Vet prices

[wingnut]

Shorthorsemom? I didn't realize you might live that close to me. New Bolton is where we took our oldest mare when she was essentially starving to death before our eyes. The teaching aspect of our experience there was my favorite part. I think at one point there were 6 ladies with stethescopes on my horse!

 

[shorthorsemom]

Wingnut, we are probably very close if you live near new Bolton. I love the teaching aspect. On occasion the students can get on my nerves, but for the most part it has been very rewarding.

 

[WeeOkie]

Shorthorsemom? I didn't realize you might live that close to me. New Bolton is where we took our oldest mare when she was essentially starving to death before our eyes. The teaching aspect of our experience there was my favorite part. I think at one point there were 6 ladies with stethescopes on my horse!

Wingnut, did you find out anything that you could pass on about "your starving mare" I have a couple of older horses in the same situation. I've tried different feeds and had teeth floated. Don't know what else to do to get them to eat enough.

 

[shorthorsemom]

weeOkie. I bought an extreme thin quarterhorse once to save. He was very very old and had smooth horrible worn teeth and he was so thin. What I did was soak 50/50 alfalfa/timothy hay cubes and made a slop for him. He loved it. I also feed an equine senior feed and fed him probiotics at every meal. In just a few months he was in incredible healthy weight. Chewing the hay just didn't work because he just wadded it up in his mouth and rolled it around. Once he got used to the hay slop he picked up weight very nicely. He loved it. I would soak the am cubes for pm feeding and pm soak for am feeding. No chunks. worked great. The before and after photos you wouldn't believe it was the same horse. He was probably close to 30 years old the vet figured. She gave me the idea of trying soaked hay cubes probiotics and senior feed.

 

[miniwhinny1]

Charges- road call $70

$2 per min

$20 per rabies

$35 per Coggins

I like to have on record a vet administered rabies shot, some of the local shows in my area will only accept this.....

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

WOOF. That is RIDICULOUS.

A Coggins test in NY only costs your vet $7 to do. I would not use this vet ever again! I think a Rabies shot is $6 for a vet but don't quote me on that. The only reason I have a vet come out any more is for coggins and rabies - all shows only accept vet administered coggins and rabies, otherwise I'd do those myself too. Irked my former vet, but oh well, at $73 a ten way that I can buy for $35, it just isn't worth it.

 

[WeeOkie]

Thanks shorthorsemom, I'll try this!

 

[shorthorsemom]

with any feed change... start SLOW is always my motto.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Charging by time is already the norm for food animal farm calls.

There are many ways to charge for things, but generally it is more about perception than it is any real difference in overall costs.

Would you prefer a high farm call and low vaccine charge or vice versa? Would you prefer the same 'service'charge for each duty performed or would you prefer to be charged for time as your horses are more broke and easier to handle than are your neighbors? Would you prefer low service charges with high drug mark-ups or the other way around? Would you like routine calls to be cheap and have a HUGE emergency fee or would you prefer both be similar?

In the end you will likely be charged the same gross amount over the course of your horse career whatever way the Vet charges because what determines most prices in your area are the same rules of capitalism that applies to all businesses; supply/demand, fixed costs, variable costs, profit.

Although I don't do it, I think charging for time is the fairest for all parties. If you want cheaper rates, then be more prepared, on time, and have them broke. Lab tests would still be the same price as they are billed based on other factors than Vet time, but drugs should be cheaper and be near what you see in catalogues.

Rates run about $1.50-$3.00/minute (from the time we hop out of the truck until we hop back in) for most general services and are $4-$8/minute for surgeries.

Dr. Taylor

 

[wingnut]

In giving this more thought, I think what Dr. Taylor says would be accurate in my case. I think I would pay less overall with a per minute fee on top of my farm call fee. I have my animals ready and waiting. I'm prepared and outside myself well ahead of time as I usually get a phone call telling me where my vet is coming from and estimated time of arrival. I think the longest that she's ever spent on a call was about 30 minutes.

WeeOkie: I don't want to derail the conversation of this thread. I sent you a message with the full story and how to search for my threads about it.

 

[MiniNHF]

Ive only had farm call fees, never by the minute fees.

 

[Minimor]

I know my last vet bill would have been cheaper by the minute at $2 per minute.

Two weeks ago I had an emergency call for a nasty cut. 4 stitches = $310

$50+ for mileage, $92 for the after hours call, $57.65 for stitching ( that is the rate for 15 minute increment) IV injection fee $17, drugs (sedative, painkiller, local anesthesia, bute) $32, antibiotic $41 and $19 in taxes... I had banamine for follow up treatment so didn't have to buy any of that.

I could have got a cheaper vet, who charges $35 for after hours calls, but I wanted the best vet, who I knew would do the best job.

 

[wingnut]

I could have got a cheaper vet, who charges $35 for after hours calls, but I wanted the best vet, who I knew would do the best job.

That's always something key to consider. I really like and trust my vet. We have a good relationship between us. I'll pay her fees for as long as I can afford it.

 

[MiniNHF]

sorry if this is a rant, but it was an upsetting situation for me.

I have a good relationship with my vet (known her since I was younger) and she is no BS and gives me straight answers... if she says no its not this she gives me an explination why or why she thinks it is something. She doesnt over charge or rape my wallet for things and makes sures I know if something will get expensive in the long run.

The one thing with vets is to make sure they explain the costs before they charge you and make sure you know their experience. I like the ones that will give you a bill right then and there so if there is something that is to expensive for you, lets say meds you know you might be able to get cheaper somewhere else, you can tell them to take it off.

I used an emergency vet when my big horse fell ill I estimated what it would cost between her emergency visit, plus another farm call, meds and tests (due to my past experience) well I was wrong when it was all said and done, I got a bill a month later it and it was 1000 bucks and what she did never benefited the horse and never could explain her yes or no answers to me, just it was yes or no. Since I was not a normal customer and didnt have my information on file yet she would just bill me; big mistake. I think the bantamine and steriods were more expensive then the entire emergency visit.

In the emergency visit she was dead set on it was colic, but nothing pointed to the signs of that; heck the horse collapsed in the field and could barely stand. When she came back out a few days later (since my regular vet was still tied up) she was dead set on EPM and he had a bad failing heart. (even though I told her I had experience with EPM horses) In the end ALL the tests she did blood wise were negative. All she could say was there was nothing she could do more and he probably needed to be put down and there was the 1000 bill a month later.

When I finally was able to get my regular vet out, in 15 mins point blank she said, he didnt have a bad failing heart, it was obviously not EPM or any other neuro condition from his actions and he was most likely suffering from a back injury, either a fracture, swelling, pinched nerves etc without doing an x-ray (which we would have had to transport him to a hospital for that). So with 2 farm calls, meds etc I spent 200 bucks with her and 3 months later he was 100% better like nothing ever happened.

Just be careful with vets and their charges if you do not have a long standing relationship with them; farriers can be that way as well.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I think a farm call here is $75, but I'm not sure as we always haul down to them. No office call that way. Yes, it's a hassle sometimes, but unless it's an emergency that we can't haul in it works quite well.