Average Vet Costs - National

Here's an interesting article on the national average cost of veternary care for pets. I remembered we discussed this recently in another thread. Thought you might be interested.

Quote:
YOU CAN'T CLAIM THEM as dependents on your tax return, but pets are truly part of your family. Need proof? Chances are, the medical bills Tigger and Max rack up rival your own, even if they haven't had major medical problems.

Dog owners spent an average of $785 on vet bills last year, while cat owners spent $516, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. (By contrast, on toys and treats, dog owners spent $115; cat owners $72.
http://foxnews.smartmoney.com/dealoftheday/index.cfm?story=20060217
Procedure
Average Cost (National)
Repair a broken limb$350
Sew a torn knee ligament$383
Gastrotomy (to retrieve swallowed object)$274
X-rays$58 for the first, $36 for each additional
Anesthesia (per half hour)$56
Preanesthetic sedation$23
Preanesthetic exam$28
Anesthetic monitoring$19
Procedures for Dogs
Average Cost (National)
Adult canine wellness visit
(Includes physical examination, rabies vaccine, DHLPP vaccine, coronavirus vaccine, bordetella vaccine, leptospirosis vaccine, Lyme disease vaccine, heartworm combination examination [difil/direct/occult] and fecal examination.)
$145.60
Canine spay$147.90 to $194.60 (depending on weight of dog)
Canine neuter$127.70 to $156.10 (depending on weight of dog)
Procedures for Cats
Average Cost (National)
Adult feline wellness visit
(Includes physical examination, rabies vaccine, FVRCP vaccine, FeLV vaccine, FIP vaccine, heartworm test [occult/antigen] and fecal examination.)
$120.30
Feline spay$125
Feline neuter$83.10

* Data from the American Animal Hospital Association and Consumer Reports
Respond to this topic here on forum.oes.org  
Seems like the pricing is average for South New Jersey area where we live, although I think $350 seems a little low for limb repair. I guess it depends how bad the break is. My neighbor spent almost $1,500 on her Min Pin's back leg but it literally snapped in half.
I guess I pay much less. I take the dog to the Vet once a year.
I get their vaccines at Animal Samaritians. They charge between 8 and 10 dollars per vaccine.
I did pay a lot for Harley's medical problems though.
But yearly charges are lower.
I paid $55 for Rags to be spayed
Pepsi's Mommy wrote:


I paid $55 for Rags to be spayed


Wow, I paid about $225.00 to have Daisy spayed 8O
bestdogsx4 wrote:
Wow, I paid about $225.00 to have Daisy spayed 8O

I was wrong, I paid $50 plus $12 for pain meds.
I just lucked out that this place is close. http://www.animalsamaritans.org/
Pepsi was also neutered there for the same price last year.
Oh I can relate to those vet bills. Just this month I paid 225 dollars for all my kitties to be updated on innoculations and rabies. My vet gave me a 40% discount too or else it would have been more!

The following week I paid 476 dollars for Panda's grooming, sedation, and a host of other things done while he was under.

Not complaining as I often joked that Ralph my three legged cat was a 1,000 cat and Shaggy was my 4,000 dollar dog. Yes, it means I gave up a lot of Starbucks trips and shoes but they are my babies!

Marianne
I thought I'd chime in on our recent experience with veterinarian bills and food bills...

Over the course of the last two years, our vet bills have run about $5,000 and our dog food bill has run $1,000. Mulligan has had a sore neck issue for most of this time; much of the cost of the vet is for pain medication. Other than a sore neck, he has been in generally fine health.

So the basic expenses over the last 24 months for maintaining our 7 to 9 year old dog who is in fair shape have averaged just about $250 per month.

This does not include 'extras' of any sort; leashes, rain gear, muttluks, bones, toys or similar. Or the cost of table scraps (very minimal)... or the fish oil we give him. This also does not include indirect expenses such as finding/staying in per friendly accommodations, buying 4 door cars, etc. It also does not include savings such as not taking a vacation when the dog is not feeling 100%. Then again, we haven't had a vacation in years.
I just paid $385 for blood test, dental cleaning and 3 teeth extraction, pain meds and antibiotic for Harry!
SheepieBoss wrote:
I just paid $385 for blood te :cow: st, dental cleaning and 3 teeth extraction, pain meds and antibiotic for Harry!

The $$ given on the home page are very decieving for the ACL repair and bone fracture. Those prices MUST be just what the doctor charges for their time. Not the anesthesia, sterile packs , etc...... Thats not fair to clients.
In Ontario if your dog needs to be sedated for any reason - surgery, teeth cleaning etc - expect the bill to start at $1,000 and go from there. Ziggi needs a lump removed and I just paid $250 for the pre-op blood work and the surgery will be over $1,000.

I keep telling Ziggi she needs to get off her ass and find a job - anything get a paper route, greeter at Walmart - just get a job and stop lying around sleeping on the couch all day
^^^^^^ :D :D

Michele, I have to agree. I have spent many hours trying to figure out how to put Oscar to work!!!

