I totally agree with you!  I work at an animal hospital and people are always complaining about our "exam fees".  Only a couple of other vets in town have them and ours does happen to be the highest.  But what I have noticed is that the places that don't charge exam fees just really really bump up vaccination costs so that in the end, the bill is the same.

DNS September 28th, 2009 08:38:49 AM

I recently paid around $40-$50 for my vet to have a quick look-see at a lump.  I was told it was cosmetic and to keep an eye on it for changes.   I figured this was the minimum charge.  We've only been there once previously for a physical.  We recently switched to this practice based on neighbor recommendations and cost - even though it is farther away.  I think the physical - (with blood test for heartworm check) was around $80.

Liz September 28th, 2009 10:37:08 AM

My elderly cocker has a host of health problems.  The most recent requires a vet visit every 2 weeks until the problem is resolved.  My excellent vets charge the "mini" office visit fee of $25.00 to recheck him and prescribe additional meds if necessary.  I also get a small discount for having multiple animals.  Regular office visit is $45.00 for a full exam.  I've been going to them for about 20 years and rarely believe I've been overcharged.  In fact, I have more confidence in them than in my own doctors.

Carol September 28th, 2009 11:26:29 AM

My vet charges $38 for office visits (which include a basic physical), and half that for follow-up visits.  That seems pretty reasonable to me, for this area (small Indiana college town).

Shelly September 28th, 2009 11:29:55 AM

You know... I have no idea what my vet's standard changes are.  I took a recommendation and, since I liked the vet after the first apt., just went with her from that point on.  The office staff are happy to make me two "back to back" 5 p.m. weeknight apts for annual physicals so I'm happy to pay them for the convenience.  I think 2 annual physicals + vaccines ran me $160 last year.  I've had to make 4 apts for isolated issues in the last couple of years and those have been quite reasonable, usually under $50 if the prescription is antibiotics, a little more if it's for eye drops. They've also always been able to see me within a day or two.  I also like that the practice does surgery and dentistry on-site so if something happened I could stay with the vets I like.  I also feel like the vet spends a lot of time with me/cat(s) at each apt and that means a lot.

I'm not rich but I do OK and no human kids means more disposable income, so I'm fine with paying a bit more because I find the customer service and apt availability really good and the office location is convient.  I'm sure I could find a cheaper vet but, honestly, it's not worth it to me.

I go here:  http://www.allpetsvc.com/

AnneT September 28th, 2009 11:37:17 AM

Hmm... it seems like I either take my pets to a more expensive vet OR I just keep getting suckered into the extras.  It seems like we don't get out of there without paying between $150 and $200, but most of the reasons we've been in there this year have been for injuries or bladder infections which have required testing or treatment.

We paid close to $150 when we took our dog in for her initial exam, but I remember buying some things for her teeth and maybe something else.  Plus, she's a giant breed; so, there may have been a mark-up for that.

That said, I pick vets based on recommendations from other pet owners, and I choose whether or not to keep taking my pets there based on what I perceive to be the level of care they receive during the visits.

Our vet in Cincy was much less expensive than vets we've taken our pets to in Texas, and she was excellent.  The vet clinic we take our pets to now (in Texas) seems to provide a comparable level of care to the one in Cincy, but the price is higher.  I think it's just the market (i.e., location = higher expense).

Posey September 28th, 2009 12:08:23 PM

My vet's fee for an office visit is around $40, but the day I leave there having just paid that amount will be a miracle.  The visit always involves further testing and medicines so that I walk out of there at least $100 lighter in the wallet.  Not complaining, just stating that I look at the office visit charge just what it takes to walk into the door.  If the dog was healthy, I wouldn't need to spend the extra money on meds or tests.

I think it's fair.  Any time I'm chagrined at what I pay in vet fees, it's just overall chagrin at spending that much money, period, not an assumption that I'm getting overcharged or ripped off.  I'm confident that I wouldn't get the same level of care for any cheaper anywhere else and at the same level of convenience and trust I have with my current vet.

Shasta September 28th, 2009 01:39:01 PM

The Banfield I work at is in an interesting position as far as service costs go.  Within a 5-mile radius there are a ton of typical, suburban veterinary clinics whose prices are either the same or higher as ours (corporate does frequent price-shopping...I just discovered that a nearby clinic charges $80 for an Idexx Snap FeLV/FIV test!).  Within a 15-mile radius, one can easily find several rural, typically mixed-species practices that charge significantly less (you know the type...usually run by older, male "good ol' country vets" where a no-frills spay can be had for $75, the office visit fee is non-existent, and the typical client's estimation of quality of care is dependent upon how much money they have to spend). 

