vet fees?

[jpj]

Just wondering what Vet Fees are in other parts of the country. Live in a rural/urban area where farm vets are limited and alot are switching over to just doing small animals at the clinic, thus we are charged alittle under fifty dollars (standard fee no matter what is done) for the road trip then another just under fifty dollars (standard fee no matter what is done) for professional services and then for any medications used.

Last year we were charged just for the road trip which included the professional service fee and then for any medications. This year looks like all the clinics in the area are now charging a professional service fee on top of the road trip fee (I guess it is like you would get charged if you brought a pet into the clinic).

Not complaining, just curious what others are charged!!!

 

[milkmaid]

We have one vet who understands rural folks aren't rich...and one who hasn't learned that yet. With the first vet, you're looking at a $25 or less exam fee going to the clinic; I've even had him come to my place without charging for a country call... And he's a really good vet. Second vet, $25 minimum for walking in the door, more if you ask too many questions.

Should be obvious which vet we use. LOL.

 

[Vicky the vet]

Well, I drive a vehicle which costs money to run, so the call fee I charge runs from $25 and up, depending on how far I have to drive. And I charge $90 per hour for time worked. Drugs, supplies etc are extra. Am I worth it? My clients think I am...

V

 

[skyeagle]

90.00 $ IN CANADA is 74.00 US not bad considering your tax base.

 

[Bez]

Vicky

I have looked for some time to find someone who I think is a real good veterinarian. Wife and I finally found him last year.

He is more expensive than you - I think you are not charging enough for your travel - but that is another topic.

Be that as it may, I would pay my guy more and think nothing of it - he comes when called, never grouses if it is a wierd hour, does excellent work - and to boot, he has the personality of a saint. He is a wonderful teacher and has taught me and wife a bunch of simple medicine and technical stuff to make life much, much easier here.

As he put it to me - he is so busy he cannot accept any more clients, so anything we can do before he is called usually makes his life easier.

A quick story - had a real run of bad luck with the heifers this last year and he and I lost lost two calves in a row. The third was the infamous breech. Found very late - way out in the bush country.

He looked at me after an examination and said - "Calf is all twisted and I cannot get it straightened out. We are going to have to cut it out. Calf has been there a while and might not make it and you are still going to pay for it - wanna' continue, or down the cow?"

Cow was a cheapy and the operation was more than she was worth.

I said - "It's number two daughters cow - we gotta' go".

So he operated and I was surgical assistant. He held everything out of the way and I pulled out a huge calf.

I said - "Holy smoke Doc, it's still alive".

The big grin on his face at that point said it all.

Mother and daughter did well - cow is confirmed bred back.

We'll see how it goes next year.

He's a keeper - the Doc that is ...

What more could we ask for?

Stay well,

Bez

 

[TheBullLady]

Our "local" vet hates to come out to the ranch.. he'll beg and plead and do anything he can to get you to haul to his clinic.. it's $25 for any visit , and we're about 10 minutes from his clinic.

In all honesty, if I have to haul anything, I generally just go to Texas A & M. It's about an hour drive (having to slow down briefly for the speed trap at Calvert) and they have excellent facilities, and they are WAY cheaper than the local vet.

 

[Alan]

This my ruffle some feathers (I don't think it will ruffle your feathers Vicki).

People seem to forget that Vets go to school for eight years and are Doctors. They must to have working equipment, that isn't cheap, dependable trucks and carry enough supplies to try to meet everyone's needs. They can't afford to care if someone can't afford it or feel they are to expensive. They not only have a business to keep a float they have an investment in their lives, ie; educated cost, start up cost, continuing education, insurance of all kinds, equiptment repair and replacement.

My Vet charges $125 and hour for her time and 33.50 an exam, oh yea, she quit doing large animals because it's hard to make money while your driving, and she has always been able to walk away when a poodle kicked her. I believe she loves animals as much as anyone I have ever met, but she knows she must make money to continue doing what she is doing.

I once paid $500 for a lawyer to review a contract for me and he told me nothing I didn't know, but it was good to have that professional opinion.

I'll get off my soap box early, but $90 and hour is too cheap, so is $25 a call unless it's only 10 minutes (not miles) away.

