The cost of medical care and boarding when I am away is one of the reasons I have no pet. It can really add up to a meaningful amount of money over the course of a pet's lifetime.

When I was younger and struggling more, even scheduling a trip to the vet was a hardship, given that I worked day and schooled night and did not own a car. I don't suppose the dog much cared for that, either. Also, as a struggler, I had fewer apartment choices with my dog, which translated to costly as well.

I'm so lucky to have found the vet that we take our pets to. He is reasonable both financially and in his head. Granted we threw a lot of business his way when we had our pet supply store and rescue but from on-line reviews I've read and feedback from people I've recommended him to it's pretty much the same no matter who you are.

When I want to run w/ a propossed treatment or when most would put a pet down but I want to keep trying, he runs w/ me. When I think it's a pets time to be laid to rest he's there w/ me.

There are many little things that he doesn't charge us for - like when we dopted Della-doo and had to have her stitches removed from spaying at the shelter. We walked in the front and left through the back - no monies were asked for.

I'm one of those crazies that doesn't vaccinate my cats and he doesn't give me flac. When our cats and dogs have passed on they've been very, very old. My vet trusts me and knows that I know what I'm doing and he respects that. He lets me just pick up IV's and fluids as needed w/o a pet exam. He listens when I think that an antibiotic is needed or a steroid and prescribes it.

If it weren't for my vet we wouldn't have been able to care for as many pets as well as we have that others didn't want. God Bless my vet!

I had a big ole black lab w/ incredible health problems that finally passed away when he was 16yrs old from cancer. I had him to another holistic vet that worked w/ me for 2yrs on my bills so that he wouldn't miss any treatment for that 2yr period of time and BOTH vets worked in conjunction w/ eachother because it was what I wanted.

I wonder what happens in difficult economies, do vets see a decrease in business?; after all, a family budget can only be stretched so far.

Ttodd, I only vaccinate every third year, except for rabies ... that's required by state law. I do take the kitties in for annual checkups.

I've been buying Advantage from HealthyPets.com for years. Much cheaper than my vet!

I learned something here: At least in the states I've lived in, a vet can't force you to buy any prescription from them and must give you a written prescription if you want to buy elsewhere.

I need to check my State laws on that, because last time I tried to get an Rx from the vet so I could get Heartguard and flea Rx from a reputable online source they said they'd charge $25 for handing over a script. Sheesh, pretty much had me over a barrel with than one since I have 2 dogs and a cat.

I adore my vet clinic (3 vets, all excellent) but they are on the pricey side, and where they really pad it is with medicine. One of my other dogs (no longer with us) had renal failure and we got a prescription that came to something like $1.75 per pill. I was checking online reading up on this Rx and somehow stumbled into a site that listed wholesale drug prices for vets. Cost of that Rx to my vet: .05 per pill. :/

ttodd - I no longer vaccinate, just titre every few years. My dogs have never needed more than then a couple of puppy shots. It took me a long time to find a vet that didn't give me a hard time. She also sends home my dogs the same day after most types of surgery because she knows I know what to do.

I'm so grateful to have found her and hope she doesn't decided to retire early!

My vet slowly turned into a 'referral' pet spa. He isn't old nor anywhere close to retiring. When we first started going there, he participated in the vet on-call, nights and week ends. He performed surgery, etc. An all service vet who we really liked as a person.

Slowly we began noticing he was referring everything but shots, spaying and toe nail clipping type services. At first we thought it was because of our particular dog situation but it started happening with both dogs, no matter what the situation was. So we had to pay him and the next specialist, usually out of town.

The final straw was when we had a dog who was breathing fast and shallow. It was a Saturday. Our vets answering machine instructed us to go to 'Loomis Basin' for emergency treatment. Hello! That is an hour away and my dog was having a breathing problem!

I called another local vet but was told because our vet was no longer participating in the on-call rotations, we would have to go to Loomis. So off we flew in our car to ''Loomis Basin." It was determined Isabelle was likely having an allergic reaction to a tick we had pulled out of her the day before.
On Monday I phoned our vet, pretty upset. Why weren't we told our vet was no longer participating in the on call rotation that effectively eliminated his patients of any choice in an emergency closer than an hour away?!!? (Thank goodness my dog was OK by Monday and not dead.)

