Vets

[Guest david_42]

Over-paid compared to $90/hr for a propane installer or $105/hr for someone to grade your driveway or $275 for a guy to spend 90 minutes installing a DSL dish? You won't see meds much cheaper on the web, so they aren't making a pile there.

 

Vets cater to the market. If you demand special qualifications for a Vet, expect to pay extra.

Edited January 27, 2007 by david_42

[Guest neworleansmama]

My mother-in-law's small town vet treated Blake when he broke his leg for $150 AND kept him for free for a week since he was in town due to an evacuation for a hurricane (one that didn't come). When I brought him back to the city, a new vet near my new house said it would be $1000 or so for follow-up, cast change, etc. As you might imagine, I drove the 3 1/2 hours back to the original vet for the follow-up. He charged me $75. I can't believe the rent difference is that high!

 

I also found the vets in my new part of town are double or triple the cost of vets in the old part, so we drive a few miles.

[Guest cendrine]

My vet has been described as more expensive by many in the rural community where I live. She runs a group practice with another vet and they deal exclusively with small animals. I don't know if I'm correct on this but my guess is that small animal practice is probably not as lucrative as a practice devoted to livestock. The service I get there is professional, sympathetic and knowledgeable (one vet owns a whippet!). Although I felt a particular brand of food (pricey and sold exclusively in the office) was being pushed a little too hard or some additional blood work was recommended "as a precaution", I never felt that I couldn't ask for more information or decline something if I felt it wasn't strictly necessary. Both vets have been thorough and their diagnoses have been spot on. I get handouts to answer my questions and detailed instructions about meds and treatments. I don't mind paying a premium (about 1/4 more than others around here) for the service and good relationship. I felt they really cared about my dogs. I couldn't put a price on such a good professional relationship - it's even better than the one I have with my own physician!

[PatricksMom]

I couldn't put a price on such a good professional relationship - it's even better than the one I have with my own physician!

 

Isn't that the truth--I always say I wish I could see the vet instead of human doctors, I trust her much more!

[Guest SueNOtto]

Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $66,590 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $51,420 and $88,060. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,020, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $118,430.

 

According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of veterinary medical college graduates in 2004 varied by type of practice as follows:

 

Small animals, predominantly $50,878

Small animals, exclusively 50,703

Large animals, exclusively 50,403

Private clinical practice 49,635

Large animals, predominantly 48,529

Mixed animals 47,704

Equine (horses) 38,628

 

The average annual salary for veterinarians in the Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $78,769 in 2005.

 

Source:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos076.htm

 

In 2004 the average salary for a inexperienced Chemistry Doctorate: $61,627

 

Source:

http://www.chemistry.org/portal/resources/...ss04_report.pdf

 

Biological sciences PhD:

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, beginning salary offers in 2003 averaged $42,244 for doctoral degree recipients

 

Source:

http://www.biologyjobs.com/bls.cfm

 

So my feeling is veterinarians are paid in line with other scientists with similar number of years in school-which is fair.

 

Human doctors make too much money for what they do.

[Guest Chynagirl]

I can't complain here. I was going to pick up heartworm meds on Saturday and noticed that Chloe's 'cheek' was swollen, so I took her with me. Even though I didn't have an appointment, my vet took the time to check her out, gave me antibiotics and set up a dental appointment for Monday. That bill was $89 for 3 months of heartworm for 3 dogs and a 10 day supply of antibiotics - no charge for office visit.

 

I dropped Chloe off yesterday and they cleaned her teeth, extracted the bad tooth, did some bloodwork and clipped her nails - all for $194.

 

I don't think that's unreasonable, considering the last time I personally had a tooth pulled it cost $240 and they didn't even put me to sleep or clean my teeth .

[feemandvm]

So my feeling is veterinarians are paid in line with other scientists with similar number of years in school-which is fair.

 

Human doctors make too much money for what they do.

