Yearly Vet Visits - Is it worth it?

[happilyretired]

I am always in favor of check ups, and although my last cat was extremely difficult, it's only once a year, and, as other posters have noted, an animal can seem healthy but have problems that a vet can diagnose.

Since my cat was indoors and an only cat, my vet eventually eliminated all shots except for rabies, and please don't stop getting those because, as he explained to me, it would be relatively easy for a rabid mouse or bat to enter the home, and it's a horrible death for the cat should she become infected from the rabid animal.

 

[booktigger]

I do 6 monthly checkups on my oldies, with yearly bloods. Molly hates going to the vets but I do feel it is important, and it was very satisfying to know that she is in perfect health (according to her bloods) - it was also handy when she had a vomiting issue the month after - if we hadn't done them and known her to be healthy, it would have been a lot more worrying. Previous oldies have actually had monthly visits for weigh ins, but they aren't as important with these two, as they aren't overweight (one is underweight, but has only been here a week, so not too concerned yet).

 

[marc-o]

I think I am getting taken advantage by the Vet.
I've had Lola now for 1 year (he's 3) and he previously had only gone to the vet twice... (kitten for vaccinations, and once for neuteruing)...

Now since I adopted my new boy Q-tip, I've taken him 3 times and he is only 15 months!

My vet charges in the past 3 months.

Q-tip - First vaccinations and wellness check $100
Q-tip - Booster shot and "Revolution" $100
lola- Thought he ate something and they did an Xray and antibiotics - $450 !!!
Q-tip- Just today for rabbies shot and pre-op for nuerting in 4 weeks - $200

So in 3 months my charges for my 2 boys have been close to $1000 !!!

And I knew nothing about "revolution" until I started researching and now I am supposed to be giving it to them every month !!

Can someone give me advice here ?
clearly I'm being taken advantage by the vet ? no ?

I don't really ask to many questions about what they are giving them and why and the cost, they just send me the bill 2 days after I leave and every time Im shocked.

 

[pg0314]

Originally Posted by DinahGen

We have not taken my (almost) 4 year old cat Dinah to the vet in about 2 years. The visits we've had before are very traumatic for everyone, she bites, hisses, spits, loses a TON of fur, etc. and because of all that, the vet basically gave her the vaccines, got a little look in one ear and that was about it.

It sounds like your Dinah and my Chloe were separated at birth! Our last vet visit was a three ring circus. The second the vet reached for her, she went absolutely crazy. He wasn't able to examine her at all. It took three people to hold her down long enough to get her shot and even then she managed to draw blood. And once we got home she couldn't get under my bed fast enough and hissed at me whenever I went near her for the rest of the day. It actually took her the better part of two days to calm down.

In theory, I agree with the people who say it's best to have a yearly physical done. But in reality, I just don't see that happening for my cat. She's just too scared and too aggresive. She'd have to be heavily sedated in order to have a proper exam and I'm just not sure it's worth stressing her out.

 

[mbrcpr]

I think it's something best worked out between you and your vet. My vet and I discussed it and decided that my cats should go every 3 years when their rabies shots are due. I have many, many years experience with cats and other animals and my vet is confident that if there was a problem, I'd recognize it and bring them in.

I don't do flea or tick control on any of my animals. So far so good (4 years and counting) on not having any parasites of any kind. I was worried when I got baby Tres (who is getting HUGE!!!) that her fleas might spread to the other animals. I couldn't give her anything for them, and couldn't pick them all off, either. But now she has no fleas and none of the other animals picked up any fleas, either. I've never seen a tick on my dogs, but their pen doesn't have any grass so I guess they don't have a way to pick them up. Good thing, because ticks give me the creeps! I hate those things!