Switching Vets?

I have had the same vet for many years. I really like her. She is pleasant and treats my cats well. However they are REALLY expensive! I took Lola in for her fvrcp and it cost me $131.00 including an exam. The exam consisted of a weighing and a quick listen to her heart and lungs. She is due in 4 weeks for her last fvrcp and rabies and I don't even want to think of the damage that is going to do to my wallet.

I decided to call around some local vet offices today asking for quotes. I found a newer clinic in the area who charges $12.00 for all vaccinations and an optional $30.00 for an exam for a grand total of $54.00 My vet will charge over $200.00 for the same thing!

The newer clinic has really great ratings on vetratingz.com, a perfect 5 out of 5 while my clinic scored a 3 out of 5.

I really want to try the new vet out however I don't want to offend my old vet.... The old vet knows she is due in 4 weeks for her vaccine so if I take her to the new clinic and don't like them it is going to be awkward at her next appointment.

Also if I do decide to switch vets I would need to have all 3 of my cats files faxed over and the two vets are within 5 minutes of each other so again it is going to be awkward. It is not like I am moving out of town and switching to a vet that is closer to me... Maybe I could go there and ask them for a copy of their files and tell them I am moving out of town...

Anyone have any experience with switching vets?

Office visit (exam) plus vacs usually costs me around $55, too. To be honest, your current vet is overcharging. If she wants to be offended she should consider competitive pricing. Charging a little more is fine, but charging close to 3x the amount another vet does is just a rip off - a lot of people don't have the spare money right now.

Try the other vet if you feel secure in doing so. If they're satisfactory the money saved is money that could be put aside for future emergencies.
You have no reason to justify yourself to a business.

There's nothing wrong about discussing prices with your vet, especially if you've been going to her for a number of years.

You might want to make sure your comparing apples to apples - are the hours the same at both practices? How are emergency calls handled? How do the practices handle surgeries, dentals, etc? How is lab work done? How up to date are the facilities, especially surgical or emergency care? How about if pets are held overnight? Is there anyone there overnight?

How quickly can you get in for a non-routine visit? What's the staff turnover at the new place? How accessible and responsive are both front office and medical staff?

Also, I'm leery of internet reviews - it can be hard to weed out either friends or foes with agendas, or even employees posing as visitors. But certainly you can drop into the new vet's office and ask for a tour, etc. - see how they treat you and answer your questions. Everything may be great and you'll save money - or, you may find out that saving a few dollars won't be worth it in your mind.

There is too much difference in price to ignore this. I think you should explore all your options well. I would not let any stone go unturned to get answers and solutions in this situation. Bottom line, you need to find out if you can really get quality care for a better price for your cat. You owe the vet nothing.

Thanks for the replies. I have decided to take Lola there for her final fvrcp and rabies next month.

They have a really great website http://www.westbridgevet.com/ - if anyone is in the area and interested. I am pretty impressed and I cannot believe the price difference.

I paid over $200 in December for Milo & Dexter's rabies shot when I could have paid $24.00. HUGE difference!

You might want to call and ask what vacs they use. It's your preference, but the purvax is a safer rabies vac.

I have several vets, for different species. I have found the price comparison and asking for a tour of the facilities is usually the best way to go. I generally try to ignore website ratings and that sort of thing. We have two e-vets we LOVE, a specialist for our beloved rodentia family members along with a host of wonderful people to treat our cats and our doberkid.

My cats are seen by a vet that specializes in feline care and her practice is cats only!!! I love that about her. Her prices are also very competitive and she takes a whole animal approach to treating illness.

I have had some experience with vets that just charge far to much. I paid 22.00 for abs for one of my rats at one clinic and 66.00 for the same brand and size at another. The vet that charged so much more for abs killed one of my daughters beloved rat girls during a routine spay..this was a vet that specialized in small mammals and exotics. They have a beautiful state of the art clinic...but I would never darken the door again.

Research and taking the time to visit and ask questions is the best way to go.

BTW..you dont owe your current vet any excuses. She may need to rethink her pricing and you might be bale to talk to her about it. Good Luck!!!!

Around here - $35 to $45 and up for an OV is the norm. My vet charges $38 for an OV and exam... the one-year rab vax from Merial was $25. This is very competitive. $126 for both cats and she took quite a bit of time to discuss vax protocols with me. She also does not insist on fecal floats for adult cats unless you notice a problem with the cat's health. HER protocols change when the animal gets older - senior panels, etc.