How much does a typical vet visit cost you?

girlggc · 01-11-2009, 08:29 AM

Hi. I'm pretty new to this dog ownership thing. Anyway, today I made an appointment for Xander to get his annual physical, and they said it would cost me $210 not including any blood tests that may be ordered. I was wondering if this cost is typical. Not that it matters, Xander is going to the vet either way since his health depends on it.

dansamy · 01-11-2009, 09:14 AM

Mine usually runs about $150 for a well canine visit. It includes boosters, heartworm check and exam. It doesn't include the box of heartworm pills.

ambercober · 01-11-2009, 09:26 AM

It depends on location too, in Ontario I paid more for vet services then I do now in New Brunswick. I think we paid apprx 150 as well, this was for all shots but now it's more staggard in frequency so we do some shots one year and different ones the next.

RonE · 01-11-2009, 10:49 AM

It will vary greatly by geographic area. Vets in a given area may also vary.

I had people tell me I could save a lot of money by switching vets a few years ago, but he took terrific care of my dogs and I had no reason to switch. There are probably some that are over-priced for no justifiable reason, though.

Some things will also depend on the size of the dog - specifically Heartguard and Frontline and possibly some vaccinations.

harrise · 01-11-2009, 10:54 AM

Heh, my bill is usually $700-$1000. Speaking of vet visits, next month is coming way too fast.

lovemygreys · 01-11-2009, 10:56 AM

I rarely get out of the vets for under $100. The visit is $44 and any tests or xrays they do is going to be additional. $200 to take Harmony in last week and that was for an xray, blood panel and exam. She was referred from our vet a specialist and we are at $3000 and counting and they aren't sure what's wrong with her yet. Sometimes you just never know how much a visit will be.

I'd want to know how that $210 breaks down. It seems awful high for JUST an exam and routine vaccinations. For that price, I would expect a full blood panel to be done (at least!).

Vaccinations cost about $15/dog done by the mobile vet.

cshellenberger · 01-11-2009, 12:50 PM

Hmm, my last visit, which was for a recurrance of Demodex cost me $110.00 ( exam, skin scrape, and meds).

Then again he does spay, all inclusive for any size dog, for 139.00

Cherry eye repair (tack) 125.00 per eye, repairs are free.

Soft Palate repairs, 150.00

He's in the top 5% of vets in the nation, yet runs 1/4-1/3 the price of less skilled vets in the area.

ara28 · 01-11-2009, 02:39 PM

It costs me about $220 to take my dog in for his annual as well as get his heartworm and flea preventative for 6 months. The semi annual visit is usually about $150 with 6 months of flea and heartworm preventative.

heidiann · 01-11-2009, 03:35 PM

Our vet charges around 160 for the adult dog wellness package which includes shots, blood tests, exam, fecal exam and heartworm test.

Topaz, our epi dog has to go in for 2 different blood tests every 6 months (to check his PB and KBr levels) and one of those costs 150.00 alone and we just spent 116.00 on the other one including 3 months I think it was of his medication.

Our vet is pretty reasonably priced, imo...not the cheapest or the most expensive.

larisa · 01-12-2009, 03:23 AM

Rates here, in Macedonia is very lower, comparing to your rates, that you pay there. But our sallarys are also very lower then yours, so it is probably proportionally the same rate.
Just for information, a dog vaccine here is about 10-13$, putting her leg in cast costs me about 20$, and the plate bone surgery costs me about 130$ (but bear in mind that average salary in Macedonia is 370$).

sheltiemom · 01-12-2009, 09:52 AM

It generally costs me about $250 per dog for the routine annual visit, but that's with six months of heartworm prev and frontline. Not sure the breakdown without, but it would be much less. Scarlett's visit a couple weeks ago was only $70ish, but it was for her second round of shots, so they didn't repeat the fecal or do a HW test....her first visit was $260, but again that's with extras, treatment for an ear infection and kennel cough and one dose of HW and flea stuff...but generally yeah, I'd say $210 sounds high if it doesn't include HW and flea prev.

sw_df27 · 01-12-2009, 01:21 PM

I never get out of the vets office with out spending atleast 150.00 not including HW pills...........

jbray01 · 01-12-2009, 01:53 PM

Lets see...

our last vet visit was

$42 for office visit

$15 for ear meds

$10 for eye meds

(it was a rough week for our poor Rosie Cotton.)

and we got out pretty cheap. not looking forward to getting her shots in a few months...

railNtrailcowgrl · 01-12-2009, 03:27 PM

Today's visit, check up to see how we're doing on month 2 of chlomicalm for her SA, and investigation of a mysterious bump...

$40 Exam

$18 Smear with stain (seeing if the said bump was cancerous)

$20 for .25cc Prednisolone Acetate injection

$15.82 7.5mL topical Tresaderm

$41.40 Chlomicalm

GRAND TOTAL-$132.22

Diagnosis-Down to 1/2 pill per day for the SA and the bump is a histiocytoma, anti-inflamitory and topical antibiotic watch and wait

Moral of the story a free dog is NEVER free

But I love her so that's all that matters.