The Economy and Our Pets

[jrubio]

This clip is very interesting because it is showing how the economy is effecting the well-being of our pets. Vet Bills are expensive as it is and now with the economy in this condition it is becoming increasingly harder for people to keep their animals healthy. Fortunately, it seems that there are organizations willing to help without being so money hungry. I remember when I had my kitten Iris who my friend and I rescued from the streets in Brooklyn, the vet bills were so expensive. At the same time, the hardest thing is to let your pet suffer or worse, get put down.
Share your experiences with me!

Josie's Pet Video Hit List!: The Economy is Effecting Our Pets!

 

[skylark601]

There is a company called LuvMyPet that provides all the core vaccinations for dogs and cats at really low prices. They are awesome!!! Way cheaper than a traditional vet facility. They are partnered up with PETCO so you know it is legit. I've taken my dog there for years and am really happy with the service. Great way to save money in this economy.
Pet Vaccinations: Dog Vaccines, Cat Vaccines at Luv My Pet - Petco

 

[Boxer100]

Some vets need to maybe lower their prices if people cannot afford vaccinations. Some of them charge way too much for their services, although I could understand them since they spent a lot of time in school to become a vet and now want some compensation.

 

[sisco16]

I kinda agree, im going for a vet technichian right now and i got to watch things like a neuter that was not a very complex surgery. And to charge around the $300 mark seems a little steep. although i think the other costs are pretty fair. like others said you can find low cost clinics or even the shelter will do spay/ neuters cheaper.

 

[release the hounds]

don't like how much somebody charges, find someone cheaper, or don't go. Think you can do it better, become a vet and then you'll know what's involved.

 

[lostshowfan86]

You know we have this one vet in our area that charges way more than he should. At the same time they have a lot of rich clients too.

The worst thing is they insist on you buying flea/tick preventative and heartworm from them.

My grandfather actually requested the prescription to his dogs medicine because he is old and on social security and that isn't a lot of money and he would be able to get the meds for about 15 dollars cheaper on 1800 pet meds (I know 15 dollars doesn't seem like a lot but for him it is) and the vets office will not honor that. They told them that they expect the patients to get the meds from them.

I am no longer using that vet and neither is he....they were very rude to us both.

We are going down the street to the vet that my former poodle went to her whole life. That was just rediculous.

And they got really miffed with me when I wouldn't buy the Zack the prescription diet they recommended. But it was 1 major expensive and 2. he will not eat it I've tried. Its corn based and Zackie reacts bad to corn. This dog will not touch anything that gives him any kind of bad reaction....he is a very smart dog


Zack got his vaccines at Petco and so will Sasha.....we aren't quite back on our feet yet.....we were both out of work for over a month and I had been out of work for almost two years but finally things are coming together and hopefully money won't be an issue.....Zacks medical bills wiped us out. So we've been struggling a bit. But we now have an account that is just for pet expenses

 

[Inga]

We have several vets in our area that are very giving of their time for charities. I have worked with them on spay/neuter clinics and watched several hundred procedures. I agree that it should NOT cost $300. Especially, when you think of the greater good. (pet over population and euthanasia)
That said, vets have to make a living as well and some folks think everything should be free. That simply cannot be the case.

 

[Renee750il]

You know we have this one vet in our area that charges way more than he should. At the same time they have a lot of rich clients too.

The worst thing is they insist on you buying flea/tick preventative and heartworm from them.

My grandfather actually requested the prescription to his dogs medicine because he is old and on social security and that isn't a lot of money and he would be able to get the meds for about 15 dollars cheaper on 1800 pet meds (I know 15 dollars doesn't seem like a lot but for him it is) and the vets office will not honor that. They told them that they expect the patients to get the meds from them.

I am no longer using that vet and neither is he....they were very rude to us both.

We are going down the street to the vet that my former poodle went to her whole life. That was just rediculous.

Sounds like you live in the same town I do The younger vet at the office whose techs gave me Tallulah tried to insist on me getting her antibiotic from them when she had mastitis. I stuck to my guns and insisted on getting a prescription written. He was going to charge me $120 for it. The pharmacist had it for $18. :madgo:

He was also going to charge me over twice as much for her spay as my old vet charged me. As a matter of fact, his price actually jumped by nearly $100 after she was a year old.

 

[lostshowfan86]

Sounds like you live in the same town I do The younger vet at the office whose techs gave me Tallulah tried to insist on me getting her antibiotic from them when she had mastitis. I stuck to my guns and insisted on getting a prescription written. He was going to charge me $120 for it. The pharmacist had it for $18. :madgo:

Its awful. And I checked about the one vet that I wanted to use just a bit ago and he is about to retire. So now I actually have a thread about choosing the right vet because I'm at a loss

I mean in tough times every dollar counts and I hate to put a price on my pets health and when push comes to shove I will shell out whatever it takes for them. I already have for zack. But sometimes its just rediculous


As far as the spay thing you mentioned....we know someone who went up there and they were going to charge about 200 dollars more for that dogs spay than our dog. Sasha was $270 with all tests ran. We were living in another county though then....but still

 

[Renee750il]

I think Dr. Burns ended up charging me something like $180 with the testing that was run. I can understand upping the charge according to the weight of the dog, it's a lot more work and takes more anesthesia, etc., but arbitrarily jumping the cost at a year old? Right. Just tells me Dr. Expensive's regular clientele has more money than sense. I also didn't like being talked to like I was an idiot who knew nothing about caring for my dogs.

Oh, and he also charges $10 a bag more for EVO RM than the lady I'm getting it from now.

 

[lostshowfan86]

Its pretty bad.....now does your vets office have just one vet or several. Ours currently has 4 and you never know who you are going to get and on top of that the staff acts like its a chore to be there.

I would love to find a vets office with a vet that cares and answers your questions, a staff that is happy to be there. You know.

Instead of the dog being in, out, and moved on to the next one before you can even blink. I mean the vet sends the tech in to give you the medicine and instructions and you ask the tech a question and they don't have the answer and god forbid the vet have to come back in.

If the one doc wasn't retiring that would be great and supposedly he has a real good one working under him so I may still go there but its so frustrating

 

[Renee750il]

Dr. Burns has one vet working with him, Dr. Katherine Bussell. He has MS and can't perform surgery or handle some of the squirmier or larger dogs. He'd had a series of associate vets there with him over the past few years who were, well, abysmal. I love Dr. Bussell though. She's so much like Dr. Burns. A lot of old fashioned common sense and she handles the animals superbly. Kharma took to her immediately.