<p>We noticed that one of our dogs had a major wound on her belly tonight. DH took her to the emergency veterinary clinic in the next town. They sedated her, cleaned the wound, stapled the skin edges together, and prescribed antibiotics and pain meds. </p>
<p>Bottom line: $550.</p>
<p>I can’t believe it. What a rook.</p>
<p>Do I have any options?</p>
<p>Friend’s dog ate some pantyhose… $650 for a lot more surgery… Not much you can do unfortunately.</p>
<p>I just paid $250 for an annual ‘well-dog’ appointment, so, sadly, $550 doesn’t sound unreasonable for you (sedation is expensive - i found that out when I got my dog’s teeth cleaned). </p>
<p>My $250 included $70 for a year’s worth of heartworm meds. </p>
<p>Good luck, I hope your dog is doing better now.</p>
<p>Oh VH…we had a similar situation when my mom’s dog came to live with us (and my mom was still alive). Her dog got sick…on a Sunday, of course. We took him to the doggie ER…cost was $600…exam and xrays…but get this…there was NOTHING they could do for the dog. They gave us the xrays and told us to give them to our vet the next day! When I politely asked if they could clip the dog’s nails…the politely informed ME that they were an ER and didn’t do that “sort of thing”.</p>
<p>We paid the bill and left…but I can tell you, we would NEVER recommend the same facility. </p>
<p>I hope they at least helped your pooch!!</p>
<p>We once paid $800 to have our dog treated for ‘trash gut’. No surgery, just an overnight stay, x-rays and an IV. My husband said that had to be the world’s most expensive tummy ache.</p>
<p>My dog had her spleen removed at a surgical clinic- but they didn’t know what they were dealing with till they went in.
Thousands.
But she was family- whatchagonnado?</p>
<p>No options in an emergency. Why do our animals always seem to get injured on weekends? I actually don’t think your bill was unreasonable.
We had a routine well check visit today for our dog who needed his rabies vaccine that was due for licensing. We walked out $380 poorer. And that was a “wellness” visit with our regular vet!
$15 rabies vaccine
$116 parvo/distemper titer test
$178 senior profile (blood work)
$50 Annual physical exam
$20 Aller G3 caps</p>
<p>I didn’t have to get the senior blood work done, but then, he hasn’t had any done for two years, and he’s nine. I choose the titer over the vaccine because I hate to over-vaccinate. So all of this wasn’t absolutely necessary, but then, as emerald says, he’s family. :)</p>
<p>The pet ERs in this area are all very expensive. They do give really good care and are available to give immediate trauma care. The facilities are pretty incredible. I’m sure it costs a lot to keep them going. My dog aspirated some food on the weekend once and had to be admitted. They wouldn’t even take him in until I paid the estimate up front - it was almost $1000k. What could I do? The bill didn’t end up being quite that much because he didn’t have to stay more than one night. Because we have a couple of ERs now, many of the vets in the area no longer have evening and weekend hours.</p>
<p>Yup. My cat got very sick one night. Nearly died right there in the waiting room. They whisked us inside and explained that the cat was dehyderated and needed to stay over. But before they would continue evaluating her, I had to give them my credit card. This adopted cat had licked up some freon someone had discarded and we were paying $800+ for her to recover. </p>
<p>Geez, she’s snoring right now on my lap, so i guess it was worth it.</p>
<p>Not only are the facilities expensive to upkeep…they are animal HOSPITALS, the doctor’s that staff them are the same sons and daughters of the posters on these boards who are strapped with student loans just like their MD counterparts. If your child had a “stitches” worthy wound on their belly, would you even balk at $550?? A human hospital would probably have charged you $550 just for signing your kid in.</p>
<p>I have never understood why people undervalue the services of Doctors of Veterinary Medicine?? They put in their 8 years, just like MDs (I realize MDs also go through residency…but that is paid) they also have to study 5 seperate animal systems. The cost of human medical care and animal medical care will continue to climb as long as tuitions continue to climb. You can’t expect the services of an individual who paid $400,000 plus for their education to evaluate, medicate and treat your animal for any less.</p>
<p>^ People complain about their medical bills too… Deductibles, even $20 copays…just saying. …</p>
<p>Actually, my DD had stitches in her chin about 15 years ago on a Saturday night, $600 and i was very unhappy. The next time she split open her chin I butterflied it shut!</p>
<p>Well, our pets rarely have insurance so we see the whole shebang! and pay it all, too!!!</p>
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<p>$1000K? A thousand thousand dollars? I have loved the pets I’ve had, but no way, no way would I pay a million dollars for vet care.</p>
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<p>I’m sure she appreciated that.</p>
<p>My cat’s vet suggested he have a diabetes test done, because he looked overweight. Result: negative. Bill: $400.</p>
<p>When I had horses, it seemed treating them was less than treating my dog. My horse had a wire go through her fetlock and she got a horrible infection. She was in the veterinary hospital for several days and received antibiotic lavage 3 or 4 times. She had numerous xrays. The bill was $1500. I had insurance at the time on her so I only paid $200. I thought the bill was very reasonable. She colicked once and had to go to the hospital in Leesburg Va. No surgery needed but she stayed several days and that bill was also less than $2000. She had top of the line treatment includeing sonograms and round the clock care. I can’t imagine what the bill would have been at the small animal ER.</p>
<p>Also had very expensive ER/weekend vet bills. And one screwed up and almost killed our cat.</p>
<p>collegeshopping, I know we shouldn’t begrudge our veterinarians. In fact, I really like ours. And I know they are incredibly well educated, just like any other MD. But, I balk really because I have to pay the whole thing, up front, which I certainly don’t do when my kids go to their doctor or hospital. Then, insurance covers a large postion of it anyway. And then sometimes I have to pause when my animals need something like teeth cleaning because that involves sedation too. Good thing they don’t complain about their aches and pains the way humans do.</p>
<p>Er, they do sell pet insurance. And it is a LOT more reasonable than what it costs to buy human health insurance. My dogs also have a much lower deductible on their plans than I do on mine… I think the insurance kicks in at around $200 or so.</p>