Ever felt overcharged by a Veterinarian?
Ever Felt Overcharged?
Have you ever visited your veterinarian, only to leave with a bill that seemed excessively high? What really happened? Perhaps you didn’t consent to all the diagnostic tests, or maybe that hot spot on your pet could have been treated more simply. There are many such instances, but the crucial point is understanding what you can do to prevent this from happening again.
What To Do To Avoid This:
Become an Empowered Pet Owner. The most effective way to avoid being taken advantage of by any veterinarian is by being an involved and empowered pet owner.
Take Charge of Your Pet’s Health Care. You know your pet better than anyone else. Consider how well a veterinarian can truly understand your pet from just a 15-minute annual visit.
ASK:
- ASK why a diagnostic test is necessary.
- ASK if there are alternative options, such as acupressure instead of a potentially toxic medication.
- ASK for a written estimate before proceeding with treatments.
In my newsletter, Veterinary Secrets, I repeatedly emphasize how you, as a proactive pet owner, can start treating your pet at home today. You can explore treatment options like herbs, homeopathics, acupressure, and massage—methods that most veterinarians might not consider. Begin practicing preventive healthcare with your pet.
Example Case: Allergies
Many pets suffer from allergies. Typically, a vet might prescribe steroids, which are effective in quickly stopping the itch but often have serious side effects, and the itching usually returns.
Through my course, you’ll learn to first eliminate external parasites as a potential cause. You’ll be able to conduct a proper food elimination trial and introduce supplements to reduce the intensity of the itch. You might even try a Chinese herbal combination that can alleviate the itching without the use of steroids.
This is just one example of how you can take control of your pet’s healthcare and ensure they lead a happier, healthier life. Thousands of people have successfully done this.
Comments and Inner Circle Membership
P.S. If you’ve had any unpleasant experiences at your vet that you’d like to share, please post your comments here.
P.P.S. Joining my Inner Circle is a great way to get started. It gives you access to all my books, audios, and videos. This month’s Inner Circle video features essential first aid for dogs and cats, supplemented by a comprehensive manual, providing you with a solid foundation to handle any pet emergency.
Special Offer:
Try it for the cost of shipping! Learn more at Dr. Jones’ Inner Circle.
P.P.P.S. The new version of Dr. Jones’ Ultimate Canine Health Formula now has five times the concentration of key arthritis-fighting ingredients. Older pets are showing great improvement in as little as seven days.
Best of all, you can avoid giving your pet some potentially toxic conventional medications.
Get your introductory trial here: Ultimate Canine Health Formula.
Heal Your Pet At Home!
Best Wishes,
Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM
Hi Dr. Jones,
Our dogs were to be boarded, so we visited our vet to get them the intranasal bordetella vaccine. We had done this about 18 months earlier so we had an idea of the cost.
They wanted to charge us not only 50% more for the vaccine, but an additional office fee for each dog! This took him about 30 seconds per dog to administer, so I was outraged.
They did remove office fees when I complained, and we have since found another vet.
Hello Dr. Jones,
I would love you to conduct a reconoissance mission to a particular institution in Toronto. I don’t know that I should name it outright but, after hours, it acts as the emergency clinic for the city and it is also the home of a group of veterinarians who specialize in internal medicine, dermatology, cardiology, etc.
Please don’t misunderstand: I think it’s wonderful that there are such specialties, now. It wasn’t better when all you could do was “put down” your animal. I am all for new treatments and I understand that they are expensive. I am not quibbling about the availability. What I have trouble with is the lack of choice clients are offered when they deal with these vets.
The problem in our city is that many veterinarians have decided not to deal with the expense (in terms of personnel and equipment) involved in offering many diagnostic and hospital services. What happens then, is that your primary vet “refers” you to the specialists at the above-mentioned clinic. That is where the trouble starts.
Upon entering the clinic, the first question posed is not what your pet’s symptoms are, but how you intend to pay the deposit. The deposit is a large percentage of what these people deem to be the final bill. If you cannot pay, these people have no interest in helping you. I have sat in the waiting room and watched sobbing pet owners be turned away by the cold and unfeeling staff that have been hired here. All over the waiting area, there are signs warning that treatment will not be offered without payment. I am not saying that I don’t believe that vets should be paid. Of course they should. And, I know that some people do default on their obligations. But, the majority do not. To my knowledge, there is no vet in this city who will offer any kind of payment terms and I think this is a horrible situation. But, I digress.
