# Comparison of vet costs before and after - HOLY MOLY!



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

We've been on raw for six months in a couple of days. I was thinking the other day I can't remember when we've seen our vet, so just for the heck of it I went through my vet bills from October 2010- March 2011 and April 2011 - today.

For the six months preceding raw, I spent 
$24,642 on vet bills. 

I was amazed. That does include regular dog maintenance stuff like heartworm meds.

In the last six months:
$2100

The only extra costs aside from regular stuff are the laser therapy treatments Snorkels gets for her spinal arthritis at a cost of $1500 over the course of the six months.

No ER - no ultrasounds, sonograms, x-rays, expensive medications, skin tests, parasite tests, hot spots, licking issues, lethargy, and tests, tests, tests out the wazoo to find out what's wrong.

More importantly, my little dachshund gets up every day running. Previously, she might have one good day a week. 

I think there might be something TO this raw food stuff.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

Holy freaking moly... TWENTY FOUR THOUSAND?? jeepers, thats more than my 6 month wage! 

Well now you can justify splashing out for the more expensive, exotic meats :thumb: haha


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Holy crap, and I thought I had it bad with vet bills in the past!


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

WOW. O_O That's a ton o' money


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Lucky we went to raw food, I don't think I'm going to make $24,000 next year.

When you go to the ER vet an average of once per week and every time you go it costs between $400-$1000, it adds up.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

WOW....thats just mindboggling. A true testament to raw feeding if I've ever seen one!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

xellil said:


> Lucky we went to raw food, I don't think I'm going to make $24,000 next year.
> 
> When you go to the ER vet an average of once per week and every time you go it costs between $400-$1000, it adds up.


before raw, we had bubba's plastic surgeries on his eyes and nose, neutering, giardia x two dogs, multiple visits for malia's irritable bowel....etc. etc. etc.

we are a year and a half into raw....and other than malia's 500.00 'i refuse to eat' for whatever reason....we have maybe spent 1000. total for the year and a half....including normal blood work, no shots....dandruff when i thought it was mange, my bad....

wow. maybe there IS something to this raw thing


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

Don't forget the lack o' dentals. That has to add up as well.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Bloody Hell! I think your vet costs are very high maybe compared to here? I have spent probably less than NZ$200 in 7 months over about 3 vet visits. My last consultation was only $26 (no medication etc) and I was in there about 20 mins. Mind you I have spent hundreds on 'stuff' for my boy, collars, pjyamas, a new freezer for his food, poo bags, bedding etc....my daughter complains I spend more on him than her ha ha ha!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

It's not that bad here - a vet visit for just a checkup is $30. 

It's the emergency room - -$100 just to walk in, and then they want to do blood tests and x rays and IV lines and on and on and on and at the end they want to sell you a 25 pound bag of Science Diet for a 10 pound dog because "that's all they have in stock."

And my second dog - wounds that wouldn't heal that needed to be biopsied to the tune of about $400 apiece, and a heart arrythmia that required a 24 hour holter monitor - it was just never ending.

And the specialists - they think they are worth alot of money.

I just realized recently that I no longer spend time trying to find a doctor that can "fix" my dogs, and going through the same old problems over and over and over again.

And you are right tem_sat - I get to subtract the $250 for a dental that Rebel was scheduled for in june.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

sozzle said:


> Bloody Hell! I think your vet costs are very high maybe compared to here? I have spent probably less than NZ$200 in 7 months over about 3 vet visits. My last consultation was only $26 (no medication etc) and I was in there about 20 mins. Mind you I have spent hundreds on 'stuff' for my boy, collars, pjyamas, a new freezer for his food, poo bags, bedding etc....*my daughter complains I spend more on him than her ha ha ha!*


my husband has that same complaint haha

yeah in the past 12 months, I've spent $78 on vet bills haha, and thats only because I took Duke for his annual booster shot last week, I don't think he'd been since his last shot 12 months before...

Actually no wait, I spent about $50 on a consultation, to get them to clip his nails, because it's so hard to do them myself... turned out he only needed like one trimmed, because our walks keep them trimmed nicely lol. I do think his dew claws are getting a bit long though, not sure if I'll be able to do them myself... should've got them done when I got him vaccinated! Bugger


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Mind Boggling, that's for sure! I know Zoey who used to see the Vet (also her human grandpa) at least every other week has only been seen by the vet maybe TWICE in the last 14 months.....works for me


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I am so glad for you. I could not imagine having to spend that on a vet. Going to raw has saved you a small fortune - Hawian vacation in your future? I know we have had no vet visits in over a year - I do not vaccinate. Everyone is in top shape.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

Wow, that's unbelievable, I know a couple of years ago I spent almost 2,000.00, 500.00 for an allergist. Now they just get shots. I'm trying to get titers going but its more expensive than the shots. But my dog does get rehabilitation for a sport injury, much cheaper here, but since my boy is her first rehab patient I think she is partial to him, she is also my friend. I get 10 sessions in a water tank treadmill and that includes cold laser for 150.00. There is one vet here that for 250.00 a month you can take the laser home.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Last year, the first year Scout was with me, she cost between $500-1,000 in vet bills because she kept getting cheat in her skin despite brushing/picking it out and ripping off toenails, etc.

This year she will have cost $250 at the vet including Interceptor and another toenail incident. But suddenly we stopped having toenail issues and a lot less crap gets caught in her silky smooth coat these days.... raw correlation?
She also definitely needed a dental before I changed to raw.... now she doesn't really, which is good because I can't afford one anyway.

Lily will cost maybe $150 at the vet this year. Higher than normal because she is due for 3 year boosters. She has always been cheap aside from when she got attacked and then the $120 visit last year about this time when she was having constipation issues from kibble.
Her teeth were always nice, but now they are pristine except for very slight tartar around her canines. We literally got a rave review at her annual exam in April. :biggrin:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Yep these two dogs have cost me more than my last 10 dogs combined. 

I just have to wonder if some of it is because they are purebred dogs. I normally have mixed breeds. Well, hopefully with the raw food I won't have to destitute myself to keep them puttering along.


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## gorge77 (May 13, 2011)

in the first year while my male dog transited from kibbles to pre-made raw, the no. of vet visits was countless. he was sick all the time & prescribed with meds which simply masked the symptoms. he was sent to several vets & none of them could give me an accurate diagnosis. i think the amount of vet fees i have spent was probably a few grand.

after switching to home made raw, the vet visits significantly reduced. his symptoms went away. now i only send him to vet for annual blood test.


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