vet visits/vaccines

    • Gold Top Dog

    vet visits/vaccines

    jake went the vet a week ago for a check up, rabies vac, and stool check.  he just went in today for a 5 in 1 parvo/distemper shot, it was a tech visit.  he is supposed to go back in three weeks for a 2nd one since we dont know his history.  they want him to see the vet this time and charge me $35 for a regular visit plus the cost of the vac because they require a vet visit within three weeks every time they vaccinate.  this doesnt make any sense to me.  i dont want to pay $45 for a $10 vaccine  when he just had a checkup and is in perfect health.  is it normal for vets to require a check up within 3 weeks of getting a vaccine?  i mean, the vet didnt really do anything at the last check up. 
    • Gold Top Dog
    I guess it depends on vet office.  My vet office you get all your shots with one of the vets and there is no fee to see the vet while there for shots and they do a physical on the dog.  I only get charged to see the vet when it is a non vaccination visit.
    • Bronze
    No offence but in my experience I have found that the bigger the city, the more you pay. I live in a small town now and don't even pay for checkups. Try out of town and see where that gets you if it isn't too far
    • Gold Top Dog
    i live in a small town too.
    • Bronze
    I live in a small town and work at a vet clinic and we charge every vaccine visit a $36 exam fee.  The only time we don't charge for the exam is if we've seen the dog within the year and its only getting a bordetella shot (kennel cough).  If it's Rabies or DHLPPC we always charge an exam fee.  Just depends on where you are and who you go to....
    • Gold Top Dog
    i could understand the charge slightly better if the vet actually examined the dog when they charge an exam fee, but they dont, at least not the one i go to.  to me an exam would involve looking at the eyes, looking in the ears, at the teeth, checking for parasites, checking various other parts, etc.  which i probably wont be able to go there again anyway because last time i was there i accidentally had the wrong checks in my wallet and i just got a notice in the mail from my bank that the check bounced.  i havnt even used that account for almost a year and actually just went there yesterday and closed it out.  the vet charges a $75 returned check fee and the bank charges $20.  oops.   i dont even know how the wrong checks wound up in my wallet .  sometimes luck is rotten.  but anyway i saved myself  $25 and ordered the vaccine online.  thats what i saved even after paying for overnight express fedex shipping.
    • Gold Top Dog
    We went four weeks ago to get two bordetella shots for two dogs and one "physical exam" for a perfectly healthy dog  One dog already had had a "physical".  They talked us into two lyme vacccine shots - bottom line $453!  We had to go back three weeks later (last week) for a lyme booster shot - $183 after the vet said the booster would be $20 each!  The booster was $20, but there's an office visit fee etc.