Vet bills for dogs and cats: Are they too high? (CBC Marketplace) 

English bulldogs will always rack up higher veterinary bills because they have a grocery list of health issues associated with their breed due to breeding practices specific to the English bulldog to achieve their look. Their gene pool is ridiculously small leading to elongated palettes, nares problems, entropion/cherry eye complications, and so much more. If you purchase a dog (adopt don't shop) of a brachiocephalic ("smushed face") breed you should be educated on their health issues and what that entails in veterinary bills.

that head vet dude would sure make a good politician... Never really answers the question.

They REALLY love the "barking mad" line a little too much

We need an updated version of this episode. Eight yrs later, the prices are through the roof !!!

How is no one mentioning what a good woofer he is? He went to the vet all day and still has a big smile the whole time. 13/10 Good Boy

I’m a cat owner so I’m not barking mad , but I’m having a hissing fit!!!

My vet prescribed a $150 medicine, literally down the street you could buy the same for $25 at SAFEWAY

That head vet guy sounds just like a politician!! He's just making excuses for the over charging, allowing it to continue!!

I am an older adult. I would enjoy having a companion dog but on my fixed retirement income ...no way. I wish that there were programs that would help older adults to have pets.

So people in the U.S. are traveling to Canada to get affordable medications, and Canadians are traveling to U.S. to get affordable pet meds.

Strange how the world works, I stumble upon this video today and I got a call from my old vet yesterday, stating I had to bring in my dog for vaccinations.....I said they hadn't been my dog's vet in over a year and a half, I had switched to another vet, that was larger, had enough staff and more professional...they said I could still come in for an exam at $85.....I turned looked at my dog, asked how he was feeling, he gave me a nod so I politely declined their offer of ripping me off...

My grandma is a vet. I showed her this video and she was really mad about the way dog owners are treated with the bill. Thankfully, she can do my dog's vaccines, check-ups, and medicine.

what drives me crazy at the vet is this: take pet to vet because of a problem. vet does X-rays/sonogram whatever -- then says here is the problem and i need to go to consult with a specialist. the vet gives me the X-rays/sonograms + reports to take to the specialist consult. I am at the specialist within a week and give him the prior tests. the specialist says there is NO WAY that he can read the X-rays/sonogram etc that I brought with me and he has to do his own X-rays/sonogram etc... so the same tests are repeated ($$$$) and then the specialist can suddenly read the tests I brought with me because he is busy comparing the first set of tests with the tests he just did. it is such a SCAM.

Here’s a drinking game: take a shot EVERYTIME they say, “Barking mad.” You’ll hear colours and see sounds by the 12 minute mark.

I had a 5 pound chihuahua who was very old and started seizing and it was his time to go. The vet was about to charge us almost 700$ to put him down. A 5 pound dog, 700$ it's hard enough saying goodbye, but it was a ridiculous price.

My vet would only vaccinate every 7 years, not before. He was great.

I live in Sweden. I got recommended to vaccinate my dog every 3 years which I think is reasonable and I pay like 20-30 dollars for it.

Been binge watching marketplace for days now. I’ve never been such a pessimist

I’m convinced almost all Canadian businesses are raw dogging it’s customers.

“They have choice” how is it a choice when your vet tells you it’s best to do testing and implies you’re a bad family member to the animal if you don’t do the tests

I watch "Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet" on Animal Planet and he is such a compassionate vet who's bills are more affordable and willing to do difficult surgeries than his peers. He is interested in helping the animal and the owners. Love that guy.

How about being a honest vet...theyd be so busy they wouldnt need to overcharge

Marshall is a thicc boy

I agree that a lot of these things were a scam, however I did have a dog on heartworm preventive that got heartworms. Whether it was a fault with the medication or he was being picky when eating the medication and therefore didnt get the full dose. I think it's better to be safe than sorry with that.

I was at a vet clinic a few days ago and I overheard these two people being quoted $2,000 for a surgery on their rabbit. They walked right out. At the same vet clinic, they tried to convince me about spending $1,000 to do various tests on my bird. Why do they think we are just made of money?

Marshall is so chill

I keep hearing people upset over x hundred dollars. My dog got an abscessed tooth. The removal would be at a minimum $1,600 and change up to over $3,000. There's no way we could possibly afford it. We agreed to a potentially cheaper option which was antibiotics for a week every 4 months at $80 for the rest of her life. She's 11 but otherwise in very good health. Brush your dog's teeth! Hard food is not enough!

Lol $141 for dog food per month! Wtf are you feeding that dog? Filet mignon

Ask the head vet advisor: “Have you’ve been scamming customers as well?” He’s sounds shifty and gives scammers a way out.

that vet that doesn't want to over-vaccinate seems like a chill dude that won't rip you off

Unfortunately this has done nothing but gotten way worse...

One vet company wanted $700 just to get my dog neutered. It's nice to know that some business don't care about the money and only care about my dog because one place only wanted $50.

