Dog blood pressure check...

[valerie]

Anyone had to get one of these? My girl Tamsen is on a medication and the
vet thought we should check her BP. Now, let me say, I trust this vet a LOT
and I'm glad my girl has been able to have the same one the last few years,
but yesterday when Tamsen went in for a regular check-up, the vet did all
the regular stuff, checked eyes ears listened to heart lungs, and then she
said she'd send the tech in for the BP. Okay, so tech comes in and does it.
When I go out to the front desk and get the bill, I see I was charged 20 bucks
for the check. On top of the $32 for the office visit/physical. (On top of the
50 some-odd for 6 months Heartgard!!) I just thought this seemed a bit much
and wondered what you guys thought.

[BabyRider]

As a former vet tech, (I bet people are getting sick of me saying that...sorry!) I would wonder why the vet didn't give you the option of the test. Whenever we had to do anything extra we would always explain the added cost to the client and leave it to them if they wanted to go through with it or not. If it was very necessary, we would strongly encourage it and explain why it was so vital. But to just do it without explanation and charge 20 bucks seems a little presumptuous. What is the name of the meds. your dog is on? Maybe rachelg will see this and have some more input. She knows her way around dogs, too.

[rachelg]

I would have thought the blood pressure check was part of the physical. It is in people, anyway. I think they should have told you, even if it was necessary that it was additional cost. If your vet will give you a prescription for the Heartgard and the other medication, you can save some that way. I use kvvet.com. I hope it's ok to give out websites like that. I checked for what I figure a GSD weighs- 50-100? It was about $27.95 for 6 pills.

[BabyRider]

I forgot about the meds available online...another good one is 1800petmeds.com.

[abbey]

Valerie, i know exactly what you mean i bet your jaw dropped when you saw you'd been charged, unfortunatly its a sign of the times, the vets have us over a barrel when it comes to our animals welfare & they know no matter what, we will pay the bill without question because we simply love them.
We cant buy meds on the net here in Britain so vets have the monopoly on what they can charge, i paid $60+ last week for my dog to have her booster against Parvovirus ( not sure if you have it in the states) the vial probably only cost a few pounds!!
I suppose there's the argument that we are paying for their "expertise" but it seems to me that if they charged a more realistic rate many animals would'nt be left without correct treatment they desperately needed because owners just simply can't afford the treatment.

[valerie]

Thanks everyone. I should have clarified a little bit better I guess... my vet
and I had talked about Tamsen getting the BP checked a few months ago
but she said it wasn't urgent. We had just bumped up Tamsen's dose of
PPA for her incontinence. And it can cause high blood pressure in dogs as
well as humans. I think maybe since it was October when we talked about it,
and didn't get the check 'till now, she might have thought she had already
told me the fee. I would have said sure anyway, I thought it was important,
but overall I just got the feeling things were "different" around there and I
can't quite put my finger on it. This vet has always been great about answering
questions, not making me feel rushed... and there's been times I go in there,
waiting room full of patients, she'll see me and come over "Hi how's our girl
doing?" and chat while people are giving me dirty looks. (I feel like saying,
hey you guys spend as much as I do in here...)

The other thing I didn't mention was that she suggested we get chest films
for Tamsen. (Would be btwn $84-$120) Tamsen had them done before her
cancer surgery a year and a half ago and they were clear, but the vet told
me then that they didn't catch any lumps below 10,000 cells. Well, at 12
years old with three legs and all she's been through... I'm not putting my girl
through chemo or anything else at this point. And why do I want to know if
there IS a lump in her lung? She's happy and healthy and does walks and
stairs and plays with toys and I don't know what-all. It's my feeling that if
her cancer had spread it would have shown up by now, but in any case I'm
sure I will see symptoms if it does. (Shortness of breath, coughing, etc.)

Rachelg, thank you so much for the tip and website. I had no idea that stuff
was THAT much cheaper online! Mind my asking, how does that work do you
fax the prescription to them or something?

Man you can have dogs your entire 52 years and STILL learn something new!

[rachelg]

Valerie,

kvvet is the best buy of all the online prescription places. Believe me, I have researched them all. Try having a kennel full of dogs and you will find the best buys.
To get a prescription medication, you have to have the vet fax, phone or mail them the prescription. Again, kvvet.com