Civvie vet dilemma - opinions please?

[Diana&Tom]

Not a serious feline health problem but I’d appreciate comments from anyone who has time...

I’ve been taking my beautiful ten-year-old civvie, Sapphire, to the same vet each year for her annual check-up and vaccinations. At the end of last year the vet said she needed a dental and quoted me £600 - a lot! A friend who always speaks very highly of her vet suggested I take Saff there for a quote, and sure enough, they were much more reasonable. So the dental was done there in January. It was fine except that this vet is further away and Saff hates travelling in the car. Also, the actual surgery was carried out at a bigger 24-hour hospital than the small branch that I took her to - the vet checked her in and then took her to the hospital in her own car. I heard later than poor Saff was so scared that she pooped in the basket both on the way there and back...

The dilemma now is this. Saff is due her annual check-up and vaccinations soon, and I have to decide whether to take her back to the original vet (pro - nearer; cons - dearer, and will they be offended that I took her elsewhere for the dental and find fault with it) or take her to the other vet that did the dental (pros - cheaper, and they saw her last so can comment on the dental; cons - further to travel, and should she need surgery in the future it’s more of a complicated process). A third option would be to go to another vet in the area (another friend recommends hers; not too far to travel but I don’t know about cost).

Any thoughts gratefully received!

 

[Panic]

Hmmm. I've been dealing with a similar issue myself so here's my thoughts.

Were you happy with the care provided by the new vet? Are you happy with the care from your old vet? If the answer is no to either of these that might help with your answer. Personally I'd be a little unhappy with the fact that she drove her over in her car instead of having you take her, but I don't know if that's the standard.

My dachsund got a dental and my vet quoted me only about $200 - much cheaper than I'd ever heard quoted. I thought I'd hit the jackpot but turns out she didn't do any x-rays, which from my understanding is where the price gets jacked up. Your mileage may vary on that one, just something I noticed with mine.

Just yesterday I made the appointment to switch my dach over to a new vet - pros were I liked them a lot, cons were they were 30 min away vs my old vet being 5 min. Travel time is an important factor since it's stressful for the animal but ultimately I prefer taking them somewhere I trust, and I do not trust my old vet any longer.

I think I might consider a third vet if they can tick the boxes of closer travel time + you like them, which of course you won't know until you try them. You could always call for quotes since cost is a factor, or just try them this year for her annuals to "feel them out".

I think if you're still happy with the vet you have now I'd stick with them, and just say someone recommended their vet for dentals so you tried them out. I take my pets to different vets for different reasons myself.

 

[Critter Mom]

Hi Diane,

Quite the dilemma!

Initial thoughts:

1. You are the client here. The original vet didn't take into account whether you might be offended by the price they quoted you for the dental. If you do take Sapphire back to them and they raise the issue of the dental, perhaps you could say something fairly pragmatic, as breezily as possible, along the lines of:

"I'm really happy with XXX about this practice, but I have to take into account treatment costs. I would have preferred to have had the dental carried out here but I found the price quoted to be prohibitive. Consequently I made some enquiries and was quoted a significantly lower price for the procedure elsewhere so, in that particular instance, it made more financial sense for me to have the dental carried out there. I'm sure that you can understand." [Smile bigly at this point! ]​

If you do want to use them again then it's a bullet you're going to have to bite at some stage. The worst that can happen is that they fire you as a client, in which case they're kissing your future custom goodbye. They might sulk a bit. If their attitude towards you were to become petty you could always take your custom elsewhere. They may surprise you and perhaps suggest for future dentals to give them a chance to match a more competitive quote you get elsewhere. Vet practices are businesses after all, so it's in their interest to foster good relationships with their clients.

2. Re the more distant practice, if you ever choose to use them again and Sapphire needs to travel on from the surgery to the hospital then perhaps you could agree with them in advance that you yourself would transport Sapphire between the two locations and collect her from the hospital to take her home again. (IMO they should have told you that there would be onward travel involved in the first place.)

