In shock from Miss Kitty's white coats trip today

[jazzcat]

Could someone pick my jaw up off the floor please? I cannot believe this vet's office and the prices. First off we are just going in for annual vaccinations and check up. For those of you who don't know, Miss Kitty is my parent's cat.

Okay I get there and while I'm in the lobby someone comes out with a list of test to try to sell them to me. I asked her what they were for and she didn't really know but said the vet tech could elaborate. Okay?! So then they take us back and before she even opens the carrier to take Miss Kitty out the vet tech starts asking if I'm getting the full work up today. I ask what that means because we are just here for her annual. She says that there are certain tests that MK will need. I asked why, she couldn't say exactly. Then comes in the "hard sale" vet tech with all the answers. She says that because MK is now 8 years old she need the senior bloodwork profile at $100. She also says that MK needs a Gluacoma test at $50 and an early renal failure blood test - no price was stated or else I had gone deaf at that point. Now keep in mind that so far no one has asked a single question about MK or even taken her out of the carrier yet.

To try to shorten this very long expensive tale I will tell you that I agreed to have her tested for FIV and FeLV since we had never done that before and thank goodness she was negative. I also let them do a fecal check which was negative but they insisted it can give a false positive and they talked me into giving her Drontal just in case since she hunts outside at night and does kill things.

When all was said and done it cost $150.34. I just about fell over because I can take my inside only cats in for their annual and it costs $35 at my vet. I need to get MK a new vet that isn't in it for a major profit. Good grief! I'd take her to mine but I don't think she could handle the 70 mile round trip ride.

Does all that sound crazy to you? I've never heard of a Gluacoma test for cats. I'm kind of from that thinking of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and "if there's not a problem don't go looking for one". Geez!

By the way, she got a clean bill of health but now my checkbook is sick!

Sorry I wrote a novel but I needed to rant.

[Pam]

My jaw is on the floor right next to yours. :eek: I have never even heard of some of those tests and my Trevor is 11 years old. Do your parents go to this vet all the time or was this a first time visit? I don't mean to sound cynical but he sounds very creative. Do you think he has bought his first Porsche yet? :D :rolleyes:

[Freckles]

Could YOUR vet recommend a vet in Miss Kitty's town?

[rg_girlca]

:eek: I have never heard or had anyone come out in the waiting room to sell a list of test, that is ridiculous, especially when they didn't even know what the list was all about.

Before even checking MK out, they start telling you that she is going to need this and going to need that. Balony.
Then they CAN'T tell you WHY she will need these tests.
I don't blame you for ranting Lori, it sounds so unprofessional to me. I can't comment on the Glaucoma test as I have never heard of this either.
Maybe there are certain tests for an outdoor cat, I really don't know, since my cats have always been indoor.
I'm glad to hear that she had a clean bill of health though.
:)
Hopefully someone will be able to give you some answers in regards to all of this.

[Craftlady]

I am scratching my head on this one. I'd tend to agree with the rest that this vet's office is helping the vet get his fancy car.

[aly]

My vet costs too much too. $150 is pretty cheap for an annual visit at my vet. The office visit alone is $45, which I think is absolutely insane. And if I take 2 cats in at once, there's $90 just to walk in the door!!!!!!!!

I have to take my fosters to the low-cost clinic. I just can't afford it all :( All of my money goes to vet care and I barely have enough to pay bills with what's left!

Most vets in my area are really pricey like that. Blah!

[Craftlady]

Eye (http://cats.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.petvets.com%2Fpe tcare%2Fgeneral2.html%23glaucoma)

I found the above article. It does say to have eyes tested when kittys are 6-7 yrs old (considered Seniors).

[Cataholic]

My vet is expensive like that, too. Though I don't think he 'hard sells' me, he does recommend alot of tests, and meds, etc. I make the decision to not do some things. But, he is also very good, and close.

[catnapper]

YIKES!!! What a thief!

Our yearly visits are about $35 too. I can't imagine all those tests. You feel guilty if you don't do them, and you feel as if they are judging you as a pet owner if you say no.

[Craftlady]

Average for us 3 at time little over $100 for annual stuff. We get 10% discount if all 3 come in at once. It's worth the effort to get them all there. :)

[jazzcat]

Well I'm glad to know I'm not the only one stunned by this. This is the same vet my family has used since I was young but the difference now is his daughter just graduated vet school and is now in practice with him. Guess she minored in "Get Rich Quick".

Aly - that is horrible that your vet costs that much. I'm sure with even taking the foster to the low cost clinic that you're still tapped out.

Craftlady - thanks for the link, I'm going to read up because this is the first I've heard of it.

My husband just reminded me that our vet has a second office a little closer to my dad's so the drive would only be about 22 miles one way. I think Miss Kitty and I will just suffer the longer drive next time.

