Re: Pricing for specific services (oxygen therapy; radiograh; blood work; anthesia; cbc or lead leve
Not sure this is possible, as many costs are specific to a region and a specific practice. Emergency costs are always higher than the same costs at a 'regular' veterinary practice, so you'll see a big difference there. Overhead, size of the practice, how advanced their equipment is, etc. all affect price as well. I work with veterinarians around the U.S. and can tell you there really isn't a 'typical' price, though costs can be average for a region. For example, heartworm disease is common in dogs in the Southeast U.S., so it's cheaper to treat it in that part of country. Those practices are already set up and ready to go with treatment, because they do it all the time. In areas where it is less common, the cost is often higher. In practices that routinely do orthopedic surgeries, the costs are probably more stable than in a practice that doesn't do ortho surgeries and may not already have some of the specialized equipment. A practice that routinely sees avian patients will probably have a different price than one that has fewer avian specialists and is less experienced with bird care.
It's kind of the opposite of what people expect. I talk to a lot of pet owners who think a veterinary teaching hospital will be 'cheaper' because the students are 'still learning,' when actually veterinary teaching hospitals provide some of the most cutting-edge medicine you can find and are often
more expensive. The fact that veterinary practices are small businesses can also affect price. They have to pay their staff members a decent wage, provide benefits to keep well-qualified staff, keep up on continuing education (which is required for all veterinarians and technicians), and pay other overhead expenses that affect prices overall - health insurance, malpractice insurance, taxes, medical equipment and supplies, etc.
I will add that cost isn't always the best way to determine quality of care, and what you really want is good quality care for your money. Talk to the practices in your area, ask them what services they recommend and why. Health care isn't just about cost. It's really about keeping your pet healthy. Yes, I think about this stuff a lot
