Vaccinations At Petco

[Guest ctgreylover]

Has anyone ever used the Petco vaccination clinic? I cant get Tony to the vet this weekend and he is due for his shots. Just wondering if they are ok?

[2_Lazygreys]

In Dallas Petco uses Love My Pet to do mass vaccinations. It's 1/4 of the price my vet charges and no office fees. While my vet is not so happy with me for doing it, I give them the copies of their vaccinations for their records. One big plus is my guys are so distracted by all of the people and other dogs they don't even notice they are getting shots. Plus their is a Sonic Drive In on the way home and we stop to get them a small ice cream cone.

[Guest koolaidnconner]

I guess if cost is a factor for you then do it but the wellness exam they get with vaccines is almost more important than the vaccine itself.

[Neighsayer]

I used to use them, but sometimes had to wait in line for hours with yappydogs, unfriendly dogs, stupid owners, and cats!

[Guest kydie]

Gee sounds good to me,,, I give my own vaccines for about the last 35 years and my old vet never cared,,, but now that he has sold out to a young city guy,, he too doesn't like not getting THAT money,,,, I told him to suck it up,,,, I do take mine for an annual vist though

[Guest RobinAZ]

I also give vaccines myself, but sometimes I can't find stores that have them so then I go to Petco. My vet charges an office visit plus the charge for the vaccine and that's ridiculous when you are only going for the vaccine. The only time I use the vet for vaccines is if I'm there for something else and one of the dogs is due.

[kikibean]

My vet does a shot clinic at one of the Petcos here. I think it's like $18 for 1 year rabies (we only do rabies), and the cost for the other shots / heartworm test is fairly

inexpensive as well. I asked him how much it is to do the shots in the office and it's a $50 office visit plus like $40 for the rabies shot. Insane mark up.

 

We have a lot of adopters who've started going to the Petco shot clinics. It's usually people with multiple dogs who see their vets a fair amount anyway and

don't want to spend a fortune for shots.

[Guest Greytluv]

I don't vaccinate my dogs, but I do go to Petco for the rabies. I've never had to wait long and the price is right

 

I use Hemopet for all my blood work.

[Hubcitypam]

One of the vets here does a shot clinic in her office three times a week.and we used to go there. It was $7 for rabies, $10 for DHLPP and $15 for HW test. I think now rabies is $8, DHLPP is $12 and HW is $20. It was a cattle call though and as stated above you can have to deal with yappy/agressive dogs and rude and/or idiot owners.

 

Now that we are dealing with multiple health issues and are at the vet every other whipstich and I am just giving rabies now that he's 11 (with my vets blesing -- that is what he does with his personal dogs) I just let my vet do it -- I think rabies is $12.

 

 

[tbhounds]

I guess if cost is a factor for you then do it but the wellness exam they get with vaccines is almost more important than the vaccine itself.

Anyone can give a vaccine it's the exam that's important. Petco will not pick up the ear infection, the pannus, the weight gain/loss, the heart murmur, the lumps or bumps, palpate the abdomen, routine blood work, check lymph nodes...... I think you see my point.

[Guest ctgreylover]

Tony is due for rabies in Nov but his yearly is a few months off. I am going to be away at the end of the month and want to make sure everything is in order while I am gone just in case so dd wont have any issues if something happens.

I am so wary of non greyhound savy vets after a bad ER vet visit a few years ago.....

[queenwinniesmom]

We use Petco for the distemper shots. When you have 4 dogs, it gets to be expensive for the office visits with shots. The shelter where I work provides free rabies shots to employees, so of course we take advantage of that. There is also a vet here to consult with.

My guys see the vet at least once a year (or more) for wellness and anything else that might pop up.

[Guest TeddysMom]

I think shot clinics are fine but I still have the vet out to check all my dogs once a year. Having a yearly checkup is necessary IMHO no matter how healthy a dog acts. I do my own shots.

[stlgrey]

Yes, I go all the time. Its my vet's group that provides the service, so it saves me a ton of money and they have my dog's health records.

[Wonder]

Mine get their shots there and they are also blood donors so they get many exams over the year.

[Hubcitypam]

I guess if cost is a factor for you then do it but the wellness exam they get with vaccines is almost more important than the vaccine itself.

Anyone can give a vaccine it's the exam that's important. Petco will not pick up the ear infection, the pannus, the weight gain/loss, the heart murmur, the lumps or bumps, palpate the abdomen, routine blood work, check lymph nodes...... I think you see my point.

I see your point, but I was going to VCA shots, Rabies, DHLPP, HW were over $150 (including $60 office call) for exactly what the shot clinic vet offered for $32. Even if my dog had been at VCA 3 months before there was that $60 office call and the inflated prices. All my guys have always been to the vet at least once a year for some other reason (OMG if it could only be once) as I suspect most dogs on this forum are.

 

We have a lot of adopters who've started going to the Petco shot clinics. It's usually people with multiple dogs who see their vets a fair amount anyway and

don't want to spend a fortune for shots.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Hubcitypam

[Guest leash]

My dogs have always gotten there shot from VIP pet clinic at Petco. I get coupons in the mail for a free blood test to check for heart worm with a year supply of heart worm meds. My vet does not care as long as I have a yearly exam and bring all records to her office.

 

The vet is the only one that gives the shots at our clinic.

