Why Veterinary prices can range so much

[Macawnutz]

Good question!! I'm no expert but I kinda think a lot of the smaller more common birds should tested for "the big 3" diseases or at least the one most associated with they are species. I don't know them off the top off my head.

Psittacine beak and feather PBFD
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) | Animal Genetics

Polyomavirus Avian Polyoma Virus (APV) | Animal Genetics

Pacheco's disease
Psittacine Herpesvirus (Pacheco's Disease) | Animal Genetics

They have it in a set to send out.
@Clueless is talking about borna virus ABV

 

[iamwhoiam]

I remember going to my ex-vet and one of the techs told me they were reviewing one of my bird's files and the total of what I had spent over just a few years was "mind-boggling". They told me they didn't think they should tell me but I knew in just one year I had spent several thousand dollars so that the total over the years she was ill would be quite high. I had 3 files at that vet, one for her, one for my other red-bellies and one for the rest of my birds.

When I look at my credit card bills most of the expenses are for my dogs and birds. Geordie had his teeth cleaned and one tooth extracted a few weeks ago and the cost was @$600. Lucy's recent exam including blood work and medication cost me over $300 and then she had radiographs a week later and those cost $150+.

 

[Lady Jane]

My certified avian vet tries to keep cost and testing down. What I have experiences cost wise:

Exam. $55.

Blood draw:.$120.

Nail trim small bird with or without exam. $10. Per bird

Overnight in hospital .$30.

 

[HolliDaze]

I only know the nail, wing, and beak trim and exam prices, which are $15 for a trim and $75 for an exam. We paid about $750+ to have a foreign body removed from Dexter's proventriculis (please excuse spelling), with another $75 because we came in the weekend, when they were closed. He'd be dead if we waited until monday. (He had started bleeding internally) the first vet we took him to charged $300 for xrays, but that was very far away from where he had the surgery (one of my first posts here explains everything that happened and why it took me so long to get him into surgery)

 

[TikiMyn]

Very interesting!
I am in the Netherlands, my prices are in euros, but you could read them as dollars
Annual exam: 42,50
When the bird is staying there for medical reasons: 13,25
Not sure what this is in English, but searching the poop for example for bacteria: 18,75
Narcosis per 15 minutes: 22,90

When Henkie was really ill I did not know a lot about birds and medical care yet, I just told her to do what it took. He stayed there for at least a week I think, I paid 350 I think. I thought it would be a lot more

 

[webchirp]

And having a vet for a decade is very helpful...Dr. Orosz didn't charge me for all the help to see if we could do a "magic bullet" for Hachi to buy her some time. I was crying so hard when I checked out that I have no clue where my statement is for her that day but for Lasix, oxygen, gram stain, exam and euthanization...$60.

If they have a checkup and need an xray and meds, its usually around 300. But I have taken everyone in for the checkups and rechecks except maybe four that aren't due yet and I've spent about $2500.

 

[Clueless]

And having a vet for a decade is very helpful...Dr. Orosz didn't charge me for all the help to see if we could do a "magic bullet" for Hachi to buy her some time. I was crying so hard when I checked out that I have no clue where my statement is for her that day but for Lasix, oxygen, gram stain, exam and euthanization...$60.

If only I lived closer to Dr. O.

She sooooooo impressed me at a lecture in NC that I attended. I saw her with tears in her eyes talking about a patient of hers. That vet cares!!! It was so obvious.

 

[webchirp]

If only I lived closer to Dr. O.

She sooooooo impressed me at a lecture in NC that I attended. I saw her with tears in her eyes talking about a patient of hers. That vet cares!!! It was so obvious.

And she cares about the owners...and knows when one means the world to them.

 

[Garet]

When I took Ciri into the vet, it cost me 80$ to get her seen by the vet. Having Geralt's band removed is costing me 30$, and it costs 20$ Just to take a bird in for a nail trim. Thankfully, they don't charge for the trim if it's done during an exam, but the prices are still pretty stiff.

The only other vet I can go to in my area is even worse. I don't take my animals there anymore because they are horrible people who lie to their clients and delete bad reviews. I took one of my dogs there to get a little slip of paper that says 'yes, this dog was neutered'. It was supposed to cost me 15$, but they charged me 100$. I was upset, but had to pay it anyways since you can't just walk out, and I had asked them more than once for the price and told them twice that my dog just needed his papers and not an exam. They hadn't given him an exam, but charged me for one anyways.

My mom called them up to figure out what had happened, and they lied to her and told her I had asked for an exam, then deleted my bad review. I put it up again, and it got deleted again. Wouldn't trust them with anything ever again.