 

Extra question... what is the average student debt for a PhD in chemistry? The average student debt for veterinary school alone (not counting undergraduate) is in excess of $60,000! Most students that pursue a masters degree and PhD will have their school paid for by a stipend. Not an option in veterinary school.

[Guest SueNOtto]

 

So my feeling is veterinarians are paid in line with other scientists with similar number of years in school-which is fair.

 

Human doctors make too much money for what they do.

 

Extra question... what is the average student debt for a PhD in chemistry? The average student debt for veterinary school alone (not counting undergraduate) is in excess of $60,000! Most students that pursue a masters degree and PhD will have their school paid for by a stipend. Not an option in veterinary school.

 

 

Ok, I have a question for you: do you think that salary should be a function of how expensive or cheap a particular school is? A Lehigh University engineer owes $150,000 at the end of 4 years, a Penn State engineer owes $40,000, Do you think the Lehigh grad should get 3X the salary? The cost of vet school is an irrelevent arguement.

 

I think most, if not all, vets know what their potential salaries will be before they decide to go to vet school. I doupt anyone goes into veterinary medicine expecting to make a lot of money. If you knew going into school what the salary is and how much school would cost...

 

Bill, perhaps you should have gone to get your doctorate in chemistry. You could teach college chemistry like I do...and get paid $3500/class/semester. Talk about underpaid!

[Guest cendrine]

Re:

 

Small animals, predominantly $50,878

Small animals, exclusively 50,703

Large animals, exclusively 50,403

Private clinical practice 49,635

Large animals, predominantly 48,529

Mixed animals 47,704

Equine (horses) 38,628

 

Thanks SuzenOtto!

 

I had an idea that vets would find more lucrative work among farmers/horse owners than small pet owners. Farmers must keep their livestock healthy and productive for human health reasons and for their own financial health. As for horse owners, especially those who train horses for competitive sport, veterinary surveillance protects their investment and keeps their horses in the best shape for sport (and I'm sure a lot of love and concern goes along with this - witness the huge investment in last year's Kentucky Derby winner after he broke a leg). I guess there is more money (but not much more) in small animal practice because you just can't put a price on keeping a member of the family healthy and happy! These are statistical averages - much depends on location, what the 'going rate' is, what types of procedures are done, the individual vet's style of practice, overhead etc. I was surprised at the lower average salary and the small difference between the types of practice. I had assumed that veterinary care for pets was more of a discretionary expense for a lot of people - but for many it is just as essential as keeping dairy cow free of disease or a thoroughbred on the track.

 

Side note: We once purchased a guinea pig at a local flea market for six dollars, much below the pet store price of twenty dollars. I believe they were so cheap because they were intended as food for large snakes My husband thought this was going to be the end of expenses (!!) aside from food and a cage. Well, the poor GP was all scratched up (he was in a small cage with at least a dozen other GPs) so I decided to take him to our vet to be checked out. He needed some ointment and she gave us some handouts about GP nutrition and care. Total bill that day for vet ($35.00), food, cage, bedding, treats, water bottle: $120.00. My husband couldn't believe it ("you spent HOW MUCH on a RODENT??")...but we enjoyed our GP and my son was almost inconsolabe when he went to the Bridge.

[feemandvm]

 

So my feeling is veterinarians are paid in line with other scientists with similar number of years in school-which is fair.

 

Human doctors make too much money for what they do.

 

Extra question... what is the average student debt for a PhD in chemistry? The average student debt for veterinary school alone (not counting undergraduate) is in excess of $60,000! Most students that pursue a masters degree and PhD will have their school paid for by a stipend. Not an option in veterinary school.

 

 

Ok, I have a question for you: do you think that salary should be a function of how expensive or cheap a particular school is? A Lehigh University engineer owes $150,000 at the end of 4 years, a Penn State engineer owes $40,000, Do you think the Lehigh grad should get 3X the salary? The cost of vet school is an irrelevent arguement.

 

I think most, if not all, vets know what their potential salaries will be before they decide to go to vet school. I doupt anyone goes into veterinary medicine expecting to make a lot of money. If you knew going into school what the salary is and how much school would cost...