[Grace]

We have 5 cats, and each one gets an annual check-up. Depending on the number of vaccinations they need, it will cost $110 - $130 each. This includes a 10% preferred client discount.

We choose to have basic blood work on each of them every year. I want to know as early as possible if one of them is having signs of renal failure, or any other disease, so palliative treatment can be started.

And then, if they need it, they get their teeth cleaned. Duffy is 6 and has never had it done - great teeth. Actually of the 5 we have now, only Red has had dental work, and that was when he first came to us. He had a fractured tooth that was beginning to abscess.

[Uabassoon]

I usually only spending around $50 (per cat) for my annual. Normally the visit to the vet costs $35 but for annual visits they drop the charge (I think it's just to get more people in there for vaccinations) Each shot runs around $10 - $13 and are adminstered by a tech. For an additional $10 the vet will come in and check your kitty to make sure that everything looks good. I always spend the additional $10 for the vet to give my kitties a look over, but I know that a lot of people don't.

[Karen]

I would report them to the Better Business Bureau and the local newspaper. What you wrote here would suffice to raise suspicions of any local reporter. That's almost highway robbery, and sending out not one but two people to give you the hard sell on tests they could not themselves explain is inexcusable.

[sirrahbed]

:eek: YIKERS! I had to go dig out my last bill just to check. It is $35 for an annual checkup and the $29 for each additional cat if they all come in together. The vaccinations are $15 each. I did get an x-ray for Dylan and that was $12 and one fecal flotation since they have had worms in the past so one feacl goes for all three and that was $9. My total bill was $159 for all three including the fecal and x-ray. I also got a free 7 pound bag of diet catfood. The x-ray is something I wanted for my own peace of mind because worried that Dylan was not declawed properly (he wasn't but the vet said intervention at this point would be costly and painful and not likely to help anyway - just to watch for signs of infection which there are none)

I think this guy is WAY too expensive. Then again - I am not an advocate of much "preventative" stuff either. When RB Ernie had kidney failure, I refused all the fluids, dialysis, etc to prolong his life. BTW, I also carry a Living Will and Advanced Directives for myself at all times.:p (in other words - do nothing at all to keep me alive if I am on my way out!)

[Tonya]

Wowsers! That sounds expensive!

I've don't take my kitties for their annual. I've never really thought about it because one of the vets at my place is my brother's friend. He doesn't come over much, but he sees my pets often enough. He always lectures me about their weight (Ron especially). But now that I'm hearing you all talk about blood work and stuff, maybe I should! Especially with Ron, he's probably 7 or 8 by now.

[NoahsMommy]

That sounds about right, pricewise. But the hard sell was totally wrong of them. :(

At work, we charge $42 for the office visit ($27 for the next animal if you bring more than one) and only do tests as needed. Our vet may have suggested the blood panel, but a tech wouldn't have been allowed to do that to you.

I don't think we do any sort of eye tests unless there is something wrong with the animal's eyes. Wierd.

[catcrazylady]

I think for some people this doesn't sound as bad as it does to others because of different regions and what is considered average. From my end of the world that sounds awful!!! I would have been so mad at the hard sell of the tests before the doc had even seen the cat. That's boldy saying..."I want your money"! Unnecessary testing is money oriented and how could they know what tests she needed without even seeing her!!! RIPOFF!!!

[Lacey]

I would have to dig out Mowg's first bill to see what all he had done to him again, but his came out to $180-something with a 10% stray discount. I know they charged for sedating him, the physical, vaccinations, combo-testing, fecal and a drontal tablet, bits-removal, Revolution... That's all I can think of without the receipt in front of me. Sounds like a lot, but then, he was having a lot done. I don't remember anything in particular on that bill as seeming overly pricy. But still, when I heard the final total, I went :eek:

[catlady1945]

Now that all my cats are seniors, I am starting to get the hard sell for tests. They aren't too persistent about it so I am resisting. I'm sure the point is to make you feel like an irresponsible "owner" if you don't have the tests. I just had my cats' regular shots and check up done and it cost me a fair bit even with my multiple animal discount. My youngest apparently needs dental work so that will be $300 which costs more than my dental work - but just barely. The costs are going up all the time, I would love to know where the cost is $35 for a vist - that was our cost about 10 years ago. The vets and staff are very nice at the place we take our cats, however.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Edwina's teeth cleaning was over $200. An annual visit that does NOT include blood work is over $100. Just to look at her poop to see if the worms were gone was $35 (what would you charge to look at poop?) That's the price around here....

I would agree the hard sell is offensive...

[catlover4ever]

Lori, my jaw is on the floor right next to yours. I think I probally would have ended up being rude and told them that I'm not here for all that stuff. I'm very lucky that my vet is very reasonable.

