โMay-07-2013 05:06 PM
โJun-30-2013 06:21 AM
โJun-30-2013 05:37 AM
juliev wrote:
OK, am I nuts or did I just get totally ripped off by Banfield Pet Hospital? .....
Sorry, just ranting - but is this cost excessive or am I just crazy?
โJun-18-2013 05:47 PM
dturm wrote:
Always request an estimate in writing before agreeing to any surgical or involved lab or medical procedure. If your vet doesn't provide it or cops an attitude, walk.
Doug, DVM
โJun-18-2013 01:57 PM
โJun-17-2013 08:15 PM
juliev wrote:
OK, am I nuts or did I just get totally ripped off by Banfield Pet Hospital? My rat terrier, Annie, got bit by another dog yesterday afternoon. I took her to the local Banfield since that is the closest vet office to me. She required about a dozen stitches, plus some antibiotics and pain meds. They gave her a little bit of anesthesia so they could clean the wounds and place the stitches. All in all she was there for a few hours. Total bill (so far) was over just short of $1,000! Plus I have to bring her in next week to have the stitches removed.
I have a niece in CO who is a vet. I could have driven Annie to CO in our camper for less that what the local vet cost me.
Sorry, just ranting - but is this cost excessive or am I just crazy?
โJun-16-2013 10:47 AM
AprilWhine wrote:
Shouldn't the owner of the dog who bit your rat terrier be the one paying the vet bill?
โJun-16-2013 09:26 AM
โJun-16-2013 06:14 AM
juliev wrote:
Thanks Dr Doug!
I thought the Banfields were franchises, didn't realize they were corporate owned. That explains a lot.
I did get an estimate, they quoted me $203.22 (and I paid that up front when I dropped her off). When I went back to get her they charged me another $752.00. They also pulled one of her teeth that was cracked (not with my approval!) and did a dental exam for which they charged me $300.00. I see online that the dental exam charges are supposed to include anesthesia, so I wound up paying for that twice - once included in the dental and another $260.00 for the anesthesia for the sutures. (I did not approve the dental exam or the tooth extraction- that had just been done about 6 months ago by our old vet) They claim that they tried to call me for authorization but my phone was in my pocket and never rang.
I also required about 25 stitches from this same incident. My stitches cost a total of $185.00, (no anesthesia) and that was at Mayo Clinic!dturm wrote:
Banfield is a corporation, the individual vets most likely are employees and have little input as to prices, what is done, how it is done and charged and ultimate cost to you.
Just a couple of comments (I can't resist). There is no such thing as a little anesthesia. Maybe short in time, but invariably things that go wrong do so at the start. Many of the costs are the same whether it's 5 minutes or 60 minutes (preop blood work, catheter, induction drugs, inbutation,). About the only variables with time are related to personnel costs and inhalation anesthetic supplies.
That being said, last Friday I had a laceration in a geriatric patient with a severe heart condition that we thought couldn't withstand a general anesthetic. I did a local (very nice Chi believe it or not :B), cleaned the wound and placed about 15 staples. With pain meds and antibiotics she went home MUCH less that $1000.
Always request an estimate in writing before agreeing to any surgical or involved lab or medical procedure. If your vet doesn't provide it or cops an attitude, walk.
Doug, DVM
โMay-09-2013 06:49 PM
โMay-09-2013 10:18 AM
โMay-09-2013 05:44 AM
dturm wrote:Overhead costs at each vet clinic can vary greatly, even within the same community. Just look at the price of property (rental or purchase) for various possible locations of vet clinics (centralized in popular retail district vs. outskirts in industrial park). Overhead costs must be passed onto their clients in order to stay in buisness; the greater their overhead costs the more they must charge for their services.
Comparing charges in more than general terms is meaningless, like apples to oranges.
โMay-09-2013 05:14 AM
โMay-09-2013 04:25 AM
WandaLust2 wrote:
Any time you talk about anesthesia, you are looking at $400-$500. .
โMay-09-2013 04:06 AM