 

Bill, perhaps you should have gone to get your doctorate in chemistry. You could teach college chemistry like I do...and get paid $3500/class/semester. Talk about underpaid!

 

You won't get an argument from me on you being underpaid! Teachers as a profession IMHO are the most woefully underpaid of all. Teachers are critical to every profession and shape our youth. . How they can be paid so poorly is beyond my comprehension. Also now they seem to be trying to eliminate benefits which is the one thing teachers had going for them.

 

Also... I don't think you will ever find a vet that joined the profession for money. If they did they will quickly leave it. You could work fewer hours and make a much larger salary in human medicine. However, I believe that some people think vets are paid on a comparable level to human doctors and that is not true.

[Guest btiedt]

A few years ago at a career day at the local high school there was a dentist, pharmacist, and vet on a panel at one time talking about their jobs. The vet at that time said the local average salary for vets was around $45000. $60k for in an established practice. For all they spend on vet school that is pretty low. On the other hand, I have thought the vet bills to be high. I have no clue though how much those vacines really cost so maybe it is a fair charge by the vet. I do believe though the emergency vets charges are way out of line. When I was trimming my cockatiel's wing and cut a blood feather I was told to take him to an emergency vet as they were staffed on Sunday afternoons. To pull a feather cost me $125! I could see to pay extra to have a vet drive in on his day off but this was a business who's only hours were the off hours and were always staffed. It was totally outrageous to me. And you could tell the staff were all either still students or fresh out of school. I am sure they were not the ones making the big bucks.

 

I searched and here is some salary info I found. Based on this, I sure wouldn't think too many vets are driving BMWs.

 

 

Median annual earnings of veterinarians were $66,590 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $51,420 and $88,060. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,020, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $118,430.

 

According to a survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association, average starting salaries of veterinary medical college graduates in 2004 varied by type of practice as follows:

Small animals, predominantly $50,878

Small animals, exclusively 50,703

Large animals, exclusively 50,403

Private clinical practice 49,635

Large animals, predominantly 48,529

Mixed animals 47,704

Equine (horses) 38,628

Edited February 15, 2007 by btiedt

[feemandvm]

Quite timely but just read an article in a vet journal today that said average student debt (counting undergraduate) for veterinarians graduating in 2005 was over $100,000.

 

This doesn't mean that vets should make millions of dollars... but that although a salary may be $50,000/year, a big chunk of that is going to have to go toward paying off that student debt!

[Guest ohgreyt]

Wow, this post has been going since 2003? Did anyone notice this? I voted that some fees are high but still like my vet.... I think that vets prices vary a great deal. There is one I used to go to that was so much higher than any other. And I think the one I go to now is a little high. (Some may remember my post about how much to put a sick rat to sleep? 80 bucks is a little high for that) Anyway, I have a degree in zoology and went to college with all the pre-vet students. I wanted to do this, but I didn't have the grades. They pretty much needed straight A's through their undergrad classes. It is so competitive and so many never get in. The requirements are very stringent, and I think the ones that finish earned that degree and earned the right to make a good living. Their life is similar to a doctors. They are on call, they are dealing with life and death situations, emergencies, and a lot of grief and stress. They deserve to make good money after what they go through to become a vet and what they do daily in the office. I agree with many of you, some vets aren't worth the paper they printed their diplomas on. But most work hard for what they do.

[Hubcitypam]

I have a degree in zoology and went to college with all the pre-vet students. I wanted to do this, but I didn't have the grades. They pretty much needed straight A's through their undergrad classes. It is so competitive and so many never get in. The requirements are very stringent, and I think the ones that finish earned that degree and earned the right to make a good living.

When I was at A&M everyone said it was easier to get into medical school than vet school...Texas has eight medical schools and one vet school. Do the math.