To make this story shorter, let me just tell you what happened to my beloved dog, Bailey, two years ago.
Bailey, a Golden Retriever, was almost 13 years old. He suffered from colitis, arthritis, hypothyroidism, bladder stones, an adrenal tumour, and megaesophagus. Despite all this, his life was happy (and I am not lying). I cooked him three fresh meals a day, which he enjoyed until the day before I took him to the vet, we went on several short walks a day, and he was still playful. I knew our days together were numbered, but I was waiting for him to tell me when he wanted to go.
That happened one Monday in June, and I bundled him into the car and took him to the vet I’d gone to for over 30 years. This vet used to offer all kinds of treatment as well as hospitalization, but over the past few years they had been “contracting out” much of the care that wasn’t straightforward. Long before we got there, I had decided that if there was no hope for Bailey, I wanted him to die at home, with his family around him, rather than on some table in an office. So, I took him to the vet to find out if anything more was possible. My vet immediately scheduled a visit with a specialist in internal medicine at the dreaded emergency hospital and, since I was being offered no assistance, I felt I had to go there. I was prepared to euthanize Bailey if that was the best course of action, and I expected someone to offer me that option.
Much to my surprise, that option was never mentioned. They quickly whisked Bailey away, stuck him full of tubes, put him in the “intensive care” section, and told me to go home and wait for a phone call. The phone call came, full of the details of tests I hadn’t ordered (or wanted) and information about treatment that I wasn’t sure was the best course of action. The doctor in charge of Bailey’s care was not only unfeeling, he was downright nasty. When I said things such as, he needs his medication, the answer I received was, “What makes you think I’m not giving it to him?” I don’t think that’s the way a vet should speak to a client.
At the end of this conversation, I posed the question about euthanasia. “The dog is dying, isn’t he?” I said, pointedly. This vet refused to answer, conceding only that that could be one of the “outcomes.” I can’t tell you how distraught I was. I felt they were torturing Bailey rather than allowing him to die. I was allowed to visit him (as long as I informed them when I was coming — and often, I had to wait in the waiting room for a length of time before I saw him).
By the second day, I felt both Bailey and I had had enough, and I called the vet to say that I wanted to take him home. My intention was to call in a vet who made house calls and have Bailey euthanized. Many people I knew had had that done and it seemed like the most humane thing to do, under the circumstances.
Imagine my surprise, them, when the vet told me that I had no right to take him home, that that constituted animal abuse and that the clinic would sue me!
Now, I was truly distraught. Had Bailey been, perhaps, a toy poodle, I would have stormed the office, grabbed him, and run out. But, Bailey was a large (even that sick, he was over 90 lbs) dog and I am a small woman and I had no one to help me get him out of there. I didn’t know what to do and, to this day, I don’t know that I made a good decision by leaving him there for the next few days. I know it wasn’t productive; in the end, he was euthanized and, I believe, much relieved. But, in my opinion, the euthanization came 5 days late and created great stress and sorrow for both Bailey and me.
The total bill was just short of $6,000.00, by the way. No one likes to talk about money when they speak of those they love, but my opinion is that about $5,000.00 of that was a waste.
So — yes, I’ve not only felt overcharged, but abused, as well. And, I’d like to know what to do about it for the future. It’s left me with a phobia about vets, to be honest. And, that can’t be healthy, either.
Unfortunately, I feel I’ve been the victim of greedy veterinarians in the recent past. My longtime, holistic veterinarian that was amazing moved to New Zealand. I continued to go to that veterinary practice which she sold to a company that purchases veterinary practices and runs them under the larger company. Then the practice was sold again to the VCA outfit, and for those that haven’t yet had the misfortune of dealing with that scam, it’s the “Veterinary Corporation of America” which trades on the stock exchange. Is there a fundamental problem with a “for profit” company running vet clinics? Suddenly it all becomes about the bottom line. Although the vets are very good at that practice, the rates are astronomical and I know that they are under pressure to do all the tests and recommend all the procedures, whether necessary or not. After all, they are “employees” of a corporation.
