Comments on: The Vet, the Economy & Our Ferocious Dog http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/ About finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning eagerly anticipating the day ahead. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:15:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kristi http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-18217 Kristi Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:38:20 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-18217 I also work at a vet too and our doctors write scripts to be filled at people pharmacy's all the time. In fact, when they can they will write it, sometimes even letting people know if they can get it cheaper at people pharmacy's. I love the vet I work at. They are one of the few in the area that will do anything they can to assist you in emergency care for your pet. We try all avenue's of course prior to accepting the last option pymts but most of the doctor's are more concerned on the pet's care in bad situations than immediate pymt. They realize what the economy is like. We are busy but not like what we normally are. But then again, we typically slow down around this time of year anyway. But it is a little slower than our normal slow. We also manage to have some of the better prices in town too. Our dental are around $200 (includeing optional bloodwork) in comparison to a lot of area vets that cost $300 - $400 (as quoted by many new clients that call looking for cost estimates!). We have 7 doctors in our practice so it can be quite hairy during our busy times so some of us look forward to some down time per se!! LOL It is hard to find that middle ground sometimes. I dread leaving this area and quitting such a wonderful practice!! I also work at a vet too and our doctors write scripts to be filled at people pharmacy’s all the time. In fact, when they can they will write it, sometimes even letting people know if they can get it cheaper at people pharmacy’s. I love the vet I work at. They are one of the few in the area that will do anything they can to assist you in emergency care for your pet. We try all avenue’s of course prior to accepting the last option pymts but most of the doctor’s are more concerned on the pet’s care in bad situations than immediate pymt. They realize what the economy is like. We are busy but not like what we normally are. But then again, we typically slow down around this time of year anyway. But it is a little slower than our normal slow. We also manage to have some of the better prices in town too. Our dental are around $200 (includeing optional bloodwork) in comparison to a lot of area vets that cost $300 – $400 (as quoted by many new clients that call looking for cost estimates!). We have 7 doctors in our practice so it can be quite hairy during our busy times so some of us look forward to some down time per se!! LOL It is hard to find that middle ground sometimes. I dread leaving this area and quitting such a wonderful practice!!

]]> By: Emily http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-6177 Emily Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:50:59 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-6177 I don't know if "PC" will see this or not, but I work at a vet and it is definitely worth it for you to ask yours if he/she can write a script for your dog's meds at the WalMart pharmacy. The clinic where I work does this whenever possible. We even call them in for people at their own respective pharmacies if they need us to. I don’t know if “PC” will see this or not, but I work at a vet and it is definitely worth it for you to ask yours if he/she can write a script for your dog’s meds at the WalMart pharmacy. The clinic where I work does this whenever possible. We even call them in for people at their own respective pharmacies if they need us to.

]]> By: PC http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-6055 PC Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:37:33 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-6055 Where I live, Illinois, pet owner can do their own vaccination for everything except rabies. Most feed stores keep vaccines refrigerated in the store and so do some pet supply stores. One type of kennel cough vaccine is administered via the nose for dogs. The 4 in 1 or 7 in 1 is a subcutaneous injection just under the skin. My vet taught me how to do the sub-q injections. I'm sure some website has illustrations but hands-on training is better. The cost of the vaccine at Rural King the other day was a third of what the vet's office charges. It's legal to do your own vaccines in IL but check the law in where you live. I think the all-inclusive dog vaccine was under $6 last time I bought it. The vaccine label lists what diseases are prevented on the label. Parvo is another home administered vaccine that is legal in IL. To document the mutts and kitties had their vaccines, I peel the labels off the vials and adhere them to an index card. Toss that in the photo copy and my vet keeps a copy on file. I put the original in the pet file. The place where I board, which isn't often accepts labels as proof of vaccination too. Come to think of it, the label thing satisfied DCFS when we were thinking about being foster parents. I do have to have rabies administered by a licensed vet and get a state certificate and tag to prove the animal has had their rabies shot. We are dealing with a fourteen year old terrier mix who is in congestive heart failure and chronic renal failure. Her meds from the vet are pricey and humans are prescribed the same drug for this condition. If she were human, I could get the same drugs at Walmart under their $4 for 30 day supply program, splt the pills and have a four month supply. I haven't asked but maybe I should. Seems to me if I present a prescription to a pharmacist, he should fill it even if it for a dog written by a vet. Of course, the vet dispenses these meds with a good mark up and I don't think he'd agree to do it. Is it better that the vet profit or that ill animals get meds they need to survive? Ms. Mutt also has skin allergies and the vet wrote a prescription for a custom compounded skin cream called "Happy Heinie". $15 for one ounce when I had it filled. I tried the cream on my hands, love it so I asked my human doctor for a prescription to treat contact dermitis. I just filled the prescription. One pound jar was less than $5 using prescription insurance. I think I'll share with Ms. Mutt. I was honest with my doctor that I intended to share with the dog. My doctor likes dogs. She just could not find a way to write a prescription for heart meds for me because I don't have a heart condition. The vet has sent me home more than a few times with hypodermics full of antibiotics after teaching me how to inject them so I don't have to come back several days in a row to have the office dose a sick animal. A couple of times, the vet set me up with an IV bag and catheter so I could do sub-q hydration of a sick dog at home. I was charged for the cost of the solution and the catheter, no office visit. I also buy flea preventatives and heart worm medication at the feed store and skip the vet. One thing I've learned in all these years of pet ownership is canine and feline drugs are often the same as human drugs, just different dosages. Naturally, I let the vet calculate the dosage. The allergic dog takes over the counter antihistimines, dosage calculated by the vet. Dogs can't take aspirin, just as a warning. Where I live, Illinois, pet owner can do their own vaccination for everything except rabies. Most feed stores keep vaccines refrigerated in the store and so do some pet supply stores.