 

[tka]

For me, a consultation with an avian vet is £55
A hormone implant is around £120 and a hormone injection around £140
Blood testing, x-rays, a crop swab and a faecal test (plus anaesthesia) is £350

My vet is expensive but I feel confident in her - she's confident, thorough and gentle with Leia.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

If only I lived closer to Dr. O.

She sooooooo impressed me at a lecture in NC that I attended. I saw her with tears in her eyes talking about a patient of hers. That vet cares!!! It was so obvious.

I wish she lived closer to us or vice versa. Well, after seeing Sarah’s vet bills, I have not a lot of room to complain, but I will anyway. At one point, we had two cats and both tiels, all on meds. That gets VERY expensive. Compounding meds is a fortune. More expensive than my meds. Husband estimates many thousands in vet bills. I just don’t want to know. We can afford to care for everyone. That’s what matters.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

My vet is expensive but I feel confident in her - she's confident, thorough and gentle with Leia.

That's so important. I had a vet that I really trusted. She was a bit more expensive than my current vet but she and her staff were so good with my birds. She able to do things like xrays without sedation. I do like my current vet now but not quite as much as my old vet. Main reason we switched was Zane needed sinus flushes so often that my vet recommended we try are find someone closer.

I think my old vet is no longer practicing which is a shame because she's really good vet. I know she sold her practice but was still working there for a while. Now I can't find her online anywhere. I hope she's doing ok

 

[Macawnutz]

Well, after seeing Sarah’s vet bills, I have not a lot of room to complain, but I will anyway.

No, you can complain. I took this on, it was not a surprise. I have quite a percentage of medical needy birds here. Most members have heard a story here or there but don't put it all together. Over half my flock have "long term care" involved. Two birds on daily oxygen therapy, so many medications. I would not change a thing. If you offered me a perfect BG or one with heart disease, I'd take the needy one.

 

[faislaq]

If you offered me a perfect BG or one with heart disease, I'd take the needy one.

So you're ready for another macaw then, is that what I'm reading?

 

[Mizzely]

Was cleaning out the car today and found an old invoice for Jingo in the glovebox. (Yes I am that person )

Physical Exam: $84.75
Avian Beak Trim: $29.55
Fecal Gram Stain: $38.83
Complimentary Nail Trim ($18.20 value): $0.00

Total: $153.13

 

[LunaLovebird]

In Australia, so it’s a little different for me I guess. My annual check ups are $400-$500 for both, which includes the chlamydia immunochrome, fecal stain, crop swab, and a general physical. I haven’t ever got full chem panels on them (I plan to ask about them next year or later this year I think), but Ani has had X-rays before. I’ll have to dig out the bills from their medical folder to see how much they were.

 

[Milo]

I always find these conversations interesting and extremely frustrating. Vet costs will naturally vary between areas (which I think is the point of this post). It's interesting to see the variation in cost of care, and what's frustrating is that the perception seems to be that cheaper vets are equivalent to those that cost more, and that a vet is more likely to be thought of as caring and reasonable if they don't charge a lot or do a lot of things for free.

We all understand that care for our birds is specialized medicine. The vets that treat birds and other companion zoo species ("exotics") need special training beyond what they receive in vet school. Again this is something that pretty much everyone understands. With that comes the need for specialized equipment and specially trained staff. What I desperately wish more people understood is that every time a vet does something for free or if they don't charge appropriately for their services that in the end it is the vet and their staff that suffer the consequences. Most vets in private practice don't charge adequately for what they do, and this extends to cats and dogs as well. While on the surface this seems great for the clients and their pets, it makes it harder for the practice to get new equipment and to potentially attract new staff that contribute to providing great medicine. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians (I'm talking about credentialed technicians, not assistants that call themselves techs) are woefully underpaid. This comes from both public perception that "high" prices mean a vet is ripping them off, and the expectation that a caring vet will either lower the cost of treatment for a pet when finances get in the way or that the vet will take payment plans. I recently wrote another post on this particular issue.

I don't bring this up to accuse anyone or to make people feel bad, but to hopefully bring some perspective into the matter.

 

[Clueless]

@Milo

You are 100% correct.

The subject of equipment came up at a conference I was at.

We tend to think that health care for US isn't that expensive but how fast does our heart beat? How fast does a bird's heart beat? Obviously different equipment is required for the bird. ..... and when it's not ordered that often, specialized equipment costs more.

I could go on and on and on.....

 

[Hankmacaw]

Another factor that influences what a vet charges is the cost of living in the area. For example the cost of living in NYC is far different than in Kansas City. Vets have homes and families and mortgages too.

 

[Macawnutz]

If you offered me a perfect BG or one with heart disease....

Really ML? You had to like this post I made weeks ago? I could kick myself.