So…I chose to go to another holistic vet. Unfortunately that practice had also recently changed hands and become a VCA establishment. For a dental cleaning and lipoma removal I was charged twice for anaesthesia (wait, isn’t it all done at the same time??) and a “kennel fee”….I left my dog there at 8 AM and picked him up at 11 AM. There were other questionable charges as well. The total bill was over $750. At the same time I picked up my dog, the person ahead of me in line paying for services basically screamed, “it costs WHAT?”
We all love our animals and would forego care for ourselves if it meant choosing between taking the animal to the vet and not taking them. But when it’s outright thievery, it makes one’s blood boil. Since then I’ve been to two other vets, and finally, on the third try I have a veterinary practice that I really love. The vets aren’t holistic, but are open to listening to my questions and working with me to find a holistic alternative. And the cost is very reasonable. With three dogs and four cats, there really needs to be some kind of sanity involved with the cost of their care. I’m afraid for the future, though. Where is all this leading? Will VCA with its aggressive buyup policies scarf up every independent practice struggling with insurance costs and benefits for its employees? Will we have to scale back on how many pets we can afford to have? And what about rescue? Our rescue now has wonderful vets who deeply discount their services, but will they also have to go the route of the corporate establishment? I wonder where we’ll be with all this in ten years’ time.
I have in the past year spent over $3500 dollars for 3 cats (they were young seniors but had been otherwise healthy – no major issues.) that were treated and I was not given a definite diagnosis for any in spite of expensive lab work, xrays, in clinic care, medication and fluids at home, special diets and at the end of the day all three died and I am left wondering why. I had not vaccinated them in 8 years(indoor only) gave them fresh filtered water (live rural and on a well) and good holistic foods (Felidae wet and dry) supplements (Wild Salmon Oil, Digestive Enzymes and other supplements as needed which I do a lot of reseach on before using and always err on the side of caution in using). I do live rural so forget availability of holistic or natural treatments, these guys up here are dinasours. I find many vets do not have good diagnostic skills (in spite of technoloy)treat symptoms and some are quite willing to want to exploratory surgery rather than conservative treatment).I am an informed cat owner and try to ask all the right questions, do my research if I do get a diagnosis so I can monitor progress of treatment. But they simply do not listen. The last one I lost a week ago appeared to have a liver problem (this cat had been healthy his whole life – he was 11) so I had the tests done, had him treated with fluid therapy, special diet, medications antibiotics and prednisone but was told he probably had cancer (no weight loss – this appeared to come on very suddenly at least to appearances)so just give him the medications and prednisone was a good “cancer” drug. My emotions in this case got the better of me and I allowed this to happen. I had to do something and in the absence of any vets who practice integrated medicine I acted in panic. Now I am living with the guilt of losing my baby because I was not vigilent in picking up signals or chose the wrong path of treatment and trusted that a veterinarian (not an older one either) had the knowledge to help me make the best choice. I am so disappointed with many veterinarians I have seen over the past few years (even the big city guys) they have beter technology better treatments but ourpets are getting sicker and dying of diseases they shouldn’t. I will do whatever it takes to keep my cats healthy and treated for illnesses when necessary but I seriously question some of the traditional vet medicine being practiced today, they are getting richer and our pets are still dying in spite of owners best effots to help them.
In 10-06 my dog couldn’t breathe, total bilateral pleural effusions were found. The vet said my dog was dying, no cause for this could be cured and we were sent home to die. I cried for 3 days, wanted a better diagnosis, so he gave me an estimate for thoracentesis (fluid removal and evaluation). He was only 5, I didn’t want to give up on him. I was out of work and borrowed the amount of the estimate for the procedure. When I went to check out it was $200 more than he had said, and I found he had given him injections of meds I did not authorize. Before the procedure I told the vet what I would and would not allow (I am an MD and know what I am talking about) At the time I was so distraught because I saw the fluid and knew that it was chylothorax, a fatal disease, that I just paid the bill. When I settled down and called back to see if there had been a mistake with the bill (way over the estimate) I was told he charged more because I asked questions and then was fired as a patient. BTW, little Rumi at age 8 is still alive (after I studied the disease and created a treatment plan for him).