One type of kennel cough vaccine is administered via the nose for dogs. The 4 in 1 or 7 in 1 is a subcutaneous injection just under the skin. My vet taught me how to do the sub-q injections. I’m sure some website has illustrations but hands-on training is better.

The cost of the vaccine at Rural King the other day was a third of what the vet’s office charges. It’s legal to do your own vaccines in IL but check the law in where you live. I think the all-inclusive dog vaccine was under $6 last time I bought it. The vaccine label lists what diseases are prevented on the label. Parvo is another home administered vaccine that is legal in IL.

To document the mutts and kitties had their vaccines, I peel the labels off the vials and adhere them to an index card. Toss that in the photo copy and my vet keeps a copy on file. I put the original in the pet file. The place where I board, which isn’t often accepts labels as proof of vaccination too. Come to think of it, the label thing satisfied DCFS when we were thinking about being foster parents.

I do have to have rabies administered by a licensed vet and get a state certificate and tag to prove the animal has had their rabies shot.

We are dealing with a fourteen year old terrier mix who is in congestive heart failure and chronic renal failure. Her meds from the vet are pricey and humans are prescribed the same drug for this condition. If she were human, I could get the same drugs at Walmart under their $4 for 30 day supply program, splt the pills and have a four month supply. I haven’t asked but maybe I should. Seems to me if I present a prescription to a pharmacist, he should fill it even if it for a dog written by a vet. Of course, the vet dispenses these meds with a good mark up and I don’t think he’d agree to do it. Is it better that the vet profit or that ill animals get meds they need to survive?

Ms. Mutt also has skin allergies and the vet wrote a prescription for a custom compounded skin cream called “Happy Heinie”. $15 for one ounce when I had it filled. I tried the cream on my hands, love it so I asked my human doctor for a prescription to treat contact dermitis. I just filled the prescription. One pound jar was less than $5 using prescription insurance. I think I’ll share with Ms. Mutt.

I was honest with my doctor that I intended to share with the dog. My doctor likes dogs. She just could not find a way to write a prescription for heart meds for me because I don’t have a heart condition.

The vet has sent me home more than a few times with hypodermics full of antibiotics after teaching me how to inject them so I don’t have to come back several days in a row to have the office dose a sick animal. A couple of times, the vet set me up with an IV bag and catheter so I could do sub-q hydration of a sick dog at home. I was charged for the cost of the solution and the catheter, no office visit.

I also buy flea preventatives and heart worm medication at the feed store and skip the vet.

One thing I’ve learned in all these years of pet ownership is canine and feline drugs are often the same as human drugs, just different dosages. Naturally, I let the vet calculate the dosage. The allergic dog takes over the counter antihistimines, dosage calculated by the vet. Dogs can’t take aspirin, just as a warning.

]]> By: Beverly http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-6027 Beverly Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:09:50 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-6027 We just went through the same thing with our two cats. We took them in for their annual shots and it was over 100.00, one of the shots had doubled in price from the previous year. We have 4 dogs and have had to make a hard decision that they will only be getting rabies and maybe parvo shots this year. We just can't afford to pay for these expensive vaccinations. Your dog is so cute and I read your blog frequently! Thank you for writing. We just went through the same thing with our two cats. We took them in for their annual shots and it was over 100.00, one of the shots had doubled in price from the previous year. We have 4 dogs and have had to make a hard decision that they will only be getting rabies and maybe parvo shots this year. We just can’t afford to pay for these expensive vaccinations.

Your dog is so cute and I read your blog frequently! Thank you for writing.

]]> By: Harold J. http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-5899 Harold J. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:39:35 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-5899 I'm a dog trainer so I have a lot of contact with my local vet and I've been noticing the same thing you write about. It started slow and then kind of built up but business at the vet (and my business too) are way down thanks to the bad economy. Too bad the animals are the ones that suffer the most. I’m a dog trainer so I have a lot of contact with my local vet and I’ve been noticing the same thing you write about. It started slow and then kind of built up but business at the vet (and my business too) are way down thanks to the bad economy. Too bad the animals are the ones that suffer the most.

]]> By: Penny http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-5898 Penny Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:37:19 +0000 http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/the-vet-the-economy-our-ferocious-dog/#comment-5898 That's an adorable little dog. I would have more animals than the one dog and one cat we have if the vet expenses were more affordable. It seems a shame that animals aren't getting homes because caring for them has become so expensive. That’s an adorable little dog. I would have more animals than the one dog and one cat we have if the vet expenses were more affordable. It seems a shame that animals aren’t getting homes because caring for them has become so expensive.

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