Why is the Vet so Gosh Darn Expensive?

Well, they go to veterinary school and that costs thousands, ok, tens of thousands. Then most of them have to buy lab equipment, microscopes, x-rays. The animals use the same equipment we do, but our doctors don't buy it, they send us to places to have it done. Then of course, we don't have pet insurance, so we must bear the whole cost plus the cost of meds. I remember one time my vet ordered some meds for my dog and told me they were $300 and I said is that for 3 or 4 months, she said no, that would be $300 a month for the rest of my dog's life. I don't spend that on me. As it turned out the vet was wrong, now I probably spend about 300 a year for the meds for the same condition, that would really get me going, if I had paid all that money for no reason.

It just is. I have had to take all three of my cats to the vet for numerous amounts of problems. Frisky went to the vet for kidney stones and that was $350, Goldie went to the vet for a hairball caught in the intestine and that was $620, and Dubby went to the vet for a laceration on his leg and that was $320. Pets are not cheap, and to those of you who own pets and do not get them to the vet when they need it, SHAME ON YOU! If you do not get your pet to the vet when they need it, and I see you neglecting or abusing your pet I will call the ASPCA on you and I will not hesitate. Some people in my neighborhood had left their new puppy outside with no food and no water, and it was hot, the puppy wanted to go inside, but the neighbors were not home, so the puppy had nowhere to go. I was in a hurry to get to my classes for testing that day, so I was not able to take the puppy to the local ASPCA. If I see these people again and I see the puppy being neglected like that again, I will take that puppy and I will bring it to the ASPCA. Pets are people too, and they deserve love and respect just like everyone else.

I think a lot of people don't realize how expensive it is. People think I'm nuts when I tell them I've spent over $2,000 on a single guinea pig. What people don't realize, is that their own health care is actually much more expensive. My vet charges $65 for an x-ray. I don't have health insurance, and when I go to the doctor for a simple fracture I will end up with a bill near $1,000... and that's one where they don't even have to put a cast on it. I recently broke my heel and since I knew the doctor would just tell me it was broken and not be able to actually do anything, I let it heal on its own. I went in for a broken toe only once before I realized I too could tape my toes together, and not charge myself $1,000 to do it. But with my pets, they'll go in even if it has to go on my credit card. I worked at an animal hospital for awhile, and it is definitely something else watching it from the other perspective. The techs made about $12 an hour, the assistants made $8. Minimum wage was $6.75 at the time. And I worked for over a year for free, "in training" because a spot didn't open up (and when it did and went to a student, I quit). The vets did okay, but there wasn't enough money to pass around, despite what pet owners perceived as large bills.

Mmmmm...crystals in the bladder...might look that up for you in that book..LOL..usually something like that sounds like cystitis and when people get it can drink cranberry juice to clear it up. Don't tell me about vet costs as I know they can be expensive..nuts more than people doctors. To be honest I haven't taken my cats to a vet in ages....not that I don't care, I DO!! But all these years I've really relied on natural remedies and have seemed to work wonders. My Pyewacket was having some breathing problems of his own and gave him some of that Petromalt stuff plus would open up a garlic pill and give it to him once in awhile. Then he had that cyst thing near his ear and used warm-hottish sage compresses to drain it out..he still gets it back again every once in awhile..what helps though is that my pet rescuer friend always has a lot of antibiotics on stock and send it to me--she's to send me some more next month.

My daughter accidentally broke my 5 month old kitties leg I took her in and they had to put a cast on her leg, they gave her pain meds and had to give her anistetic and keep her for 2 nights and the bill came to $180 I couldn't beleive it I thought it would be more like $500! I guess I have a good vet. They will also let you make payments.