My 9 years old Shih Tzu was tested for Cushings a year or so ago but it was never confirmed that she had it since her condition improved. So I took her back yesterday for regular exam and she was due for some vaccinations and recently she started to lose hair again and the vet suspected it could be due to Cushings and decided to run all the tests again. I was ok with that but was surprised to see the bill of $1600.00.
I'm attaching a scan of the bill just to see if these are normal charges or the vet is way too expensive..Keep in mind the bill include other stuff like medication and stuff besides the tests.
I appreciate any replies.
That's a lot! I can't comment on most of it, but I know my vet charges $12 for a full fecal. I checked my past bills as I had her tested a few times when she was a puppy, and it's the same thing listed as on your bill. So that charge seems high.
I also know you can get pill pockets at Petsmart for like 5 or 6 bucks, so $15 seems excessive. Unless they are special, I don't know if it's the same as in the store or not.
I don't no where you live, but in Toronto I find we usually have the more "price range" on vet bill than in the states...I'm used to seeing everything under what I usually pay, but all of that bill is over what my vet charges :O
Out of all of it ultrasound guided cysto? Why would the vet do a Ultrasound guided cysto? I've never heard of that. My vets do that by feel and I've seen 4-5 do it that way :O
I do love my dog but trust me I'm not happy at all paying this much money I don't think I've ever spent this much money on myself. I'll continue to take care of my dog but I think it's time to find a new vet.
I know the fecal should cost around $20.00, I can get a spay, all included for what you paid for your Blood tests, the only tima an adrenal should cost that much is if it's sent out to MSU, and NOT an in office snap, the ear swap shoud be about 1/3 that price and ALL of my dogs vacs together cost 40.00. My routine office is 25.00, but I have a cheap vet that's in the top 5% nationwide.
That sure does seem like a lotta cha-ching they're billing u for there. this coming from someone who forks out $200 for an initial consult with a holistic vet
ETA: I'd also have a HUGE issue with administering all those vaccines at one visit especially when the dog is having some issues already. Definetly time for a new vet!
Holey Moley! I thought my vet was expensive but yours is WAY more than mine. Like others, I think I would check around for another vet. Take this bill with you and see what they would have charged for the same thing. $61 for a fecal IS a tad much...a lotta tads to much! And mine probably would not have given all the annuals if there was the potential for another problem.
I'm sorry you got took like this. Hope your pup is ok...
Yeah, just echoing the other comments, but they are really over charging. We just visited an e-vet when my mutt got an infection under her skin after a spay and despite it being 4 am, an e-vet, and they had to sedate her, drain the wound, and restitch, PLUS a heavy duty antibiotic, we were only charged a little over 200 dollars.
Not to mention she had a lot of the same tests your dog did for an extreme surgery when she was a puppy and that bill (including the surgery, vaccinations, worming, the works) was only about 600 dollars.
Edit: I showed this to my boyfriend, and he was equally outraged, and brought up the fact the aforementioned mutt was in the hospital for four days this summer, for extensive testing (every thing, including things we knew she didn't have, just in case, including heart worm, parvo, etc) and on IV medication, and they sent us home with a lot of shots, medication, and ID food, and that only cost us 800.
I do love my dog but trust me I'm not happy at all paying this much money I don't think I've ever spent this much money on myself. I'll continue to take care of my dog but I think it's time to find a new vet.
I would second that! At my clinic we don't charge near as much as any of the prices you have listed on that bill! Even vaccines are way more than we charge. And I do second Dieselsmama on the vaccines. We don't administer vax to a dog who may have other problems which are far more important than vaccinating. Just the bloodwork itself is outrageous. The test for cushings isn't the cheapest, but we have a regular client who comes in for most of the stuff on your bill plus a day of boarding and it's somewhere around 200-300 bucks!
That sounds about right for the type of specialty vet you took her to. Places like LIVS in Plainview, VMC in Islip, and the he Center for Specialized Veterinary in Westbury Care are going to charge more than a regular vet's office would because they are a more specialized place to bring animals for state of the art care. My cat was at the VMC for a few days and after bloodtests, IV fluids, and things, I had a $1600 bill. It's to be expected at a specialty center. (I live on Long Island too)
That sounds about right for the type of specialty vet you took her to. Places like LIVS in Plainview, VMC in Islip, and the he Center for Specialized Veterinary in Westbury Care are going to charge more than a regular vet's office would because they are a more specialized place to bring animals for state of the art care. My cat was at the VMC for a few days and after bloodtests, IV fluids, and things, I had a $1600 bill. It's to be expected at a specialty center. (I live on Long Island too)
I went to the vet on 3/10, got DHLPP, Bordatella (Kennel cough) and Rabies shot and paid $61.00. They didn't even charge me an office visit (Normally $37, which I was shocked at) and they are the most expensive place in town (but also the best medical care in the area too)
Fecals at my vet are $14 if you bring in a sample and $19 if they need to take a sample.
I wonder if it's an area thing. Some of those seem higher than normal, but not much higher like other people are saying.
The fecal isn't just a look under the scope fecal, it included the snap test for giardia and where I work the two together would be in the $40-50 range.
The cysto with u/s is not weird to me, we always do it that way. You don't have to wonder where the bladder is (and when it's a small bladder it makes life much easier).
Anyway, before you go off looking for a new vet I'd call around in your area and see what others charge. A lot of the price of vet care depends on the part of the country you are in and the cost of operating a business in that area. Asking on a messageboard where people live all over is not going to give you a good idea on what is normal for where you are.
Vet offices are used to people calling to get prices (we see it all the time) so should people able to help if you call about their charges. Check some out and see if there is a less expensive vet that you like and then changing is probably worth it, but don't change just because someone living in a totally different area pays less. You might find around you that those charges are normal.
Ouch...there's a King of the Hill episode about an out of control vet bill - you might find it funny - it was called "The Petriot Act" Maybe you can find it if you google it?
My vet charges $50 for the office visit, but only if I'm not getting other stuff taken care of (like vacs/annual/etc) so I think I've only ever actually paid it once, when I was consulting him on a behavioral issue and didn't actually have anything else done except have some medicine prescribed.
My full annual usually costs about $120 and that is for 3 yr protocols on the vaccines and also includes the fecal, Heartworm test, etc. When Percy had his tooth removed (surgery with anesthesia and bloodwork and all the pain drugs) he also had his vacs and even that only cost about $300.
"If any of our patients needs 24 hour extended or intensive care, or a specialized procedure such as laparoscopic and orthopedic surgeries, digital radiography, endoscopy, colonoscopy and emergency care (just a few of the advanced, cutting-edge services available), we are able to provide these services without delay. In addition to our in-house specialties, we provide immediate consultations with veterinary specialists should a patient require additional care."
They also have rehabilitation, holistic medicine, ultrasounds, endoscopies - things that a regular veterinarian wouldn't have. If you go to one of the many renovated-house vets on Long Island, the prices are more reasonable. A big center will always charge a lot more for their services, since you're getting more specialized care
I have to agree with Xie. Prices vary in different areas of the country, but also between urban and rural areas. I recently moved from a huge city (4 mil+) to more rural town only 20 miles away. The vet rates are about half what I paid in the city.
I'd call around and see what other vets in your area charge.
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