Cheaper vaccinations or vac clinics... ok?

muttigreemom

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I feel like a bad cat mom by saying this... but...

We adopted Sammy I guess about a month ago at this point. He came with his first shots and a neuter... we had him checked out at the vet and he was treated for tapeworm (found them on him the day after I brought him home)...

But now he's due for his next round of shots... rabies and something else (it escapes me at the moment) but now that I lost my job a couple of days ago I'm in an absolute panic about how I'm going to pay for this. So I'm trying to figure out a cheaper way to go about this while I'm in a temporary money crunch and was thinking about the vaccination clinics they have at pet stores and things. Are these safe? Is there any reason not to use one? I mean obviously I'd rather take him to the vet but then I'd also get charged an office visit and other things that I just don't have the money for right now... but I also don't want his heath to suffer and also don't need the fine I'd get if I can't prove he has a rabies vaccination.

Oy I just feel like a bad mom... but I really didn't see this layoff coming... and I guess I'm just panicking now.
 

sharky

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Just make sure the clinic vet IS LISENCED and you should be fine

Call around MANY vets dont charge an office call for shots
 

jen

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I used them all the time until just recently when I started vaccinating the cats myself.
 

littleraven7726

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When we lived in Southern California we went to a vet in a lower income area. He actually had one day a week where there were no appointments--first come, first served-- and vaccinations were dirt cheap that day ($5-$10). So call around and check to see if anyone does that too. His office visit charges were much more reasonable too. He was an excellent vet, he arranged for a specialist to come to his clinic for Raven in 2001.

Where we live now, everyplace charges an office call with shots.
We go to a clinic outside of town, in a neighboring farm town. They have much better rates, and the care is excellent.
 

mybabies

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Just MAKE sure the Vet does NOT vaccinate in the scruff or over the shoulder as IF the cat gets VAS - shoulder and scruff VAS is almost impossible to cure.
 

zissou'smom

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There's nothing wrong with not being able to pay very much for shots, and the clinics are designed specifically for people like you. Zissou was spayed in one, and given all her kitten shots in one, and they were fantastic-- every vet who has felt her spay area since says they did a great job. I liked them better than the last vet I went to, by far. They were associated with a shelter, maybe look for one like that-- for the most part those are so cheap because people give them donations, not because they're cheap.
 

bonnie1965

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Please don't feel bad - I am in the same boat, except I have a job and still cannot afford the regular clinics. I take both cats to a low-cost vet for all their work. Like ZissousMom said, look for places affiliated with a local, reputable shelter. I cannot imagine the vaccination clinics would be bad. Those aren't usually money-makers. They do them to help the animals


Edit: forgot to mention - the vet I use has a vaccination day each week where vaccines are discounted. Also has a dental day where cleanings are discounted.

Even if I could afford a fancier vet, I probably wouldn't. I could always use the money for something/someone else
 
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