steve all it takes is ONE flea. And unless you live in a bubble most dogs are gonna pick up that occasional flea.
Now ... do me a favor? Tomorrow call your local hospital and find out how much it costs for a woman to have a hysterectomy. Then, call 2-3 vets in your area and find out how much a spay is? Hmmm -- maybe the spay sounds more reasonable?
next .. call Dr. ABC on the corner and find out how much his office visit is if you have to PAY cash for it and don't have insurance. And at the same time inquire how much it is for a kid to have all their pre-school vaccines? While you're on the phone find out how much an x-ray costs -- just ONE x-ray for a .. oh, say your left foot.
Compare that to the vet -- who is not, btw, underwritten by any hospital, etc. That x-ray machine your vet has? That's HIS. Not a hospital's and not leased -- it's his and he has to pay for it.
Then as a small business man, figure out what his costs are for insurance and the benefits he has to offer his staff? or ... would you rather he didn't HAVE staff? That he charged enough for HIM, as the professional to do everything?
steve, my point is -- your vet is a small business owner. SOME OF THEM overcharge, some of them over-vaccinate, some of them are after every income-opportunity there is.
Some aren't. If your vet is bilking you to do extra vaccines, wants to sell you new collars and toys and is pushing food you don't want to buy (and won't let you say no without a guilt trip) -- then you likely have a bona fide gripe -- SO GO ELSEWHERE.
If you compare what a vet does to what a regular doctor does (and subtract even the varying costs of their E&O insurance) you'll find a vet isn't making as much as you think he is. And he's pretty reasonable. Or ..honestly, he *should* be.
If you walk in and your vet's office looks like a tv layout and it looks more like a spa than a working vet clinic -- then, you may have a valid gripe. But don't do the vet down if they simply have a spouse who is a decent decorator and who makes sure the bathroom is clean.
Most vets aren't making huge money. And not taking the dog to the vet regularly (and while you're there get a fecal done as well) doesn't save money - it often means that when you DO go the vet doesn't know you, doesn't know the animal and your animal may be deathly ill (and those bills get BIG) so you aren't saving anything.
Make sense?
And yes -- if the dog is eating more than normal that would definitely make sense (ever hear someone ask another person who is eating a lot "gee, do you have a hollow leg or do you just have a tapeworm?";)
And parasites of ANY kind shorten the life of the pet, and can impact your family.
Now how bad do you rag your family for spending money? If you said that to ME about 'doggie steaks' ... frankly you'd be eating supper in the back yard with the squirrels (sharing their nuts ... and I don't think I'll go further with that analogy!).
Me? I home cook for 3 dogs because ... frankly, it saves ME money at the vet because it keeps them healthier. And I just went to the grocery store to buy the stuff to make dog food for the week which included 3 pounds of sliced beef heart and 2 pounds of whitefish.
At MY house sliced beef heart sauted IS "doggie steaks" -- they eat better than we do. But they give more than we do, too!