3. Re the third vet, perhaps give them a ring to say you're considering moving to a practice more convenient to you location-wise (or similar 'excuse') but you'd first like to find out more about their facilities (good cover!) and get some idea of the fees they charge for common procedures, e.g: general charge for vet consult; annual check; vaccinations; common blood tests (CBC, basic chemistry panel), etc., etc. Sometimes they'll arrange for one of the vets to speak to you (offer to pay for the consult, but they may offer the initial consult FOC in order to secure your business). This should give you a better initial feel for the practice and hopefully help make your decision easier.

My two penn'orth.


Mogs
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[Critter Mom]

My dachsund got a dental and my vet quoted me only about $200 - much cheaper than I'd ever heard quoted. I thought I'd hit the jackpot but turns out she didn't do any x-rays, which from my understanding is where the price gets jacked up.

Very good point, Elizabeth.

Diana, per Elizabeth's insightful comment above, it might be worth comparing exactly what work was quoted for by your current practice and the work that was carried out by the practice that ultimately did carry out the dental work.

Another thought: given Sapphire finds the travel so distressing and also how extremely valuable it is to have a practice very close to home in case of emergency, perhaps your choice may end up lying between the two practices located closest to you.


Mogs
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[Diana&Tom]

Wow, thank you Panic and Mogs. It is sooo helpful to hear your takes on this. Non-cat people would no way get that this is A Problem!
I really like what you’ve both said and am feeding it all into my little computer (aka brain) and will come up with a gameplan of some kind.
I’m kind of veering towards going back to the vet who did the dental for the annual check-up etc and then checking out the third vet ref costs etc - that way I’ll be better informed I guess. Saff has never been to the original vet for anything other than routine stuff but they are known to be expensive - just convenient. Hmmm!
Thanks again

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I agree if you are happy with your normal vet then there is no reason to change. I would get a copy of her records from the vet that did the dental to give to your vet. I have also used multiple vets in the past and never had any issues explaining to my current vet why I used the other one.

 

[Diana&Tom]

I agree if you are happy with your normal vet then there is no reason to change. I would get a copy of her records from the vet that did the dental to give to your vet. I have also used multiple vets in the past and never had any issues explaining to my current vet why I used the other one.

To be honest I can’t say that I’m either happy or unhappy with the usual vet - Saff has only ever been there for check-ups.
It’s interesting to hear that some of you have used multiple vets - I would have tended to think that one practice would know an animal better and have the same protocols etc but maybe things are just very standardised. I’d also be a bit embarrassed though at going back now I think - it’s a bit like us going to a new hairdresser who said she could do great things with our hair, and we cancel our appt with the original one - if we later go back to the first one it feels a a bit off...?

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

You are the client so no reason to be embarrassed. Look at it this way, if you needed surgery, wouldn't you want a second opinion? If you liked the second surgeon better, wouldn't you let them do the surgery?

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

I look at it like this...You can afford what you can afford. Your original vet cant hold that against you OR Sapphire. If they find fault with the dental given THEY are partly responsible.

 

[Panic]

My reasoning is a combo of cost and experience. I switched my cats to a new vet after the disaster of losing Panic - she did not seem to be educated enough on cats for me to rely on her in a crisis. I thought she was fine with dogs so I stayed with her for them, mainly because of convenience because she was so close and my dogs have their mental issues (severe anxiety for one and fear aggression in the other - so keeping things familiar was for their benefit). I'm having professionalism issues now so I'm switching completely, but that's why I was using two different vets.

I also use a mobile vet for menial things such a vaccines, antibiotics, minor clinical issues that don't require labwork because it's simply cheaper to get $12 antibiotics and $5 shots no questions asked than pay $25-$50 exam fees on top of $30-40 antibiotics and $24 vaccines, especially when they're the same kinds.

In my case most vets understand when we say we use the mobile vet - he's sooo much cheaper so it's only natural to get the little things from him.

 

[Diana&Tom]

I look at it like this...You can afford what you can afford. Your original vet cant hold that against you OR Sapphire. If they find fault with the dental given THEY are partly responsible.

That’s one way to look at it yes!

