# Do you think your vet is overpriced?



## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Is there supposed to be a poll Joe? :lol:


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I have to say NO!!! I got Beau's stomach bloat surgery and he didnt charge me for it.


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

There is a poll attached now. Sorry it took me so long. 
...I am sure I made a spelling or grammar mistake somewhere. 
It's 1.30am and English is not my first language... not a good combination...
Gosh, I am tired and tomorrow I am back to work


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

OK...if there's no poll....I'd say usually not.

I really don't understand their pricing. Sometimes he's "dirt cheap" and other times, I think he's too high. It's the routine simple stuff that strikes me as being too high. The more dramatic things (like an emergency due to an accident, like a severe cut, or even an acute illness like Lyme), it appears he's very reasonable.

However, he does tend to be more reasonable, overall, than most of the figures I see on forums. But maybe that's because we're "platinum level" customers and we get a break?


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

I am not going to complain one bit. I have moved 19 miles further away from them but I am still driving over there. There is a local that is a high school friend that is really close by for emergencies and he knows my dogs. DOesn;t understand why I don;t use him until he saw some of my pricing I gave him. Told him anytime he wants to save me the gas and match pricing I will come on up. LOL


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm going to go with NO! In the last month or so we've been in twice.

1) we went in for a heart check, 3 year Rabies vaccine, and the DPP(?) shot. I had them clean her ears and trim her nails as long as we were there. total cost $62.

2) Tinkerbell choked on a piece of bone and her throat was bothering her so rushed in one afternoon. They gave her a shot of steroids, an anti-nausea shot, put a light down her throat to check for scratches, gave us some steroid pills for inflammation and antibiotic pills. Total cost $66.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I was told my the pet insurance companies that CT is one of the states who has the highest vet prices.


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## Bonni (Apr 12, 2005)

My vet is obscenly expensive, but I wouldn't think of taking any animal under my care anywhere else. He saved Kia (Joe's dog and Daisy's mom) from certain death and is always very thorough with everything. 

So, yes his prices are higher than any other vet I've heard of in my area, but I have confidence in his abilities and I have pet insurance! 

Thanks for being in the area Dr. Slome!


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

Sometimes I go and think this shouldn't be more the $50 for this visit and it ends up costing me $184:doh: My huband jokes and says that we are paying for thier kids to go to college, lol.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I picked bad and cheap because I couldn't pick three and I have three vets and they're all cheap! One is pretty "bad" in that they're not really friendly and all, but they're very clean and no nonsense and VERY low cost. They're rude- but their care of the animals is excellent. I just go there for shots. They do shots for $15, no exam, no nonsense, you're in and out in five minutes! I go there for all shots, and before I discovered them, I went to Banfield for no exam fee shot clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2Pm and 4PM. They still do offer that at all Banfields as far as I know, even if you don't use them for "serious" stuff. 

I have a WONDERFUL "real" vet whom I use for anything other than shots, but have not needed him for years. And I have a local real vet (whom I took Sabrina too) who I have been going to for most of my rescue stuff now that I am an hour away from my other wonderful real vet 

So **** I technically have four vets I guess!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

PS spare the shot clinic on tues and thurs afternoons, I'd have to rate banfield as bad and expensive. They're rude, they're slow as hell (I have had to wait almost two hours just for a shot, with an hour of it shut in a stuffy little exam room with the same stupid video about HWs replaying over and over), and they're VERY over priced (except for the shot clinic and even that's kind of over the top for a DHLPP now that they've upped that price).


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## Lisa (Sep 25, 2007)

We just left our vet of 7 years b/c of poor service. The bills were always "up-charged" - but I can deal with that if I get good service and good care. Now the head vet is using new grads there and they rotate like a revolving door. When I ask for the head vet (supposedly you can "request" a vet)... well, we didn't get our request. 

One time, one of the new grads accused me of not treating my dog for diarhea for 6 years. Just b/c the dog had it in 2000 and again in 2006, doesn't mean the dog had it the whole time! And this girl passed vet school? 

We took our business to another vet... so far, so good and seems to be less expensive. Nicer facility too. 

Lisa W


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

I choose the best qualified Vet. Price or distance are not important.


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## JimS (Jan 2, 2007)

I live in a rural area, so not a lot of choices. Fortunately, my vet is both inexpensive and good. Heartworm and Frontline Plus are priced cheaper at the office than most of the mail order places...and within a dollar or two of the cheapest. They do nickel and dime on the office visit billing, but it still comes out less than most of what I hear quoted on the different forums. They always defer to my will when it comes to decisions about my animals with no fuss at all. For instance, when Chase was going through his puppy shots and knowing I have no intention of ever breeding, they suggested we set an appointment for neutering at six months. I told them that if it was going to be done, it would be after he was at least two years old. They completely supported the decision.

The only real drawback is that it's a small office with only two vets (only one until last year). The nearest 24 hour emergency clinic is forty-five minutes away.


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## Lacy Licksalot (Nov 13, 2007)

I found a vet well two actually, Two Lady vets they teach you about your babies as well as treat them. The staff is great too. Friday was the first time I had been in since I lost Carey, Lacy had to have her first check up, The girls in the back all came out and made such a fuss over Lacy... and the little ham just ate it all up. Everything heartguard, shots, advantix the works right down to them cleaning her ears for me and clipping her nails was less than 75.00. They are a big reason that my babies that have went to the bridge was with me for so long.


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

I love my vet and have been going to him for almost 14 years. BUT.....about 6 months ago I brought my cat in because he hurt his front leg......the xray was $150 and I thought that was way overboard! 

There is a really good no nonsense vet closer to me, he takes care of all the humane society animals too, but his office smells so bad like cat pee I can't even go there.


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## Me&Ruby (Aug 20, 2007)

I wonder if prices here (being a small country and all) vary as much as they do in the US. I've only tried 1 veterinary centre!, so can't compare. However, I can't complain about their services - we've seen different vets in there, men/women, young/old and apart from being very gentle with the dogs, they also take time to explain to us what they're doing/what to expect. This is an expensive country, and here is an expensive area, so I guess most of us just 'shut up and put up'.


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

Bonni said:


> My vet is obscenly expensive, but I wouldn't think of taking any animal under my care anywhere else. He saved Kia (Joe's dog and Daisy's mom) from certain death and is always very thorough with everything.
> 
> So, yes his prices are higher than any other vet I've heard of in my area, but I have confidence in his abilities and I have pet insurance!
> 
> Thanks for being in the area Dr. Slome!


We are totally on the same page Bonni. Dr. Martin Slome (7700 Bathurst St., Thornhill, ON) is one of the most knowledgeable vets I ever had a chance to meet and not only he is a nice person, but also a specialists and often contributor to Pets.ca (similar site as ours, but dedicated to all pet lovers from Canada) and other pet forums, helping people with their problems and questions.

Anyhow, regarding pricing, that is a bit different story, for example, yearly checkup for two dogs (with blood work) was around 700 CAD, which is a bit more than one expects to see after having both dogs in their office for only 30 minutes or so. Blood work is a simple test done by a machine too, so it's somewhat hard to justify this price 

But nonetheless, still the best vet around and both me and my wife are truly blessed to know him. As Bonni said, he most definitely saved our Kia's life and not only that, he was also helpful when we were dealing with the screw-up done by a different vet.

Anyhow... just wanted to sing some praise to this excellent vet, but also point that you most often get for what you pay. Like with everything else in life.


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## goldensmum (Oct 23, 2007)

My vet is first class - and i have never had a complaint at their pricing or treatment of any of my dogs. Now emergency vets thats a different matter and don't get me started.


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