I began a new vet search and was shocked when the first prospective vet requested to review my pets' medical records before he could consider taking them on. What? I wanted to know about *him* before I decided to switch. I wasn't about to call my vet's office gal and ask her to do all that work then be turned down. I asked if we could meet before I had their records transferred to see if we were compatible. No, this was the only way he would consider us. This didn't sit well with me.

Spontaneously, I dropped by another vet (without my dogs) and was able to interview the vet, free of charge. He told me our (now) old vet was the only vet in our county who no longer participated in the on call rotation. He was wonderful.

I transferred both of my dog's records and like our new vet very much. He's a bit cheaper and in case of another emergency, I'll have qualified help close to my house.

Frustrating!

My friend who is a vet left a position because the owner of the practice would try to encourage the vets to "sell" more procedures than were necessary . . .I don't know if that is common, but it does happen. She is much happier at her new place, because they are HONEST.

Our vet prices went up after they were bought out by Veterinary Centers of America. The cost of neutering our male cat was almost the same price we paid for spaying the female before they switched owners. Mitchdesj: I'm sure alot of people cut back on vet visits when they have trouble paying the bills. Our local animal shelter had a story in the paper last week stating how they have lots of purebred dogs being dumped there now, instead of the usual mongrels. For those having true financial troubles, the local Petco helps sponsor a traveling bus here in CT that offers spay/neuters and all shots for cats for just $75. The vets on-board apparently donate their skills. Jamies: Have you ever thought of being a "foster parent" for a pet? That way, you get the pleasure of helping out a pet yet not have the long-term commitment or bills.

At 25 dollars for a visit, there is no way for the vet to operate without cutting corners. How do you pay your taxes, staff and rent on that kind of money?

No my bills don't scare me. I think vets are underpriced, much like pediatricians. Both professional are undervalued in society and I feel that's quite sad as their job is so much more important than say a boob builder :)

I just lost my dearest friend Friday, and after a week in hospital with round the clock care, several tests, numerous doctor consults with me daily and private cremation..his bill, which I expected to be more like five thousand, was only 1400. They earned every penny and I'd have happily have paid more.

Stinky Gardener:
Our cat Pris who is 17 now had the same problem for years. Several vets said it was mites. But after moving, we took him to a new vet and they suggested food allergies. We put him on an hypoallergenic diet of duck & pea food and after a month he stopped exibiting the problem. I was really mad so many vets (at least 4) had misdiagnosed him and the vet said it's a problem she sees fairly often, and something many vets don't consider (for whatever reason).

If you haven't already explored this as a possibility, you may want to talk to your vet to see if this it's something that could be causing the problem. I know you said he's on special food, but unless it's hypoallergenic food, it could have the ingredients mentioned and still cause a problem. If you have questions, please feel free to email me.

I love our new vet, she's also an avian vet and has bent over backwards to help us with all of our animals. My 15 year old cat Maui (Pris's daughter) was just diagnosed with HyperThyroid. In two weeks, we're going to do radiation, (Cha-ching) but in the mean time, to help with costs, our Vet has had us buy our medications straight from the Walgreens pharmacy. I've gotten steroids for my bird and antibiotics, thyroid & stomach medications for Maui all for fraction of the cost the vet would have to charge.

I tried Smith & Foster pharmacy once, it was a disaster. Meds were ok, but it took FOREVER to get.

Deedee: I do volunteer at a shelter, so I get my fix. It's a bunny shelter, though, and bunnies love to chew the fringe on oriental rugs, the wallpaper off the walls, etc. So I don't often bring them home. Although I should because the rugs are already ruined.

I've gotten to the point where my dislike of constantly cleaning up after an animal looms larger than than the joy of having one. I go to the shelter and clean a lot of cages at once and them I'm done for a week. It suits me better. They are loveable, but after my last bunny died I never re-attached myself to another one.

I ate dinner thinking about this and thought I should add...

The next time we went to that vet, it was an emergency and he was closest. Time mattered. He took care of our dog and knew what he was doing. He was still so matter-a-fact. It was just a shock between him and the lovely older gentleman that cared for our animals in our previous city. Yeah, we pay more for a vet that feels for us and our dogs, but we feel so much more confident about the treatments and our ability to follow the instructions we are given.

Added note: Heart worm treatment can be in the thousands and they may or may not survive. My husband had a dog treated over a decade ago (the owner didn't treat it so my husband did and was given the dog) and it was between 1-2k.

Yes! Vet bills scare me to death. They seem to have gone way up out of proportion. Last year I had three dogs with diarrhea and before it was over, the bill was over $750. No surgery, no overnights, just a little lab work and a bunch of expensive meds.

