Peeved About Foster

[kja]

A little vent. I don't feel the vet has been doing anything to get this puppy a forever home. I'm the one making sure there is a notice going out in our daily local email, I'm sending the vet photos and updates so they can give it to their clients and get it out on flyers/emails/facebook etc - none of which they've done, I'm fielding email enquiries then passing them on and I get one back from the vet asking ME to email the people and ask for their phone numbers?!

I sent an email Thur/Fri with more info and asking some questions and suggesting things they could also do and it's been totally ignored.

I just got an email all chipper saying they've dropped the price to only $500! That's freakin' crazy. And I know when I was in there originally the vet said they usually sent them out at $350 or $450 (I honestly can't remember BUT both of those are lower than the new reduced price). No wonder people aren't lining up to take this little guy. I know it costs them money to do the neutering and vax and food and stuff but jeesh, the point is to get the dog into a home. And frankly, they'll make it back here about 100 times over if the dog ever needs the vet since they're so crazily overpriced.

Grrrr!

[LizT]

Does this vet usually run a foster agency? Or is he working in conjunction with another Rescue service?

That price does seem steep for, a mixed breed puppy via a rescue group. Usually they just try to cover vet and basic costs and since it is a vet doing it himself I would imagine the costs are only to himself? Are you cover food and care costs yourself?

[persephone]

Sounds as if the vet has found a new moneymaking exercise ....

[rusty&biscuit]

Wow that's pretty steep...is there a chance you could use another vet? Sorry, I've never fostered so I'm not 100% on how it works

[megan_]

Is hte pup advertised on PetRescue? you can get a rescue group to list the pup for you. Also, look there for price comparisons and give these to the vet. Given that you're remote, the vet should knock about $200 off the standard price for mutt puppies, as some homes will need to fly him over.

[Guest RANDCMOORE31]

I adopted a 5 year old x breed dog from a rescue via Pet Rescue - and she was $485 - which is a bit dearer than some - but not as dear as others. We also had to pay $390 to fly her over to where we live. Given that she weighed 2.5 kg when we got her - we joke that we paid $500 per kilo (by the time we took her to our vet, had heartworm treatment, flea treatment, worming etc). So, it's not that over the top.

[kja]

Latest email from the vet (actually the vet nurse who I vented about in OT recently) - seems like she's doing all the work here again.

Yep was 700 I tried just that no good??

Not even coherent, really. sigh.

Edited March 26, 2012 by kja

[raineth]

hmm Kja no wonder you are frustrated, that doesn't sound right to me at all

Sounds like you are doing all the right things and being assertive and it's getting you nowhere

Did the puppy need extra vet work and that is why they are charging so much?

Also not sure what that last email means? Is she saying that she thought that dropping the price should be enough to get him a forever home?

Fingers crossed that your gorgeous pup will find a forever home soon.

[kja]

Her reply to my reply:

Believe me we are only covering costs. A vaccination course costs $350, the 2 proheart injections given at 3 and 6 months come to 320, microchip is 75 and the sterilisation costs 330, all totalling 1075. Cost price at 50% is $500. The reason we insist that the vaccine, heartworm and sterilisations are done is to make sure they are going to good homes who are aware of everything that needs to be done as part of owning a dog.

Of course we cannot compete with Perth rescue prices because as you know, being in a remote town means higher costs of running a business.

In Carnarvon the SAFE does not include vax and heartworm treatments with their adoptions which is why they are a lot cheaper. However I do not want to increase the number of unvaccinated or heartworm protected dogs in our town because it only makes it an unsafer environment for all the other dogs here.

[mirawee]

Her reply to my reply:

Believe me we are only covering costs. A vaccination course costs $350, the 2 proheart injections given at 3 and 6 months come to 320, microchip is 75 and the sterilisation costs 330, all totalling 1075. Cost price at 50% is $500. The reason we insist that the vaccine, heartworm and sterilisations are done is to make sure they are going to good homes who are aware of everything that needs to be done as part of owning a dog.

Of course we cannot compete with Perth rescue prices because as you know, being in a remote town means higher costs of running a business.

In Carnarvon the SAFE does not include vax and heartworm treatments with their adoptions which is why they are a lot cheaper. However I do not want to increase the number of unvaccinated or heartworm protected dogs in our town because it only makes it an unsafer environment for all the other dogs here.

That is huge costs! My vet is reasonably expensive for a vaccination and they are only $75 - so $225 for the course. Why were 2 proheart injections given? My understanding is they last 12 months and shouldn't be given until the dog is over 12 months anyway!

And while that may be cost to the general public you would think the vet would factor "cost price" not "how much we didn't make because we "owned" the dog at the time.

Very very strange.

[LizT]

Her reply to my reply:

Believe me we are only covering costs. A vaccination course costs $350, the 2 proheart injections given at 3 and 6 months come to 320, microchip is 75 and the sterilisation costs 330, all totalling 1075. Cost price at 50% is $500. The reason we insist that the vaccine, heartworm and sterilisations are done is to make sure they are going to good homes who are aware of everything that needs to be done as part of owning a dog.

Of course we cannot compete with Perth rescue prices because as you know, being in a remote town means higher costs of running a business.

