Is my vet cheating me? Poll.

We just got a new kitten, who has a little bit of the sneezies, so we took her to the vet for the first time to get her first round of shots, some medicine for the sneezies, and a test for FIV, just to be safe.

Out of curiosity, how much (estimates, of course) would your vet charge for this? I am wondering if mine is...well, I guess there is no nice way to say "ripping me off."

I'm not going to say how much I paid, until I get some replies, so that you don't all think I am hopelessly naive for paying what I did.

I would imagine the visit was anywhere between 25 and 35, then the test maybe 20 or 25, then the vaccines between 10 and 12 each. Then depending on if they gave any medicine that would bring it up a bit.

vikki, that's the thing - he's a great vet! He seems very knowledgeable and is very kind to my cats. It just seems like I've given him a lot of money over the last two years. I'm in Los Angeles, too, which may make a difference, since the last time I paid a vet I lived in Missouri! Thanks for the idea of calling around to other local vets.

Well, I'm not sure about individual charges.. but a "new kitten package" at my vet is $125 and that is considerably cheaper than it would be if everything was paid for separately. That total includes the vet visits, all shots, nail trim, FeLv/FIV test, and some other things.

When I took my Sr. kitty in for diarreha I ended up spending over $200 for one visit plus stool and blood tests.

I paid $126 for Elsa's first exam and shots plus a tear duct test, some worm medicine and some eye drops.

I just took my two cats to the vet a couple of weeks ago for their annual exam and shots. Total came to $203.61 (includes exam, shots and stool sample test).

Sunshine went in recently for a physical to include updated shots and rabies vaccinations. Also a 3 month supply of revolution.

Total came to $112.50. I'm in New England.

When I first got Kiki she was sick for a month and the vet suggested that we test her for FIV and it was $25. She was fine but it was worth it to put my worries at ease.

It seems like the cost of individual items is the same - I guess my question is more like, "Do we really need all this stuff?"

I got a general exam, 6-month supply of Revolution, 4 vaccinations, an ELISA FIV test, an antibiotic shot, an anti-inflammatory shot, and a 10-day round of antibiotics for just over $300.

When kitties have respiratory infections, are the shots standard procedure? They end up being about $50 total, and it seems like if I bring my cats in for any minor thing, he always gives both shots and prescribes a separate course of antibiotics for us to give at home.

I don't know if your vet is cheating you, but I would suggest getting some pet insurance. There are many companies out there that offer several different plans, and discounts for multiple policies. They are worth checking out.

Here is a link to some on Meowhoo: http://www.meowhoo.com/Cat_Health/Pe...nce/index.html

I live in the Orange County area and vets here are expensive!

Plan to pay between $35 - $45 per office visit (plus tests, ad RX)

But... If you shop around, may vets offer free first vists! (savings of $125.00)

Good Luck

Keep your kitten healthy!

Vets can charge such different prices- at my vet, the cost of routine immunizations are reduced or even eliminated when your cat goes in for a physical.
a visit like the one you described would have cost about $100 to 120

if i took my cat to any other local vet, i could end up paying almost twice that- and mostly because they do unnecessary tests- and they don't even give you the option of refusing
at my vet, he does ONLY what i want him to do, and nothing more.
also getting nails trimmed is done free at yearly physical visit!

My views on what's necessary may not be everyones, but I will tell you what my opinion is. Cats should have the feline 3 way or 4 way every year for at least the first three years and then every 3 years after that. Rabies is mandated by State law, so I would go by that. CA is 3 years after the initial one. If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, the feline leukemia should be given as well, and the feline 3 way or 4 way should be given every year. If you aren't sure what your cat has been exposed to, the FELV/FIV test is always a good idea. As far as a sick kitty, depending on the infection, sometimes a shot is given as a loading dose to get the antibiotics into the system faster and then you continue with an oral medication. If you have an indoor/outdoor kitty, a fecal and deworming should be done every year if not every 6 months or so. It's always a good idea to take your cat to the vet at least once a year for a good check up.
I don't trust the FIP or the bordatella vaccines, so I never recomend those.