HI,I went to my vet for PIXIE she had an eye infection, treated, it went to the other eye..Vet gave me some other medication the eye got so bad that when I returned the week after she told me that she could do nothing else it was too advanced!
I had a fit..no way I was leaving with my cat to see a specialist at 150.00$ for an exam only.
I complained and got the opinion of another vet she was treated again you don’t just drop a problem like that.Anyways I still see a blurr on her eye??
I used some natural medication that you recommended.
I don’t know if it worked or not?
Thanks for reading my frustration, Sandra D.
Good Morning Dr. Andrew Jones,
Not only have I felt over charged by vets but also have lost trust in the vets and their ethics in general…
they have done more harm to our little Oliver than good over the years…
It all started with the anal gland issue ..checking them out with those latex gloves and next thing u know he has anal gland issues..so a return visit addtional fees and oral antibiotics then another return more and more antibiotics..yes it goes away but then it returns once the antibiotics have taken their course…
after several visits and i asked about the antibiotics in the anal glands rather than oral and they knew absolutly nothing about it ..well..we had a yorkie before and that worked for him the first try !
then the continual vaccines and chemicals for fleas heartguard etc..(which by the way he had reactions to everytime he got another vaccine) the cure for that was cortisone shots..well instead i would cook him real food a little chicken breast with broth and veggies and a quarter of a baby asprin. Then he had a cyst sebaceous or follicular or epidermal..3 vet diagnosis ..and only offer oral antibiotics again…Not to mention i was insulted by several vets as to homecooking for our Little Oliver… of course this was prior to the Pet Food Scares..i was told i am feeding my little one table scraps..so i could not resist to reply : If that is what u want to call filet minon..real veggies and fruits, yogurt and cheese…
anyway the bottom line is i have managed on my own to help our Little Oliver with many remedies..not mentioned by any vets we have seen over the years of his life…We hope to keep him healthy to a good old age 🙂
Ha, lets just call him Dr. Banker(ex vet), every time I went there it was an overcharge. Annual check up and vacc’s was well over $160.00. Then there’s the shampoo and vet food that they try to push on you everytime, but I never bit on that. One time I thought I was going to have to get xrays for my previous dog, he charges $150 for the first one and $100 for every other.Of course on top of that there would have been an office charge. So I started calling around and found a vet that charged $50 for the first and $35 for the 2nd. It ended up that we didn’t need the xrays because this vet took the time to examine and discovered it was a ruptured ACL.
Now we have a nice vet that doesn’t overcharge, but I don’t see him very often, there’s no need to!!
A few years ago, my KUSA reg Chow chow was pregnant and in early labor, I was keeping a watch on her, and realised that she would have to have a cesar to deliver her babies, I took her to our closest vet, and told him what was happening, asking him to do an emergency ceaser, He refused saying that he had other patients in the waiting room and would attend to her later. I kept phoning to see if she was alright, he did not do the operation and allowed her to give birth to 4 dead puppies during the day, and then decided to open her up to see if there were any more, spaying her at the same time, I was heart broken to hear that my puppies had died, through lack of attention by the Vet, and that he had spayed her, she was from champion stock and had been very carefully mated to a male of excellent quality. The puppies would possibly have been all champion stock them selves. Once I received the bill, I refused to pay it, due to the above circumstances.
Yes I was overcharged for a problem that according to the vet; is just a bad habit and all dogs have strange habits!! By the way she was “riding/scooting” on her vulva and had discharge she was scooting till she hurt herself!! so something was wrong. She was spayed so according to the vet there is nothing there. I went to an internist she said; just a bacterie and allergies!! she got some medicine (cefadroxil)She was fine for a few weeks but it started again
I have spent a lot of money (far too much) on this and it is still not solved don’t know what to do. for now she is on medicine of and on from europe called cefa-cure (not available in USA) but problem keeps occuring So YES OVERCHARGED AND NOT HELPED!! If anybody has any Ideas? Hugs for all our furry friends and THANK YOU for ALL you do
antoinette
Try putting yogurt up there for the good bacteria. Works on humans when they have killed all probiotics by other meds. Up the vagina a few spoons as clean as can not too far and see if help.