The rural, mixed-practices are much, much cheaper...and they provide, in general, a much lower quality of care.  And if that's all a client wants or is able to provide, that's fine.  For the other practices, I've noticed that Banfield's exam fee is much lower ($35 for initial, $24 for follow-up)...and it's definitely used to get people in the door.  In fact, we give free office visits to first-time clients like it's going out of style.  You'll end up taking the hit on in-house prescriptions (although that's a whole other issue, in and of itself...very few people realize how much their own prescriptions would cost without health insurance benefits or government subsidies!), elective surgical procedures, and vaccines (especially since we use some monovalent vaccines).  Prices are lower than the competition for high-quality, full service spay packages, neuter packages, and dental prophys.  Prices are pretty close when it comes to in-house diagnostics (assuming we're not comparing a chem7 to a chem12, etc.), miscellaneous "extras" like nail trims, ear cleaning, etc.  So, I'm pretty sure it all evens out...eventually.

anna September 28th, 2009 02:13:27 PM

Interesting story related to"Office Fees." My vet charges them. We have two cats that have seen our vet for quite some time.  We got our Rescue dog on a Friday for a trial weekend as my wife has NEVER had a dog so we wanted to test drive this one before committing. The dog, being in the pound for months on end, had it's issues (separation anxiety, potty training, loved the wife's shoes as chew toys) but was irresistible. Nevertheless, the Saturday morning the dog had a bowel movement and, well, it was a mess to say the least.

I called my vet up and they said they didn't have an appointment. They did say, however, that I could bring a sample in for analysis. I dropped it off and the lady said they'd have the results in 10 minutes or so. The office, as reported, was full. All of the sudden, the Doc came jogging out from the back with a pill in his hand and two syringes, one in his mouth and another in his other hand.  He told me what the dog had (coxidia among other things, forgive my spelling) and said that he felt it needed to be treated right away.  I was given some pills and some directions and that was that.

The medications that day were not cheap, but when I asked how much for the visit, the office staff said $0.  Seems I didn't have an office visit since he treated our dog in the lobby.

If it was a human being at an Emergency Room, I'd still be filling out the forms.  Vet's rock!!

EAB September 28th, 2009 02:47:09 PM

You know, I have no idea what my vet charges for a "basic visit -- because I am not sure how you would even classify one as such. Sometimes, we are going in for just a little follow up and she charges very little or nothing. Sometimes, the issue at hand requires more time and she charges a little more. The annuals for my older guy have become more expensive (about $125 to $150) because she now does more blood work and tests on Dolan, and sometimes Xrays. I guess for me the bottom line is that I like her, trust her, and appreciate the way she treats my kitties and me. Maybe I am naive, but I wouldn't dream of shopping for a lower price because I feel I am getting what I pay for -- quality care from someone who is compassionate with my animals and is honest with me about what treatments can and can't do.  Why would I trade that for saving a few bucks? I am lucky my finances allow me at this point to take this stand.   I have been a client of this practice for years and have no desire to go elsewhere.

Moongirl September 28th, 2009 03:45:33 PM

My new vet clinic (since I moved cities) is cheaper than my last. In Canadian dollars we pay $98 for our annual kitty visit, including necessary indoor cat vaccines. Our dog costs more.. its about $110 for a regular visit including normal boosters, another $80 for his Leptospirosis vaccine (stupid dog drinks from dirty puddles, even we offer him clean cool water from home) and another $200 for his heartworm testing and Revolution (I think its marketed as something else in other countries, non-brand name = selamectin). When the dog needed some anti-protozoan meds (again, he drinks from puddles) the meds and the visit came to $120.

Our eight-year old cat will be having his teeth cleaned on Friday. The vet doesn't think he needs extraction, but just in case we were quoted two prices $560 without and $780 with extraction. Our last vet quoted us $680 and $840. The puppy's neuter, complete with blood work up and IV (both were optional, but we decided the blood work was a good base line and the IV was a good 'just in case') it also included 2 days of pain meds and it came to be $500.