[Guest RosiesMom]

I agree that it depends on the vet, the area (what the market will bear). I worked for a small town vet for most of my high shool and early college years (and almost went to vet school - but even with good grades it was almost impossible to get in). He did not seem to be terribly well off. Maybe I meet the wrong sort of vet, but I cannot think of one I have known who has anything too fancy parked in the parking lot.

 

The cost of medical care for Rosie has been less than I thought. When she had her hip xrays I was stunned at the low cost - when I know that she had to be sedated, and that it takes a lot of skill to get a good hip picture.

 

I wish I could get that quality of care from my own doctor for that price!

[Guest budsmom]

Considering the amount of knowledge vets have to have about different species, and different specialties I think they are woefully underpaid. My vet is in practice with 3 others, large & small animals. He has to know the anatomy and stuff of many different species, as well as being a pharmacist, surgeon, dentist, radiologist, ob/gyn, and probably a few other specialties I'm forgetting. I love my vet, and it would be more traumatic for me to have to find a new vet than to find a new doctor for myself. I have been a client for over 20 years, and I trust him totally with all my animals. He always has time to answer my questions (at no charge), and respects my knowledge of my animals. He's always 100% straight with me, and I know he is not in the profession for the money (He is actually allergic to cats)! My pets are my kids, and I expect the same knowledge and care to be given to them that I would expect for myself. I get that with my vet, and I would pay whatever he charged because I trust and respect him.

[Guest canagreyts]

I think our vet is expensive, but I don't begrudge paying for what I consider is quality service.

 

Maggie and Nebraska are both scheduled for dentals in July (strictly a cleaning but under anesthetic) and each will cost $485.00 (even though Maggie has twice as many teeth as Nebraska!!)

 

Maggie's recent 10 minute (before hours) emergency visit where she was trotted up and down the isle and had her temp taken was $130.00.

 

So, yes I think the cost is very high but the expense is part of pet ownership and as long as the quality of care is high its worth it to us.

[Guest sophieandcooper]

I think it depends on the vet. We had one in Knoxville, TN (where we used to live) and they were absolutely wonderful. They charged more than any other vet we had been to, but they were by far the nicest and understood that our pets were not just pets to us, but are our kids. We had an emergency one morning and did not have an appointment, but just showed up at opening. One of our dogs needed surgery and they brought us right in, did it later that morning and even let us be present while they were giving her anesthesia and waking her up. That kind of treatment is worth the extra money they charge and I would pay any price for them to care for our babies.

 

Plus, vet school is terribly competitve, very expensive and they only make a fraction of what human doctors make. They deserve it!

[Fudge]

I voted "No. The fees I believe to be fair for the service provided." However, having worked for a animal hospital I found that the remainder of the staff (vet techs, vet assistants, receptionists) are way underpaid with no benefits.

[Rickiesmom]

My vet clinic has evolved from small to large and in the process seems to be more expensive. Arlie, as some of you may recall, had an anal gland "episode" recently. I paid for a recheck exam for her, mainly because one of her teeth needed looking at, plus $38 and change to have her anal glands expressed. This process took minutes and as a bonus for some reason didn't even smell all that bad. It seemed like a lot to me on top of the exam fee is $58. In other words, about $100 to examine the tooth and express the anal glands. Nail clip with exam is$12 and change.

 

On the other hand, I paid a special fee to have Rickie's eye examined (forget what it was) but because his problem was hard to find (impossible in fact) the vet must have spent at least 30 minutes checking him out. This was in addition to the exam fee, but may have been less than the anal glands, go figure.

 

Net: for 2 dogs to have their nails clipped, for Rickie an extensive eye exam (staining, the works), for Arlie a tooth check, plus anal gland check / expressed was $200 (and I get a multi-pet discount because I have 3 pets - the third is a cat).

 

No idea how this compares generally.

 

Edited to clarify Arlie's exam was a recheck to ensure the anal glands weren't "brewing" again and a few other details.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Rickiesmom

[Guest IrskasMom]

 

 

 

I don't really think , they are overpaid . We are a Pet-Loving Society and more and more Animals see the

Vet. To my time , when I was growing up , we had a Wirehair Terrier , some 45 Years ago. Well , he never

saw a Vet , but then I never recall he was sick . We didn't even knew , what a Vet was.

