Itemized Vet bill.....your opinion on these numbers, small town vet ?

Kitty lost his appetite last couple of days, trip to Vet:

Office call:  35.00

Daily inpatient exam: 20.00 x 3

IV setup :  38.00

NACL   1000ml bag:  20.00 x 2

IV Hospitalization:  45.00 x 3

Injections:  100.00

Abaxis Panel:  110.00

Abaxis Thyroid:  30.00

Abaxis Renal:  48.00

Total 600.00 

Vet charges vary so much by area of the country and city vs town vs rural area.  For the area that I am in that would be a low bill for a 3 day stay with IV and some diagnostics.  I live in a city though, I don't know if it is reasonable for your area.

That's not bad. It would have been more expensive for us. Our office visit alone is more than that.

Those are some fantastic prices!!! At my hospital an exam (non-emergency) is $50, bag of IV fluids is $69, IV set up is $70, and daily hospitalization including doctor exams runs about $100 per day.

Our emergency prices for everything are higher too. Exam is $92, bag of IV fluids is $88...

All of that would be $1000 - $1500 here.

How is your kitty doing now?

Let s me ask a question while we are on this topic.

What do people do that live paycheck to paycheck, and people that maybe only earn $200-300 a week,  or elderly on a strict fixed income,  or the unemployed with no income?

When your cat is not feeling well,  and the vet says that the bill will be $ 600, or $1000 or $1500 to make your cat well over the next 3 days,  and you are lucky to have $20 at the end of the week,  what do you do?  What do people do ?  Put the cat to sleep?

There are resources available to those who need help paying for vet bills. See this artice: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read

Some vets offer financial assistance or payment plans. Low cost vet clinics are available in many areas and cater mostly to those with limited incomes. There may be cat groups for a specific medical condition that may offer financial assistance. I know there is one for diabetic cats and it is entirely volunteer-run.

I've heard of people using social crowdfunding sites to raise money for vet bills.

LTS3 said:

 
There are resources available to those who need help paying for vet bills. See this artice: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/155462/cant-afford-a-vet-please-read

Some vets offer financial assistance or payment plans. Low cost vet clinics are available in many areas and cater mostly to those with limited incomes. There may be cat groups for a specific medical condition that may offer financial assistance. I know there is one for diabetic cats and it is entirely volunteer-run.

I've heard of people using social crowdfunding sites to raise money for vet bills.

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For many, this help would be too little too late

This is an issue that comes up a lot in the health forum and it is often heartbreaking;  I have had some large vet bills especially with one of my kitties and I certainly understand.  So far I have been able to pay them when they come up but that is very fortunate timing.  There are other times when I simply don't know how I would've managed.

I always get insurance for my animals. I'd rather find that money every month and know that, whatever happens, the vet bills won't be an issue. So much better than the additional financial panic on top of the stress and worry that always goes with a sick or injured pet.

MeOwwch said:

 
Let s me ask a question while we are on this topic.

What do people do that live paycheck to paycheck, and people that maybe only earn $200-300 a week,  or elderly on a strict fixed income,  or the unemployed with no income?

When your cat is not feeling well,  and the vet says that the bill will be $ 600, or $1000 or $1500 to make your cat well over the next 3 days,  and you are lucky to have $20 at the end of the week,  what do you do?  What do people do ?  Put the cat to sleep?

Click to expand...

I was a poor student putting myself through university for years, and I did not seek out any pets because I knew I could not afford them. I still ended up with two cats, one was a tiny, tiny kitten who washed up on my doorstep (literally) in a flood, who I bottle fed and kept and she grew up. The other cat was my ex's, he walked out on both her and me.

Lots of times I went without so my cats could have what they needed. There were many Sunday mornings I ate rice for breakfast while my neighbors downstairs enjoyed coffee, eggs, bacon, pancakes… I could smell their delicious cooking while I ate my rice. But my kitties had food.

I found a hippy-type veterinarian who charged less than most, and who let me make monthly payments. They weren't the very best vets I have to admit, but it was them or nothing.

When Moon-Pie needed thyroid surgery I remember the cost was $400, to be paid all at once. The internet was new back then, and there was no such thing as crowd-sourcing. To me, the cost might as well have been $5,000, no way did I have that kind of money. So I held a benefit - I cooked and baked some of my favorite recipes, and my husband (then boyfriend) made up invitations in a pamphlet with all the recipes printed in it. We gave them to friends and co-workers (especially those with pets), inviting them to the benefit party at my apartment, asking for whatever they could contribute.  I bought the ingredients and cooked for three days. We raised just over $400, it was great, everybody had a good time at the party and went away with the recipes of the dishes they liked. That was the only time I asked for money; for regular checkups for the kitties and food, I just did without some things.