thank you ssssoooo much for all the emial i look fordward to get emails from you because i have lerned a lot from you and if my mom had done what i tould her about what you are selling quil whould haved live longer but she is not convenced it works she thinks it is a waste of money but owell i am going to get this for my dog she all reday get a good food it is called nutro it was one of the ones not on the recall list and that is one of the things i tould my husband i whant a dog food that has not been on the recall list and i tould him one with no byprodud we found nuto and it i think is the best one yet her skin and fur looks much beeter but once i get this suppulement will help her a lot
Seems many dog allergies are fixed by adding real fat to diet. Just a few tablespoons each day and see in 2 weeks if itching going away.
When one of my 13 indoor cats, Mookie, had this HUGE bulge on the side of his neck, I thought I was going to flip out. I took him to my vet and we discussed a specific test that was $100. The abcess was partially drained, but was so deep we had to put him a very serious regimen of anti-biotics. I put off a specific blood test because it was $100. When the vet couldn’t figure out exactly what kind of infection it was, I broke down, had the test and we found out it was a staph infection! Well then the vet knew which antibiotic to use and he got better toot sweet and is totally well. Yes I feel vets usually charge way too much, but sometimes you just have to bit the bullet and PAY.
I owe him so much money it isn’t funny. I’m not working so he’s letting me make payments. He has mercy on me because I have so many. Not too many veterinarians would let you do that…mine’s a sweetheart and wouldn’t change vets for the world.
Sorry for the repetition in my post…doh!
my Chloe has two loose teeth and the vet says is gum disease, besides loosing the teeth the fee will be close to $1000. Is this reasonable? Is there an alternative? Is it preventable? and can the teeth be saved?
I went to a vet practice that employs several vets. I asked for a distemper shot for my dog from the new vet, a young woman, we had never seen before.
She was very petite and my dog is very large. It was listed in his chart that he was a biter, years ago he had bitten a man when we were at a remote spot thereby saving my life. Sweetie A K A Killer, my dog, was exonerated, but this new vet didn’t know any of this and she over-reacted by having the techs tie his mouth shut so tightly it caused pain and fear in Sweetie.
Once bound, she launched into room with 7 in 1 vaccine after I had clearly stated distemper only. I objected, words ensued, she stormed out and I waited for the vet we usually saw, a lady vet that my dog and I adored. She came in, gave shot as requested, no problem. Then she told me that since they had moved into newly constructed facility, prices shot up and they were ordered to push, bully if necessary, patients into accepting unnecessary or declined treatments or procedures.
She also noted that she had been opposed to the construction of the new facility, that she had preferred the idea of taking an existing building and modifying in order to keep costs down.
I have lots of stories like this one, including my all to brief work at the Vet School, the zoo, stables and just life with pet hair in your food and on your clothes in general.
Thanks so much for having the audacity to honor your medical oath and present safe, affordable options to pet guardians at a time of economic and medical crisis. Thank you from our furry, feathered, and scaled friends, too.
OH, I too have dental questions. What will cause tooth erosion in an otherwise healthy adult dog? I know for a fact he was exposed to distemper and made sure his distemper vaccine was updated within days of the bite from the infected raccoon a couple of years ago.
I know distemper virus can cause tooth problems in puppies, but I have never seen this in an adult. He did present some symptoms such as hardening/thickening of paw pads, runny eyes, and dry nose, but all of it cleared up with extra attention to food and vitamin supplement with a few herbal remedies thrown in.
Sweetie is a 90lb Australian Shepherd. His enthusiasm is just as strong as in his youth, he is like the energizer bunny. Our primary vet was not thrilled when I asked to have him neutered as he is quite the specimen, but he continued to be overly aggressive and I feared for future trouble. He is s rescue dog from a city family who had no idea what they were getting as an Xmas present for their little girls. His sable merle coat, comical face w/ far too much white, and big blue eyes makes him irresistible and his temperament matches. He is proof positive that the breed is meant for wide open spaces and he instinctively knows how to herd ANYTHING! And, he has saved my life at least three times besides being my best buddy ever. Wish I still had my cow pony!