 

[Diana&Tom]

My reasoning is a combo of cost and experience. I switched my cats to a new vet after the disaster of losing Panic - she did not seem to be educated enough on cats for me to rely on her in a crisis. I thought she was fine with dogs so I stayed with her for them, mainly because of convenience because she was so close and my dogs have their mental issues (severe anxiety for one and fear aggression in the other - so keeping things familiar was for their benefit). I'm having professionalism issues now so I'm switching completely, but that's why I was using two different vets.

I also use a mobile vet for menial things such a vaccines, antibiotics, minor clinical issues that don't require labwork because it's simply cheaper to get $12 antibiotics and $5 shots no questions asked than pay $25-$50 exam fees on top of $30-40 antibiotics and $24 vaccines, especially when they're the same kinds.

In my case most vets understand when we say we use the mobile vet - he's sooo much cheaper so it's only natural to get the little things from him.

Now that’s interesting - I thought mobile vets would be dearer? what’s your experience on that @Elizabeth and Bertie ?

 

[Critter Mom]

If they find fault with the dental given THEY are partly responsible.

I kinda disagree with this.

It's not always the case that someone charging higher prices is taking the mick. For example, as a former business owner, I know how widely overheads can vary between businesses, and also the costs associated with providing what on the surface looks to be the same product or service (in my case, a framing project) can differ markedly. Having a high street presence, my overheads were greater than local competitors operating out of their home garage/workshop. As a professional picture framer, my USPs were strong technical knowledge, use of materials and techniques that properly protected the item being framed (not all framers do this), and attractive design (nicer but sometimes pricier materials, sprinkled with a modicum of flair). I set my prices accordingly. The finished products and the prices charged seem to have been acceptable to my clients because I enjoyed a high level of repeat business and referrals.

If I quoted for a project and a prospective client chose instead to place an order with another framer who quoted a lower price that was their prerogative. They may have been very happy with their finished frame and happier again that it was at a price they preferred. If, on the other hand, the other framer made a complete hames of their framing project the client wouldn't get very far with me if they started claiming I was partly responsible for their disappointing result because I'd had the temerity to quote them a higher price (but a fair one for the quality of work I produced) - a quote that they had chosen to reject.

I recognise that there's a significant difference between providing a framing service and providing a healthcare service, but the principle is still the same, IMO. Look at what's being offered and consider whether a service is meeting one's needs and whether the charges are fair. Particularly in the realm of animal healthcare, provided one has the financial wherewithal it can sometimes be the wisest course of action to pay higher fees to a vet with greater skill, whom one trusts more, and with whom one can forge a good working partnership.


Mogs
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[Critter Mom]

I thought mobile vets would be dearer?

No bricks 'n' mortar overheads.


Mogs
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[jt and trouble (GA)]

This is completely understandable. But I always thought if I were a vet and had a GOOD returning customer I would make allowances and or discounts, even some kind of payment plan. But I have not found such a vet.

 

[Critter Mom]

some kind of payment plan.

I've found that if one has built up a good relationship with a vet practice then some of them can be open to negotiating having their fees paid in a series of instalments.



Mogs
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[jt and trouble (GA)]

I've found that if one has built up a good relationship with a vet practice then some of them can be open to negotiating having their fees paid in a series of instalments.



Mogs
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I'm GLAD to hear its happening somewhere! ROCK ON!

 

[Diana&Tom]

No bricks 'n' mortar overheads.


Mogs
.

True, but I’d have thought routine consultations etc would be dearer at least - I’m sure Elizabeth (&Bertie) said something along those lines...

 

[Critter Mom]

True, but I’d have thought routine consultations etc would be dearer at least - I’m sure Elizabeth (&Bertie) said something along those lines...

Possibly charging what they think the market will bear (like good little capitalists)?


Mogs
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[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Now that’s interesting - I thought mobile vets would be dearer? what’s your experience on that @Elizabeth and Bertie ?

Hi Diana, with my mobile vet the consultations cost quite a bit more than a standard vet visit. But, they are with your animal for a very long time, far longer than you'd get at the average vet's clinic, and the attention the animal gets is phenomenal. (They did Bonbon's ultrasound on our coffee table... ) ..It's also possible to email or phone them for further advice too at no extra cost...
The vet service I use ('The Cat Doctor') have said that they've made a decision to charge more for their time and experience, and less for medications. In fact where possible they suggest buying the meds online (with a prescription) so that they can be bought at the best possible price.