Last week we went to a different vet for a blood pull and thyroid test on Cubby and it was $137 and that seems pretty standard around here. $25 a visit? It's more like $34-38 is common around here. Over the years I've learned to do a lot of my own veterinary care, and not to run to the vet with every little thing. And sometimes the master herbalist at the local health food store does a better job then the doctors, and for far less. Or my girlfriend the goat farmer will help me.

But birds are a whole other ballgame. If you think it's bad with dog vets, don't even think about getting a bird. Bird vets cost approx. 3x what dog vets do for something comparable.

Paint Chips, how do you treat for copperhead bite?

Stinky, my feline daughter is not a good passenger and I am not much of a driver, but when our primary vet could not properly diagnose her, we ended up going to five other vets all over the city until she was finally diagnosed (at three she was diagnosed via an endoscopy with feline leukemia in her bone morrow, not in her blood). When she was finally diagnosed, her prognosis was grim. Her vet would not give up (neither would her parents)...and 10 years later, at 13...as her doctor said during her annual exam "she's ageless". So please, even with white knuckle driving and precious cargo, the end results could be worth it...I would really, really recommened a second or third opinion for Jasmine.

Our vets around here cost from $65. to $95. per office visit. Heck it was $25. in 1972.

Yes, how do you treat copperhead bites? We lost a dog to a rattlesnake bite. Died in the car on the way to the vet. :(

Geesh what a night - just got back here and haven't had a chance to read any responses yet. I'll catch up tomorrow - thanks for chiming in.

Okay, I'm a liar. My vet actually costs $100 for an office visit and she lives in a trailer in the parking lot outside her office. Oh and she reuses needles to cut costs.

NO! I'm not saying you are a liar at all. Just complaining about vet costs *here*. You are *lucky*! Sorry if I was too abrupt. I'm in freaking California where every thing costs more. (sigh)

Vets make more money around here than medical Drs. True, they have more training, according to the UC Davis dept head of the closest vet school. (He's my nephew's FIL).

Moonshadow - I was shocked to see that your vet charges for a prescription. Found this with a quick search - it may be outdated but might help with info on your state:

http://members.verizon.net/~vze2r6qt/supplies/legal.htm

Hehe you're not the only one who said no way it could be $25. That's just for the basic office visit. Of course vaccines are more and not included. Any blood testing is not included - and they do recommend baseline blood tests for senior cats so they have something to compare later if they need it (and we had that done for ours). She charges for surgery by the minute, which I thought was a neat way of billing. Believe me, when our cats needed something serious done it really started to add up when you see all of the expenses from IV pump use to every pill, but I like that they itemize so completely because I feel like they are being transparent about where the money goes rather than just throwing a few thousand dollar figure at me. But the basic visit is $25. And she doesn't reuse needles. And I've never seen a trailer in the parking lot that she might be living in. And as I said, her office is not really "state of the art" but it is sufficient for every issue we've ever had. It's spotless and well run but it's not fancy and it's in a storefront in an old dinky strip mall that does not command super high rents. I personally do not feel the need to pay for someone's fancy vet office - clean and functional with a vet who can get blood from my senior guy's teeny tiny veins on the first shot is good enough for me and my kitties :)

I never said you weren't telling the truth. Just saying what it costs here. I believed you. I'm not into paying for those upscale vet offices either. We live rurally. The spa vet who sub contracted his work out, was also in a strip mall setting, next to an auto parts store.

My new vet is housed in a building built as a vet in the late 50s. Cinder block style on it's own property. Woo!

Actually, maybe because we are a well known retirement community and who loves their pets more than empty nester seniors? Cha-ching! Crazy prices, IMO.

I've been considering changing vets, even though we like our vet a lot. We do always end up spending a lot of money when we take our cats there, and his office is not at all convenient for us. He recently hired a young vet -- perhaps he's grooming her to take on the practice when he retires. She is rather aggressive about selling extra stuff we don't need. Like last time DH took the cats for their checkup, she told him our girl needed to be tested for ear mites. No way! She had them when we brought her home from the shelter the year before, but we treated them at the time, and there's no way she could have gotten them again. DH, however, did not question this and got the test. $$

Forgive my momentary hijack.