Call a Vet if you need to but don't complain he/she is too expensive, they paid their dues to get to where they are. If you don't like them find a new Vet. Hold them accountable for their actions and get a understandable answer from them, they expect that, but they don't expect to give it away for free, they paid big bucks to gain the knowledge some think should be free.

Just my opinion

Alan

 

[dun]

I won't complain, but I think our vets are both too cheap. Wife and husband team, she does small animals he does large, but fills in if she isn't available, (having a baby, etc.).
Farm call runs 10 bucks, sometimes only 5, charges only for the meds he actaully uses. Had him pull a calf last year, sunday night, crappy weather - 30 bucks and it took me 3 months to convince him to bill us. Had a dog spayed, 35 bucks.
Too cheap, but we'ld use them if they were the highest priced vets around here.

dun

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

I am thankful that we have vets right along those same lines, Dun. Husband/wife team--more than competant, down to earth people. Sorry to all of you that don't have the same.

 

[TR]

Boy, I tell you what.......I don't think our vet charges nearly enough, $25 exam fee if I haul anything in for him to look at, or $12.50 chute fee and med costs if its just for Bangs and such. Its a $75 farm call charge for him to drive out here (80 miles round trip for them) but I'd pay whatever it took to keep him. His bedside manor (with me!) alone is worth just as much as his skills are. The skills are learned, but compassion isn't necessarily a given, and considering I have to pass about 4 other vets on my way to him, its his compassion that puts him head and shoulders above the convenience of others in my book.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Well, I drive a vehicle which costs money to run, so the call fee I charge runs from $25 and up, depending on how far I have to drive. And I charge $90 per hour for time worked. Drugs, supplies etc are extra. Am I worth it? My clients think I am...

V

With pickups running $40,000 and diesel running $2.00/gallon, not to mention the equipment installed on the truck, I sure can't complain. It's vets like you we can appreciate. The only large animal vet in my neighborhood won't even see cows. Too many horses paying a lot more money. So either we can and do fix the problem ourselves or it gets shipped or is a death loss.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

This is a little off the subject but - when we lived in Kansas, all the vets had portable facilities that they would haul to a farm to work cattle. They also had a vet clinic that you could haul your animal in to be worked on.

When we first moved out here (26 years ago), my daughter had a 2 year old heifer with a bull calf that she showed as cow/calf pair. She/we didn't want the calf left a bull, so I called a vet clinic & made an appointment to bring the calf in to be castrated. We didn't have a trailer, we had stock racks. Anyway, my daughter & I loaded up her bull calf & trucked him to the vets office. I pulled into the lot - drove all the way around the building - couldn't figure out WHERE we were supposed to unload the calf???? So I went inside & asked. The lady said they didn't have anyplace to bring a bovine into the office. Couldn't the vet just do it out in the truck? I said "Lady, this is a 850# bull calf, is that what he wants to do?" Well to shorten this episode - when I said we had a weaned calf to castrate, they were thinking in terms of a 150# calf. The vet gave him rompum (sp?) and I tailed him & we did it in the stock racks. I quickly learned NO VETS have working facilities at their office. Cornell Univ is the only place I know of out here that you take your animal to them. And, no vet has facilities to take to your farm to work cattle. This is DAIRY country. Many vets will not take on a beef herd as a client. Of course, most "beef operations" around here are pretty shabby with NO facilities.

It cost our daughter $125 to castrate her calf. We quickly started castrating all our own after that.

I don't care what a vet fee costs, they are worth it when you need their expertise - and I have two different vets we use. One is an elderly gentleman (and he is a gentle man), he does all our routiine visits (health papers & calfhood vacc). Then we have another vet that we use for emergencies or breeding problems. Both are absolutely great.

 

[dun]

As a postscript sort of. One of our older cows has developed a severe limp on her right rear. Talked to the vet and told him what I had done and what I thought. On his way by here he stopped for a few minutes, watched her walk and decided pretty much like had that it's just old age and arthritis. Rahter then a prescription, a dozen aspirin once a day. Tried it last night and there's already a significant improvment. Simple, cheap but effective.
Noy sure if or what he'll charge for the visit, but it's a bargain.

dun

 

[sidney411]

We have only had the vet to our place once, before we had a truck. We had an overly fat cow that could not calve. He came out on Sunday night about 7pm. We had to work by truck headlights in a pen, but couldn't restrain her other then with ropes. She banged him pretty good before we could get her cinched up to the side too. He couldn't jack the calf out so he had to cut her. Calf was dead and he said we would be better off selling the cow when she could get up and was healed. We gat a bill for $318 if I recall correctly. It was an awesome learning experience for us though. I have jacked a couple of calves on my own now with the knowlegde I learned that night. The cow paid the vet bil when she sold so I figure it was a good deal all around.