The most I ever paid for a vet bill was about $800 on a surgery for Smokey who was always getting the crystals in his urine....so I made a very hard decision and made Smokey into Smokette...he is now a girl.

I can say that my vet does offer a "Senior Comprehensive Workup Exam". It includes the following:

Comprehensive physical exam by your choice of doctor.
Complete Blood Count
Serum Blood Chemistry
Thyroid Screen
Urinalysis
Blood Pressure measurement.
Cutting edge ERD test to determine very early kidney disease.
Your pet's own medical "Report Card" with recommendations from the examining doctor. This will be mailed to you within one week when all of the lab tests are complete.

They charge $100 for this NOT including the vaccines/shots that the animal would be due for.

I have Tucker who is 18 and if I thought Tucker could handle the exam I would probally do it for her...just because I see on a daily basis how much she has failed over the last year....but if she was still her fiesty old self everyday I would not.

[catmandu]

Its hard,to say,but I dont like it when they start ,to sell you things,before they even look at The Cat,to see if those things,are neccessary! And there are many Older cars,who dont need all those rather,over pricedteats! And if they tried to,make you feel quilty,I would go elsewhere!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I am in shock over this hard sell tactic (sp?)! I've never heard of a tech coming to the waiting room to try and sell you on a bunch of tests! Actually the vet himself/herself has been the only one to suggest tests to me. All the techs do is ask what I'm there for and weigh the kitties - and T & P each go to a different vet (different offices entirely) so I think this is more the norm around here.

Blood tests are expensive. I don't have my bills in front of me but I know for Tubby's complete total "panel" it was well over $150.00! :eek: His last bill came to about $250.00 and they told me they didn't charge for the office visit. You have to ask specifically what the blood test covers though.....it's a long story on that one, but I've now got Tubby's blood tests down to around $100.00.

The big thing is the renal failure test should be included in the "senior bloodwork profile." My vets have never suggested the glaucoma test, and last time I took Peanut in he even mentioned her eyes were getting cloudy and still never said anything about a test. The senior bloodwork profile is a good thing to get, but if she seems perfectly healthy I don't see any reason you couldn't skip it for now, but you might want to keep it in mind for next year. This is how they caught the fact that Tubby was in the early stages of kidney failure - not by doing a renal failure test, what the heck is that anyway except another blood test telling you the same thing that the senior bloodwork is telling you? :rolleyes:

Anyway, I would definitely not go back there just because of the hard sell on all the tests. You could call them and let them know how you feel about that, but they might just defend their tactics and make you more frustrated than you already are. I like Karen's idea of contacting the BBB and the local paper. Less frustration for you and it will get the word out to more people.

Glad MK got a clean bill of health! :)

[Tonya]

I pay $25 for vet visits. I am not sure if that is what everyone pays though. My brother and his wife used to work there and I am always in there, so I think they may give me a break.

[RedHedd]

WOW! I'm stunned! There were a couple of times this past year when my vet's office tried to sell me more blood tests, etc. than the M's really needed. It took several calls and phone messages back and forth before I was able to actually talk to the vet and get an explanation of the "necessary" tests, some of which we agreed were not really necessary right now. An office visit is $35. Mitzi just had her annual and the bill was $54.50 for the exam and vaccine; a full blood panel is $92. I thought my vet's prices were high, but from what I'm reading here, I see they're about average. Also, pet health insurance does NOT cover the basics.

I also agree with Karen about reporting them to the BBB.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Sheesh, that does seem like a ripoff. When I took Remus in for his first shots and stuff, he had a complete blood test, a fecal test and all his shots for about $80. Then again my vet is a kitty specialist, so they tend to be a bit cheaper when it comes to cats than most places around here. Remus' nuter was only $25, but thats because I took him to the humane society discounted nuter clinic.
I'd be a little POed about some vet trying to sell me stuff without even examining my pet. My vet examines the pet and then discusses with you the cats overall health and what further steps need to be taken, if any. Both vets that work where I go are realy good about not spending any more money than is neccicary, and they don't allow the vet techs to explain anything technical or to sell things at all.

[catlady1945]

To: Edwina's Secretary.

I would charge a lot more than that to look at poop!! :)

[Craftlady]

I got a deal for vet to look at "poop" for Eleanor... $23.66
$38.60 is office call (10% discount for mulitples)

[heinz57_79]

That's insane!! :eek: The only time I've ever spent that much at a vet was when we took Arthur in for an EMERGENCY! I'd go with what Karen said and go to BBB. That is SO not a good way to run a business, and once word gets around, they'll lose that business real quick.

I'm glad everything was negative, even tho, so is your check book. ;)