I am horrified to admit that my mother rarely takes our two cats to the vet (for checkups). Therefore, I have no idea how the whole thing works, how much it costs, etc. For those who DON'T enjoy neglecting their companion animals, how much does it cost, on average, to keep them healthy?



P.S. thank goodness our cats are still healthy, though when I do get a place of my own, sweeping them away is a tempting notion...

I work at a fairly expensive Canadian clinic, so the prices will be different in your area.



For a yearly exam plus vaccines, we charge $53 + $12 per vaccine.



We also recommend what's called a Wellness test, which is a blood test that checks various organ functions. We charge $75 for that (for younger, healthier cats, it's not necessary to get this done every year, every couple of years is fine).



And a yearly fecal test costs $28.



So if you were to get just the annual exam/vaccines/fecal it would cost around $117. Even if you add the wellness test to that, it's still less than $200 a year to keep your cat happy and healthy.



And if someone thinks this is too expensive, trust me, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Treating a disease that could have been prevented by annual checkups will cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

I pay 16 dollars a month. It covers all office visits, vaccines, plus fecal tests and bloodwork. I'm sure the adult cat wellness plan is even cheaper ... about 10-12 a month I think. If you have a Banfield Pet Hospital (usually at Petsmart), you may want to check it out.

Just a quick question: Is the Wellness Test generally done before a cat goes in for surgery the first time? To make sure everything is alright before proceeding?



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MP, I was trying to look for some of my vet papers. I can't find the one for my kitten But one of my older cats, a 5yr old, her annual checkup is around $46 dollars, not including the shots. I'll look around some more for other stuff. I know I have it all around here somewhere.

Sort of. A presurgical blood screen is done (should be done) before any surgery. It is a bit more comprehensive than the wellness. And in older animals also includes an electrocardiogram (for dogs) and a chest xray (for cats).

I have a dog, guinea pigs, and a rabbit, not a cat, but my vet usually does quite a bit of bloodwork before surgery, to make sure everything is okay. My vet's kind of expensive, but a basic annual checkup up is $40, plus I do a fecal test and heartworm test on an annual basis.

Just a quickie about vaccines:

For cats, it's the law that they have up to date rabies vaccines (which can last for 1 or 3 years depending on which vaccine was given and when) and usually a feline distemper (RCP) is required as well (those last 1 year).

If the cats go outside, you may want to have them additionally vaccinated and tested for feline AIDS and Leukemia (FIV/FeLV).

MysP:



Call local vets in your area to get the actual estimates. They're just a phonebook away.

Also, basic checkups and vaccinations are often available at reduced rates through the humane society or spca.

I pay $18 for visits for checkups. Not sure what the shots are or anything else but it's really reasonable. I go to the clinic instead of a private practice because it's a whole lot cheaper. The docs there are wonderful too.

Last time my cat went to the vet it was $176 all together for all her shots, tests, etc. I still need to get blood work run on her which will be another $200 and get her teeth cleaned, again around $200. She has to go back again to get her third fiv shot so I'm getting that taken care of then. I go to a fairly expensive vet with my cat because its so close and she freaks out so much in the car. The vet my iguana and rats go to is about 45 min away but much cheeper. My iguana's check ups are about $100 including a blood screen. Rat check ups are about $50, and most surgeries for both of them are between $100 and $200.

That was what I was going to say also. There's such a vast variety in prices from vet to vet and region to region that my answer is going to meaningless to your situation. I go to one of the most expensive vets in my area, and my annual exam with shots is around $80. They don't charge anything for the office visit, only for shots given. I'll be switching to a different vet though, and they charge $25 for the office visit plus whatever they charge for shots. I don't have much money and cut a lot of corners, but not with my pet's health. I go where I think the vets are the most knowledgeable.

I took my 2 cats to the vet recently for their annual shots. The total, including a bag of prescription food for my boy kitty, was $160.00. That seemed really reasonable to me for all the shots, worming, and trimming their claws.

It usually costs around $60 for a kitty wellness visit and routine shots.

Before I came here, I only had experience with my family (neglectful). When I came here, I realized that there are people who care as deeply about their companion animals as I do. I always thought there was something wrong with me, but no, it's my mom and other people who don't give pets proper care who are messed up.



