Vet Bills To Soar

[PuggaWuggles]

Pet owners face soaring vet bills - http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...00-3102,00.html

PET owners are being hit with dramatically different vet bills for the same procedures. And some pet owners claim they were charged more than triple the usual cost for after-hours emergency surgery in the absence of any pricing regulation of the unregulated vet industry.

Veterinarians say climbing fees are the price of technological advancements, putting pet care almost on par with human care for the first time. But owners fear the rising trend of pet specialist referrals is leading to unreasonable fees.

Veterinary costs are unregulated and no price guides are available. Pet owners must rely on shopping around.

Inquiries by The Sunday Mail have found desexing an adult female cat can cost from $144 to $235, depending on the veterinary surgery. Desexing a male dog can range from $157 to $330.

Vaccinating an adult female cat can cost from $54 to $87 and microchipping from $42 to $69.

Jimboomba dog breeder Helma Dressler said her records showed caesarean costs had tripled in a decade.

Costs for a caesarean can vary from $660 at Warwick to $1500 in Brisbane and $900 at Redbank Plains, according to breeders.

But Australian Veterinary Association national president Dr Mark Lawrie said while vet fees had risen "dramatically" in the past decade, competition laws made price regulation or issuing price schedules dangerous. He attributed rising costs to advancements such as the rise in MRIs, CAT scans and chemotherapy for animals.

"There have been a lot more services available, such as 24-hour clinics that are very well-equipped and cost a lot of money to run," he said.

Animal specialists now exist for dozens of conditions, with vet surgeries able to refer pet owners to specialists in cancer, dermatology, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging and a range of other fields.

At the Australian Animal Cancer Foundation facility in Albany Creek, north of Brisbane, pet owners pay an average $2500 to $3000 to have cats and dogs treated for cancer by Dr Rod Straw.

Some pet owners have spent six-figure sums on cancer treatment at the facility.

One owner spent almost $100,000 on vet bills over six years to save two 12-year-old pet boxers from cancer.

Government subsidies might have curbed the cost of human medical advances, but pet owners have been left struggling to foot spiralling vet bills.

Some pet owners said they were shocked by bills of more than $4000 for after-hours surgery.

Deception Bay dog breeder Debbie Creagh was hit with a $4400 bill for an emergency after-hours caesarean on her labrador retriever Brooke this month after the 20-month-old swallowed a dog toy.

Among the cost was a $50 fee for a surgical dog gown.

Mrs Creagh said she paid for an emergency caesarean for another dog months earlier costing $2200, but has paid as little as $600 for the same procedure during normal consultation hours.

Another pet owner was shocked at a $954 animal emergency centre bill to save a cat with a blocked bladder.

Sunshine Coast pensioner Ralph Huddy spent close to $7000 to have specialists fix cruciate ligament problems in his cattle dog's hind legs.

[email protected].

[Sandra777]

Deception Bay dog breeder Debbie Creagh was hit with a $4400 bill for an emergency after-hours caesarean on her labrador retriever Brooke this month after the 20-month-old swallowed a dog toy.

Really not sure what the reporter is actually trying to say here.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Sandra777

[sandgrubber]

News? More like garbled complaints. Some of them, no doubt, justified.

[gareth]

The Lab gave birth to a dog toy?

[WreckitWhippet]

Moral of the story is , use a vet you like, find out prices upfront and if it's something major or you are unsure, seek a second opinion.

Owning a dog does not come without costs and vets weren't a charity last time I checked

[Sheridan]

Moral of the story is , use a vet you like, find out prices upfront and if it's something major or you are unsure, seek a second opinion.

Owning a dog does not come without costs and vets weren't a charity last time I checked

You can hardly find a vet you like or seek a second opinion if it's an emergency.

What it does mean that people should have around $5000 stashed away for emergency surgery. I suppose those who loftily post that if you can't afford veterinary care you shouldn't have a dog, have such funds readily available.

