vet costs

[PEATMOSS]

Any tips on keeping vet costs down? I'm not talking about being cheap and not giving my dog the care it needs, just ways to save money where possible. I have shopped around a little and found wide disparity in what vets charge. Also, basic meds like Heartguard and Frontline require a scrip from a vet to buy online, but no vet will give you a prescription, they all want you to buy from them.Any advice appreciated.

[Boogaard]

Look around at different vet plaeces the one in monticello I go to gives a better deal than the only frontline and heartguard. Check around, like anything prices will vary. I dont think there really are any tips for saving money. Kind of like a truck if you cant afford the gas you shouldnt have the truck kinda thing. Just have to bite the bullet.

[SoldierGirl]

If your vet won't write the prescription then you should look at switching vets. Just because you don't want to buy it from them is no excuse for not writing the script and not very professional on their part.

Ways to save $$$:

If you are only treating for fleas, Frontline only needs to be applied every 3 months. During tick season it should still be applied monthly.

There are generic versions of Heartguard (ProHeart, IverHart).

You could also consider switching to Revolution which protects against fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal worms. You can kill all your birds with one stone.

Rabies vaccines are only required every 3 years.

The distemper vaccine is not required by law. Most everyone goes ahead and gets distemper annually, however there is evidence that immunity for this vaccine also lasts for three years. I only vaccinate my dogs and cats every 3 years. If you board your pets, they are required annually by most kennels along with Bordetella vaccine (kennel cough). Even if you decide to only vaccinate every three years, you should still have your pet seen by a vet annually for heartworm testing (some vets only require this every two years if the dog is on prevention year round) and a physical.

Consider getting pet insurance. There are a few threads on here about it.

Feed a good quality dog food. It makes for a healthier dog requiring fewer trips to the vet. Also keep their weight in check. It is much easier on their joints and organs.

I hope this helps.

[Snag]

Avoid trips to the emergency vet if you can by having a good first aid kit at home and in the field. The vet hospital will charge you some outrageous prices. You never know when you dog will get injured or eat something they shouldn't, so it helps to know how to do some things yourself.

[Tinkhamtown]

Vet bill for two dogs 2007 was $402.00 this year 2008 same dogs same every thing $526.00. I complained about the large increase and told them they are pricing their services out of my ability to pay. Next year 2009 I am going to ask for an estimate before getting their service.

[crazydew]

Most rural vets will write a prescription for onlines. Some or most will require a office visit and usually a new client fee though.

if you really want to save money you can look to marry a vet or vet tech, I did!

Chad

[germanshorthairs]

One thing that I do is give my dogs Ivermectin (Ivomec)for heartworm. I give it to them year round so they never have the possibility of getting heartworm and you do not have to have them tested. (Since they are on Ivermectin year round) I have read a lot about heartworm and I use the cattle grade Ivermectin instead of heartgard. The main ingrediant to heartgard is ivermectin. All you have to do is a little math to figure out what the correct dose is for the weight of your dog and give it monthly. A lot of big ranches down south use this due to the overwhelming cost of heartgard, iverhart etc. I save a pile with just my 2 GSPs. A $30 bottle will last years. If you ask the vets about it they will not approve it due to there lose of revenue. But I have talked to many who have been using it for years and none have had anything but good things to say about it. This is one of the many websites

that talks about using ivermectin. They even dose it for you for a price. That is about the only way I have saved money.

[Lunger]

You can buy Frontline at Mills Fleet Farm.

[brittman]

I average about $225 per dog for routine visits here in the NE metro. Blood tests, hearworm prevention, annual exam (these two are athletes) and shots. Add in a little more for a couple teeth cleening over the life of the dog.

Now each dog I have owned has cost another $500 to $1500 for emergency medical attention. I appreciate that the vet is well trained and available to save my dog's life and/or keep them in the field. Death was eminent more than once if diagnosis was wrong. In addition he is a good surgeon, provide excellent results at a price much less than the U of M quote for a torn ACL.

I am a big time net buyer (insurance, mortgage, sporting goods, etc...) I have thought about asking the vet for a prescription so I could save a few $$, but thought again and decided my vet needs to earn a living too ...

[brittman]

My young dog ripped open her chest on a barb wire fence. Visited a local country vet. Charges were reasonable.

He actually taught us how to stable the dog.s wound shut and we left with the staple gun just in case.

[bear204]

I take my dog to banfill at petsmart. I have the program they offer I think it saves a lot of money, visits cost nothing shots are included. All kinds of basic things are covered. Has worked well for me

[PEATMOSS]

Thanks everyone.

[setterguy]

You can administer most shots yourself, except rabies I think...a lot of the guys I run dogs with have 5 or more so they find ways to reduce vet bills. I had the same problem finding a vet that would write a rx, but my neighbor is a sales mananger for vet medicine and can get it for me without a rx.

[wood_dog]

My vet didn't hesitate to write an Rx for heartworm meds. I saved about 50% online compared to his office. He soaked me on everything else, however...