Diana, this is my vet (not sure if she does your area too..?)
https://thecatdoctor.co.uk/

 

[Panic]

Now that’s interesting - I thought mobile vets would be dearer? what’s your experience on that @Elizabeth and Bertie ?

I should probably clarify on that too - this isn't a "traveling" vet, where they go to your home to provide care. They park their RV at an approved location (store parking lots, civic centers, etc) and hang around a few hours taking care of walk-ups. Their method is good and bad - no questions asked is great, but that also means they hand out prescriptions like candy and don't even require your pet to be present. I was using them for Panic's flea allergy for years, he just kept giving me steroid pills to use every week. Highly suspect that contributed ultimately to her diabetes, but I had no idea they were steroids until I looked them up one day. I also took her there when she got sick (her first pancreatitis episode) and all he did was take a stool sample and give her a shot of penicillin. After her diagnosis I realized I needed to be more careful about when I use them - basically just for minor scrapes and bruises. Anything past that, brick n morter time.

 

[Critter Mom]

they are with your animal for a very long time, far longer than you'd get at the average vet's clinic, and the attention the animal gets is phenomenal. It's also possible to email or phone them for further advice too at no extra cost...

That sounds like money well spent, Eliz. Another bonus is zero travel stress for the kitty.

Our vet charges more for house calls than for a surgery consult but it made such a difference for Saoirse I was more than happy with the arrangement, even if the insurance didn't cover the price differential. (Thankfully I had the wherewithal to afford the difference.)


Mogs
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[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Another bonus is zero travel stress for the kitty.

Absolutely, dear Mogs.

 

[Diana&Tom]

Hi Diana, with my mobile vet the consultations cost quite a bit more than a standard vet visit. But, they are with your animal for a very long time, far longer than you'd get at the average vet's clinic, and the attention the animal gets is phenomenal. (They did Bonbon's ultrasound on our coffee table... ) ..It's also possible to email or phone them for further advice too at no extra cost...
The vet service I use ('The Cat Doctor') have said that they've made a decision to charge more for their time and experience, and less for medications. In fact where possible they suggest buying the meds online (with a prescription) so that they can be bought at the best possible price.

Diana, this is my vet (not sure if she does your area too..?)
https://thecatdoctor.co.uk/

ah interesting... the cost is more for a consult but less for meds - I like that! I think the Cat Doctor sort of covers my area, I’ve looked at them before and I might check them out again actually before making any decision about where to take Saff for her check-up and vaccinations. To me, a more personal service is really important.

 

[Critter Mom]

To me, a more personal service is really important.

Ditto. BIG ditto.


Mogs
.

 

[Diana&Tom]

Ditto. BIG ditto.


Mogs
.

Exactly. I think this is what will influence my decision. Am grateful to Elizabeth @Panic for mentioning mobile vets and Eliz @Elizabeth and Bertie for reminding me about the Cat Doctor. They do operate in my area and although they will be dearer I think it will be worth it for peace of mind, less stress, and a more personal service.
Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful.

 

[SashaV]

What about feliway?
My diabetic one hates being transported and she poops and pees when I put her in the box. Last time I sprayed it with feliway and she didn't do any mess. The vet sprayed the table too. And Mauer was fine.
When the vet wanted to see her walking, and hadn't sprayed the floor....she pooped all over. It made a huge difference to her. So perhaps if you fix the problem with transportation the other thing will resolve itself

 

[Diana&Tom]

What about feliway?
My diabetic one hates being transported and she poops and pees when I put her in the box. Last time I sprayed it with feliway and she didn't do any mess. The vet sprayed the table too. And Mauer was fine.
When the vet wanted to see her walking, and hadn't sprayed the floor....she pooped all over. It made a huge difference to her. So perhaps if you fix the problem with transportation the other thing will resolve itself

good idea, thanks - actually I have more or less decided now to go with the mobile vet (who comes to my home) - more expensive but less stress and hassle all round, and frankly the less stress the better these days especially!