Heartworm Pills and Kidney Disease

[ClantyreSheltie]

$300 for the $60 cheek swab? Seriously?

This is how I ended up walking out of my vets office without paying that one time. I knew from the testing lab that the test I wanted costed $48. They had a form right on their website to include with the sample to charge the clients credit card. Easy-peasy, right? Take blood, spin, put in box with form, FedEx overnight. I thought this was a simple process. My vet chose to take blood (and charge full office visit for dog that was 'seen' three weeks before for his rabies shot), then charge me $200 for the test (they sent to Antech, who sends it to lab. Antech charges $100 for the test, vet doubled it).

No. So I found a vet that had an account with the lab. They charged me $48 for the test, $48 for the shipping (cool) and $18 for the blood draw. It took me three phone calls, as other vets wanted a "wellness check" and vaccine update. No, just put the blood in a box and ship it.

I have used this other vet for some other things, because he's simple. Want an OFA film? Bring the dog down, X-ray, take the dog home, and done. Hour, tops. My vet wants the dogs admitted to the hospital for the day, which means a vaccine fight and two round trips.

Ok, that was a bit of a process rant, but $300 for a cheek swab? And you know he's using the same testing folks, they are the only game in town.

 

[k9kreationz]

My vet isn't carrying Heartguard Plus any more. They have the "Latest and greatest" product from the same company (forget the name of it) which protects against ring work (I believe) in addition to all the previous worms.

I specifically requested Heartguard Plus and they managed to find a box. I may have to find where else I can purchase this.

I also ordered some MDR1 test kits from University of Washington's vet school; which were recommended on this forum a while ago. For those that need testing, they send you a kit for free, you take the sample and send it back. You pay when you send it back and it's only $60 per dog. My vet wants nearly $300 to test. That's a huge difference.

My vet doesn't carry Heartgard either. I asked them why. They said it wasn't for any specific reason (like it's bad or anything), just that they chose to carry Novartis products. But now that they don't have those, they are offering up Comfortis and Trifexis I think. I can't recall.

 

[k9kreationz]

$300 for the $60 cheek swab? Seriously?

This is how I ended up walking out of my vets office without paying that one time. I knew from the testing lab that the test I wanted costed $48. They had a form right on their website to include with the sample to charge the clients credit card. Easy-peasy, right? Take blood, spin, put in box with form, FedEx overnight. I thought this was a simple process. My vet chose to take blood (and charge full office visit for dog that was 'seen' three weeks before for his rabies shot), then charge me $200 for the test (they sent to Antech, who sends it to lab. Antech charges $100 for the test, vet doubled it).

No. So I found a vet that had an account with the lab. They charged me $48 for the test, $48 for the shipping (cool) and $18 for the blood draw. It took me three phone calls, as other vets wanted a "wellness check" and vaccine update. No, just put the blood in a box and ship it.

I have used this other vet for some other things, because he's simple. Want an OFA film? Bring the dog down, X-ray, take the dog home, and done. Hour, tops. My vet wants the dogs admitted to the hospital for the day, which means a vaccine fight and two round trips.

Ok, that was a bit of a process rant, but $300 for a cheek swab? And you know he's using the same testing folks, they are the only game in town.

All I can say is yikes. I would probably stop going to that vet. I'm so glad my vet will do blood draws and charge me for that, no office visit (assuming it's not needed). Heck, even if I just need vacc's, but let's say the dogs were there within a month, they'll take them, back, give them their vacc's and off I go. I pay for the vacc's and no office visit.

This rant makes me love my vet more.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

Yeah, but I LOVE the two vets I usually see. One is an old school horse person and breeder, the other is the owner. It's the processes that get me. I'm a process person, so when the process is bad, or illogical, it really stands out to me. That Rabies titer thing was illogical, and I couldn't make her understand it. I guess I was asking for something outside the process, and they couldn't handle it.

 

[The Quahog]

$300 for the $60 cheek swab? Seriously?

This is how I ended up walking out of my vets office without paying that one time. I knew from the testing lab that the test I wanted costed $48. They had a form right on their website to include with the sample to charge the clients credit card. Easy-peasy, right? Take blood, spin, put in box with form, FedEx overnight. I thought this was a simple process. My vet chose to take blood (and charge full office visit for dog that was 'seen' three weeks before for his rabies shot), then charge me $200 for the test (they sent to Antech, who sends it to lab. Antech charges $100 for the test, vet doubled it).

No. So I found a vet that had an account with the lab. They charged me $48 for the test, $48 for the shipping (cool) and $18 for the blood draw. It took me three phone calls, as other vets wanted a "wellness check" and vaccine update. No, just put the blood in a box and ship it.

So you think $18 was a pretty good profit margin to set aside time for an appointment, get the chart and set up the room, draw the blood, interpret the results and discuss them with you?
I wonder what they did with all the extra profit from that windfall.

 

[JLSOhio51]

So you think $18 was a pretty good profit margin to set aside time for an appointment, get the chart and set up the room, draw the blood, interpret the results and discuss them with you?
I wonder what they did with all the extra profit from that windfall.

I guess I'm missing something here. If the vet and the client agree on the terms of the transaction (net "profit" of $18), what is the issue?

 

[Emmasmom]

The issue? Whether or not it was agreed to - it doesn't cover the related costs as Dr. Mac has outlined.

I think though we need to get back to the original question on what alternative can be used. Cheryl - have you been able to find a replacement yet? Wish I could suggest something for you.

 

[Lightplum]

I use Heartgard plus on my mutant/normal dog. Never had an issue. I was told though 1. make sure its the PLUS, and 2. Make sure its the heartgard brand. Not sure about the latter or why, but maybe because years ago the generic was not as stable of a mixture as the heartgard brand???

 

[Emmasmom]

I have found with human medicine that the generics don't always work as well or the same as the name-brand meds. This is probably true with vet medications as well.

 

[k9kreationz]

I think though we need to get back to the original question on what alternative can be used. Cheryl - have you been able to find a replacement yet? Wish I could suggest something for you.

I decided to go with Heartgard. Mostly because many of the alternatives have a flea med combined with it and I don't want that for Miko. And don't ask me why, but the topical one just doesn't do it for me. I think that left only Heartgard.

Wednesday is heartworm med day so I'll probably give it to them as soon as I get home from work so I can keep an eye on them, just in case there's a reaction. I would do it today, but I'll never remember the date after using the 17th for the past 14 years. LOL.