My mother mentions similar costs in Toronto for her cats.

I'm not sure why our vet care seems more expensive than in the US -- but in our area these prices are normal, so we pay the price. Our vet clinic is wonderful, they have caring staff, including some specialists, and great equiptment like a dental suite, ultrasound and a cat-scan. We're also in there every two weeks or so to weigh the puddle drinking dog since he needs to loose 3 lbs or so. They don't seem to mind when we drop by, and I really don't mind the prices. I'm convinced my animals are getting great medical care, I suppose I have to pay for that?

Shauna September 28th, 2009 03:50:51 PM

wow...California is expensive. Over the past 2 years our dog has been to I think 4 different vets (first we moved, then our current vet is highly recommended but often overbooked and frequently has to send us up the street, and we recently began seeing a specialist). I have paid somewhere between $65-80 for the office visit at all of these locations, and have NEVER been offered a "mini-visit" price for follow-ups (though our current vet will sometimes allow a follow up discussion on the phone, and only have us come in if he thinks it's necessary, which I appreciate).

monkeypedia September 28th, 2009 04:07:00 PM

My vet clinic of choice is in a suburban/rural area in an economically depressed area in southwestern PA. A standard office visit runs $39. They often see multiple pets of mine for well-pet visits--I pay the full office visit for the first animal, and they have an "additional animal" office visit fee of $20 for the additional pet(s). (Great for me, who sometimes takes in 4 cat carriers strapped to a dolly for cat wellness visits--and I always specify that it is a multiple-pet visit).  BTW, this is their standard fee schedule, not something I asked for, but certainly appreciate. ;) In addition, if the animal is a well-known regular visitor as mine are, they have a $10 "tech visit" fee if it is for simple vaccinations on a pet that has had a recent full exam (although the vet also sees them briefly at that visit). Surgical follow-up visits such as suture removals are included in the initial cost of the surgery itself, and there is no office visit charge for a simple suture removal or wound check. I do believe there is also a higher "extensive" office visit fee for conditions requiring management of complicated conditions or multiple problems; I think that is approximately $50; thankfully I have not needed that in recent years, though with my dogs' advancing ages, I forsee that upcoming in the not-too-distant future.

Shellie September 28th, 2009 04:36:39 PM

Our Harford-based vet charges $50-60 for a comprehensive exam (less for brief exams), and $0 for return/recheck exams (any lab work, rx, etc are charged at normal prices). During each visit, my vet does a full physical even if the last visit was just a few days ago.

I always figured rechecks were provided at no charge to ensure client compliance, and thought all vets took that approach. This article and comments have been enlightening for me!

karen September 28th, 2009 07:47:16 PM

My vet's clinic charges $51 for an office visit. My animals always get a physical from my vet when I pay that fee even if we are only there for an ear infection.  Follow up visits from surgery are free ( they want people to come back for the rechecks ). I am a frequent visitor at my Vet's clinic as I have an Addisonian along with 2 other older labs and a very old cat. ( 19 counts are very old right? ) When I go for an electrolytes check for my Addisonian they no longer charge for an office visit even though the Vet draws his blood and I get to chat with her about any concerns I might have. Nor do they charge for the blood draw.  I pay $25 + tax for the lytes on those visits.  They also do not charge me at all for his once a month percorten injection ( with my own vial of percorten ) which I also see my vet for. They consider my Addisonian a frequent flyer and they are very good to me on the costs for him.  I would still go there whether they gave me the breaks or not. I think overall their costs are fair ( even though I hear people complaining about veterinary costs all the time) I don't think people here in Canada necessarily realize what the actual cost of veterinary care really is since our own health care is paid for through our health care tax. We never get a bill for care so people can't even compare prices that way. I certainly have nothing to complain about in the care my pets receive for the costs involved.

Elizabeth - from Nova Scotia September 28th, 2009 08:10:43 PM

I think my vet charges $55, but I don't remember the last time I paid that.. Was there last week, as Socks had a cough.. and he looked sick as a dog.. He was given an injection of an antibiotic, and cortisone.. and a bottle of twenty Chlorenphenical pills.. Total $102.. Socks was better within half an hour.. so I held off giving him the pills.. He's been fine since.. Think he might have an allergic component..

