Veterinary Question

[JoondalupJ]

You can get Gabapentin for humans for around $6 to $7 dollars my vet charged me $64.60.
Gabapentin is a human drug used in dogs.

Carprofen also cost $86.80 from the Vet?
Thoracic series radiographs, $470.00 dollars,
Not aneasthetized, but sedated, small animal sedation, $165.00 dollars
Pre anaestheticr Blood profile test 99.00 dollars.

Any one tell me if they think I've been ripped off.

We're locked into this vet, the Vets are great the nurses are great, the people who must
own these places are making a killing .

I'd like a few answers if anyone has similar situations, there is nothing much I can do
but surely the Vet set up is getting abused by people who own the business'

Not the Vets themselves. And I believe this establishment is not owned by the Vets employed?

But by others?

 

[Caesar]

This is normal, medications for animals are not subsidised through the PBS so they cost significantly more than if the prescription was for a human

Same for bloods etc. that fall under Medicare

The cost of treating animals always makes me thankful that Australia has universal healthcare

 

[aussiefooty]

Try going to your local chemist. Tell them that it's too expensive to get at the vet.

 

[JoondalupJ]

This is normal, medications for animals are not subsidised through the PBS so they cost significantly more than if the prescription was for a human

Same for bloods etc. that fall under Medicare

The cost of treating animals always makes me thankful that Australia has universal healthcare

I still think the system is geared more to money making than helping people, I have paid many thousands for our dog for three operations over the years, and pay up front was almost always the go, the first time several years ago vet advice to put him over night in a animal hospital to be monitered, ( one vet nurse on, over night, three other dogs) sleeping, cost $700 dollars. One dog.

Now we paid , because we just do. If you are an animal lover you know what you'll do.
Three times my critter ate stuff that needed operations over about 8 years, all life saving, and all in the 3 to 4 grand number, the insurance is barely worth having. May be better now. My old boy cost $900 dollars, a week or two back, to tell me he was on the way, but still rolling though, but that is what dogs do, they don't last like we do.

I just thought that Vets are needed but they must make millions, like Dentists, and Specialists of all kinds.

Be nice to feel you were not paying through the nose. An Xray 460 bucks , just a machine would cost me maybe half that and my insurance made it better!
But use same machine nearly the same, on a dog it's doubled .

Just a thought, if things were reasonable people may simply just spend or actually go do things that lots of us now put off.
Unless its your family member on 4 legs, you just pay, some don't, I've spent my time in the bush in my early life seen blokes put dogs away with a .22, so I know the process, but that, I couldn't do it.

 

[Caesar]

I mean, I don’t know a lot about the industry, but I’ve always got the impression from vets that it is not a particularly lucrative career

 

[kickazz]

haha we had a dog in overnight once - it was the recommended action so that he could stay on the saline drip which would be beneficial.

It was an unsupervised overnight stay. Next morning, they said, "oh yeah, he chewed and ripped out his drip line".

* me, who would have thought that was a possibility.

 

[kickazz]

As for the cost, yeah I don't know compared to car servicing and repairs it probably isn't so bad.

Also the PBS / Medicare factor hides the true cost of human health care. Just look at some of the bills you can cop in the USA.

I've never looked into it but I can only assume pet insurance is a big rip off. Probably better just budgeting a certain amount each year for vet bills - including one or two 4 figure sums in the life of the pet, you are probably still best off 'self insuring' by saving the money. I think the insurance is only worth it if you are likely to be getting into 5 figure sums. And once you claim one of those, surely the premium will skyrocket. (Like if your pet is very old with likely ongoing issues)

 

[Caesar]

I think it depends what you’re insuring against - general illness and ageing is almost pointless because most policies have clauses that exclude genetic conditions

On the other hand one of our dogs is a bit reckless and we’ve thought pet insurance might be worthwhile for her - she will probably eat something poisonous or get hit by a car at some point

Mostly we just don’t want to be put in a situation where we have to choose between very expensive surgery and the dog’s life

 

[Kram]

I mean, I don’t know a lot about the industry, but I’ve always got the impression from vets that it is not a particularly lucrative career

Yeah I've always thought that especially given the amount of education and training that is required being a vet wasn't known as being well paid.