Annual Vet Bill - $390, 1 year old dog, reasonable?

[MikeTF]

I just got back from the Vet with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She got her 3 year rabies vaccine, a lime disease vaccine, tick medicine, blood work, a stool sample analysis, and just about everything but having her nails trimmed (which she needs btw).

Is the Vet over charging me? I was expecting $200 at most. Am I getting screwed?

 

[aquaman]

I think thats about right

 

[Biggie313]

Might be a little high or about right. I just paid $180 for rabies booster, and lyme disease shot. had to pay doc to check up on her, and tech to give shot. Tick mets can run about $50, stool analysis is about $50, blood work might be 50. I would say you can get it done around 300ish. I spent close to a grand on my dog her first year. had an ear infection, yeast infection on belly, worms when we first got her. and all her regular shots on top of that. Not cheap

 

[smokedog]

Seem's high to me but I assume the tick medicine was frontline and that stuff's not cheap.

 

[Fester60]

I don't know about dogs but my vet bills for my cats have been creeping up year after year. I have friends that go to vets that charge much less but I know my animals will be taken care of well at the vet I go to. If you are very satisfied with the care your animal receives think about it like a human paying more to see a doctor because they are good at what they do. Would you want just anybody taking care of you or cutting you open. Your animals would probably feel the same way.

 

[randyho]

Sounds about right, unfortunately. Taking proper care of your pets is not a cheap endeavor. But, they're worth it.

 

[zoostation]

sounds quite high to me, at least compared to the vet we use.

 

[Half-cocked]

My vet bills have skyrocketed over the past couple of years. That sounds about par for the course.

Some friends of ours' dog got into a huge box of chocolates, a few months ago - they came home to find him sick and in convulsions. Emergency vet bill (including 2 nights stay for observation) set them back over $1,000.

 

[Bart_man]

How big is your Ches Retriever?
Meds cost more based on dog size.
Meds for my Dane can be even more than that. Im guessing he is in the Mid-size dog category and that price sounds High but within the range. I'm sure you could find a cheaper vet if you are not convinced that the care is the best.

 

[CronusTRD]

Sounds right. I wish my vet bills were that low. Treating my 3 year old dog for Lymphoma, and it looks like the final tally will be around $5300 all said and done.

 

[MikeTF]

Sounds right. I wish my vet bills were that low. Treating my 3 year old dog for Lymphoma, and it looks like the final tally will be around $5300 all said and done.

I'm really sorry to hear about your dog. I guess I should be thankful.

 

[John2510]

FWIW... I've been taking my dogs to Leslie Taylor at Canal Clinic on River Rd in Potomac for 20 years. She's great.

 

[Dave MP]

Are you happy with the service that you receive? Are you comfortable with your Vet and the care that they provide? Do you trust your Vet to honestly diagnose and treat your dog (The same as you would a doctor to do the same for your child?).

These are the questions that come first and foremost to my mind with my pets.
I think the price is a little high and you could find someone else that would be cheaper.
Would you be willing to travel? If you are, I have found good service at:
1. Countryside Vet Clinic in Ellicott City (410-461-2400)
2. Eastern Animal Hospital in Baltimore (410-633-8808)

 

[Mdtom]

You can save money by going to this site in Australia; it’s the same meds you buy here from a Vet, but a lot cheaper. I used then for years. http://www.petsuppliesnet.com/shop.htm

 

[alucard0822]

Just went through that a couple weeks ago with Cosmo(Pembroke Welsh Corgi). Rabies, distemper, lyme, annual physical, 6 months of heartworm and flea meds, stool sample tests and blood work for his meds, came to $200, he was relentless in pimping off their teeth cleaning service for $150 even though he admitted cosmo's teeth were very good, and didn't really need it earlier in the visit. That vet is expensive for around here, it's very nice inside, fish tanks, brand new building, and full service facilities, but the vet is kindof an A-hole, and basically pitches services and treatments like a used car salesman, they also run late by 30 min or more for every appointment, so we are changing vets to one in York that is cheaper, better service(reccomended by a couple neighbors), and has been in buisness for over 50 years, an annual checkup with heartwork and flea medication runs our neighbor $100 or $150 if shots are needed. We used a 24hr animal hospital in York a year ago. Cosmo had one eye that was bloodshot, and was driving him nuts trying to scratch it constantly on a sunday afternoon. That vet saw him, did a routine check, occular diagnostic(found a peice of dirt and a scratch on his eye from running around playing with the neighbors dog). Took 30 min to be seen, the vets were awesome, kind, and great with cosmo, went over EVERYTHING, showed the healthy iris scan and checked for infection(there was none), gave him steroid eye drops, and some type of anti-infection pill, cost $75. Vets have to compete with all the farmers and Amish that can treat pets and administer shots, so it must keep them cheap.

 

[Streetgang]

Sounds a bit high but not unreasonable. If your military, some bases/posts have vet clinics that are quite reasonable.
My pooch sees a specialist all the time....(that's an Army Specialist)

 

[one-star]

I love my vet and the bill for my 3 year old shep/lab mix runs around $500 including a years supply of heartworm and tick meds

 

[GunnerGunz]

If you look on the internet you can find reduced pricing. For example in Frederick County the run a quarterly rabies vaccine clinic $12.50 per dog. Also if you look into getting flea/tic meds from Canada they are 60% less than US and produced by the same company. There is even a deal for a voucher for Spay/Nuter from participating vet. I just had our Luna spay for a total of $189.00 (freeking unbelivable). So if you search and don't mind farming your pet needs out to various sources it saves alot of money.

 

[Numidian]

You have got to be kidding me! $400 for an annual?! An annual at my brother's animal hospital is <$100(includes distemper multi vaccine, rabies vaccine, stool and heartworm check). Lyme and bordatella vaccines add $35 iirc. Prices may have gone up some, but I guarantee they're nowhere near $200 much less $400.

Erdman Animal Hospital. It's in NE Baltimore.

 

[-Mil-Surp-Phreak-]

Mine for my 3 dogs was around $225 each, it was going to be more but I convinced the nice lady at the desk to throw me a break since I was bringing in 3 times the business. They got all 3 dogs out in short order(fiancee took the other 2 dogs not being worked on outside to play with the dogs from the kennel they run). While the Vet was a bit on the ditzy side, she knew her dogs and even got my girlfriends dog to not whimper and try to bolt the instant she touched her which to me was worth the little extra money as I usually have to hold her dog down and be the bad guy for the next 2 days. This is Pet Dominion in Gaithersburg and while their prices are a bit high its not too bad for Montgomery County. http://www.petdominion.com/Templates/PawPrints.aspx