Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My very elderly cocker spaniel needs his rabies shot. When I called the vet to make an appointment for the shot, they tell me that in addition to the $23 for the shot, I'm required to also pay an additional $30 for him to have a physical.
We don't really want or need a physical. He's old but healthy and has had always had regular vet care. All I want is the rabies shot so he can go to the groomer for a bath and cut before his beach vacation in March.
Feels like a bit of a gimmick - requiring a physical in order to get a rabies shot, which is required by law. That's like saying a car inspection is required by law, but we'll only do one for you if you also buy 4 new tires. Not quite the same...but you get the thought process.
My very elderly cocker spaniel needs his rabies shot. When I called the vet to make an appointment for the shot, they tell me that in addition to the $23 for the shot, I'm required to also pay an additional $30 for him to have a physical.
We don't really want or need a physical. He's old but healthy and has had always had regular vet care. All I want is the rabies shot so he can go to the groomer for a bath and cut before his beach vacation in March.
Feels like a bit of a gimmick - requiring a physical in order to get a rabies shot, which is required by law. That's like saying a car inspection is required by law, but we'll only do one for you if you also buy 4 new tires. Not quite the same...but you get the thought process.
Is this a common practice with area vets?
In my experience, yes. Veterinarians always seemed to me that they are fully at liberty to define their own requirements about how you must treat your pet and the cost required to do so, and it results in some very obvious upsell scenarios. They are not held to the same types of regulations the human healthcare / insurance industry is, so its a field day for them.
We don't really want or need a physical. He's old but healthy and has had always had regular vet care. All I want is the rabies shot so he can go to the groomer for a bath and cut before his beach vacation in March.
If this means that you don't otherwise keep the rabies up to date that is a huge risk to you & others..
We have rabies in our area and if your dog came in contact with rabies without the vaccine its
dangerous for the dog & people that are around the dog...
There are always "other" charges added on whenever we take our cats to the Veterinarian. Earlier this week my wife took our oldest cat to the vet to get her shots and I predicted it would cost more than $200 because they'd recommend at least a blood test. And they did just that and it cost $225. Because my wife could never bear the thought that our saving money might lead to the untimely demise of one of our cherished pets, she consented - the results confirmed that she was healthy.
We know people who never take their cats to the Vet and theirs always live twenty plus years (three in a row so far). They also feed them the cheapest food as well while we pay for the good stuff (whatever is in vogue at the time).
I like the suggestion for the $5 shot provided by Wake County.
Yes, this is usually how it goes. To get a rabies shot at a vet clinic you need to pay the exam fee too. Rabies clinics are a great low cost alternative. My beef is that studies have shown that most pet vaccines, including rabies vaccines, provide protection for much longer than the recommended 1-3 year schedule. Over-vaccination in pets is a big problem. On the other hand, I value my vet's education and happily pay the exam fee when necessary for other issues (which is frequently with elderly pets).
If this means that you don't otherwise keep the rabies up to date that is a huge risk to you & others..
We have rabies in our area and if your dog came in contact with rabies without the vaccine its
dangerous for the dog & people that are around the dog...
Of course it won't mean I will not keep his rabies shots up to date. I understand the significance. I was asking about the charges.
We are transplants from California with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I lived in the desert of So Cal, so our pets did not require flea and tick meds, or heartworm meds, either. They all usually saw the vet once a year, and a few times in between for health issues, and all of them were current on rabies. Fast forward to moving here, where bugs are a aplenty and all four animals had to be put on flea and tick meds and heartworm meds - and the latter must be a vet prescription. The new vet here required "physicals" for all 4 animals, as well as bloodwork to test for heartworms, and a fecal exam to test for parasites. (Note that he put the "physical" is SEMI-ANNUAL on the bill, so he expects us to return every 6 months for the same.) I will spare you the itemization of all charges we incurred, but to have all 4 animals examined, tested, and prescribed the appropriate meds, we incurred a bill of $902. I am unemployed and my daughter is a grad student working a part-time job, we asked for discounts or any kind of financial break possible, and the most we got was $12 off the "semi-annual physical" for two of the pets. (They only give you the discount if you take in more than one pet at a time, so of course, we couldn't take the cats and dogs at the same time.)
I charged all of this on a credit card, of course. We adore our animals and want the best for them, but I am beyond incredulous at this - and the fact that the vet expects us to incur similar charges every 6 months??? People don't have semi-annual physicals - why do our pets require this? The vet here also insisted that the dogs receive bordetella and DHPP boosters, something our vet in California told us was only necessary if we boarded the dogs while traveling.
All the vets here in NC have "pet portals" on their very extensive websites, too, so you can post pictures and have a full update on all the shots, bloodwork and other tests the vet says your animals need. You can imagine the LONG LIST on my portal with four pets!! I saw four different vets and one animal hospital in CA and none of them had "pet portals" online! Surely the customer is paying for all this technology! I would go completely broke if I followed this insane vet regimen. We are hoping that our current vet won't withhold heartworm prescriptions if we don't bring our pets back for semi-annual physicals and bloodwork. Are you kidding me? Who can afford this???
Well, that's my two-cents. Your post struck a nerve to be sure. Vets are expensive - we had a pet with cancer a few years back and it cost all of my savings trying to save her life. The dogs we have now have both had minor surgeries and teeth cleanings that have ranged anywhere between $400-$650. Vets do not make it easy for us to properly take care of our pets.
And for those of you ready to pounce on me for having four pets and then WHINING about what it costs for their medical care, my critters are a product of a divorce. My ex made good money and we could afford them - but when we split up, I would not, and could not, leave the animals with him for reasons I do not wish to share.
Ivermectin is sold at Tractor Supply for about $50
It is the SAME medication in heartguard
It treats demodex mange
It kills heartworms
If you can find a vet to give you the dosages that $50 bottle will last you about 4 years
Would you ask or expect a dr of humans to Rx you shots or meds without an exam? If a vet has never seen your animal it seems very reasonable for the vet to do an exam before giving meds. I understand that vet visits can be costly, but if u want to be a pet owner u have to accept responsibility for their health also. Those of you who don't want anything more than a shot...how many yrs of vet school training do u have that qualifies you to dictate to another vet?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
People don't have semi-annual physicals - why do our pets require this? The vet here also insisted that the dogs receive bordetella and DHPP boosters, something our vet in California told us was only necessary if we boarded the dogs while traveling.
Who can afford this???