Oceanna, Golddust, the first time one of our pups was bitten was so scary. We live far from the vet and symptoms hit our Pomeranian almost immediately. There was no way we could possibly get to the vet (too far) and thought she was just moments from death. Husband called the vet and he told us not to worry. Copperheads are common here and we needed to administer Children's Benedryll. Luckily we had some due to previous vet instructions about one of our pups.

That first time so much time had passed that our Pomeranian was nonresponsive, limp, and we thought her breathing had stopped. I thought I was giving a dead dog medicine because I had to open her mouth. I was tearfully amazed at how fast she started to come back to us after administering the C.B.

I'm not a vet so I can't tell you exactly how much to give a dog because it depends on the size. My vet told us the first time and I intuitively adjust the dose depending on size. Ask your vet what treatment he/she recommends for your dog. This is just what ours told us.

Speed is important. If their mouth is swollen (as it often is because they sniff the darned things), use a syringe. Keep the dog still as possible.

One more thing, be careful not to get any of the venom on yourself. Even the intense drool and leakage out of the swollen bite area carries something that feels horribly sickening.

I haven't used this with any other type of snake. We don't have rattlers and fortunately our water moccasins haven't struck the dogs. This has worked on our 4 dogs (sizes range from chihuahua to a great big mutt) on many bites over multiple years. Ask your vet what course of action he/she recommends.

"she told him our girl needed to be tested for ear mites."

Okay, forgive me if this is gross, but I just consider this one of my mommy duties. Can't you smell them? I occassionally sniff the inside of each of my dogs' ears to make sure they are mite free. Ear mites, ime, have a certain odor.

Maybe dogs and cats are different. I don't know anything about cats.

RE the ear mites: She didn't have any noticeable odor either the first time (right after we brought her home from the shelter) or before that vet visit. What kind of odor is it?

We had done the treatment the vet prescribed and she seemed fine after that -- not scratching at her ears or anything. My sense was that this new vet partner was just padding to get us to pay more. Our cat did not have them.

Marlene 2007, thanks so much for your feedback! Yes, I think I will try another place. Maybe I could get a Saturday appt. & have dh do the driving. I'm just throwing my money away if I stay w/my current vet, though I guess I also wonder if anyone can help her ear, really.

This is the first time I've ever gone to a vet for anything other than vaccine boosters. Jasmine, who is 12, never required any other care until 2 yrs. ago. Started going to this vet 3 yrs. ago.

Jasmine was raised in Pennsylvania. We moved to SE VA 4 yrs. ago. I adored her vet in PA, & he worked out of a wonderful cats-only clinic. How I miss him...reasonable prices too.

Pertaining to the above ear mite conversation, Jasmine's symptoms dovetail w/those of earmites, but the vet insists that she doesn't have them. Her ear problem has been chronic, persistent & unresponsive to treatment. I think it's something in the environment. If we still lived in PA I bet this wouldn't be happening. Poor baby.

This is pretty much why I have informed DH that no matter how much he begs and whines, we're not getting a cat. Vet bills are just too high just for one middle-aged dog, we can't add another pet into the equation. Yes, I understand vets have to pay their bills but most of us peons don't have thousands of dollars just laying around. It took us a very long time to pay off the bill for Randomkitty's last ten days of life: over a week in and out of hospital, x-rays and ultrasound, meds out the wazoo, euthanasia and cremation - well over five thousand dollars. (They did not figure out it was lymphoma and completely hopeless until a couple of days before she died.) We had one quick midnight visit to a real sh*tpit of an emergency clinic because she was vomiting so convulsively that she couldn't breathe between bouts - $250 for one shot of Pepcid.

We've been going to the same vet since we moved to NH in 2000. Like golddust's, the practice is turning into a shots-and-spays referral center, while it used to be a "one-stop-shopping" clinic with multiple specialties, on-site chemotherapy and physical therapy, extensive lab services. No more in-house hospital care, no surgeries past the standard spay-neuter and teeth cleaning, no testing except simple labs they can send out. And, of course, the rates have skyrocketed. They were pricey to begin with to support all those specialties but now, yikes, and there's even less justification for it now. Last spring I took Goku in for his rabies booster, nail clip, heartworm test - $400. That was before the heartworm pills and the flea-tick stuff (we live in baaaaaaad tick country and on this longhaired, double-coated dog they're almost impossible to find until they've bloated up to the size of a pea and already done all the damage they're going to do), another $150+. Since he's now a "senior" dog they want us to bring him in TWICE a year for a thorough checkup and yet more bloodwork. Like fun that's going to happen. She and her associate vet are both in their thirties and have small children, and while I'm not dissing working mothers in general all I can think is that they've decided to go "mommy-track".