[WreckitWhippet]

Moral of the story is , use a vet you like, find out prices upfront and if it's something major or you are unsure, seek a second opinion.

Owning a dog does not come without costs and vets weren't a charity last time I checked

You can hardly find a vet you like or seek a second opinion if it's an emergency.

What it does mean that people should have around $5000 stashed away for emergency surgery. I suppose those who loftily post that if you can't afford veterinary care you shouldn't have a dog, have such funds readily available.

Surgery costs, it's expensive, you can either pay for it or in the case of an emergency ask the price up front and if you can't afford it, then euth the dog.

The majority of emergency clinics, will advise you of the costs , they also expect that you will pay upfront before treating your dog.

It's a fact of life, if you own a dog and it becomes sick or injured , you will have vet bills. There's no medicare for dogs, so if you can't afford large vets bills, take out pet insurance.

[alpha bet]

Pet Insurance could end up being our worst enemy.

Who has had their vet ask if they have insurance before they tell you how much they are charging?

[Erny]

Pet Insurance could end up being our worst enemy.

Who has had their vet ask if they have insurance before they tell you how much they are charging?

Although that shouldn't really come into it, even if you discount the moral aspects of it. Pet Insurance claim approvals are not a 'given'. There could be all sorts of reasons for a claim being denied. Unlike human health insurance where they don't ask if you had that sore 'xxxxx' before you took out the insurance with them, or whether it might be genetically related.

And I agree with the response to the dog having a caesarean to a dog toy. Could that be the birth of the first genetically modified 'perfect' pet dog? Doesn't bark; won't dig; etc. etc. Perhaps there's no need for the "Building Better Dogs" seminar here in Victoria on 11th February ?????

Edited February 1, 2010 by Erny

[SpikesPuppy]

The difference in prices is insane- the lowest quote I heard for a c-section during clinic hours was $550..... the other end of the scale, again clinic hours, was $1,600. WTF??? Both quotes included fluids etc.

When our dog has his cruciate replaced, it was $500 per leg (done separately). I have heard of others being charged upto $2,000 or higher

One of our preferred vet clinics charges $36 for a consultation. Another vet we used charged $76 These clinics are nearby to eachother, with the cheaper one actually in the more valuable position real-estate wise (so higher rent can't be the reason). The cheaper vet is by no means inferior.

Can I ask a question of breeders?? If a puppy buyer told you their pup needed emergency surgery (through no one's fault) and it was quoted upwards of $3,000 upfront and they opted to euthanaise the dog because they did not have that cash on hand... would you consider selling them another pup or would you put them on a blacklist??

[KKDD]

The interesting thing in this article (other than the dog that gave birth to a toy) is not the size of the costs, but the variation between them - particularly for standard, 'non-specialist' procedures such as speys, castrations, vaccinations and chipping.

Yes its appropriate for owners to be prepared to cough up for their pet, but at the face of it, it looks like some vets are just greedier than others.

Last week I had a rescue kelpie pup with simple clean fracture in its hind leg. Quotes ranged from "starting at $1500" to $450. You can guess which one I went with. Pup is doing well.

[centitout]

My preferred vets are at the cheaper end of the scale,but very good,in fact i will do a 300 km round trip to see them for major things.I use a vet 40 kms away to do vaccs etc,when there is one in town here.

$176 for a post whelping xray? when my other vets charge $60.

I had one owner that had a CKC and was charged $7000 for cruciate ligament repair ,and $900 to have his ears plucked and cleaned under sedation.They did get a bottle of epi otic included in the price.

[goldchow]

I do the same Centitout, but round trip 600 ks to have the dog correctly diagnosed and successfully treated in one trip for less than half the price I'd pay locally along with a few trips backwards and forwards because it could be this, or it could be that!! Emergencies are real worry here.

Also note in the Sunday Mail that QLD vets are ignoring the new AVA protocols and contining to promote annual vaccinations.

[Sheridan]

Moral of the story is , use a vet you like, find out prices upfront and if it's something major or you are unsure, seek a second opinion.