You wouldn't keep a sick child away from the doctor--why do people inflict this abuse on companion animals? I'm mad at my mom, and jerks who think it's okay to just let animals get sick and go without health care.

I'm not entirely sure, actually.



I am lucky...I have a friend who works in animal control, and he can vaccinate all my 7 fuzz-children at cost for me every year.



I generally take the cats in about once every 2 years for a checkup. I am pretty observant about their behaviour and know their habits, so I catch on quick if someone isn't feeling well.



The dogs, I actually have the vet do their vaccinations so I have the official records of it for when I need to board them. (they get boarded about 2-3 times per year for 3-4 days each time when we go out of town) I think I pay about $75 for both dogs for the standard round of vaccinations plus an exam every year. (I am pretty sure that's cheaper than normal though, because I paid for some plan with the vet when I first started up with them)



Doggie teeth cleanings are our big expense. My male is shamefully overdue for one, and it's gonna cost us about $350 'cos he's a big freak and they have to knock him out to do it. The female lets me brush her teeth at home really well, so we haven't actually needed a vet cleaning for her yet.

In my office, its about $175 for an annual with vax and a fecal exam. I live outside of NYC where everything is very expensive.



If nothing else, providing they go outside, get them examined and rabies shots. I'm not sure where you live, but in most places its illegal to have an animal that isn't rabies vaccinated.

It depends on where you live. Do a google search on low cost vet services in your area. You should have no trouble finding something.

i hear ya. i had a dog in highschool, he cut himself on a metal object and it turned into a big lump. i urged and urged my mom to take him to the vet and she just kept saying she couldn't afford to, but she always seems to have cash for cigarettes anyway he started developing big liquid-filled lumps all over his body. i asked around and looked it up online and figured out it was probably nothing serious, just an absess that would need lancing and antibiotics, nothing too expensive considering. she still wouldn't take him. i went away for college and wanted to take him with me but couldn't afford to, and shortly after i moved she called me to say she finally brought him in and he'd gotten so sick that it would cost a fortune to take care of so she just had him put down because "he seemed unhappy"



i'm not sure i'll every fully forgive her on that one.



i think she felt horrible about it though. she got another dog a while ago, an adult that needed a home badly, but recently he started having trouble getting up and down the stairs and limping. she brought him to the vet right away and had xrays and everything and had him on meds... despite the cost. anyway they found nothing wrong with him and think it's the beginnings of arthritis or back problems (common in his breed- dachsunds aren't recommended for homes with a lot of stairs, my mom's has 5 flights)

anyway she didn't want him to suffer but couldn't afford to keep bringing him to the vet and getting painkillers for him and is working longer shifts now, so rather than put him down or leave him at a shelter she found him another home where there are no stairs, a big fenced back yard and kids to play with. he's really happy there and is even taken to the nursing home his owner works at to visit with the patients, who adore him... she misses him horribly but it was the best thing for him.



anyway sorta off topic there but i just feel like people who can't afford to take their pets to the vet regularly or if they get sick... should not have pets. there's always another way, there's always a way to scrape up the cash, and if there isn't, find them another home where they'll be better cared for.





on a side note, is a fecal test really important to do for an indoor cat and does it have to be done every year?

my cat has an appointment next week, he hasn't gone in a while, i'm not sure what he needs to get him up to date on his shots, and what other tests i should have run. he's getting older and i want to make sure i take him more regularly now and run any tests necessary to make sure he stays healthy.



also he's mad at me right now, been peeing on my stuff lately, he's really going to hate me after the appt

I don't know where you live, but This Site may be able to direct you to low cost vet. care in your area.



I took my cat there to get spayed and get all of her shots, and it only cost $80.00. Her incision got infected, and they only charged me $12.00. If you don't live in New Mexico or Texas, they should be able to at least give you phone numbers or a website to find low cost care in your area.

Yes, it is important to do a yearly fecal. Even though he is indoor, you could potentially bring parasites into the house (stepping in animal poop). Also, if you have mice in your place, and your cat hunts them, he could get worms that way. Roundworms (a type of internal parasite) can cause blindness in children, so fecals are very important not only for the health of your pet, but for the health of people around you.



You should ask your vet to run a geriatric blood profile, if your cat is getting older. And probably a urinalysis too, if he's peeing all over the house.



For vaccines, he should get FVRCP (3 vaccines in one) Rabies and Feline Leukemia.