Our vet costs here in Chicago are similar to those in Ontario. If Oscar is going to be put under for any reason (growth removal, teeth cleaning), it is never under $1000, usually around $1500. This is partly due to his size, as he is 110 lbs, and it just takes more anesthesia, more meds, etc. than it would take to do the same procedure on a small dog. Things are just more expensive in these major metro areas as well. Every time Oscar gets an IBD flare-up or pancreatitis, it's an automatic $3000 to do the monitoring blood work and keep him properly hydrated with IVs and subQ fluids. Oscar is not a cheap date!!! :wink:


Laurie and Oscar
vet fees are outa this world here in Halifax nova scotia
beautifull dogs die here,cause some porer folks cant afford those fees...getting to be worse then human fees..
SheepieBoss wrote:
I just paid $385 for blood test, dental cleaning and 3 teeth extraction, pain meds and antibiotic for Harry!


I just paid $1062.00 for 1 tooth extraction, teeth cleaning, 1 tumor extraction, close to the national average I suppose. Getting tougher & tougher to be an owner, should have been a vet.
..and that's why I don't have a 6 or 7 pack of dogs any more. Can't afford it.
This may sound verrrry irresponsible and insane BUT I do my best to not ignore but pay as little attention as possible to the cost of the medical needs of my hairy ones. I can't change their needs just like I can't change the fact that my truck needs gasoline and my home needs heat. Some of their yearly meds have mail in rebates (gee thanks) and thats about it. I do my best to over compensate in other parts of my life for things these. Sonny's new shirts weren't the cool sherpa lined jackets for $80....they were the regular cotton hoodies he can wear all day. Oh boo hoo like he cares. My check book was grateful and my power bill is going down because I turned off all the heating pads. Now I have extra so if someone slips on the ice and dislocates a joint I'm better prepared. I think we all hope we are never put in a spot to deal with major issues with our fur babies but are prepared to a degree. No one has ever handed me a coupon for gas, power, or any surgery for my dogs! I guess it is just one of those things I just know I need to be ready for just in case. Please keep in mind, I set my self up for success the best I could in the picking of my babes but nothing is foolproof. I guess I adhere to the same policy with the pups as I do with my non hairy kids - if they need it, and I agree....I'm getting it - hell or high water. Cost is not my main concern, the health of my loved one is and I am by no means wealthy just rather unstoppable. Sorry...Issues with a non fur babe are hitting a nerve right now and dealing/arguing with the medical community over treatment. I do have to say that it is sad that there are plenty of loving homes for tons of the shelter animals that are going without due to the costs not the fact that they aren't wanted! I have never heard of a dog being spayed for $62 pain meds included! HOLY CRAP! It costs more than that at the Humane Society here!!! If those types of prices and services were more widely available we might be on to something. I donate money and time to my local adopt a pet frequently and I know others do also so they don't always have to charge outrageous fees to cover their expenses. Those ASPCA commercials kill me. I have to mute them and walk away. I wish I could save them all but it isn't a fit for my family, life but there are people it works for hello SheepieBoss so why not make it super easy for people like that to save the day?! O.k. sorry again, I'm all done with my rant.
I was recently shocked when I was charged $36 for a "vet tech visit". I paid for the kennel cough spray, anal gland expression and a large fee for the vet tech's time! I called around to other vets, I only found 1 other who charged to see the tech, and it's $16, less than 1/2 what I paid. I was not satisfied with the wishy-washy answers I got when I asked about this. "This is to pay for the lights, the heat, the computers....". And it seems that the techs can use some discretion based on the amount of time they spend with you.
NO! Wrong answer!! Is there any governing body to protect consumers from being ripped off, or can they just name their price?
Thanks!
I am so upset about the bill I had to pay yesterday for my rescue dog, Hank. Yes - my husband and I love him. We've had him only 5 weeks. He came to use with a cherry eye. We had him neutered and cherry eye removed. This was with a "rescue vet" and was charged $175. The next day - he had to return due to stitches coming loose. Okay - no charge for that - but not impressed. He did not improve and had yellow gunk coming out of both eyes now. I was referred to another vet who was wonderful - okay. They informed me he was completely blind now and was in dire pain. They said he needed to have his eye removed due to stitches that damaged his eyeball and was now ruptured. Okay - quote - $850 if no complications - up to $1400 - but - they were sure this would be an easy surgery. Next day - my bill was $1872.96 but they discounted it to only $1350! WHAT? This vet charged over $500 per hour. My "rescue" had to be catherized for this surgery of exactly 2 and 1/2 hours. I am upset beyond words that it costs this much. This makes me completely understand exactly WHY there are so many animals dumped out or dropped off at an animal shelter to be put down. I don't know about all of you - but I cannot afford to LOVE any more animals with expenses like this. Yes - again - I do love my rescue - but I hate how we are simply open prey to whatever a vet wishes to charge. This is just wrong. I feel the same way about our government. They cost us too much!
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