Although we like Dr. K a lot as a person and she did a lot for Random over the years we'd really like to switch vets but most of the area vets are referring night-and-weekend calls and anything complex to a "comprehensive veterinary treatment facility" 45 minutes away with nightmarishly high fees. (Like you might as well go down to Boston to Angell Memorial or Tufts University fees.)

I too titer instead of vaccinate my dog whenever possible since Keeshonden are extremely prone to vaccinosis. He gets the 3-year rabies as mandated by law and the 3-way intranasal kennel cough which I can do myself because with a collapsed trachea (effing scumbag previous owners should be hung by THEIR necks with a choke collar - IMNSHO you should only be able to purchase a choke collar if you have passed a class learning how to use the damned things safely) a bad cough can be dangerous.

Reposting in case you over looked because it could help

Stinky Gardener:

Our cat Pris who is 17 now had the same problem for years. Several vets said it was mites. But after moving, we took him to a new vet and they suggested food allergies. We put him on an hypoallergenic diet of duck & pea food and after a month he stopped exibiting the problem. I was really mad so many vets (at least 4) had misdiagnosed him and the vet said it's a problem she sees fairly often, and something many vets don't consider (for whatever reason).
If you haven't already explored this as a possibility, you may want to talk to your vet to see if this it's something that could be causing the problem. I know you said he's on special food, but unless it's hypoallergenic food, it could have the ingredients mentioned and still cause a problem. If you have questions, please feel free to email me.

Harriet, my pups don't have a smell on the outside, but inside their ears smells different to me. It is almost a sickly sweet smell. I'm am not sure what a vet would say about my old fashioned method LOL, but it works for us.

That is horrible that vet tries to maximize profits by running uncomfortable tests on your cat. Maybe she had a reason to suspect? I hope so because it would be hard to trust her if your kitty had larger issues and needed more expensive tests.

BTW, since we're talking about the high cost of vet care, here is a recipe for doggy ear cleaner that my vet recommends. It's used by many owners, works amazingly well and is much less expensive than commercial brands. If your dog's ears are sensitive to alcohol (I had one Golden whose ears would react) substitute witch hazel.

You'll find this all over the Web if you google "ear cleaner for dogs." The Boric Acid and Gentian Violet can be a little hard to find, but Walmart usually has them in stock.

**

16 oz. bottle isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 drops Gentian Violet 1% Solution

Mix all ingredients in the alcohol bottle & shake. (make sure you shake before every application).

Our clinic is owned & operated by 3 female vets who are all fabulous. Their love of animals is so apparent - my dogs love going there and it's a wonderful atmosphere. I think their basic office / check-up prices are about average for the city I live in, and honestly, I'm so happy with them I haven't checked around. I have certainly never felt like I was overcharged or being taken advantage of.
When our oldest dog needed surgery last fall for a torn ACL they gave us three options - a referral to the closest veterinary college, a referral to the local doctor who specialized in the ACL repair, or to have our own vet do the surgery in-house. She had been through the educational training & labs and had done the surgery under supervision, but never "on her own". We decided to let her operate - how else would she ever learn? and someone had to go first.... if it had been more of a 'life or death' type surgery, I may have made another choice... however, the surgery went very, very well and we were charged for the anesthesia only. She said we were doing her a favor too, by her gaining the experience. All in all, the surgery and all follow-up care cost us about $450 - versus a minimum of $1200 elsewhere. I felt the care our dog got was exceptional - to the point our vet spent 2 nights at the clinic sleeping on a cot post-surgery. When it was all said and done, I bought my vet flowers and a nice card & treats for the clinic staff. I can't say enough about them!

I forgot to mention this . . .what some people do is go to the vet for a checkup/problems, but do any needed vaccines at Petco, where it's much cheaper.

Hi Lukkiirish! Thanks so much for your suggestion. Jasmine does eat a low-allergen food--Hill's Science Diet "zd." We just finished our third bag of it, so she's been eating it for about 3 months. One of the vets at the expensive clinic did recently suggest food allergies could be the culprit. Of course she also said that if the food doesn't help, we could do the $350.00 blood test to pinpoint what else she may be allergic to!! " What if she's allergic to grass?" I asked. "Well, at least you'll know" she replied.