[RobinM]

They do it becasue they can. We would never pay these bills for ourselves, we complain about co-pays, but for our babies.... we would do whatever it takes.

 

My angel Lhasa Apso Rocky needed 3 surgeries within 1 weeks time. I dropped 7K in ONE Week to try and save him (nuerological, never did find out what was wrong). he died after his little heart gave out after too many surgeries 3 years ago. The vet had the nerve to send me a bill for another 1k. I never paid it.

[Guest MySkye]

Dr. Turco and are are partners in the care and health of my animals, both grey and non.

 

Was I happy to pay the 2K for surgery to remove a foreign object in Erin's stomach? No, but was I happy that he cleared his full days schedule to do so and save Erin's life? Yes. I was not charged for any of the follow ups regarding her white blood counts, suture removal, general wellness etc.

 

He knows all my dogs by name, gets down on all fours to love them and pay them attention and understands AND accepts any article I bring in about GH's regarding health and medical concerns.

 

Dr. Turco listens to every concern I have, treats me with respect and dignity (he cleared the waiting room of people after I put my first GH down in 05 when I was crying so hard I could leave without a public viewing) and has a genuine love for his work.

 

The relationship I have with my vet is better than I have with my own doctor, who could give a rats a$$ about me 95% of the year.

 

Dr. Turco is worth every penny I have slaved over for the treatment, care, peace of mind that he gives to me and for the love and affection he shows my dogs.

 

 

[Guest coaster]

I LOVE my vets at the clinic that I take my baby too, and they are all, without exception, worth every penny I've paid. You get to know their character after being around them for awhile, and I trust that what they charge is fair because of the way they have treated me in the past, and because of other vet experiences I've had. Our relationship has spanned several years, first when my sister's dog got cancer, and then almost 3 years ago when I adopted my grey. She's had a lot of skin issues, I take her in at the smallest thing, and they all, even their techs, get down on the floor with her and treat me very fairly, with open regard to costs, and they respect all of my concerns about Coster. They gladly read the greyhound medical articles I bring in, and they recently discussed my girl's weird hair loss at one of their staff meetings, trying to brainstorm on what it could be. Now my girl's dermatologist is another story. She overcharges, and although I think she loves pets, she's not as knowlegable as my vets, pushes products on me to buy (which she significantly jacks up the cost on), and she charges more than my vets do for the same medicine. I am constantly suspicious of her, and buy the products she has C on for at least a third of the price on the Internet. She told me to order some supplements on the internet (after saying I couldn't trust the other supplement I got on the internet) and that I HAD to have a PRESCRIPTION for them, so I'd need to say on the order form that SHE had prescribed them. Sounded like a commission sale, and p.s., you don't need to have a prescription; you don't even have to say you take your dog to the vet - anyone can buy the stuff. Is she worth it? Sometimes I've figured out things (through research and talking to other vets) about C that she was wrong about, which wouldn't stick out if she didn't always seem like such an infallible authority. She also tells me horror stories about horse autopsies to try to get me to discontinue C's raw diet and switch to the food she pushes, and her arguements are more emotional than logical. Bugs me. But the vets at our clinic? Pure gold. It just depends on the person. $50 or whatever they charge seems like a lot for heartworm medicine, but that must be close to what they pay for it, because they're not sheisters. The derma, no doubt, would charge $70.

[seeh2o]

For the two people who checked that vets are not "real" doctors, I work with doctors every day and have been told by many of them that it was much easier to become a medical doctor for humans. They have acknowledged that, in many ways, vets (and pharmacists) are smarter than they are. Medical doctors only have to learn about ONE species, whereas vets must learn about a multitude of species....mammals, reptiles, aquatic, etc. And they get paid peanuts comparatively.

 

Well, that leads to a conversation about our pathetic, unbalanced medical system, insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry, so I'll end this post here!