Excessive Charges From Vet

[bethanney]

I am taking care of a stray cat who badly injured his paw. I took him into the closest vet yesterday— they are really great but they’re owned by VCA and run on the expensive side. The vet thinks the paw *might* be broken but can’t tell without $300 in x-rays. I’ve already told her I’m on a fixed income and my budget for the office visit is $75, so no x-rays. She wants to do a Covenia shot and sends me home with a small bottle of Chlorahexiderm 2% flush. She waived the cost of her office visit (for which I am grateful) but they charged me $25 for this little bottle of Chlorahexiderm. I’m mentally noting “that’s too expensive” but I’m also busy with arranging a follow-up appt and getting out of there before a bad thunderstorm hit.
I didn’t know what Chlorahexiderm was until I looked it up. It’s a common antiseptic that Amazon charges $20 for a gallon of. I’m furious! I get that there’s a retail markup on meds purchased at the vet but this is outrageous. When I called and talked to the office manager, I got 1) well, the dr. didn’t charge you for a visit and 2) we have to pay our techs/assistants an hourly rate (really? So you’re overcharging on the meds instead of paying them out of your operating costs??!!) and finally, “that’s just what corporate charges”. I’ve placed a call to corporate and I feel guilty for picking this fight because the vet DID waive her fee but by the same token, she could’ve explained what the heck was in the small bottle and tell me it was far cheaper to purchase elsewhere.
Am I wrong here?

 

[BonitaBaby]

I know about excessive vet charges because I was charged $1,000 by a terrible emergency vet for x-rays, visit, IV fluids and some medication, and an overnight stay.

I then took my cat to a recommended vet specialist after I saw what poor care the terrible emergency vet gave to my cat. That vet specialist charged me $1,500 for the same + an ultrasound and a neck feeding tube that she just took out the next day anyway, so sounds like a waste of money that might never have been used. She then tried to gouge me for another $2,000 for cancer tests. Thankfully I said no because I was almost sure it was pancreatitis like the first place said it was. Btw, I'm not rich but was doing okay then. Now it's a different story and I'd check vet prices at different places.

I hope I don't offend you, but I'd think of it as saving $50 ($75 - $25) and chalk it up to a learning experience that you can search online for non-prescription medication if the cat doesn't need it ASAP. I'd be very glad the vet waived her fee. The vet does need to lease the office space, pay employees, and her own salary, so some charges are acceptable. Others aren't.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Personally, I would let it go since she waived the office visit was which very generous of her. But I have to agree with you that markup on meds is outrageous. Sometimes we can research it and get the best price, but mostly we are stressed out and trying to care for a sick kitty and don't have the time to go price-hunting.

Thank you for caring for this stray kitty.

 

[silkenpaw]

What is the Chlorhexidine for? Does the cat have an open wound at the possible fracture site? I’m not a vet but in humans an open fracture is a surgical emergency. No one would consider treating it without surgery and IV antibiotics.

I’m curious what people with more experience will say because right now I’d be calling every rescue in town to see whether they have money to treat this cat. Thank you for taking care of him.

 

[stryami]

I feel ya, got charged $27 for Onsior, which you can find for $8 on petsmart

 

[neely]

I think you have to pick your battles and prioritize. If you plan to go back to this vet since you stated, "they are really great," then the old saying applies - You get what you pay for.

Bless you for taking care of this stray cat, your heart is in the right place. Please keep us updated on his progress. Good luck!

 

[bethanney]

This is a vet I used once when I first moved to town but didn’t go back to because they are expensive. My regular vet is on the other side of town and as I no longer have a car (totaled in a wreck) I was relying on my neighbor on her day off to take me there. That’s why I was very upfront with what I could afford. Again, I greatly appreciate the vet waiving her fee but now I’m reluctant on taking the cat back for a re-check because I can’t afford to be gauged for the treatments. He doesn’t have an open sore; he can put a little weight on his paw but he does favor it.
The vet told me to soak his paw twice a day in the Chlorahexiderm solution. She told me not to be surprised if the skin on the paw falls off, which confused me. I asked to her to explain but I really didn’t understand the whole reasoning. Usually, I am pretty good with questioning doctors but I had just spent 2 hours at the cardiologist with my elderly mother going over her various meds and procedures, so my brain was fried.
I have called various rescues in my area, but they are inundated with kitten season and have limited funds. And to be honest, I’ve been fighting with my Mom’s insurance company to get stuff covered; fighting with them about transportation for every doctor/ lab visit and I’m tired of feeling taken advantage of by the medical profession as a whole.

I guess I’m just tired. Period. Thank you all for the advice!

 

[neely]

The vet told me to soak his paw twice a day in the Chlorahexiderm solution. She told me not to be surprised if the skin on the paw falls off, which confused me. I asked to her to explain but I really didn’t understand the whole reasoning. Usually, I am pretty good with questioning doctors but I had just spent 2 hours at the cardiologist with my elderly mother going over her various meds and procedures, so my brain was fried.

I'm sorry about your mom's cardiology issues and the surmounting expenses. Regarding the confusion over soaking his paw twice a day, perhaps you could call them back or even talk to a vet tech for further explanation since a phone call won't cost anything.

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

I think you are very lucky to get away for only $25. Honestly I don’t understand why you are upset.

I had a cat with a possible broken paw once - favoring it - they wanted x rays and suggested amputation. We chose none of those ( he was elderly and we thought it to distressing) and the cat’s paw ended up healing and being fine so you might be able to monitor it.

They seemed to think it stemmed from his claw being ripped out or twisted - could that be the reason for the soak?

 

[bethanney]

I didn’t get away for only $25; I had to pay $55 for a Covenia shot PLUS the $25 for a 4 ml bottle of antiseptic. The only thing I got a break on was the $58 vet office visit charge.

 

[bethanney]

Also, this vet has an online coupon that waives the $58 office visit charge for new patients. So, there’s a precedent for waiving the office visit charge, although I’m not a “new” patient because I went there once 3 years ago.

 

[maggiedemi]

I hear you about the high prices of any type of medical care-- vet or human. But when my vet cured Demi's UTI for under $100 I was thrilled, I was expecting to pay thousands since I had read horror stories online about that sort of thing. Next time maybe ask if you can order the medications cheaper online instead.

 

[BonitaBaby]

I have to say you're very lucky to get the office visit waived since that only applies to new patients. The vet was trying to help you in that regard. The free first visit is to bring in new patients. None of the vets I've met would have waived that office visit fee for me.

 

[furrypurry]

$14 for ONE Cerenia tab

 

[catlover73]

Sometimes there are human equivalents to medicines for cats. That could be something to ask your vet about. One of my friend's had a cat that was diabetic. She was able to get his pills from a grocery store pharmacy in the form of the human generic. The meds were $4 a month. If she had purchased them from the vet they would have been a lot more expensive. This is something I would look into to help cut down costs.

 

[mekkababble]

You can also ask for samples of medication and some offices will provide them at a reduced cost or for free in some cases so you're not stuck paying for something your cat doesn't need.

Like you, I'm pretty up front with what treatment I'm able to afford for my pets and prefer a conservative approach (for financial reasons and to prevent undue stress on my animal)