Hills makes another food that is even lower in allergens than the "zd." Maybe I should try that, though I don't know if it would be as palatable. One thing's for sure, Jasmine LOVES the "zd!" Even though I've seen no change in the ear, I keep buying it since she enjoys it so much. I now get it at Petsmart, as it is $5.00 a bag cheaper than at the clinic, but I must have a prescription to buy it there. What food did you give your cat? How long did it take to see an improvement?

Also, I noticed that Petsmart has its own clinic. Ours is called "Banfield Pet Hospital." I wonder if that is a reputable clinic for a second opinion.

Dlm, hope you don't mind me asking about this. I posted here because I wanted to share the additional expenses proposed for further "dignostic tools." I have a feeling that if the blood test revealed no allergies, my dear vet would come up with an equally expensive test for something else!

In addition to being well-trained health-care providers, many vets seem required to be excellent sales people. Do you think they work on commision?

SG of course I don't mind - honestly I was just venting. It's not like any of you can do anything about what my vet charges or can make an informed suggestion as to my switching vets. (of course when has being un-informed ever stopped any of us from expressing opinions!! ;-)

Anyway - it's certainly interesting to read all of your experiences. It's no surprise that we spend what we do given how we love our pets, all the photos we post, collective grieving for the ones lost and so on.

I would like to ask the new vet about doing a titer - from what I've read it makes total sense to me. But I don't know if he offers that service and if not, I'm not well enough informed to press and I don't want Cajun to be at risk without needed vaccines. I'll also see what they charge for Frontline and Heartworm meds compared to HealthyPets.com or the others - thanks for the info on your experiences.

We do save by handling his nails, teeth and any necessary grooming on our own, but we've always done that with our dogs. We dremel his nails and clean his teeth with dental tools - the vet is always astounded at how clean his teeth are! I'd be scared to death to sedate him for that - thankfully he's cooperative. One way or another he'll get taken care of - I'll go without before my dog does!

Thanks, Dlm. Wow, you do all that grooming yourself! That's very impressive.

Can we see a picture of Cajun with his manicure & pearly whites? Btw, love the name "Cajun!"

SG there' aren't many pictures of our boy - one of his *quirks* is a total fear of cameras - he's sees one and he hides, LOL! So our pictures are few and far between unfortunately.

Here is one the weekend he came to live with us before he knew his boundaries and could be off leash (he's a Katrina rescue our son re-rescued, hence the name, but it is the original name he was given in N.O) He's a Blue Heeler/Chow mix - notice the tongue?

And this one I had to take standing on a chair from our back door - he couldn't see me with the glare on the glass or he'd have been long gone behind the garage. He patrols our yard corner to corner - we are chipmunk free! Then when his job is done he positions himself in the driveway so he can survey his kingdom. I want to come back as a well loved dog!

Oh, what a handsome boy! What a beautiful coat & big, brown eyes he has. He looks like such a sweetie.

How wonderful that your son rescued him after Katrina! I know Cajun feels lucky to be part of your family & you obviously treasure Cajun. Thanks so much for posting these great pics!

Yes, my vet's bills scare me at times. However, the quality of care and the 24/7 emergency availability takes a bit of the sting out of their pricing. Our previous vet was at least 30% higher, as we patients were paying off the new building, etc.

The new vet was so much cheaper for all the 13 meds that my then 13 year lab was taking daily. Every little bit counts.

Also, when my old gal's time came, it was nice for a familiar face in the comfort of my regular vet's office to be there for us. Memorial Day 2007. No extra charge, just kind compassion on a horrible day for our family.

I guess you have to find your way to an affordable vet that you really can talk with. We just took in a stray (young male) cat. The vet who saw him when we took him in the day we decided we would take him into our home cut us a huge break on the neutering and shots since she is aware of how many other pets we have.

Stinky_Gardner:

I'm so glad to hear that the Vet actually suggested it, but am surprised you weren't told about the Duck & Pea food. This food is made without the ingredients cats are typically allergic too. Here's a link to show you what I'm talking about. There are some other brands that make it too, I think Van Pattens is one. :c) We have to buy the soft food (poor cat is so old he has no teeth) @ 1.15 a can!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hills Duck & Pea Cat food

Stinky Gardner, you know, I posted that link to show you a picture just one of the foods available and saw it was not talking at all well about the food itself. I don't know the pros and cons of the food, I just know it worked, but this is a link to the specific brand we've been feeding to our cats. It was created by that actor Dick Van Patten, is the most affordable brand we've found and is available online as well as places like Petco. Good luck and sorry bout the mix up! --Lukki

Here is a link that might be useful: Van Patten's

Hi Lukki! Thanks so much for both links! So, you did not use the Hill's brand, you used the Van Patten. I will look for it. Hope Jasmine likes it as much as her zd! Do you need a prescription to buy it? How long did it take to see results? Btw, what symptoms did your cat have? Thanks again for all the info & suggestions!

