My dog needs surgery - Best Cheap Vet?

[dre]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

which is why I mentioned "it's time for some price regulations"

Vets are crooks here because they are allowed to be.

It is already regulated. ABVMA. You can call them if you are concerned about the cost. Anesthesia is EXPENSIVE.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by dre

It is already regulated. ABVMA. You can call them if you are concerned about the cost. Anesthesia is EXPENSIVE.

Drug costs are regulated, labor costs aren't.

[dre]

ABVMA sets the price. That includes labour cost. It's wrapped into the price.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by dre

ABVMA sets the price. That includes labour cost. It's wrapped into the price.

If that's the case, they need an enema.

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by dre

ABVMA sets the price. That includes labour cost. It's wrapped into the price.

Just a couple of questions if you don't mind, because I don't know and I seem to remember there being some controversy surrounding the ABVMA.
Do they set the price or have guidelines?
Do they allow clinics to set prices below those they set?

And just one last remark.
It always seemed to me, whenever I'd take my pet into the clinic, depending on the clinic, they'd start recommending all sorts of additional procedures and tests, some of which didn't seem necessary. So while prices may be set, I'd caution, there are some that will take advantage of the bond we have with our pets.

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I guess the rumors are true that vets make more money than human doctors.

"Vets are crooks here because they are allowed to be."

These two statements could not be further from the truth.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by dre

It is already regulated. ABVMA. You can call them if you are concerned about the cost. Anesthesia is EXPENSIVE.

I'm sorry, but there is no way this is remotely close to true. Try calling different vets in the city and in the areas surrounding Calgary asking to get your pet spayed or neutered.

I got various quotes between $300-$800 for the procedure. Not exactly regulated there. Also there isn't anything on their website which talks about a fee schedule that I could find.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

These two statements could not be further from the truth.

I expect vets have significant overhead costs for the equipment they have to use, especially if they do surgery which I think most do. Their services are expensive but its understandable related to both their overhead and the income one needs to generate given the amount of schooling and skill that goes into the profession.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I'm sorry, but there is no way this is remotely close to true. Try calling different vets in the city and in the areas surrounding Calgary asking to get your pet spayed or neutered.

I got various quotes between $300-$800 for the procedure. Not exactly regulated there. Also there isn't anything on their website which talks about a fee schedule that I could find.

It's not that simple. Factors that influence cost include the type of monitoring equipment the clinic uses, provision of fluids, antibiotics and painkillers, the type of drugs used for premed and anesthesia, drugs used intraoperatively to stabilize the animal, whether or not there is a dedicated assistant for anesthesia etc. Clinics use a variety of different combinations and some are far safer (but more expensive) than others.

[Locke]

My only advice: Get out of Calgary.

We take our pets to the Okotoks Vet Clinic.

Its way cheaper compared to Calgary vets.

[dre]

Originally Posted by monkeyman

Just a couple of questions if you don't mind, because I don't know and I seem to remember there being some controversy surrounding the ABVMA.
Do they set the price or have guidelines?
Do they allow clinics to set prices below those they set?

Not sure about any controversies but I will ask. It is self regulated.
So if there is concern about the cost of a procedure contact ABVMA.
Most clinics will set the prices according to the guidelines.
From what I was told they can set prices below the set guideline.
I know someone in the industry and will try to answer questions as best as possible.

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

I'm sorry, but there is no way this is remotely close to true. Try calling different vets in the city and in the areas surrounding Calgary asking to get your pet spayed or neutered.

I got various quotes between $300-$800 for the procedure. Not exactly regulated there. Also there isn't anything on their website which talks about a fee schedule that I could find.

That is awesome. You had a choice to go with the cheaper option and not the recommended price. Or if you know a farmer they might do it for free.

[CaptainCrunch]

I know that my sisters dog has had all kinds of health issues including cancer and they felt fortunate that they bought pet insurance. They've saved several thousand dollars because of it.

Sorry about your situation, hopefully you find a rate difference that's big enough to make it affordable.

[Lee~]

Just a quick update guys:

We called a few of these vets this morning, and they are definitely cheaper.

So far it look's like the total cost will be in the range of $1250 instead of $2000.

That being said $1250 still out of reach for us at the moment, and unfortunately none of them were willing to take any electrical services for a discount (good suggestion by you guys though).

I'll take a look at Pet Card and Tails for help as suggested by Amethyst, and look at what other options we have.

[Suzles]

There's a GoFund me now I see. Donated a little bit. Hope we can all help you. Good luck.

[longsuffering]

I made a donation. Good luck!

[username]

My wife is a vet and I can tell you that they are not paid well at all. For most, it's literally a job they do because they love animals. Some facts that most people don't know about vets:

- Vet school is more difficult to get into than most medical schools in Canada. It's why so many get their schooling abroad.
- The average vet graduates with approx 50K in student loans (that was 10 years ago)
- The average starting salary for a vet out of school is 65K
- The average salary for an experienced vet is about 75-85
- Small towns definitely have cheaper prices since the clinics are cheaper to run (land/building and labour costs)
- Vet services are cheaper in Sask since they have a lot of vets there due to the school being in Saskatoon (vets make significantly less there). U of C has a school now but they've only had a few graduating classes since it's so new
- The big clinics that are owned by national corporations are typically more expensive and the vets work on production (basically commission). So some will suggest treatments that are more expensive (surgery) as a first option before trying cheaper alternatives (drugs). The smaller privately owned clinics where the staff are on salary will generally make it as cheap as possible for you since they get nothing for bringing in more business.

As for a fee schedule, I don't think there is one. At least if there is, my wife isn't aware of it. There is def no set amount for procedures, the clinics all set their own prices. I can tell you for sure that the quality of service for all surgeries can vary quite a bit based on the vet you get.