Barri September 28th, 2009 09:13:57 PM

The last time I took my cat in was due to excessive itching and she had a complete exam without blood work. That was $86.50. Office visits seem to start about 34. I generally expect to pay 100-200 for her annual exam but that includes her senior exam.

As an aside, do you know how incredibly hard it is to find dry cat food that does not contain chicken?

Meg September 28th, 2009 10:31:27 PM

The avian vets I have seen charge $40-$75 for a well-bird exam.  This includes an oral history, weighing, visual examination, palpating the chest for muscle/fat, listening to the heart/lungs.  I have heard as low as $25, but no one in my area charges that.  Many people balk at this cost for supposedly "disposable" birds like budgies ("parakeets") and cockatiels, where the purchase price of the bird is $15-$150, but I think it makes up for not paying the thousands of dollars for larger parrots.  And once you're putting that sort of money into a bird, a $75 checkup is just another drop in the bucket.  Of course every test adds to that basic fee, and a gram stain and CBC are pretty routine tests that I usually do.  I usually end up with a full bill of $100-$200, and I expect a similar amount each time I go in for an illness.  

Nighttime emergencies cost even more, as my emergency vet charges $200 to walk in the door, and then all other items are higher priced that normal vets, plus you'll have charges for things like subcutaneous fluids, overnight care (i.e., watching for emergencies), daily care (i.e., boarding fees), etc.  I expect $500-$1,000 for a nighttime emergency.

zandperl September 28th, 2009 11:00:19 PM

Our regular vet office visit here is @$38. It's anywhere from 30 to 50 here in my central fl area. what's nice is that if you get a vaccine, they don't charge the office visit. since my kids are on 3yr rabies, that's not often we get a freebie, but it's nice. and since i do rabies separately from bordetella/dhlpp/etc (which we don't do yearly, usually biannually) that helps too. I can't recall the last time though that I walked out spending less than $100. Took our 8ish y/o ridgie in for funky ear (was yeast even tho even the vet didn't think so til she scoped it) and ended up finding he had dry eye as well.

breakdown:

visit: 0$

bord/distemper update (it had been 2+ years and I only had him vax'd when we first got him), 40$

schirmer eye test 20$

cyclosporine 40$

tresaderm 18$

tresaderm again, 18$, for emma, other chronic ear dog

prednison $5-6

heartguard $40 (5 dogs' singles)

What was really awesome was A: my vet had no issue calling in the cephalexin scrip to the pharmacy instead of us paying for it since the publix here does them for free (i felt bad to ask but had to get 2 tresaderms) and b: ended up getting a freebie heartguard since the single pkg was torn and c: the office staff rock and the dr's i see are always so nice and answer questions and take their time. Oh, and a free nail trim. There are clinics here that do the cheaper office visit, but one in particular charges like a $20 "dispensation fee" per pet per visit for even stuff like earwash. Grr!

Brooke September 28th, 2009 11:15:51 PM

A recent basic office visit and exam for a cat at Laurel Pet Hospital in WeHo cost $50.  They're pleasant, seem quite competent, and I hope never to find out how they handle anything major. 

Will September 28th, 2009 11:17:00 PM

An annual exam at my vet is $150, with vaccines, tests, etc. costing extra (so annual annual exam is really $200+). If the pet hasn't been there in a year, you're /always/ charged the annual fee, no matter what the exam is for; if the pet has been there within the year, each exam is $75 (but EVEYRTHING is tacked on, so you never get out for less than $150), and follow-up visits are $50. One of my cats has been going in 1-2 times a week for the last 3 months for a more-complicated-than-it-should-be autoimmune problem, and I'm getting irritated that the follow-ups are costing so much--it's starting to affect her treatment, because I just can't keep up with several hundred a week in vet bills (when it's really just the vet taking a quick look at her).

Sarah September 29th, 2009 12:20:57 AM

I've been lurking for a while, but I'm commenting for the first time.  Here goes:

I worked for a feline-only practice for about a year and a half and they charged some pretty rediculous fees.  The basic exam fee was $89 if your cat was seen by one of the ABVP-feline folks, and $66 if he/she was seen by the non-boarded doc.  Bloodwork panels were another $100-300 depending on the target (monitoring renal parameters, liver values, thyroid, wellness panels for adults and seniors).  When I first started working there, I had no idea why anyone would pay that kind of money for veterinary care when there are so many other choices in town.  It all came down to perception of value.  The clinic does excellent work and the front desk staff was trained to explain just how excellent the work was.  Instead of just saying "our exam fee is $89 and bloodwork will be extra," the front desk would say "Our examinations and consultations are $89 and include a 21 point physical examination and the veterinarian will also discuss nutrition, environmental enrichment, litter box use, and anything else relevant to your cat's age and health status." 

