High Tech Vets

[Orrymain]

There was a story on the news this week about the growing number of vets who have high tech equipment. It was centered around families who want the best in health care for their pets. Average pet care now is $655 annual per the story. Anyway, they were talking about CT scan machines and such popping up in more vet clinics than ever before.

[Syn]

It was centered around families who want the best in health care for their pets. Average pet care now is $655 annual per the story.

We all want the best for our pets. I know for FACT that vets (not all) are taking people and their money for a ride, a high cost one at that. I have one cat left that needs neutered 2 man parts and one rabies shot. $129.00. Just a few months ago (4) the same thing was $65.00. I know costs are going up, but really?

My heart goes out to the ones that cant help their pets, I try to do what I can for them.

[kernow]

Vet costs have always been high as far as I am concerned, but if you have pets it is something that you have to plan for. The vet that we go to has given us very good support over the years so I can't moan too much.

[Justontime]

We can't do without them so we have to pay it, but I don't feel the need to have all the blood tests and tooth cleaning etc that they seem so keen on. As much as possible I try to use preventive measures to keep my pets in good health.

[RubyRoo]

There are, as with any profession good and bad.

Here in the UK many dog owners have insurance for their pets, so that we can give our pets the best medical attention we can in times of need. Though insurance is getting more expensive, with the more advanced medical facilities that are now avaliable for our pets.

What really gets me is when you go to see a vet and the first question asked, before what is wrong with your dog/pet, is do you have insurance? Why, are they going to advise lots of needless tests for my pet, or is it just to make sure that the huge bill that I will later be presented with, can be paid!

Shortly after moving to this region of the UK, 2 1/2 years ago, my beloved Golden Retriever became ill. I registered with a vet local to me, and of course the first question was, was he insured. I had not renewed the insurance a couple of years before that, because the premiums were getting so expensive, and both my dogs had been really healthy. Anyway this vet couldn't make a diagnosis anyway, she was newly qualified, so took a photo of the problem (turned out to be skin cancer and Lymphoma), but said that she would ask colleagues if they could make a diagnosis from a photo. Needless to say I was not happy with that, especially when they came back with what turned out to be totally innacurate information, lots of expensive tests to be done and thought that for good measure I should also have my dog castrated!

I found a wonderful homeopathic vet, some 20 miles away, who was brilliant. He didn't advise me do have treatments that he knew wouldn't work, and even managed to 'lose' the bill for the lab tests that were done, when he found out Rudi wasn't insured. He knew that what my lovely boy had was incurable, and gave both of us the best treatment both homeopathically and conventially that he could. When shortly afterwards the time came to let my boy go, it was done with the utmost sympathy.

Afterwards we waited with baited breath for the bill, which also included cremation, a casket, x-rays, drip, and other treatments. We were not overcharged in any way, and in fact it was all far cheaper than when we had lost my other lovely lad, just a year before in similar circumstances, but with another vet in our old area.

I think that we can all take time to do things that can help our dogs to lead as healthy a life as possible, and I would say that teeth cleaning, nail clipping, and keeping ears cleaned and checking your dog over regularly for lumps and bumps go a good way to avoiding needless vet bills. Also feeding a healthy diet, and not buying the cheapest on the supermarket shelves. It may not help when there are genetic problems, as turned out to be the case with my two boys, but doing the best we can to keep our dogs healthy ourselves must go a long way to keeping vet bills down, and hopefully allowing our beloved dogs/pets to lead long and healthy lives.

Jan

[Orrymain]

Insurance here is way too expensive. Heck, I don't even have health insurance.

[Syn]

Insurance is right up there with "BY-Product", it's just scary...what it really means.

I do try "home remadies" and 9 out of 10 times it does work. My cat had ear mites, which meant $40 to walk into the office. Plus this and that to say "Your cat has ear mites $200 later. A 5 cent tissue could tell you that. BUT I found "corn oil" yes the same stuff you cook with, $1.69 and three days later, happy cat, ear mites gone. Corn oil smothers the ear mites, it's smoothing to the ear and skin area, and heals the scraches and scabs. (Found out it helpped with MY scraches from said cat) Said it worked, didn't say it was easy . ha ha.

[RubyRoo]

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I have insurance now for Ruby, but it also gets more expensive the older the dog gets, whether your dog has a history of health problems or not. Some people just put a certain amount away every month into the bank, so that if a big vet bill is inevitable, then at least there is some money to help. However with something like a broken leg, or operation ,then I would think that you would need some good savings to cover it all. How do you cope if no insurance?

Perhaps if more people get interested in having pet insurance in the States, it may become cheaper. It must be so worrying to wonder if something bad happened, whether you would have enough to cover for it.

That's a useful bit of information re. ear mites. Here there is an old remedy which vets don't prescribe (probably because it is inexpensive and works), called 'Thornit's', it's very good for getting rid of ear mites.

Do your vets try it on with yearly vaccines? They do in the UK, even though quite a few vets are now openly saying that dogs do not need yearly boosters, and most core vaccines, will last the dog for several years, if not life.

Basically all of these things are a 'nice little earner' for vets, and they seem to charge what they like for it, kowing that owners will pay, because they are worried about their pets.

I always try homeopathy first, unless it is serious, and obviously needs veterinary care.

Jan

[Justontime]

RubyRoo, I am in England and I can honestly say that my vet has never asked if I am insured. I admit that sometimes they mention things that I don't consider to be strictly necessary but when I say no they don't push. When my previous dog developed a swelling in his mouth, the vet was honest, didn't push for lots of tests, confirmed that it was terminal (bone cancer) and offered advice and pain relief until the time came to bring his pain to an end. He was very kind and his charges were not excessive.

[kernow]

On the whole I agree with you Justontime, I have not been questioned by the vet about insurance (I don't have any). The cost that I object to most is the cost of medication, it would be cheaper to buy it online but is hard to get the vet to write a prescription if they are not going to make it up.