Sudden onset URI... crazy Evet pricing...

[MomRat]

So at nine pm Gregory(who is a chronic dry sneezer and takes benadryl daily for comfort) starts crazy wheezing and sneezing. Serious monkey sounds, just all of a sudden. Scary. We really have no clue what might have brought it on, other than a delayed reaction to stress. (We're moving TOMORROW, for the summer). 4 hours and $150 later, we have 10 days worth of doxy and baytril for him. Sigh. Had to go to an evet that we've never been to(our normal vet, selected out of the exotics vets available to us because their $40 exam fee covers 4 rats, and she's awesome) and just the exam, for one rat, was $95. Would have been $95 for each, if we'd asked them to check out the other boys we brought along for company. Ick. Took them back as soon as we walked in, to put them under oxygen until the doc could see him, which was nice for greg but nerve wracking for us - waiting at the vet without our pet. I was pretty miffed that when we got called back to an exam room, we chatted with the doc for a minute and never even saw our boys - she had already examined him. Didn't get to see her interact with them AT ALL. Is this normal? I'm used to trading the boys around shoulders while we discuss treatment with our vet, and looking through the microscope with her. She said his lungs were clear, and they'd be happy to do xrays to check for CHF, i suppose, which we politely declined because he wasn't coughing at all(and we're poor). And then only prescribed 10 days of meds, although at least its baytril and doxy both. They are doing us the favor of both sending the records to our normal vet, and mailing a copy to the address we're living at this summer in case we need to get him rechecked at a vet there, but we are seriously considering calling our vet tomorrow to get an additional prescript, just to have him on them more than 10 days.

 

[xxchelle]

He'll need more than just 10 days, the minimum would be two weeks of doxy/baytril, but I've found much more success with 3+ weeks of treatment.

Also, $150 for an e-vet, including meds, is AMAZING. I spent $500 on the e-vet for Tilly, and the only meds I got for her was metacam. The emergency fee just to be seen, just to walk in the door, was $160. Normal visit fees, med fees, etc. was all on top of that. I wish e-vet visits would cost me only $150. Hahaha.

 

[Rachael]

I still don't get how it's so expensive there to be honest It's scary. My E-vet is £90 which is a lot, but nothing like that.... I knowwe don't use dollars but still a lot...

 

[crumbilina]

£90 roughly translates to $138.00 Canadian and $130.00 American, So it is about the same, just a bit less. Luckily I haven't had to deal with an emergency vet visit yet *knocks on wood*

 

[lilspaz68]

Usually its about $95 or even more just to walk in the door, I have even heard $150! Then they charge everything on top of your consult. A e-vet visit can run into hundreds and hundreds of dollars. $150 isn't bad really. :wink2:

 

[MomRat]

Yeah, but what do you think of the whole, examination without us there? The only thing our normal vet takes them out of the room for is blood work...

 

[LA]

My vet charges $150 for a e visit.

 

[SQ]

I can understand how with the boys out back the vet would have examined them before going to speak with you.
Sounds normal since they were already out back and since the vet does not know you.

Around here the vets take turns being on call for emergencies. My vet charges $60 for walking in the door as they try to keep their prices affordable. But all the other vet hospitals charge $100 to $200 (depending uppon the time of day) just for walking in the door after hours. When you add on the fees for everything done during the appointment, it gets very expensive.

Hope you contact your regular vet as you likely need 6 weeks worth of baytril + doxy ... at least you do if it is myco.
As for heart problems, usually you try enalapril (0.25mg/Ib) to see if it helps. If it does then other heart meds are added and an xray is given to see if the heart is enlarged.

 

[jorats]

When it's an emergency situation, it's not uncommon for the vet to check the patient out by himself/herself. Might of done even close to the oxygen just to be ready. Vets have their comfortable space in the "back" so I wouldn't be too worried about that part.

 

[Rachael]

When it's an emergency situation, it's not uncommon for the vet to check the patient out by himself/herself..

Who else would check them?

 

[lilspaz68]

When it's an emergency situation, it's not uncommon for the vet to check the patient out by himself/herself..

Who else would check them?

Huh...What do you mean?

 

[jorats]

I mean without the client present.

 

[Rachael]

Sorry, I got confused. I thought you meant it's not odd for the vet to be the one checked them... was wondering who else would be the one doing that lol

 

At my vet, after hour e-vet costs $110 to walk in the door + $75 to be seen. Extra if you need an s-ray tech.
I get Doxy for $40, 30 days worth.
Baytril costs $40 for 2 weeks work (twice daily)

 

[puffnstuff]

When it's an emergency situation, it's not uncommon for the vet to check the patient out by himself/herself. Might of done even close to the oxygen just to be ready. Vets have their comfortable space in the "back" so I wouldn't be too worried about that part.

Comfortable space? A vet should be comfortable examining any pet with the owner present. They should have a good rapport and connection with their furry patients. I think they should have asked for permission to take the rats away from their owners. I have never been separated from any pet during an exam. Only sometimes do I see them taking a cat or dog to the back to trim nails or some specialized grooming, etc., because they need 2 people and it's better when the owner is not distracting the animal. They probably also don't want to dirty the exam rooms with flying nails and fur, if it can be avoided. But they always ask.

I think $150 is not out of line, although a more experienced vet should have given you 3 weeks of meds. Last year one of our rats was seen for an emerg. exam, on a Monday morning within 2 hours of calling them, and given 3 weeks of doxy and baytrill, and the total came to $120; entire visit lasted 10 minutes. Perhaps they would charge more if it was a special clinic working after hours. $500 for a rat e-vet on the other hand, is highway robbery, JMHO. I paid $600 for my cat a few years back, and this was at the most specialized e-vet in downtown Toronto. It included a complete workup, tissue samples, bloodwork, biopsies, meds, and 2 nights lodging (amazing care too, BTW), and oh yeah they did a neuter at the same time (the doc figured it would be cheaper just to get it done since kitty was going to be put under anyway, so why bother having him go through that trauma a second time).....and I thought that was expensive!

 

[jorats]

When I've run into my clinic with an emergency, my vet has taken the rat off my hands and ran in the back with him/her. She has an area where all her "things" are accessible to her and can assess the situation a lot faster. But then, I totally trust my vet.

 

[eagle]

If it's enough of an emergency situation for you to visit the e-vet then you should expect for the animal to be taken to the back for emergency treatment. Most exam rooms do not have all the necessary equipment to deal with emergencies.

 

[Slapdash]

He'll need more than just 10 days, the minimum would be two weeks of doxy/baytril, but I've found much more success with 3+ weeks of treatment.

Also, $150 for an e-vet, including meds, is AMAZING. I spent $500 on the e-vet for Tilly, and the only meds I got for her was metacam. The emergency fee just to be seen, just to walk in the door, was $160. Normal visit fees, med fees, etc. was all on top of that. I wish e-vet visits would cost me only $150. Hahaha.

Agreed lol! We spent $300+ both times we needed to bring one of our rats in! anic: Exam alone is $110 and then there's a fee for EVERYTHING

Hope your little one feels better soon! :heart:

 

[xxchelle]

$500 for a rat e-vet on the other hand, is highway robbery, JMHO.

And that's why we won't be going back to Campus Estates! Haha. They have enough of my money and were totally clueless.

The e-vet I took Clodhopper to cost me $190+tax, that included medication. MUCH more reasonable. Not super knowledgeable about rats, but really what I needed was pain meds for him, and they were able to give me that.

 

[Rachael]

For $500 did they even treat the rattie? If not I probably would have walked out and not payed.