Owning a dog does not come without costs and vets weren't a charity last time I checked

You can hardly find a vet you like or seek a second opinion if it's an emergency.

What it does mean that people should have around $5000 stashed away for emergency surgery. I suppose those who loftily post that if you can't afford veterinary care you shouldn't have a dog, have such funds readily available.

Surgery costs, it's expensive, you can either pay for it or in the case of an emergency ask the price up front and if you can't afford it, then euth the dog.

The majority of emergency clinics, will advise you of the costs , they also expect that you will pay upfront before treating your dog.

It's a fact of life, if you own a dog and it becomes sick or injured , you will have vet bills. There's no medicare for dogs, so if you can't afford large vets bills, take out pet insurance.

I'm sure that there are people who are as pragmatically cold as this.

[grabit]

When our dog has his cruciate replaced, it was $500 per leg (done separately). I have heard of others being charged upto $2,000 or higher :D

I could be wrong but my guess is that in this situation they where quoting for different techniques, some of the higher priced repairs are more successful long term than the cheap surgeries, so what you think is cheap now may come back to haunt you in a few years time when your animal has ongoing problems or requires further surgery as the result of having cheap surgery now which fixed the symptom rather than the problem.

I work in a surgery that is by no means the cheapest around (but neither is it the most expensive) however I can tell you that they pay their staff fairly as well as promoting and paying for continuing education. This translates into happier and more experienced nurses and vets. The end result being that they are more compassionate and care for the animals better than some of their peers who work elsewhere. I would also question the cheap vet about their experience with major surgeries such as cruciate repair ...have they done it before? They may be using your dog as a guinea pig to learn on.

[Sheridan]

I could be wrong but my guess is that in this situation they where quoting for different techniques, some of the higher priced repairs are more successful long term than the cheap surgeries, so what you think is cheap now may come back to haunt you in a few years time when your animal has ongoing problems or requires further surgery as the result of having cheap surgery now which fixed the symptom rather than the problem.

I work in a surgery that is by no means the cheapest around (but neither is it the most expensive) however I can tell you that they pay their staff fairly as well as promoting and paying for continuing education. This translates into happier and more experienced nurses and vets. The end result being that they are more compassionate and care for the animals better than some of their peers who work elsewhere. I would also question the cheap vet about their experience with major surgeries such as cruciate repair ...have they done it before? They may be using your dog as a guinea pig to learn on.

I would query given it's about emergency vet prices (i.e. out of regular hours prices) what experience they have in these things. The pricing appears to be simply because other surgeries are closed not because they're experienced in anything or have specialist skills.

[centitout]

When our dog has his cruciate replaced, it was $500 per leg (done separately). I have heard of others being charged upto $2,000 or higher

I could be wrong but my guess is that in this situation they where quoting for different techniques, some of the higher priced repairs are more successful long term than the cheap surgeries, so what you think is cheap now may come back to haunt you in a few years time when your animal has ongoing problems or requires further surgery as the result of having cheap surgery now which fixed the symptom rather than the problem.

I work in a surgery that is by no means the cheapest around (but neither is it the most expensive) however I can tell you that they pay their staff fairly as well as promoting and paying for continuing education. This translates into happier and more experienced nurses and vets. The end result being that they are more compassionate and care for the animals better than some of their peers who work elsewhere. I would also question the cheap vet about their experience with major surgeries such as cruciate repair ...have they done it before? They may be using your dog as a guinea pig to learn on.

The vets i worked for did heaps of CR ,most of their clients are farmers dogs,although i trust them implicitly with my bloodhounds.They also paid for and encouraged going to seminars and further study,paid more than the award and we all received bonuses of $1000 at the end of the financial year as well as xmas.If their was something they were iffy about,they normally directed the owners on to specialists without hesitation.

As for paying staff more equals more compassionate staff-"crap" -i have seen some from big ,expensive practices that i wouldnt hand over my pet mouse to,others whose animal handling skills are non existent,or extremely poor.