[Guest LadyChester]

I used to go to the Petco in Avon if someone needed shots, and never had any problem. They were always quite professional and kind to the animals. Like Tony, my hounds were always at the vet regularly for other routine things and a check-up. Save some bucks where you can -- especially with the vet costs in CT!

[Guest Energy11]

I guess if cost is a factor for you then do it but the wellness exam they get with vaccines is almost more important than the vaccine itself.

Anyone can give a vaccine it's the exam that's important. Petco will not pick up the ear infection, the pannus, the weight gain/loss, the heart murmur, the lumps or bumps, palpate the abdomen, routine blood work, check lymph nodes...... I think you see my point.

 

Exactly! Mine get ONLY rabies, 3-yr, but, do get exams, full senior bloodwork, and urinanalysis yearly. Curfew, every six months. The exam and bloodwork are VERY important.

 

IF I did vaccines, I couldn't go to Petco, as four of five of mine are high preys, and hate everything but other greys! What a MESS that would be!

[tbhounds]

I made a point earlier about chain store clinics not examing your pup and just giving the vaccines. Believe me I do completely agree about saving money were it can be saved but, I stand firm about having your dog examined first before any vaccine is given. For example we had a client come in and wanted just a Rabies vaccine and wanted to refuse the exam as "her dog is healthy". Well, after she agreed to the exam it turned out her "healthy" dog had lymphoma! Can you imagine if she had gone to petco??? I do agree that most folks on this board are pretty savy but

we are not vets.

Edited cause of the tiny little font on this iPhone!

Edited November 13, 2010 by tbhounds

[Guest Energy11]

I made a point earlier about chain store clinics not examing your pup and just giving the vaccines. Believe me I do completely agree about saving money were it can be saved but, I stand firm about having your dog examined first before any vaccine is given. For example we had a client come in and wanted just a Rabies vaccine and wanted to refuse the exam as "her dog is healthy". Well, after she agreed to the exam it turned out her "healthy" dog had lymphoma! Can you imagine if she had gone to petco??? I do agree that most folks on this board are pretty savy but

we are not vets.,

 

Having been a paramedic and worked at a vet, I can't agree with you more. In fact, Cari, 9, just had her annual exam yesterday, complete with her hands-on, blood and urine. It really IS worth it, and as you said, it can tell us soo much about their heath.

[Hubcitypam]

I made a point earlier about chain store clinics not examing your pup and just giving the vaccines. Believe me I do completely agree about saving money were it can be saved but, I stand firm about having your dog examined first before any vaccine is given. For example we had a client come in and wanted just a Rabies vaccine and wanted to refuse the exam as "her dog is healthy". Well, after she agreed to the exam it turned out her "healthy" dog had lymphoma! Can you imagine if she had gone to petco??? I do agree that most folks on this board are pretty savy but

we are not vets.

Yep, if her dog hadn't been near a vet in a year that is one thing. A dog that has been seen by the selfsame vet vet within the last few months for a checkup/other issues is totally another thing.

 

When I still did DHLPP every 3 years no way would I give it 4 or 5 months early just in case we were there for something 6 months early to save the office call. Then I'd get raped by the $60 office call plus the waste disposal fee (which was 1/5 less at the shot clinic) when the shots came due a few months later...

[brandimom]

I don't vaccinate my dogs but do a titer but use Petco for rabies only because it is required where I live. Never had any problems.

[KF_in_Georgia]

If you use Petco, make sure you get all the paperwork and make multiple copies of the papers showing when the next shots are due.

 

I'm a dog groomer. When dogs come to us for grooming (or go to a kennel for boarding), proof of vaccinations is required. Our grooming salon often has a hard time getting vaccination info by phone when dogs were given their shots by anyone other than a conventional vet's office. So please make a copy of the paperwork and keep the copy in the glove compartment of your car or in some other place where you can lay hands on it instantly.

 

My guys get their shots from the vet's office. In Georgia, the rabies shot must be administered by a vet (rather than a vet tech), so if it's a year my guys need a rabies shot, I make sure it's done during their wellness exam visit; that visit also includes their annual blood draw for a heartworm test and other labwork. (Both dogs are hypothyroid, and the vet won't renew their thyroxine prescription without annual bloodwork and an exam.) Their other shots (they get DHPP and Bordatella) are given by the vet tech and there's no charge for an office visit then.

 

But my guys are getting older, now, so there usually is at least one other office visit involving the vet sometime during the year.

 

P.S. If you use Petco, please work out a system that avoids getting all the shots in one visit. The problem with doing all the shots at once is that if your dog has a bad reaction to one of the vaccines, you're not necessarily going to know which vaccine was the culprit. Spreading out the shots will let you ID which vaccine was a problem--and it's probably going to be less painful for your dog.

[Hubcitypam]

I'm a dog groomer. When dogs come to us for grooming (or go to a kennel for boarding), proof of vaccinations is required. Our grooming salon often has a hard time getting vaccination info by phone when dogs were given their shots by anyone other than a conventional vet's office. So please make a copy of the paperwork and keep the copy in the glove compartment of your car or in some other place where you can lay hands on it instantly.

 

Yes times 10 Million! That was one of our biggest issues at the daycare. I spent a good portion of my day verifying shot records from vets. If you use a regular vet they could verify immediately and we could take the dog, Not the case with shot clinics. If you use a shot clinic get proof and copy it!