[jboboxer]

I have had my puppy for about two weeks now and took it to a local vet, which gave it her second shots and checked out the puppy, next thing I know the total was 85 dollars. About 10 days later or so, it went in for it's last shots and the cost was over 100 dollars.

I just feel 185 dollars is really expensive for two shots and some examination.

I guess it now needs it's shots once a year? And hearworm every month, but I really don't want another 100 dollar bill, so I'm trying to see if there's less expensive alternatives?

A few people were telling me they take their dogs to petsmart and they do the examination and everything for free and charge like 30 dollars just for the shots.

I live really close to pet super market and thinking maybe I should take my pet there instead of the vet, because I really can't keep afford these 100 dollar visits.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

[pugmom]

Welcome to the wonderful world of dog ownership

The thing about petsmart is you have to sign up for their medical plan and pay a $fee per mo and a start up fee...then you get free office visits and free sputer...etc...or what ever plan you choose

 

[Kina_A]

Wow, your vet is actually cheeper than my vet. My last series of shots and vet visit cost me $125.

 

[sixptbuck]

Wow i just got 6 vaccinated 2 days ago for $125 boy i love my vet.What state are you in for high prices like that.

 

[jboboxer]

Welcome to the wonderful world of dog ownership

The thing about petsmart is you have to sign up for their medical plan and pay a $fee per mo and a start up fee...then you get free office visits and free sputer...etc...or what ever plan you choose

That's strange my mother told me she never had to pay anything except 30 dollars when she went, she can't remember the exact price, but she said she didn't pay anything monthly as I just got off the phone with her. She was even telling me that walgreens is now doing it in her area, but it has to be outside. She said it's not a Vet, but a vet technician, so if it's shots or the regular heartworms medication and what have you, she goes there. If it's something serious then she takes her dog to the vet

Wow i just got 6 vaccinated 2 days ago for $125 boy i love my vet.What state are you in for high prices like that.

I live in Florida. The charge for the shot is around 30 bucks if you look at the receipt, but it's like fecal check 30 dollars, puppy checkup 30 dollars...etc when it's all said and done it's 100 dollars.

 

[BoxMeIn21]

Shop around for sure, but don't expect that your dog is not going to cost you money. I would recommend starting a savings account because in a blink of an eye your dog can cause you thousands...

That's strange my mother told me she never had to pay anything except 30 dollars when she went, she can't remember the exact price, but she said she didn't pay anything monthly as I just got off the phone with her. She was even telling me that walgreens is now doing it in her area, but it has to be outside. She said it's not a Vet, but a vet technician, so if it's shots or the regular heartworms medication and what have you, she goes there. If it's something serious then she takes her dog to the vet



I live in Florida. The charge for the shot is around 30 bucks if you look at the receipt, but it's like fecal check 30 dollars, puppy checkup 30 dollars...etc when it's all said and done it's 100 dollars.

What part of Florida are you in?

 

[jboboxer]

Shop around for sure, but don't expect that your dog is not going to cost you money. I would recommend starting a savings account because in a blink of an eye your dog can cause you thousands...



What part of Florida are you in?

Central Florida

Why is it that if I drive through poorer areas, every person has a dog. Do they just not care and not give them any shots or do anything for them?

 

[Darkmoon]

Why is it that if I drive through poorer areas, every person has a dog. Do they just not care and not give them any shots or do anything for them?

Pretty much. There was a girl on here for a while who went into the poor neighborhoods to give food, shots, and meds to dogs in the Dallas TX area. a lot of poor people lock their dogs in their back yard and say "whatever"...

Then again I'm very much poor and give my dog everything I can...

Lets see in the past 6 months I have spent on vet bills & flea & heartworm stuff:
Heart worm stuff for 4 months - $31
Shots - $91
Flea meds for 6 months - $91
=$213 (AHHHHHH Why did I add that up *pouts*)

The first check up I had with Nubs was $178.
It included 1 shot, a FREE Office visit (a $35 value), Fecal check, Kennel Cough pills, and Flea/heartworm meds $106....

*sighs* I just have to remember they are STILL cheaper then children

 

[jboboxer]

I was just reading about a pet store that a lady blogged about that gave her the shots and heartworm for 50 dollars for the year.
http://pulseofcentralflorida.com/2008/10/23/low-cost-pet-vaccinations/

Seems pretty low, doesn't it?

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

I've heard of people purchasing the stuff and doing the shots themselves. Probably a cheaper option if you know where to get it and trust yourself to do it right. For us, though, it's the vet. And the prices mentioned so far seem about right.

