Dog blood pressure check...

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:22 pm

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 · Post by **BabyRider** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:56 pm

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 · Post by **rachelg** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:33 pm

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 · Post by **BabyRider** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:48 pm

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

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 9:05 pm

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. :-5

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:25 am

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!

:-6

rachelg · Post by **rachelg** » Thu Jan 06, 2005 10:46 am

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 :-6