Vet's Overcharging

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Deer Dee

Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Messages
133
Location
West Branch, MI / USA
Were getting ready to TB test the herd. The vet's I normally use want to charge us 5.50 per mile, 60 farm call, 5.00 per minute (you heard me right), and 18 per head for the new blood test. Every other vet said they're ripping us off. They told me they were offended we were shopping around for a better price and if we don't want to use them for this test, then maybe we don't need to use them at all. HOW RUDE!!!!! I'm sure he shops around for his med prices...nothing personal guy......anyways, they figured they had me backed into a corner because they give us the sedation meds....well, I found a new vet that will hook us up. Do these prices seem crazy?



Most just charge the farm call and some mileage.
 
The new TB test is not near as cheap as the brucellosis test is and 18 is in line if they are charging you by the hour. The old tuberculin was free from the state. If they are charging you 18 for TB and Brucellosis that is cost. It will also cost about 75+ to overnight the serum samples, as the lab requires. They require that the serum be spun off and put in a separate tube. That takes quite a bit of time. Now I'm not sure what price most are charging by the hour. I would assume they are doing that because you can go to a farm and spend a lot of time if there is not a handling facility and they all have to be darted. And as we all know not everything goes as planned every time you handle deer. Depending on how many deer you have, if done right it could save you money.

Speaking from experience.



Jerrilee Cave,DVM
 
The $5/minute is what sounds high to me. I thought my vets hourly rate was high at $150/hr...but yours is double that!
 
Pretty sure my vet charges $150/hour...but because I buy all my stuff from him, he has at times tried not to even charge nothing or hardly nothing at all...but I always try to pay him something because I appreciate his heart.



For your vet to get chapped over you ''shopping'' for better pricing, for me would be a great reason to dump him/her, becasue I personally would have a hard time trusting a vet like that in or for anything!!!



I once 'HAD' a vet that began to charge me $5.75 per cc for Xlazine...she thought she was the only game in town because of her generousity in letting me leave her office with certain drugs...costly idea on her part!
 
I agree sounds awful high! I'm like Mark I "HAD"A vet who used to always tell folks he "DID NOT HAVE TO JUSTIFY WHAT HE CHARGED.................HE HAD A PIECE OF PAPER ON HIS WALL THAT SAID HE WAS SMARTER THAN YOU"!!!!!!!! Yep I found another who had the same "piece paper" just minus the attitude !



Best of Luck .........There's GOOD one out there.
 
DEER DEE, How far away is your vet coming from. It's worth your time to start

shopping for price.
 
Clearview is right with the cost to process the blood. NVL charges $12.00 a test after the is it in serum state, plus shipping and etc. Don't know about the other charges, seems high.
 
You guys are always so awesome!!! I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't come

to you guys and get the proper advice.....LOVE THIS SITE!!!



Anyhoo, he is gouging us. I found a vet a little farther away whose been working with deer for an eternity!!! He only charged us $20 for mileage and he's a ways away. No time limit with this guy and $20 per head for the serum test... $60 farm call. That's it...this sounds normal to me.



Thanks for reinforcing what I already had a feeling about.......previous vet taking advantage:)
 
Deer Dee said:
You guys are always so awesome!!! I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't come

to you guys and get the proper advice.....LOVE THIS SITE!!!



Anyhoo, he is gouging us. I found a vet a little farther away whose been working with deer for an eternity!!! He only charged us $20 for mileage and he's a ways away. No time limit with this guy and $20 per head for the serum test... $60 farm call. That's it...this sounds normal to me.



Thanks for reinforcing what I already had a feeling about.......previous vet taking advantage:)
Click to expand...



Wow! That's more like it! Good job! Now I need to start shopping around me to try to find that!
 
Pricing is very difficult. Most in our area charge $180 per hour. However with the tb test, if it costs $12, a vet would have to charge double($24), and that margin would be close to being around. 21% margin. Anything under 25% margin and the vet works for zero profit. The reason for charging more per test and hourly fee is that they loose a tremendous amt of time away from their clinic, thus income. Vets can't make a living at cost :(. The reason the first vet had an attitude is likely he/she has been working for free too long and tired as the bills added above their head. We producers tend to focus on what a cost is vs the margin. The margin is what all the actual costs are. Honestly, the vet is not making any money if they double the tb test solely. Good luck and God bless

Joe
 

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