# What are the vet prices in your country?



## fatmaguler (May 7, 2015)

Veterinary Care is expensive. I’m very well aware of that. At my avian vet in a general exam they check the eyes, nares, and throat, weight of the bird, nails, beak, examine each wing, listen to heart and lungs, and lastly check the vent and crop. I am very well aware of the prices can be high but honestly sometimes i find it to be ridiculous. I don't mind paying for my three angels because they mean a lot to me. I payed 300 dollars for snowy, and 50 dollars for Limon. Before i get more into detail, i do want to say that it's VERY important to take your birds to the vet. Even if its expensive, i will still do so and so should everyone. Thats not even a question that needs to be asked. Yet, be aware that sometime the prices can be VERY expensive beyond normal. So, make sure you ask your vets the prices before getting anything done. I pay $96 for just a checkup, and honestly it lasted for 5 minutes, probably even less. I do understand very well why it can costs a lot if you bring a sick bird, but for a 5 minute consultation $96 dollars is a bit too much. Its not the 96 dollars that bother me, even my skin care products costs WAY over that. Its the fact that its almost very fast, very rushed. i know thats what vets don’t intend on doing, but seriously that's the case. Its a tiny budgie, what more can they do right? its not like they can do anything extra. Doing some talking and some assuring can make me assume that the vet took some time with me and my bird. I will mention, that it was only me at the vets, but after me another client came in. It wasn't packed or anything. Plus, there are over 6 avian specialists over there. I don't know why, but i never felt okay with this. I know that another friend of mine, who owns a parrotlet had the same problem with the same vet that i go too. It wasn't because the vets were rude, mean, or didn't care or anything, but something was off. I sadly found out that many people have this exact same concern as i do but it's hard to bring it up because other people just assume you hate your bird and don’t want to pay the fee’s. I will say that i did pay, and i don't regret it. When i got my bird Snowy, two days in she became ill. I had to rush her to the vets. I was already planning on doing so, but after she settled in. When i brought her to the vet, they costed me 130 for bacterial and virus check. Which was done by having to take blood work done on her. She also had a fecal exam. All that with the general checkup costed me slightly over $300. I obviously don’t regret it because she needed this! Even as she was very sick, her checkup lasted for 5 minutes. Seriously. This kind of made me upset. Paying for work done on her make sense. I don't mind paying that. Even if it were to be over a 1000. But, i feel that general exams should be slightly cheaper or more time should be put into our birds. I know that some people have their birds x-rayed, which is incorporated in their general exam fee. Thats not the case where i live. Another example is, i payed 50 dollars for Limons blood feather to be pulled out. I didn't have the courage to pull the feather out on my own, so i took her to the vet. They costed my 50 dollars. Is that normal? I mean all they really did was pull the feather out. it wasn't bleeding, and a technician did it for me because the vets were not in. It didn't take her even 30 seconds to pull it out. Im not joking, it seriously did not take 30 seconds. Probably 10 seconds. Why would that cost 50 dollars? It wasn't an emergency visit of anything. I phoned them in the morning, and my appointment was few hours later. They consider it a appointment, not an emergency. I know that many people have mixed views when it comes to vet bills. I'm the type of person who won't shy away paying the required amount - again, as i mentioned i am willing to pay even a 1000 or more. Yet, I’m also not comfortable with this type thing. I tend to be a very shy, so i didn't ask them why it costed so much.. Ugh… Tell me what you think. Please don’t shy away and tell me your honest opinion. Im not the type of person who has hard feelings if someone tells me i’m wrong


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## Brienne (Apr 29, 2015)

I'm not going to tell you are wrong...just that I think I know what you are asking - that for your money, you require a satisfied consultation - not to be hurried along, but to have your bird thought of as something important and not as a commodity, to be charged 'over the top prices' for...if, this is the case I would be far from happy, too...it's not a question of the charges, we as animal/pet/companion owners will and do anything for their well being.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Hi Fatma, yes vet care can be REALLY expensive. I have 3 parrots and 2 budgies, and have spent several thousands of $ in the past couple years. One was surgery, but other stuff too. I am lucky to live near one of 10 exclusively avian specialists (only birds) in the US, and he is an expert in reading digital x-ray, and uses it as one of his #1 diagnostic tools. It is several hundred dollars for that. Sometimes in the long run it can save you money, cause he can diagnose right away rather than guessing, then more guessing which many vets do, which really adds up before finally finding the problem if they even do.
Yes, unfortunately it's pretty normal (at least here in this part of the US) to pay $80 or so just for an office visit, and each thing they do while in there has a separate charge. So a seemingly small or quick issue can still be expensive. I suppose it's not unlike human healthcare if one doesn't have insurance. It can really add up.