Hi back at you! No, don't need a prescription to by Van Pattens, we've also used venison & pea which is hypo allergenic too, but that's soft food, I don't know if it comes in dry.

Results: It took a while to see real results but our cat's poor ears were in really poor shape. You may see results sooner.

Symptoms: He was ALWAYS shaking his head, and scratching at his ears. Then he'd get a discharge that looked like mites so the vet would give us medication (antibiotics I guess?) to clear it up. That would only last so long and everything would start up again.

He's 17 years old, so you can only imagine how many vets we've been through and how much $$ we spent! We changed his food around October of last year and once his ears cleared up, it never came back. He is so much more comfortable now.

Hoping you have the same results, since it's only a change in food, it's worth a shot right? Fingers are crossed!

Paint Chips, thanks for the info. Very interesting. We don't have copperheads where I live... but I was imagining you cutting an x in the wound and sucking out the poison! Benadryl sounds a lot nicer/easier and I'm glad it worked for you. I've used it on dogs for bee stings. Oddly, I had a little 8 week (about 8 lbs) puppy get stung (we think) and the vet said to pop him TWO adult benadryl tablets. That amazed me, but I did it and the pup recovered just fine.

I fought ear infections in dogs for decades... and found OtiCleanse from the vet's office did as much good as anything else. Oxine is a product I have on hand here all the time to clean up bird cages, countertops cutting boards, pet dishes, etc. It kills everything Clorox kills, but without the side effects. I've used it in all sorts of unorthodox ways. lol!

For those of you buying food from vets - one word. Don't. It's all crap. A waste of money. Unhealthy food. One of my cats had - yes had - feline diabetes. With proper food, teeth cleaning and a month of insulin he became regulated. His was most likely steroid induced, but on the Feline Diabetes Board there are others that are not and get off the juice by merely changing their diet.

I learned ALL about cat food - high protein, low carb is best for ALL pets. Whether healthy or with a health problem. I've gone no grain, no gluten (causes skin allergies) and no by-products. Feeding cats canned Wellness and occasionally a bit of dry Wellness Core. Dogs strictly dry Wellness Core since they drink more water than cats.

Most vets here do not charge an arm for an office visit. Sure, depending on what's wrong/test required it could get high but basic routine yearly's are not expensive.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners has a website with great vaccination requirements. Most are only needed every 3 years and most states have approved of a 3 year rabies shot. Check it out.

http://www.catvets.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Food Charts

I agree Allison, food at the Vets is crap and expensive to boot. I'm not sure where the duck/pea food fits in your research, but it did fix our kitty's problem. We buy our food "Van Pattens" at Pet Supplies Plus locally and it's also available at some other food store chains.

I say that all the time, dlm. "I'm afraid of my vet." And also, that "I don't need all these routine diagnostics to tell me what I already know -- my cat is fine!" It must stop. Though my pleas for mercy have not helped. They are always trying to sell me something and rely too heavily, imo, on the diagnostics to screen healthy animals or confirm what they already know clinically. I have four kitties to take care of. While the annual exam itself is $52, cats over age 6 (or is it 7) are considered seniors and are supposed get a Wellness Panel of diagnostics twice a year. I rarely leave the vet, on any type of visit, without a $300-$500 bill. Then they want the teeth cleaned. Another $500 (with no complications), per cat, each year. I don't do that.

What are now called 'services' were once considered part of a routine checkup years ago -- anal gland expression and teeth scaling, for instance. They are now surcharges, at $20 each. Purchasing even one pill will include a $9 dispensing fee. (I learned this a few years back when I needed one little valium for the long trip to the specialist for a $1500 radiation treatment for hyperthyroid disease -- which he needed done twice!).

I will only be able to have a of couple cats in the future, when my older ones are gone, as it's become too expensive (and complicated!) to have pets anymore. I hear many people saying the same thing. It's really scarey with two older cats right now. Even just the food is becoming ridiculously expensive, at over $1/can. I fear for how many animals lose their homes because of this.

It's nuts.

