If you think pet vet costs are expensive, try horse vet expenses. Add to that, a farm call fee, because you can't just throw the horsey in the back seat, and take him in. Those that haul to a vet, are hauling to specialists, because they have a major issue.
When I was a kid, one of our championship horses had a leg injury, vet said take him to a race horse specialist, they see these injuries all the time, so we hauled him in, 2 hrs one way. Kinda cool to see all the race horses, that were worth hundreds of thousands of dollors, in person. That.....was....mega mega dollors, we had a show horse farm, and back then, we had money.
My horse vet used to tell me, the vaccanations, were the bread and butter of the practice, they didn't make alot of money, on the serious issues.
Then add in blacksmiths.
Trim and reshod every 8 weeks, great if you can reuse the shoe, if not, new shoes, were even more.
Then wormers every 8 weeks, those weren't cheap either.
Then the expense of hay and grain and bedding.
Back then, we grew our own oats, straw and hay. We put in 7,000 bales of hay every year.
The key to navigating vets, the good ones, the not so good ones, is to educate yourself. Do the research and learn about the various health issues. Know what tests should be done, know what the tests should show or not show. Ask questions, ask why, is this test being done, ask what should this test show, if you don't understand, make them explain it to you, until you do understand, then go home and do the research. You should be able to have an intelligent conversation, with the vet, regarding the health issue, diagnosis and treatment.
As far as I knew, Smokey was going in for her rabies booster and wellness. Could not see my normal vet, as she had an emergency come in, fine, not a prob, very happy to wait, or see another vet, its just a shot.
Her medical issue was real, what tests they wanted to run, I knew, were not correct or needed, the fight began, way smacked of running it up, to clients that would not know otherwise.
They wanted to do an ultrasound, which is $300. I knew, from what she was telling me she found, could be diagnosed by an x-ray, and yes, only one. An x-ray is $100, huge huge difference, huge. Plus they wanted to sedate her. She was a show kitty, she had x-rays and ultrasounds before, she did not need to be sedated, which ran the cost up more.
Plus they wanted to do the blood panel. That was almost $100 too.
In this case from what she is telling me, she found, a blood panel is not needed, at this point in time, an x-ray will show what the issue is, then we go from there. So $100 vs $400, how many people on here, would have just spend the $400 that day? Ya just wasted, $300.
So the quest was on, to find a vet who would do an x-ray.
My personal favorite was one, who I went to, like 15 years ago. Girl insisted, insisted, on sedating her. Said we might have to come out and tell you, she cannot be x-rayed, so you can either sedate her or go home. Told her that way smacked of running up the bill, and I have show cats, so not your average client.
The vet I used to see at that practice, who now owns the practice, called me, about told me off, and said the standard is 2 x-rays plus sedation. OK......hit I nerve.....which just confirmed.....I was right.
Called my vet Monday morning, and insisted, even got a little nasty about it, I wanted an x-ray. She pretty much told me, I must have miss understood the other vet, ah.....no......I....didn't.
Brought Smokey in, got the x-ray, which showed, what was wrong, and I knew, from looking at the x-ray, and yes, educate yourself about looking at x-rays, it was not good.
Was not sedated, didn't need it, and she was good, or they couldn't have taken the x-ray.
Education is the key.
If they get nasty, ya hit a nerve, run, do not walk, out of there, ya just caught them.