 

[sheltiemom]

You may want to look around online or with your local humane society for low cost clinics....in my area the humane society has low cost vax clinics monthly at one of the petsmart locations, that may be what your mom is talking about. It's different than the Banfield Clinic inside petsmart though. I haven't tried it out yet, but I did take mine to a rabies clinic this year that's put on by the 4H, it's just rabies, but I got 3 dogs done for like $15, and the kicker is, it's my regular vet that does the shots, she volunteers for the clinic every year.

 

[PappyMom]

We only go to the vet for exams or emergencies.
Petco has a low-cost vaccination clinic (you can find it at www.luvmypet.com ) that goes around to petco's around the us and you can purchase heartgaurd and frontline through them cheaper too. There's no exam fee or anything..One of the clinic's main offices is located in the next town over from me too..but that's what we do..clinic for vaccines, and vet for exams or emergencies.

 

[poodleholic]

The cost of that 2nd visit does seem a bit high, when you consider the first visit was only $85 for shots AND exam. But no, you don't need shots annually (you will need the Rabies vaccination, though, and a vet MUST give that vaccination). Google Dr. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol. You can also check out your local SPCA and Humane Society, both often providing low cost vaccinations and spay/neuters.

You will need heartworm every month because you live in FL (so do I). I check online (Drs. Foster & Smith and KvVet Supply) to see who has the best deal going (KvVet doesn't charge shipping), print it out, and my vet honors that price. I don't pay for an office visit for my dogs' annual heartworm test, just the test itself, by having the vet tech do it. Puppies have to be weighed each month, because the dose depends on weight, so you'll be buying one at a time for awhile.

Avoid the vet clinic (Banfield's) at Petsmart. It's NOT going to be just $30 - they're expensive.

I take my dogs in to see my vet for their annual well check and bloodwork, which is sent to HEMOPET (Dr. Jean Dodds) rather than a local lab, so I know I can trust the results! It's important to establish a good relationship with your vet, but that doesn't require becoming bankrupt! lol

 

[LilMissSunshine]

Try to find some low cost vaccination clinics, many places have them.

You still will probably have to keep up with having a vet, many dog bloodwork and such every 2-3 years, etc.. but atleast the vaccines will be taken care of

many times, around here, they have vaccination "packages" about 5-6 things for $60..i prefer to skip many of the vaccination and just take the rabies and bordetalla.

Heartguard and flea treatment.. its expensive as heck. but its just one of those things, you could try some natural treatment for fleas/ticks though

 

[lovemygreys]

Look around for lower cost vaccination clinics. Around here we have a mobile vet that does vaccinations for about $15.

Dogs aren't cheap. The *can* be less expensive if you don't skimp on things like regular vaccinations (we do a three year vaccination protocol), wellness exams and heartworm prevention...feed a good quality food.

The biggest expenses tend to be when you first get a dog and when the dog starts to get old. Our young dogs are fairly healthy and we can handle minor injuries at home. I'd take your vet bills any day...we've dropped almost a grand at the vet in the last week!

 

[jboboxer]

A few people mentioned humane society, but the one in my area says that it can only give shots and exams for pets that are fixed, which my puppy hasn't been spayed yet.

The other question is there seems to be a lot of places online to buy the medications. I mean people have posted or I've seen these places

http://www.kvvet.com/
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
www.1800petmeds.com/

But it seems you have to have a prescription to get the heartworms, which it seems like the vet bill is what's really expensive.

I've heard bad things about Banfield clinc at petsmart, but some people seem to have decent things to say about it.

I'm thinking about taking my puppy to pet supermarket, which I guess has this company come in once a month. Any info or feedback on the service?
http://www.animalhealth.cc/services.aspx

 

[Pepper]

Man, I found a vet in town that does all your shots and worming for like 12 bucks, and she's a great vet too! She's like 15 miles out of town, but it's worth the drive. She believes in a raw diet, acupuncture, massage, it's really nice.

Call around to get lower prices, you won't find 12 dollars, but 185 seems really high. Even here in the AK, our vet visits are 100 and under for shots, and an exam.

 

[jboboxer]

185 dollars was two visits, but the charge was for everything. Waste disposal, fecal test, examination, then shots. Each one was like 30 dollars, except the waste disposal was 5 dollars.

 

[CorgiKarma]

The prices seem reasonable, actually, especially for two visits. Shop around for lower prices. I get heartworm medication from petmeds.com. The vet gives me the prescription and I send it in. Vet bills are just a part of owning dogs.

Banfield is not a place I'd ever take my Bailey.

 

[KarliMom]

Im glad I live in SC . Karli was a rescue from our local humane society and they will treat her for life . Her shots cost me 12 dollars this year heart worm is 4 dollars a pill or 20 bucks for 6 months .
If she gets sick I can take her in to their vet and she is awsome with Karli . Any test Karli needs I can get from them at a much cheaper price . So check with your local shleter and see what they have to offer .
.