Regarding Veterinarians...Do you ever think they're trying to sell service/procedures that you don't need?

Question

I brought my dogs in for boarding one time. My 13 yr old dog came back with a $400 estimate for teeth cleaning. Yeah right. This time they went in to a different vet. One dog had been battling pink eye which we're treating, but the other caught it. It looked like he was hung over. The vet proclaimed he needed surgery to correct a genetic eyelid condition causing the problem. Estimate of $735 and a tube of antibiotics. The pink eye is now gone and the dogs eyes are fine. Surgery? No way! Any one else have these experiences? Are the vets just not making enough money and hoping that pet lovers will do anything for their beloved pet?

Answer 1

well yes it seems that these vets need to make some boat payments but I have a very reputable vet currently & have never delt with such shenanigans, look for a clinic in you area that does low cost vet stuff. we have one where i live they are only open 2 days a week, but they are run by another clinic, that is low cost no nonsense. call the emergency vet clinic for a referance to a low cost vet.

if you do end up with a high cost problem ask you vet about care credit, it is an interest free credit account that will often approve up to 3000$ & give you intrest free for a few months to a year, for each procedure. this can be used for your own medical bills as well.

Answer 2

Teeth cleaning is NOT a useless procedure. Dogs, especially older ones, can encounter all sorts of tooth problems. If you don't take any preventative measures, you might end up paying even more money to have decayed, infected teeth extracted.

Also, as for the "pink eye" - if it appeared to be cherry eye, then yes, surgery is generally the solution. It's a problem with the eyelid. It's good that your dog's eye cleared up on its own, but generally, cherry eye doesn't.

Regarding the cost - remember that most of us don't have pet insurance. Our own medical care is even more expensive than our pets' , but we never really see those numbers since our insurance covers it. It's not that vet care is overpriced.

Those procedures are recommended procedures and it doesn't sound like your vet was trying to rip you off.  

Answer 3

I must admit I've not had those experiences, but I shopped really hard for a vet that I could trust.  The way things are these days, I'm not surprised to read such an experience. What a shame.

Answer 4

I never had anything like that.. In fact, my vet always asks me what I want to do when it comes to my pets health. She has never given me an estimate for something I did not request.

Answer 5

Veterinarians would never rip you off. On the other hand, they got car payments, mortgage payments, health insurance bills and kids to put through college. Ya cant blame them for charging you a lil bit extra.

Answer 6

Keep looking for a vet.  They do make money on the extras but some are more honest than others.  Find one that you can trust and then when he says you need something extra you know he means it.  Check with other people about the vets in your area.

Answer 7

Pets at some point will always need treatment. Vets are professionals, who give you the advice, not to make money, but to ensure pets get the appropriate treatment.

An elderly dog WILL probably need teeth treatment, to stop future gum and teeth problems. Paying a small amount at this stage will prevent this, and also will ensure your dog does not go through the agony of infected teeth.

Veterinarians on average spend 6 years studying for their profession. If you think you can diagnose your animal better than them, you are not only deluded, but irresponsible.  

Answer 8

They said both my cat and dog had something wrong with their liver right before they got neutered. They were acting normal, so I don't think there was anything wrong with them.

Answer 9

Vets do it a lot.

I hear about it all the time where I work, trying to sell products- not treatments, I've been eight times with my cat over eight years and each time they've put off surgery on his teeth- but I hear it where I work- vets trying to make people buy brands like Science Plan because they sell it, or medicines from them that you can get a lot cheaper at pet shops.

However, this may also be because of them trying to hit certain targets of product sales/surgery figures, or sometimes they may honestly think that the animal NEEDS it, and aren't sure. Your story about the surgery, for example, sounds like the vet really thought the animal may need it, but didn't do it because it may recover on its own, so it's hard to just say that they're somehow money-grabbing when maybe they're just giving all the options.