Modoc, Been there....Had it done to me!! My advice is find a good country vet. They're a lot cheaper because they don't have to pay for the upkeep of a suburban practice. -Joe
Thanks Joby.. i guess i kinda panicked this morning...the little vet clinic i wanted to take him to is closed on wednesdays so i got on the internet and took him to the nearest place that was open at 8am..it is an animal hospital with probably 20 examining rooms, big flatt screen tvs in the waiting room etc..i had a bad feeling it was gonna be expensive...
Post by dirthawker on Apr 30, 2008 14:04:28 GMT -5
sorry to hear about mick but ya I think 800 is a bit high. but my vet hasnt charged me more than 100.00 for the last 6 years for any problem that the dogs or the birds have had
Post by forestfalcon on Apr 30, 2008 14:08:39 GMT -5
To clarify, I'm not a forum vet, but I am a vet tech. I was adding up all of those things in my head, and I reached about a $400 mark...and I live in an area where vet services can be pretty steep. The problem in this industry, is there is no price ceiling. Vet clinics can charge whatever they please, it's just a matter if people think the services they offer are worth it. It really isn't something that you can fight, unfortunately. I am a bit confused at some of those treatments...seems a bit overboard for a possible parasite. Was your dog having any vomiting or diarrhea? I can understand the fecal (obviously,) the bloodwork, maybe the iv cath/fluids, drontal, and other meds, but I'm not sure where the urinalysis comes in. I'm honestly surprised they didn't take xrays...that's usually one of the first things with a painful abdomen. It sort of sounds like this one hospital I worked at for a long time, that seemed like they would take advantage of people's vulnerability with having a sick animal, to tack on other unnecessary treatments. I'm not going to say that what they did/are doing for your dog is wrong. I don't know the whole story. But if you are in anyway uncomfortable with anything they do for you or your dog, you should find a new vet. The most important thing is to make sure that you and your pet's needs are handled appropriately. Let us know how it goes!
PS- what are you feeding your dog, to make him want to turn to rotting rabbit carcasses? LOL! ;D
"We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" -Bloc Party
thanks drthwkr,, forestfalcon, they did xray him, and siad his stomach was bloated with gas. I do think i was takin advantage of,,but what can you do at that point? walk out? and gamble with the dogs wellbeing..its a double edged sword. the vet just called me back about the rabbit carcass and said that the price and the treatment would not change.
very frustrating!!!
dogs will be dogs no matter what you feed them.. ive seen other dogs eat cat feces and get sick, ive observed mick go outside after eating a huge bowl of dogfood and catch a babybunny and rip it apart eating the guts..yuck.. theres not much i can do, its his instinct and his job to chase bunnys. Why did he eat a rotten carcass? you got me.
yea...I think you were taken advantage of. $800? Which clinic is it? Is it the brand new one in Sorrento Valley? How much was it to walk in the door to see the vet? That should tell you a lot about their pricing.
In San Diego you really need to be careful. When I got my newest pup spayed I called around to every single vet in the phone book down there. I got prices ranged from $75-$550...absolutely insane.
Well, since Mick is already in the hospital for it all you probably can't do anything. It's hard to wait at all when your animal is in pain though. Maybe next time tell them you want a second opinion?
Dont ever hesitate to question them and ask what each procedure is for and why the want to administer it.
I hope Mick feels better!
Last Edit: Apr 30, 2008 15:31:09 GMT -5 by Starburst
Sage - Female American Kestrel 2008 -------------------------------------------- Zephyr - Female Red Tail 2008-2010 -------------------------------------------- Saffron - Female American Kestrel 2009-2010
Post by forestfalcon on Apr 30, 2008 15:40:42 GMT -5
Oops, even though I read it twice, I missed the part where you said he was xrayed. sorry! Stupid week before finals week...makes my brain numb!
What I did mean when I said that if you didn't feel comfortable to find another vet, I didn't mean to leave and find one right then, but when everything is over, and your pup is feeling better.
I hope your pooch starts feeling better soon.
"We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" -Bloc Party
Post by deserthawker on May 1, 2008 0:09:12 GMT -5
$800. !!! That sucks, but I'm sure I would have done the same thing. when it's your dog, you pay whatever it is they ask. You did what you had to do at the time. I'd sure be calling up my vet and asking who they would recommend if there's ever a next time though. Hopefully Mickdog is feeling much better. He seems like a real smart dog, do you think that will teach him not to eat dead stuff ?
Post by forestfalcon on May 1, 2008 18:21:36 GMT -5
Dogs eat the most random things. I will never understand the coprophagics (eating feces.) I used to have a mini dach that LOVED eating the tiny christmas lights...and then she'd go graze the cat box. It was a delight to check her gums for bleeding after that. We see dogs that eat all sorts of things...rocks, shopping bags, clothes, hygienic products, rodenticides, currency, any food product imaginable (including drug laced brownies...) You name it, a dog has eaten it at some point.
It's good to hear your dog is home now. What did his lab results look like?
"We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" -Bloc Party
Dogs eat the most random things. I will never understand the coprophagics (eating feces.)
Well, I guess I can help about that part! lol Studies of dogs in natural habitats (free-ranging village dogs of the tropics) shows that their diet consist mainly of feces. Feces from humans, cattles, sheeps are at the top of their nutrition. Then comes the afterbirths from the cattle and sheeps, the dead baby animals from the herds, and whatever they can find that is dead, or vegetal, or looks tasty. They are not predatory by nature, and in tropical villages are given as much consideration as we give to our squirrels and pigeons. They do not chase after the poultry or piglets, do not hunt except for some human-created packs similar to hounds. But they do LOVE eating poops. lol ;D
About the prices, I can say that usually canadian prices are half american prices, and prices from Québec Province half that of teh rest of Canada. If I add up everything you said, plus the Xrays, I reach easily 400-600$CAN in prices from Québec. Of course you will always have a very cheap vet and a very expensive vet who will range far from that price, but I think it's fairly in the normal prices. Medical care cost has increased so much in the last years it is very difficult to provide veterinary care for an affordable cost. I struggle with it everyday, finding the balance between saving lives and putting food on the table of my employees and buying new equipments to save more lives, and it is a very difficult dance. I am glad your dog is feeling better!!!
Post by forestfalcon on May 1, 2008 22:10:18 GMT -5
Nice, Kitana! That makes sense. I suppose I should say, I understand SOME animals doing it, (rabbits, village dogs, etc.) My mini dach was not very discriminate...she liked feces, butter, christmas lights, neosporin, carpet, tennis ball fuzz, whatever.
I understand village dogs, with their sketchy day to day food intake...but Heidi (the dach) got 2 square meals a day, with treats! Oh....to think like a dog for a day...
"We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?" -Bloc Party