was going to Vegas for vacation. My brother was going to watch her but there is no way to know if he would have taken her to the vet right away or not. Still, not exactly the cheapest thing in the world to have to pay for. I can't imagine what it might have cost in larger areas like some others have described in this thread or what the inflation costs might have made it if it happened today.
 
Dog food? Just remember the big china fiasco years ago. Most pet food is similar to people food, unhealthy.
Plus the other things that are forced on the critters as well. Most everything to do with the pet care industry is crooked.
Enough said.
 
Took my Schnauzer to vet for full tune up, rabies shot, blood work, etc…. and it was $600

Well worth it for my precious baby. 🐶
 
4WD said:
Should is debatable but most dogs are there for the meat - not spinach salad 🥗 …
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All canines are omnivores, leaning heavily on meat. Cuddles loves eating merino wool socks. Cats are carnivores but may eat a small quantity of plant matter.
 
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I used to say a 22 bullet was $0.05, but then my dog started to have congestive heart failure. Now I pay $100 per month for pills until she dies.

It’s easy to shoot someone else’s pet, I guess.
 
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vavavroom said:
People food - food that people eat or food that people should eat?
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So much this. I joke if I ate what i feed my dogs I'd be healthier. Cooked chicken or turkey, carrots or green beans, rice, pumpkin, applesauce and sweet potato. The thing is there's minimal processing or additives like a lot of processed "people food" (but it is true I buy the least expensive "GMO" etc chicken)

Our vet is hardcore about checking kidney levels because, yeah, we've got dogs to the point where they can't handle a lot of protein. As you note, cats can, which is why cat food ain't good for dogs.

Wolves of course still can handle high protein, and oftentimes in an effort to make use of donated food we'll mix cat food in with inexpensive dog food for the full wolves at my non-profit. It'd be nice to feed them all better than kibble -- or at least high end kibble -- but with 50-70 canines that's not realistic.
 
Dave Hess said:
Took my Schnauzer to vet for full tune up, rabies shot, blood work, etc…. and it was $600

Well worth it for my precious baby. 🐶
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Might check this out. About how safe that is for your dog. Chocolate maybe more safe and that is a huge no no.
www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com

65 Problems With The Rabies Vaccine

There are plenty of ways the Rabies Vaccine can harm your dog. In this article, one of DNM's top vets will discuss 65 problems with this vaccine, but first, she dives right into outdated rabies laws and what that means for your dog...
www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com
 
svtrit said:
I used to say a 22 bullet was $0.05, but then my dog started to have congestive heart failure. Now I pay $100 per month for pills until she dies.

It’s easy to shoot someone else’s pet, I guess.
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I do the Old Yeller business myself here. None of our pets enjoy a trip in the car to the vet and the dogs especially don't handle it well at all, as they are outdoors and unrestrained for 99.9% of their lives. I had lots of experience with our hobby farm animals, so I know what I'm doing to kill them without it being grisly, but its one of the hardest things for me to do. Our pets don't have a clue what's coming, as they are eating something they are very fond of at the time, and never see the gun, and then nothing.
In our minds, its far easier on the animals, and harder on us, to take care of it at home, so we think its the right thing to do.
 
gfh77665 said:
Everybody moans about inflation but Vet costs are just crazy. Took our 15 year old dog to the vet for annual check up and vaxxs. Found a small growth between the toes on hind foot. Vet tells us "its probably nothing but defintely needs to be removed". Agreed to do this. Vet works on computer terminal for over 5 min. and presents us a bill for $1575. What?

Vet tells us to do the removal it requires whole body ultrasound, whole body X-rays, extensive blood work, lab fees, sedation, canine EKG, and on and on and on. Whole body? It was itemized 3/4 of a page. Even charged $35 for a small tube of ointment. It turns out its just neosporin. Here is the kicker, this very week I had a malignant skin cancer removed in dermatologists office. I gestured to the bandage on my arm and told the vet about it. I told her it cost me less than this "really nothing" removal on my dogs foot. She smiled and told me "yes, but we know you want the best care for your pet".

I do give my pets great care, always have, but this is a racket. Its pricing people out of pet ownership, or pricing people out of pet care. I am not interested in pet health insurance.
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A license to steal. In our area, local vet's practice is being purchased by out of state company. Prices have soared. We have one cat, and after she is gone, no more anything for us. License to steal.
 
I had some surgery for one of our Miniature Schnauzers. Dr told me estimate of $1000 but he would give me an itemized estimate.
Low price for surgery (removing 2 bladder stones) was $770 and high price was $1300. He said it all depended on how quickly he could complete the service. His hourly surgery rate was $450. We got out for $850. We were happy.
 
Greedflation. Healthcare for animals should not cost as much as healthcare for humans. I love my pets, but I'm not going to go into debt to keep them alive. There are plenty of pets at the shelter to replace the one I have when the time comes.

I hate these greedy conglomerates/ corporations, they ruin everything. I'm sure they are pushing hard for pet care insurance too.
 
Wheel said:
Lots of reasons vet bills have gone up. It's harder to find and keep good staff, school is more $, WAY more demand for visits as pet ownership went thru the roof since the pandemic and also preventative care has made pets live longer. (the vets my family uses are there way more hours than they were 5 years ago) Owners lifestyles also play in, as more dogs are having human caused issues (like obesity, diabetes, etc.) Of course the chain vet/greed issue can come into play, but so do owners who ask for treatment for ailments that would have historically been a cause for euthanasia.
There are no simple answers.
As a pet owners, we are responsible. Sometimes doing the right thing causes a pain in your wallet. Sometime the right thing causes a pain in your heart.
It's part of the agreement when you bring them home.
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That, and greed.
 
gfh77665 said:
Everybody moans about inflation but Vet costs are just crazy. Took our 15 year old dog to the vet for annual check up and vaxxs. Found a small growth between the toes on hind foot. Vet tells us "its probably nothing but defintely needs to be removed". Agreed to do this. Vet works on computer terminal for over 5 min. and presents us a bill for $1575. What?

Vet tells us to do the removal it requires whole body ultrasound, whole body X-rays, extensive blood work, lab fees, sedation, canine EKG, and on and on and on. Whole body? It was itemized 3/4 of a page. Even charged $35 for a small tube of ointment. It turns out its just neosporin. Here is the kicker, this very week I had a malignant skin cancer removed in dermatologists office. I gestured to the bandage on my arm and told the vet about it. I told her it cost me less than this "really nothing" removal on my dogs foot. She smiled and told me "yes, but we know you want the best care for your pet".

I do give my pets great care, always have, but this is a racket. Its pricing people out of pet ownership, or pricing people out of pet care. I am not interested in pet health insurance.
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UPDATE:

I went back to a vet we used years ago in a rural area. I told him the story and he scoffed at the whole $1500 thing, and told me he could do it for a fraction of that, less than half that for sure. I brought Charlie in yesterday and had the lump removed, plus another one the vet found (I was unaware of), plus a cyst we knew about on top of his head. Total for all three? A whopping $365! Thats crazy good!

No overnight stay, no whole body scans, no blood chemistry, no special pet "senior care", no pathology, etc. Simple, quick, good. Vet told me none of the lumps were of any real concern because they all come out clean. THATS the way to do buisness. Wife and I agree its well worth making the hour drive to stay with this vet in the future. I am a happy customer.
 
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