I had a dog that spent a week in intensive care and it wasn't that much. Something is just wrong there if there were no complications. A collar and some bandages does not = $600. Heck, even antibiotics and pain meds wouldn't have jacked it up that much. :?
I didn't miss that. I just think that if you agree to pay for a service or product, you should always get a quote no matter what petsmart sells something for. It's the same way at a doctor's office. The pharmacy is cheaper than the doctor's office. For me, getting quotes is common practice and i bet it will be for abdulina from now on. I do agree that she was way overcharged. Had they done all of this work and charged her for all of these things without her agreeing to it or accepting them, i would have a different opinion. It's like buying something that doesn't have a price tag on it, then getting mad when you swipe your card and were charged more than you thought it would be. Shouldn't someone have asked how much before swiping the card? It would also be interesting to hear exactly what the extras were. For all we know, the actual extras could have been well worth the money. I wouldn't crucify a business before you know both sides.
I think we all see your side, however, my gut is these folks are being taken advantage of. $1000 for neutering two healthy dogs is highway robbery, whether they "agreed" to it or not. Perhaps the husband didn't understand or misheard what they were saying. You start throwing stuff like that at people and sometimes they freeze up or don't want to admit they didn't understand. She was quoted less than $200 per dog. I've had MANY critters neutered and it was never, ever that much even with complications.
Not sure if you saw that they also had their dew claws removed. I don't profess to know how much that should cost, just saying it was more than just the spay/Neuter.
I know for a fact that an e-collar does not cost that much. Both the surgeries should have cost about $400-$500 total. Personally, if you think they are gouging you don't reward them by going back.
Dewclaws are supposed to be removed at 5-7 days old. its a bigger deal when they're at the age to be neutered and spayed. And i did miss the "extras" that LovingLife had mentioned. I feel like some details are missing from the story.
I wonder if everyone is charged that much. If so, there should be lots of angry customers as routine as these surgeries are. If they are truly charging double the price it should cost, you would think they would be out of business by now.
I totally agree with you. Also, I find it somewhat funny the OP has the money to get 2 new puppies but will complain about the price of taking care of them. Nothing gets on my nerves more.
She wasn't complaining, she was asking for input. And sorry, no disrespect to you, but you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to what she takes care of, just for the record.
These are NOT purebred pups. They were from a rescue. We know how much dogs cost. Have had them for life. Not complaining that it is expensive to have puppies. We knew that going into this. My kids needed therapy and yes, our dogs are part therapy for my kids' past traumas. Our dog had passed back in November. 2 years before that, our other dog had passed away. So, used to having two dogs, used to "odd" things happening. At 4 months old, our old dog was accidentally hit by a truck. Went to a doggie ER and it was $700. Had to be done. He was with us for 13 years then after that. So,, yes, the $700 was worth it. We have NOT complained once until now, about the cost of the pups. It is part of having puppies for vaccines, check ups, etc. I know & understand that completely. That is why I ask questions. There is a clinic for $40 a piece you can go to. However, I only wanted them under once as they were born with extra dew claws & were going to have those removed. Now, here is where I misunderstood. I assumed remove the dew claw meant just that. NOT amputate it! Found that out yesterday when bandages came off. Again, guess b/c I assumed removal of dew claw meant what it said & based it on what others had done. We had never had any of our previous dog's claws removed. But these were born with extra & would have been too easy to catch on things. Agreed to have the claw removed. Just didn't know it was going to be that invasive. I was basing removal on what others have told me in the past...just removing the claw. Anyhow, back to original reason for writing. I called the vet & asked about spay & neuter price. Told the more they weigh, the more it costs. That's why one was going to be higher than the other. I assumed (based on my experience w/ dogs in the past) when I said neuter & spay, they would include everything, w/ the exception of dew claw removal. Again, based it on what I had done at previous vets. Husband took puppies in to be dropped off. Apparently, they showed him a sheet w/ "extras." In the past, most vets have included things in the price such as pain meds or the collars. Guess that has changed over the last few years. Picked up dogs and given a bill that literally just shocked me to the core. Again, I was assuming between $400 and $500 tops. Based on quotes & then the guessing (my fault) on a simple dew claw removal (or so I thought). Most folks I talked to anyhow had said they paid anywhere between $110 for spay or neuter & $140. Was told surgery went fine. Given a long sheet of instructions w/ what to do & when to come back. Written in ink was Monday for next appointment to check bandages. Fine. Start meds on Saturday. Again, fine. Today, husband told we were supposed to be there Saturday. he didn't have the paper with him. I mean really, do you think you'll need proof or something? Said they have infected incisions. This is already too long. bottom line, I'm not going back. Just wanted to get a feel from others if they thought this was reasonable for what was done or not? I mean, it has been awhile since we've had dogs neutered. We are well aware of the cost of dogs & do budget it into things. Yes, pets are expensive. However, I do sometimes think places charge a bit too much. They did have 2 procedures done each. Vet did agree to credit $50 back for the bandages. I know they have a business to run. I do. I get that. Just thought it was a little much is all. I know I didn't put every detail in here as I work during the day. Plus, this place came highly recommended so didn't want to give a name. My case may have been a fluke. You do have to give folks the benefit of the doubt. However, my husband & I feel it in our best interest & the pups to return to our original vet. We originally changed due to distance & cost. Now, it is really worth the peace of mind. Thanks for all the responses on & off of here. Like I said before, maybe ours is just a fluke. However, after hearing from my neighbor about the deworming issue, I am erring on the side of caution. Again, MY opinions based on MY experiences w/ MY dogs. Everyone has different experiences. My dogs are like my kids...family. I try to protect them. That's it. So, for those thinking I'm leaving something out, I hope I explained it more thoroughly. Good luck & old vet it is. Stephanie-- mom to 7
Think about it! How many males are thinking straight when someone is about to get their balls cut off?
I work at a local vet. We usually charge $25-30. per dew claw for removal during spay or neuter surgery. Our e-collars are $8.00, no matter what the size. Sorry you had to deal with such a mess.
YIKES I'd be ticked off majorly. We used to go to Clayton also. We love them too, but THEY ARE extremely expensive. Not sure where you are, but there's a great hospital off of Hwy 210 in Angier - Stage Road Animal Hospital - 7580 Old Stage Road North, Angier - (919) 639-3337 I absolutely recommend them. compassionate, caring, and frugal with your $$.
Went to the NC State Employees Credit Union over at 4042 and noticed that a new vet has opened up behind the building. Personally I will be sticking with the Clayton Animal Hospital.
Thats the one that was over next to Food Lion, ummm... I think HarleyGirl swears by the vet Dr. Debbie Basden there.
If Clayton Animal Hospital isn't in your budget ( not in mine ) but we do love everyone there. Try Robinson Animal Hospital in Clayton. They are very good, compassionate and give a written estimate before procedure; so there aren't any surprises. We've also used Dr. Basden. They were pricey and the staff were less than professional, so we stopped using them. We have thought about using the vet on Shiloh, but we haven't been able to find anyone we know that has used them. There are plans for a vet, Dr. Strasser, from Cary to open up on 42 past 1010Sure will be nice for something other than a nail/hair salon, chinese food, pharmacy, auto sales/repair, etc. to come out this way.