In Carnarvon the SAFE does not include vax and heartworm treatments with their adoptions which is why they are a lot cheaper. However I do not want to increase the number of unvaccinated or heartworm protected dogs in our town because it only makes it an unsafer environment for all the other dogs here.

That is huge costs! My vet is reasonably expensive for a vaccination and they are only $75 - so $225 for the course. Why were 2 proheart injections given? My understanding is they last 12 months and shouldn't be given until the dog is over 12 months anyway!

And while that may be cost to the general public you would think the vet would factor "cost price" not "how much we didn't make because we "owned" the dog at the time.

Very very strange.

Agree. It appears they are using their usual markup.

[canine fun sports]

Why were 2 proheart injections given? My understanding is they last 12 months and shouldn't be given until the dog is over 12 months anyway!

There are three ways to used Proheart in puppies. This is because, when they are pups and still growing, it is difficult to estimate what the pup's weight will be in 12 months' time. So you may underdose, if you underestimate their weight.

1. Use some other form of Heartworm Prevention until they are fully grown. Then start Proheart when you know their adult weight.

2. If you have a good idea what their adult weight will be then dose as a pup for their adult weight.

3. Dose them as pups at current weight. That should be an adequate dose to give an effective prevention until they are about 6 to 8 months of age (usual desexing age) then a second dose is given at that 6 to 8 months time which should give adequate coverage until their first adult vaccination at about 16 months.

I usually choose option 1 because I use a heart worm prevention that also incorporates worming and young dogs need to be wormed more often, anyway.

Cheers,

[Kirty]

Sorry but that is really poor form. How on earth does it cost $330 to neuter a male pup??? Cost price would be barely anything - a bit of suture and 20 mins of the vet's time. $350 for 3 vaccs??? Vaccinations cost $15 each to buy (even in small numbers), chips are about $30... This vet is just trying to make money.

ETA - They can charge clients what they want for these things, however this is supposed to be a rescue operation. You don't make money off rescues, especially at the expense of a foster carer!!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Kirty

[Christina]

Find another vet.

Its outrageous to charge so much. The costs quoted are ridiculous. There is no way on earth a microchip can cost $75, beside the rest of the costs.

For rescue there is not supposed to be a profit. It is done because you want to help & rescue. Certainly to charge what it costs them I can understand but to add on profit for rescue I cannot. This is make more money not save a life.

[Staff'n'Toller]

We're not the cheapest around, and in the city (not WA) but yes those prices are crazy.

For instance microchip is $47 with full CAR rego, desexing is $200 (under 10kg) with pain relief and anti-biotics.

'Guardian' heartworm and allwormer cubes at cost price are about $8 each per 10kg, they should have been using those, there's no way they can assure compliance with further proheart injections once the new owners take him anyway.

We run a remote program and all locals pay Melbourne prices.

We run cat adoption too and run at a loss for that, but you add it up using cost prices and utilise Vet's time when they are being paid but have nothing else scheduled to do. It's a welfare service run by a private practice as a community service, not a private animal sales.

[Rozzie]

Jeebus, they use goldplated microchips???????????????????????????????

[tdierikx]

The actual chip costs around $5 - that's what we buy them for - and we have a qualified implanter to insert them. The paperwork for the chips can be downloaded from our department of local government website, or ordered in pad form from same. Desexing a male pup costs under $100, and our vet isn't losing out on their costs at that price. The C3 vaccine vials cost around $20-25 each. Who starts heartworm treatment on a pup under 6 months? Especially any treatment not of the monthly tablet type. Regular worming tablets are bought in bulk, so the costs there are low also.

We sell our pups for $300 each with all of the above done, and we pretty much recoup all of our costs at that price. Your vet is grossly overpricing these pups. Even buying one of our pups from NSW and transporting to WA would cost a potential adopter less than that.

T.

[Loopy Lola]

As others have said it wouldn't be costing the vet anywhere near those amounts ...remote or not ...as they buy the vacc and microchips in bulk just like all the other vets . Think the vet nurse is spinning you a yarn as Mary at Safe in Canarvon does vacc , desex and chip which is included in the adoption fee ;)

[Kirislin]

It seems they dont understand the concept of rescue.

[Boronia]

Her reply to my reply:

Believe me we are only covering costs. A vaccination course costs $350, the 2 proheart injections given at 3 and 6 months come to 320, microchip is 75 and the sterilisation costs 330, all totalling 1075. Cost price at 50% is $500. The reason we insist that the vaccine, heartworm and sterilisations are done is to make sure they are going to good homes who are aware of everything that needs to be done as part of owning a dog.

Of course we cannot compete with Perth rescue prices because as you know, being in a remote town means higher costs of running a business.

In Carnarvon the SAFE does not include vax and heartworm treatments with their adoptions which is why they are a lot cheaper. However I do not want to increase the number of unvaccinated or heartworm protected dogs in our town because it only makes it an unsafer environment for all the other dogs here.

This makes me cross, I have lived in rural/remote towns and delivery costs are a little higher but rents/rates are MUCH more reasonable along with incentives for water tanks and solar power, the comment (my bold and pretty colour) is a joke.

I think they may be having a lend of you and your Rescue.