I hear ya! With the crew of 15, oh wow do I hear ya!

I would have a long haul to the nearest vet school, so that isn't an option for me. I know of 2 low cost local places, one only does spay / neuters and related shots, not ongoing care. The other is a not for profit clinic. Bit of a drive and not something I could use for emergencies (too far), but I use them when I can.

I also take advantage of the deals my vet offers:
- take in at least 3 pets at a time and they discount the office exam fee, so basically it works out to 3 for 2. I take in 4 or 5 at least, lol.

- February and March each year, they offer a discount on dentals, so if any of mine need a dental due to tartar build up (not for an abcess, that is painful!) I wait and schedule it then.

- my vet practice has 3 vets: the owner and 2 others. One of the "others" gives me regular "deals" on the fees, she knows I did rescue, she knows I have stopped adding, she knows I take good care of them, so she helps me along. The "other" other one always costs me top dollar, so I avoid her whenever possible. The owner, well, he has 3 clinics and rotates, so I haven't seen him in a few years.

- I keep mine indoors, and I've read up on how much pets are now over vaccinated. So I only keep up with their rabies shots, not the distemper, etc. So they only "need" to go in every 3 years. HUGE help!

I suspect what was done was aspirate the spot, which is often done prior to a biopsy, and is cheaper. So the vet did what s/he could to give you a break on costs.

Its the unplanned things - like that spot you mentioned - which kill me fee wise. Not only do I need to get the pet in, but sometimes, it is the day the one I don't care for is the only one working. Tasha had impacted anal glands 2 weeks back, on a Thursday. Guess who is the only vet in on Thursdays? Cost me a small fortune! Crystal is my "fat cat," hence she can't groom herself. I do what I can, but her hair got matted on her back and we won't even discuss her butt. So I made an appt for the vet I prefer. Well, Crystal hadn't been in for over a year, so the person taking the appt. insisted I have the office visit for the annual, etc. Thank goodness it was the vet I prefer; she did check Crystal over, but she only charged me for the groom! Phew!

Building a relationship w/ a vet is so important! Finding safe ways to cut costs is also key. Now if I could just get the pets to "time" their emergencies, lol!