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## eduardo (Jul 24, 2011)

*Last year, I had to take one of my cockatiels to the avian vet we have in my area. Each time I went, it cost a few hundred dollars. After a few months, I has accumulated to about $900.  In the end, not much was resolved (she has a plucking issue not related to parasites or illness) so I just didn't see much point in continuing. She is a healthy bird, but it's ridiculous to just keep going and treating something that is obviously not going away because it's behavioral. That was my conclusion in the end, but I gave it a shot so at least I tried. My avian vet was actually quite nice and did not hurry. He explained everything he was doing and all, but the prices :scare: 
Unfortunately, that is normal for avian vets...*


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*What*

One way to help with the finances is for you to become skilled in some of the simple things vet and staff do for your bird or other animal. We always groom our animals even the long haired ones. We clip nails and beaks and I have even reshaped a beak that was off balance from an injury using a triangle file like carpenters and even labs use. We give our birds mini wellness exams and check for lumps, parasites, each area of the birds body and end with a foot massage with a drop of Vet Rx to sooth itchy skin and as a preventative for scaley mites. There are lots of vet professional books on Amazon. My vet recommended one recently and we already have it so I feel like we are on the right track. There are many things we can do and actually should be able to do to handle common home emergencies. So I urge each person to ask your vet to show you things like CPR and other simple skills that could save your birds life.

One of the most important skills is to know how to capture and handle your bird in an emergency. You will not loose your bond if you are clear with your bird and yourself that giving meds and other necessary care will happen. Being afraid of your bird for any reason gives control to the bird. Remember you are the flock leader. We usually had catch, but when needed we use a light weight butterfly net- a dollar at the local dollar store. We also have gloves , and wrap our birds in a cloth or paper towel to better control them. for things like removing a feather from an eye. We use medical instruments and sterilize them. These are things learned over a lifetime of experience. You as a companion animal parent can and should know how to give injections and a lot more things that fear causes us to ask a vet to do. So yes avian vets are expensive, but you can use your life skills and learn new ones to handle many things your vet or the vet staff can do.

Many breeders have learned these skills over time because it costs too much to take the flock to the vet for simple stuff as many breeders need to try to make a profit from breeding their birds. We do not make a profit because that is not our goal in working with budgies, but being paid for your skills is a good exchange. A laborer is worth his hire. Purchase a couple of vet professional books from Amazon and learn some of what they must master and then join a vet staff to get the years of experience it takes to care for our Animal friends.

I use to think my college texts were expensive. Many vet texts cost several hundred dollars. Feel free to explore and gain some of the skills we pay our avian vets so dearly for. It truly gives one a more balanced perspective. You can not and should not receive pay for licensed vet skills for other peoples animals but if you are reasonably intelligent you can use these skills to care for your animals and birds where laws permit. You will be more likely able to be effective in an emergency. Face your fears and learn. My avian vet is always willing to show me how to do things. We have come to a place of mutual respect.

Blessings, Jo Ann:budge:


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## QuirkyBirdie (Apr 19, 2015)

I agree with RavensGryf. Here, it's around $85 for a checkup for one. Gram stains are $20 - $30 each. Fortunatrly, there is a store that specializes in birds nearby, so wing and toenail trim(together) is $5 for one bird.


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## fatmaguler (May 7, 2015)

Brienne said:


> I'm not going to tell you are wrong...just that I think I know what you are asking - that for your money, you require a satisfied consultation - not to be hurried along, but to have your bird thought of as something important and not as a commodity, to be charged 'over the top prices' for...if, this is the case I would be far from happy, too...it's not a question of the charges, we as animal/pet/companion owners will and do anything for their well being.





RavensGryf said:


> Hi Fatma, yes vet care can be REALLY expensive. I have 3 parrots and 2 budgies, and have spent several thousands of $ in the past couple years. One was surgery, but other stuff too. I am lucky to live near one of 10 exclusively avian specialists (only birds) in the US, and he is an expert in reading digital x-ray, and uses it as one of his #1 diagnostic tools. It is several hundred dollars for that. Sometimes in the long run it can save you money, cause he can diagnose right away rather than guessing, then more guessing which many vets do, which really adds up before finally finding the problem if they even do.
> Yes, unfortunately it's pretty normal (at least here in this part of the US) to pay $80 or so just for an office visit, and each thing they do while in there has a separate charge. So a seemingly small or quick issue can still be expensive. I suppose it's not unlike human healthcare if one doesn't have insurance. It can really add up.





eduardo said:


> *Last year, I had to take one of my cockatiels to the avian vet we have in my area. Each time I went, it cost a few hundred dollars. After a few months, I has accumulated to about $900.  In the end, not much was resolved (she has a plucking issue not related to parasites or illness) so I just didn't see much point in continuing. She is a healthy bird, but it's ridiculous to just keep going and treating something that is obviously not going away because it's behavioral. That was my conclusion in the end, but I gave it a shot so at least I tried. My avian vet was actually quite nice and did not hurry. He explained everything he was doing and all, but the prices :scare:
> Unfortunately, that is normal for avian vets...*





Jo Ann said:


> One way to help with the finances is for you to become skilled in some of the simple things vet and staff do for your bird or other animal. We always groom our animals even the long haired ones. We clip nails and beaks and I have even reshaped a beak that was off balance from an injury using a triangle file like carpenters and even labs use. We give our birds mini wellness exams and check for lumps, parasites, each area of the birds body and end with a foot massage with a drop of Vet Rx to sooth itchy skin and as a preventative for scaley mites. There are lots of vet professional books on Amazon. My vet recommended one recently and we already have it so I feel like we are on the right track. There are many things we can do and actually should be able to do to handle common home emergencies. So I urge each person to ask your vet to show you things like CPR and other simple skills that could save your birds life.
> 
> One of the most important skills is to know how to capture and handle your bird in an emergency. You will not loose your bond if you are clear with your bird and yourself that giving meds and other necessary care will happen. Being afraid of your bird for any reason gives control to the bird. Remember you are the flock leader. We usually had catch, but when needed we use a light weight butterfly net- a dollar at the local dollar store. We also have gloves , and wrap our birds in a cloth or paper towel to better control them. for things like removing a feather from an eye. We use medical instruments and sterilize them. These are things learned over a lifetime of experience. You as a companion animal parent can and should know how to give injections and a lot more things that fear causes us to ask a vet to do. So yes avian vets are expensive, but you can use your life skills and learn new ones to handle many things your vet or the vet staff can do.
> 
> ...





BelovedBirdies said:


> I agree with RavensGryf. Here, it's around $85 for a checkup for one. Gram stains are $20 - $30 each. Fortunatrly, there is a store that specializes in birds nearby, so wing and toenail trim(together) is $5 for one bird.


Like i said, even my skin care products costs WAY more. I'm talking about 200+ per product. Its not the price that bothers me, but if its going to last for 5 minutes, i dont see the point in paying 96 dollars. And bloods feathers should not be costings 50 dollars. Thats half the price of a general checkup... This sort of thing is what bothers me


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## Brienne (Apr 29, 2015)

I/we can see your point - if you are to pay X amount, then you require X amount of satisfied service for your bird. I agree with the previous comments, like Jo Ann explained - try and execute some basic avian health management yourself, this will help lessen the stress of not getting the service you paid for and I find it helps in making you a more self reliant person. 
We have only had our two, for a matter of a few months and thus far have only cost us $10 at the vets, but whatever it costs to make them healthy, then it will be paid - I'm fortunate in that I've known our vet for decades and have always found him to be completely fair in his charges. 
Hope it all works out for you.


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## Budget baby (Jan 1, 2013)

Have you actually brought this up with your vet? 
am positive you are entitled to know the logic and reasoning on the pricing of certain procedures. 
My vet is wonderful and very friendly. She never rushes through a consult, explains everything and I feel worth every cent I pay.
SHe has saved the life of one of my birds even taking him home with her as she didn't work the following day. He was hospitalised, crop fed, antibiotics to come home and gram tests. This cost me $270.00 I couldn't believe how little . Recently I had a large tumour removed from the abdomen of a budgie he came home the same day and had antibiotics as well that had to be given for a week this cost $290.00. After any care my vet always follows up with a phone call to check on progress. 
I know I am very lucky.:budgie:


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## ilovepets (Aug 8, 2011)

the vet is pricey! i also have the same thoughts of "why does this cost $__??"

for my budgies:
exam: $65 i think, it used to be $73 but they changed their prices and some went up and some when down 

Nail trim: $10, i clip their nails myself. at first i didn't, but after an incident in a local pet store where i used to bring them, i decided to learn how to do it myself. i think i had it done at the vets once. 

Gram stain: $30. this is one of those services that seems like a big price tag for a simple task... from what i understand, they take some poop and put it in something and then look at it to see if there is negative bacteria in it. i have them do it when i suspect that someone is sick, but i just think the price is a little ridiculous 

beak trim: $12. this one i was not happy with the second time around. i bought leon to get an exam because his beak just grew all of a sudden. his exam went very well and the vet said he looked perfect despite the long beak. i had him trim it and it was $12. a month and a half later it was time to have it trimmed again. so I'm thinking "ok its just $12". well i get there and i get the price and i was hit with a $28 bill!! after i looked at the pricing and the beak trim was still $12, but the added on another $16 for a "vet tech appointment"!! i think that is just dumb since the second fee really isn't 'paying' for anything. 

some kind of culture: $160. when butch was sick, i had a throat culture done. again, another too-expensive-for-whats-actually-done. they swabbed the back of his throat and grew a culture... i don't think thats worth $160...

aside from the high price and unnecessary added fees, i really like my vet. he is really nice and makes light-hearted jokes that make you worry less in bad situations. he has really come to respect my high level of care and how i always catch things before they get really bad. he takes time to explain everything and answer all of my questions. when butch was sick for about a month, i was hand feeding him and medicating him, and cleaning his bum and putting cream on it. i bought him to the vet a few times. he didn't make it though the sickness and a few day later, my vet called to say he was sorry and that he was amazed at all of the work, effort, and love that i invested into butch's care and that most people wouldn't care or just drop them off and have the vets handle it. he also offered that if i ever had any questions or if i wanted him to show me how to do anything with the birds, he would come to my house and show me with my flock


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