Now we haul everything in to the vetthats needs to be taken. They have an excelent facility set up with tilting squeese chute and all. I do a lot of the doctoring on site but there are times when I know I don't know what to do and then we go to the vet. Our vet is also very good at letting us call and pick his brain if I have questions and he lets us come get the medicine we need without an office visit. The charges I can think of are palpate=$7, $9=chute fee for up to 7 animals, dehorn or casterate=$9 heifer package=$34 branding=$7. I think those are about right, I don't really pay attention to the bill I just pay and go on.

 

[hillbilly]

I'm my own vet.
I'm pretty cheap...and worth every penny.
In the last ten years I havn't had a need for a professional [knock on wood]
When and if I do need one I haul my cattle to them.
They are cheap if you haul to them.
They are higher than a cats back if you make them come to you.

Hillbilly

 

[Craig-TX]

I'm like Hillbilly on this one. We haven't called a vet out in many many years. I'll never say never but it will only be for a major emergency – it won't be for routine doctoring.

The only thing we use a vet for on a regular basis is dogs. They passed a law in Texas several years back that you can't even give your own dog rabies vaccinations. It's rackets like that that burn me up. Anyway, last time I was in OK I bought a few but have since run out. Don't travel like I used to so now it's pretty much just smile and play the game.

Craig-TX

 

[txshowmom]

This my ruffle some feathers (I don't think it will ruffle your feathers Vicki).

People seem to forget that Vets go to school for eight years and are Doctors. They must to have working equipment, that isn't cheap, dependable trucks and carry enough supplies to try to meet everyone's needs. They can't afford to care if someone can't afford it or feel they are to expensive. They not only have a business to keep a float they have an investment in their lives, ie; educated cost, start up cost, continuing education, insurance of all kinds, equiptment repair and replacement.

My Vet charges $125 and hour for her time and 33.50 an exam, oh yea, she quit doing large animals because it's hard to make money while your driving, and she has always been able to walk away when a poodle kicked her. I believe she loves animals as much as anyone I have ever met, but she knows she must make money to continue doing what she is doing.

I once paid $500 for a lawyer to review a contract for me and he told me nothing I didn't know, but it was good to have that professional opinion.

I'll get off my soap box early, but $90 and hour is too cheap, so is $25 a call unless it's only 10 minutes (not miles) away.

Call a Vet if you need to but don't complain he/she is too expensive, they paid their dues to get to where they are. If you don't like them find a new Vet. Hold them accountable for their actions and get a understandable answer from them, they expect that, but they don't expect to give it away for free, they paid big bucks to gain the knowledge some think should be free.

Just my opinion

Alan

I love what you just said!! Vets have as much education as "real" doctors only their clients can't tell them whats wrong. My hats off to Veterinarians! They don't get the credit that they deserve.

 

[Alan]

Hillybilly and Craig,

Do you need a Vet to do your Bangs? Are do they allow you to do your own in your state(s)? As you can tell I'm pro-vet, but it was just a thought that made me curious about state regulations or laws.

Alan

 

[dun]

I must have a perverse view on the subject, what a surprise that is.
Self doctoring is the usual rule, but it's always nice to have a second opinion and/or additional knowledge or skills available. I look at our vet as almost a partner in the health of the cows. If there's a problem that's starting to show up in the area, he'll know about it long before I will. And he'll make sure I'm aware of it.
But we have a slightly different relationship with our vet then is the general rule. But we've alwasy seemed to do that over the years with different vets in different areas.

dun

 

[Ryder]

I'm like Hillbilly on this one. We haven't called a vet out in many many years. I'll never say never but it will only be for a major emergency – it won't be for routine doctoring.

The only thing we use a vet for on a regular basis is dogs. They passed a law in Texas several years back that you can't even give your own dog rabies vaccinations. It's rackets like that that burn me up. Anyway, last time I was in OK I bought a few but have since run out. Don't travel like I used to so now it's pretty much just smile and play the game.

Craig-TX

Agreed!!