(stinky-gardener - The itchy ears are a problem here too. Food allergies were the culprit. What worked was an ear wash and drops, as well as the important diet changes mentioned above. Food allergies are very common. My vet considers Wellness the best food and all pet food to be carp.)

How about a different perspective? I'm the vet.

As far as PetMeds, they are NOT a reputable company. They routinely ignore refusals by doctors to not renew medications, they routinely give Rx without seeing a pet without even having an Rx from a doctor, they routinely are in trouble with the law on these issues. And the hospital where I work is cheaper anyway. Plus, with Walmart offering generic Rx for $4/month if there is a way your pet can benefit from one on the list, ask the vet for the written Rx. We don't charge an Rx fee for any pet seen and diagnosed by our hospital. And since you can get many antibiotics and chronic meds for less there, why not? Fosters and Smith is reputable- they have never been in legal trouble and we have been very happy with them.

A lot of veterinary practices rely way too heavily on diagnostics, but I don't think it is the vets' fault. In this age of litigation, we are all guilty of practicing CYA medicine somewhat. Yes, I can see petechia on the patient so I know her platelets are way too low, and she's pale and her heart rate is up so I know she is anemic, but if I don't run a CBC to prove it and patient dies and owner sues for malpractice, I'm pretty much stuck with lawyer bills, missed work, paying expert consultants, and in danger of losing my ability to practice which means I have $100,000 in school loans and no way to pay them off. So guess what? I run the CBC, even though I won't learn anything or do anything different based on the results.

You have a right to refuse anything your vet recommends. You have a right to know what the vet is hoping to learn from the results of any test, and what will change in the treatment of the patient based on those tests. If your vet can't explain the answers to those questions satisfactorily, then refuse the tests.

I will say that even in my healthy dogs, I run CBC, chem, and UA once a year; twice a year when they get older (above 7 since my dogs are large breeds). I'd add a T4 in a cat above 10 years. Pets can't say my liver doesn't feel quite right, or I'm always a little dehydrated because my kidneys don't work that well anymore, etc. And they hide symptoms until something outright FAILS, at which point it's a losing battle. Caught early, there are many things one can do for a cat with renal disease, or a dog with liver disease, but once they start showing symptoms, the disease is so advanced you are unlikely to provide any increase in quality or quantity of life. However you still have a right to refuse to do that testing if you don't want to and understand the value of annual or semi-annual testing.

We can do a lot more for our pets now than ever before. Used the be unusual for a cat to live past 10 years, now I consider them young if they die at 14. I expect cats to live to 20 for the most part.

I work at the cheapest vet in town, in a very cheap town. We haven't lost any business and in fact it is growing. We are however treating many more preventable diseases such as parvo, heartworms, GI parasites, tick-borne illnesses than ever. And we've been seeing people delay treatment for sick pets to the point of it becoming MUCH more expensive to treat, but they feel guilty and go ahead anyway. It's not the way I like to see the bottom line increase.

I will be more than happy to discuss vaccines in another thread. Or I can refer you to this website. Take special note of the duration of immunity and realize why annual vaccines for FVRCP, distemper, and parvo are stupid.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vaccine guidelines

We just came back from the vet yesterday $140- included a heartworm test, fecal test, exam, rabies vaccine, and Dist/parvo (which I agree with meghane is a stupid vaccine)- also got 6 months of frontline and 6 months of heartworm.

The same vet used to work at another clinic where just the exam/vaccines was $185 (no flea/worm preventatives included)- just goes to show that sometimes you pay for the fancy clinic. Not to mention I have worked at both of the mentioned clinics and seen the markup that it takes to pay for new additions, remodels, and the perks.

meghane I'm glad you chimed in and after I read your link I will start another thread if anyting is unclear - thank you.

I fully understand the need to practice CYA medicine but I sure with it wasn't necessary. DH and I were just saying this morning that we'd love aother dog but financiallly it's out of the question. Maybe after our youngest is done with college.....

As for my longtime vet, he's in an affluent, pet loving area and now in a brand new (wonderful I must say) facility and what had been high fees before are even higher now. That EXACT same vet trip that groomingal detailed *** $140 - included a heartworm test, fecal test, exam, rabies vaccine, and Dist/parvo...- also got 6 months of frontline and 6 months of heartworm. *** was $439 last year at my vet. FOR ONE HEALTHY DOG. That's why I'm switching. I love my dog and never want to short change him but there has to be another way.