While I felt that sometimes the syntax used by the front desk was a little...excessive, it raises another question in my mind.  Where does marketing end and "used car salesmanship" begin? 

I never doubted that the veterinary care the clinic provided was worth the money.  As I mentioned, it's a specialty clinic and there are certainly a fair number of extremely devoted cat owners willing to pay dollar amounts that exceed my monthly rent in one visit without batting an eyelash.  I'm just not sure that I'd want to limit the number of clients I could have since most of the community wouldn't want to pay my fees.

Veterinary Student September 29th, 2009 12:32:55 AM

Veterinary Student: On the used car salesmanship routine: If you believe in what you do, in how much better you are, and you provide the kind of service that's worth the steeper price...it's not salesmanship. I agree that it's hard for most of us to toot our own horns, but it's a necessary bit of this veterinary medicine thing if we're to offer higher quality care since most clients need to have the differences explained to them. It's only used car salesmanship (i.e., predatory marketing) if you can't (or won't) deliver on your promises.

Dr. Patty Khuly September 29th, 2009 07:44:15 AM

as i describe in the blog i've been working on since last night, exam fees are determined regionally -and it's usually whatever the local veterinarians feel their consumers can shoulder.  while testing and surgical fees may vary widely among closely neighboring clinics, "shopped fees" such as exams, vaccines and spay/neuter surgeries are usually in the same ballpark.  nobody wants to be too much higher than their closest competition ...and nobody wants to be the absolute cheapest either.  "value-based fees" include fees for non-elective procedures, blood testing, etc.  i call them "value based" because you can charge as much as you want (to a limit) for them as long as clients perceive the value in the procedure.

for what it's worth, i charge $59 for an exam, $26 each for most vaccines and $63 to $183 for most blood panels.

i also have a sign in each exam room that reads "good veterinary care can sometimes get expensive!"

Dennis Leon, DVM September 29th, 2009 10:03:08 AM

When I go in for a visit, I never expect to pay less than $150, but that's not because my vet's office visit fee is that high.  It's because I'm diligent about having blood drawn and tested for this-and-that.  I also tend to combine reasons for the visit.  Next Saturday, I'm taking one of the cats in to get his rabies shot.  While I'm there, I'll have his blood drawn for a pre-screen for getting his teeth cleaned.

They DO waive the office visit fee if you are there for vaccinations, which I think is great!

(Hey!  I beat the spam!) :P

Jen M. September 30th, 2009 08:12:03 AM

Veterinary Student:

Maybe the reason your clients paid those prices, with cheaper options available, is that they believed they were purchasing a higher level of care for their pets than the competitors provided.

And if that was TRUE, then it certainly was worth it as you said.

As someone who spends most of their time ranting and railing about the LACK of quality standards in vet medicine (and enforcement) I also urgently wish more pet owners were educated enough to do some discernment up front about what they are getting.

I get very angry with people who just go around looking for the cheapest price, thinking all vet care is the same.

When my cat was overdosed on insulin by an unlicensed, unsupervised relative (son) of the vet, with no formal vet training, (at an AAHA hospital, no less) I learned the value of seeking out hospitals with LICENSED technicians.  But I would have preferred NOT to learn the hard way.

Anything you can SAY to your clients to get them to differentiate between quality and . . . not quality . . . and get them to understand why, sometimes, better care costs more, is a good thing.

Stefani September 30th, 2009 08:55:05 AM

@Veterinary Student - if you aren't willing to tell people that you are worth more - because of the time you put into your education and your ability to work with animals and people before you got into practice, but also in the time you will spend making sure you're as knowledgeable and competent as possible in the future - are you willing to let them think you're no better than the drug-addicted, or lazy (or both) vet in your city ('cause if you're in a bigger metro area, there probably will be some of those)?  Or do you, yourself, think you're not worth more than the local should-have-retired-a-long-time-ago vet?  If you don't think you are, well, those would be good reasons for not charging more.

KateH September 30th, 2009 05:41:17 PM