Please remind people to research their needs, likes, and circumstances before selecting a breed that will be incompatible with their lifestyles.
Dr. Andrew Jones,
Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful veterinarians like Dr. Andrew Jones above the crowd: “a little bit more.” He does all that is expected of him and “a little bit more.” Thank you for sharing your wisdom as it makes a huge difference in the lives of our pets.
I changed vets and doggie diets at the same time. My vet wanted to run stool sample after sample on my dog because she had loose stool the vet insisted that she had parasites even though 2 samples came back clean she had been dewormed and was on a heart worm parasite preventative. At $38 dollars a pop that seemed rediculous to me. She had consistantly had loose stool not diarhea I just figured that was her poop. I tried changing her diet a few times and not much change except the added benifit of horrible clear the room gas that she would convieniently plant on your lap and then leave because even she could not stand the smell. The foods I had tried were high end and grain free. It didnt seem to matter. Then I tried Raw. World of differance. No more gas no more loose poop, instantly solid. Plus she loves the food eats within seconds and is incredably healthy now. The vet never even considered testing her for allergies she just assumed it was parasites even when the tests were negative. $38 adds up when your testing for the wrong problem over and over again. Thank God I figured it out with out them and have rescued her and our family from potentially more serious problems than just gas and listened to my gut instead of the vets dollar signs.
Use canned pumpkin to fix loose stool…..use natural fats like bacon grease to help ease constipation….Give dogs real food few times a week as the commercial has little vitamins. Also give them sweet potatoes and carrots. Great vitamins. Cook them to soft and then cover in yummy oil or meat.
My friend sent me this web site. As I read the information on dog tick paralysis I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! Our beloved dog Chance died from that very thing only he was diagnosed with something completely different. We watched him lose mobility and his paw fold under. The vet gave him a shot. It was the next day on Christmas eve at midnight , I was wrapping presents when he was stumbling up the front stairs, I let him in and laid him on the rug and he took a few breaths and died. My daughter and I buried him on Christmas morning. Had we known what to look for he would probably be alive today. Alot of good info.
I too have been screwed several times by VCA Rancho Animal Hospital in Las Vegas.
They tried to blackmail me into getting tests on my dog. My dog also had a yeast infection in his ears. The office visit, swab test and prescriptions (2) came to $207.00. I thought this was outrageous.
I took my dog in because he was limping. It has happened 2 years ago and Rimadyl was prescribed. It went away. About 6 weeks ago he injured himself again. I kept him inside at night so he couldn’t run around the yard and it was getting better. Then, it got hot and I let him have the run of the yard again and he reinjured his leg, so I took him to VCA Rancho because he was limping. My dog is 7. They told me he was a senior dog and because he is a large dog (100 lbs) he has arthritis. She could not give me Rimadyl unless he had a blood panel first. The estimate they gave me for the ear infection and leg came to about $550.00. Also, it was going to cost me over $100/mo to renew his prescription and I would have to continue the bloodtests forever at whatever that cost. I declined the bloodtest so she would not give me any kind of painreliever for his sore leg. I said okay to the ear treatment (at $207.00).
Also, since I thought it was an injury and would get better I would continue on his glucosamine and added Salmon oil to his diet. She informed me that he would NEVER get better, that he had arthritis. Well, how does she know that if she did not xray or take tests. She assumes he has arthritis and she refused him treatment without her socalled tests. WHAT A SCAM!!!!!
My dog bit another dog. My issue is the dog that got bit (the owner of the dog) brought dog to emergency vet hospital. Supposedly the dog had surgery for laserations. I believe they have over charge the woman. I will be paying the vet bill since my dog did indeed bite the other dog. How do I go about finding out indeed if that vet did over charge. I am taking the pictures of the dogs bites and vet bill to my vet for another opinion. How do I know if they over charged???? I really feel they scammed her and ultimately me.
Thank you for you quick response.
