Comments on: Ever felt overcharged by a Veterinarian?

By: Renee

Renee — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:31:14 +0000

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.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:05:17 +0000

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.

By: Barry Yellan

Barry Yellan — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:27:51 +0000

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.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:00:30 +0000

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.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:49:37 +0000

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.

By: Carlos Nunez

Carlos Nunez — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:52:53 +0000

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?

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:46:34 +0000

Sorry for the repetition in my post…doh!

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:45:38 +0000

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.

By: danielle

danielle — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:02:58 +0000

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

By: antoinette sides

antoinette sides — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:34:12 +0000

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

By: Carolyn Dewrance

Carolyn Dewrance — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:38:56 +0000

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.

By: Norine V

Norine V — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:08:38 +0000

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!!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:34:14 +0000

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

By: Sandra Deneault

Sandra Deneault — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:17:11 +0000

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.

By: Rainbow Casey

Rainbow Casey — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:41:29 +0000

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).