I have seen my vets do extremely complicated ,life threatening surgeries,spend all night sleeping next to the cage while they recovered,sat there with snake bite cats on oxygen all night ,done CR and seen the dogs go back to working sheep and have no further probs for years.They make only enough to cover expenses,never refuse emergency cases and if someone in an emergency situation who is unable to pay upfront-will let them pay it off.I have told them often enough that they need to charge more,but they are happy doing what they do.

Have also seen some vets from "big" practises that are the most arrogant,blow hards you will come across,that have botched simple surgeries.

To me ,expensive is not necessarily the best and i will quite happily drive 300 kms and spend $50 in fuel to get there.My CHEAP vets are worth their weight in gold.

[centitout]

My bloodhound bitches c-section/desexing at 2.30 am cost me all up with x-rays,fluids,AB on a sat night was $947.

My bitch that had the 18 pups was $650/xrays,AB and lots of fluids to c-section/desex.

The last one was performed by a 2nd year practising vet whom i did the vet nursing for,and while a little slower,did an amazing job.

[grabit]

When our dog has his cruciate replaced, it was $500 per leg (done separately). I have heard of others being charged upto $2,000 or higher

I could be wrong but my guess is that in this situation they where quoting for different techniques, some of the higher priced repairs are more successful long term than the cheap surgeries, so what you think is cheap now may come back to haunt you in a few years time when your animal has ongoing problems or requires further surgery as the result of having cheap surgery now which fixed the symptom rather than the problem.

I work in a surgery that is by no means the cheapest around (but neither is it the most expensive) however I can tell you that they pay their staff fairly as well as promoting and paying for continuing education. This translates into happier and more experienced nurses and vets. The end result being that they are more compassionate and care for the animals better than some of their peers who work elsewhere. I would also question the cheap vet about their experience with major surgeries such as cruciate repair ...have they done it before? They may be using your dog as a guinea pig to learn on.

The vets i worked for did heaps of CR ,most of their clients are farmers dogs,although i trust them implicitly with my bloodhounds.They also paid for and encouraged going to seminars and further study,paid more than the award and we all received bonuses of $1000 at the end of the financial year as well as xmas.If their was something they were iffy about,they normally directed the owners on to specialists without hesitation.

As for paying staff more equals more compassionate staff-"crap" -i have seen some from big ,expensive practices that i wouldnt hand over my pet mouse to,others whose animal handling skills are non existent,or extremely poor.

I have seen my vets do extremely complicated ,life threatening surgeries,spend all night sleeping next to the cage while they recovered,sat there with snake bite cats on oxygen all night ,done CR and seen the dogs go back to working sheep and have no further probs for years.They make only enough to cover expenses,never refuse emergency cases and if someone in an emergency situation who is unable to pay upfront-will let them pay it off.I have told them often enough that they need to charge more,but they are happy doing what they do.

Have also seen some vets from "big" practises that are the most arrogant,blow hards you will come across,that have botched simple surgeries.

To me ,expensive is not necessarily the best and i will quite happily drive 300 kms and spend $50 in fuel to get there.My CHEAP vets are worth their weight in gold.

I think you misunderstand what i am trying to say centitout i am not saying that expensive vets are always the best vets ...just that these factors should be taken into account. You are right money does not automatically= compassion, however i do feel for some of my colleagues who with 20 years of work study and highly qualified earn less than a checkout chick at Big W, vet nurses have the right to be paid fairly too!

[centitout]

Of course vet nurses should be paid properly,i earnt the same fo rvet nursing as i did for supervisor at an IGA :)except sundays ,i earnt $33 an hour. But it is up to the vets themselves to pay appropriately,the bonuses i mentioned were taken from the vets own pockets to give to us.

None have flash cars or big houses,although being the only vets over a huge area,they could easily be very rich if they chose to be.

We also received sometimes less than cost price care for any of our animals,cost price drugs etc as another perk.

Edited February 2, 2010 by centitout