Barbara
I remember the days of honest straight talking vets who would provide needed services at a fair price, but now it seems to be all about the $$$. I resent vets trying to upsell products and services that aren’t really necessary, but that add to their profits. It makes me lose total faith in them and sends me off looking for a different practitioner. Can’t they understand that being honest and ethical and keeping their clientele for the long haul is better than going for the high dollar momentary charges and having their clients see that their interests really aren’t with the pets as much as their own wallets? I am frustrated because people who are pet owners are loving people and it used to be that vets were also people who loved the animals and wanted to give good care to them. Like everything in today’s society GREED has seemed to have taken the upper hand in how they operate as well. I am disgusted and to tell you the truth, I might consider adopting additional homeless pets if the vets weren’t didn’t try to victimize pet owners. You might say that vets most likely are the CAUSE of some of those pets losing their homes because the owners couldn’t afford those high overcharges when their animals became ill. Actually, even though I love animals, because of having to deal with these greedy professionals, I most likely won’t be having more pets in my future. It just isn’t affordable anymore and it isn’t right either.
Would you please let me know what recourse we have against a Vet that had instructions from the emergency hospital to give fluids and monitor my dog for Diabetes through-out the day for two days until his insulin level was adjusted and instead he performed many unnessesary test,xrays ect throughout the two days and even told me he was going to do surgery on him the next day when I bring him back, but could not give me a reason. I did not take him back there, instead I took him to the emergency hospital, they monitored his insulin and now he is doing great on insulin twice a day. That Vet did all the unwanted,un-authorized test unknown to me and unwanted without my permission, verble or written and ran the bill up to almost $1,000.00. What recourse do I have? Please reply!
Took one yr. old puppy to ER Vet, with whom we had never met prior.
Dog presented with: Bloody Diarrhea and vomiting – brought in that fecal sample, which ER Vet never looked at. ER Vet offered us ONLY X-rays, which we,(my husband and I did decline.) Vet NEVER offered us or discussed with us blood testing, which we would have done in a heartbeat. Only given discharge papers w/ dx of gastroenteritis. Called ER Vet Hospital the next day and asked for med notes.They assured me that they would email them to us prior to seeing my regular vet the next morning. They never did. Seeing my own vet and asking for ER Vets med notes – WAS APPALLED seeing ER Vet stating she did offer us blood testing and we DECLINED! I was LIVID! Thank Goodness our vet and Different ER Vet worked together with full blood testing and urinalysis and ALL is okay now. I am refuting the first ER Vet charge and also upset that she would LIE on med notes. What can I do??? Sincerely, Melinda
I didn’t feel overcharged by my cat being in a Hospital. I knew and expected the bill to be high. What got me was the Blood Glucose meter it was over 100.00 dollars more than what’s on line. I inquired about it only then it was tagged onto my bill. Unfortunately it was opened to show me how to use it so now I’m stuck with it. I know now.. an will be going on line for lancets an strips.
I have a small 12 year old Chihuahua.
I had his teeth cleaned and several teeth removed about 2 years ago. Just recently my wife noticed he had one front tooth that was very loose and bothering him. We made an appointment with our vet that we have used for the last ten years. I told them I wanted the tooth checked and pulled if needed. When I got the estimate they said they had to do a full cleaning to check the for more bad teeth and estimated 1400 dollars if only one tooth had to be pulled. I told them he only had one tooth bothering him and just wanted it pulled. I agreed to the blood work because of his age. They said they had to do the cleaning to check his teeth. I feel this was more than needed. What is your opinion on this. Thank you.
We have a cat that had eaten odd objects 3 times and had to have emergency surgery each time. The first two times the local emergency vet did the surgeries (two years apart) and the charges were exactly the same.($3000) Two years later, the cat ate another object that needed to be surgically removed again. We took him to the same emergency vet but it had been bought out by a large conglomerate, however they had all of the previous records from the previous surgeries and we discussed in detail the previous surgeries as well as the third one the cat needed. Imagine our shock when we went to pickup our kitty after the surgery and we faced with a bill for $7000! We paid of course but felt completely price gouged so we pulled out the two other bills and compared them to the third bill. It was the SAME EXACT surgery as the previous two. The emergency vet claimed it was cost of living increase, which I could understand possibly being $1000 but not more than doubled. We disputed it through our credit card company and was sure to make sure to include the $1000 cost of living increase, and ended up winning. I don’t believe the vet ever responded to the dispute. Now they are calling constantly and sending bills weekly insisting they get the remaining money.