That Vet was NOT being 100% honest about why she tried to sell her Hills Science junk food! They get commission and that is why so many Vets sell it. Hills Science funds the nutrition program at most Veterinary schools and sets them up for a business lifetime of selling their low quality food.

Last month I had to rush Shadow (my cat) to the vet because he was having trouble breathing. When I got to the vet, they took an x-ray and determined he had a hole in his diaphragm, and needed immediate surgery. The vet told me that I needed to pay $1,200 right then otherwise they wouldn't do the surgery. I only had about half of that and offered to pay the rest on payday (which was only 2 days away), but she would not accept nothing but the full payment. Keep in mind this was all happening while Shadow was struggling to breathe. Needless to say I found another vet who charged me way less, and he even allowed me to do a payment plan. Unlike the previous vet, he immediately helped Shadow when he saw he was in distress. With the new vet, I can tell that he truly cares about helping animals and not just about money. I understand that veterinarians have bills to pay as well, but most people can't be expected to pay $1,200 up front.

They were really proud of their “barking mad” pun

I thought this was a very informative and important video for all pet owners! Good job

For a simple procedure of lancing and draining an abscess from my cat while also cleaning his teeth under anesthesia, I received a quote from one vet clinic for over $2000 and from another vet for $500. Look for awards rated by the people on the wall. Guess which one had the awards? The one that charged $500. This is in Southern California. I may have to drive further away, but I'm not going back to the first vet clinic which is a chain name.

From Calgary, Alberta: When my cat had kidney stones, his operation and four days in intensive care came to just under $8000.00 I took him home on day four against the vet's wishes because in spite of the grand a day price tag, they refused to feed him half as much twice as often and he was throwing up after every gavage feeding. They said that they didn't have the staff to do twice the work. I spent three sleepless days caring for him, bringing his fever down and gavage feeding him ( half as much twice as often, which he kept down every time). He gained weight, started head butting the dog and his fever was gone. A week after that, I took his gavage out with my usual vets over the phone guidance and Taoh lived another 7 years. My savings wiped out that year, all I could think was that 8000 would buy a lot of rescue cats.

This makes me glad I have a very reasonable vet. I dont feel I've ever been overcharged and they are always willing to work with you. It's all about the animals as it should be.

gross vet trying to take advantage of people who love their pets

That canadian vet that was questioned & interviewed in the end sure was evasive in his answers.. I would never trust a vet like him...just about every response was to have a close relation with your vet and let him do whatever he feel$ neccesary...$$$ ...Iv'e heard many vet reponses saying "you don't want whats best for your pet?" attempting to make you feel guilty for not wanting to spend money on questionable or maybe unneeded treatments...Just as in any business, theres always those looking to enhance their income...at whatever means...Guilt seems to work well for most vets😒😒😒

Recommendations are based on profit. Just like any other profession, Vets have huge school loans to pay back, big lifestyles to maintain, business expenses, etc. Which means you pay for being an ignorant consumer. Educate yourself. Businesses don't like an informed consumer.

Simply criminal. Thanks for the heads up. I will pass this info on to many other dog owners. Even the heads of departments are protecting their own territories and that is why they can drive expensive cars. A closed knit society. Shameful. Twice taken and now shy

My vet charges $30 less for office visits but frequently prescribed meds . I started to notice the prescriptions, for which he charges a filling fee are 300% marked up . He prescribed Gabapentin for pain in my dog for $80.I saw on the bottle the doses for humans, so I brought the bottle to a pharmacist who told me the pills sold for $26. I am currently looking for a new veterinarian.

i live in pennsylvania my dog cut his paw we took him to the vet 3 stitched and a bandage 1000.00 bucks wtf

I love our vet! He is always on top of the latest research and always explains why he does or doesn’t recommended something, and he never over charges.

Take a pass on Hill's

Most of those pets are very overweight, save money by keeping your pet at a healthy body weight. My dogs get their vaccinations, I don't do much testing with healthy pets,

I'm no longer prone to vet scams, my last cat died last year, not after I was given a last bill of $700 for resuscitation efforts. There are hundreds of animals that need to be adopted but the vets are running loose on their charges, so it's a no for me.

I had this vet hold my cat hostage because I didn't have all the money up front! That seems to be common practice because when I went to another vet they said they wouldn't release until they got payment. Which is obserd! It is EXACTLY like if you take your CHILD to the DOCTOR for a checkup and because you CANT pay that day in one lump sum theyd HOLD your child HOSTAGE until they receive payment. It should be completely illegal to pet nap someones There should be a law that vets cannot hold pets hostage and they NEED to accept and create payment plans for those who need to go that route. Because poor people deserve to get their pets cared for equal to those who have thousands of dollars to blow.

The pet food from the vet is about the same as when I go get my hair cut and the salon tries to get me to buy their over priced hair products. Its just not worth the money i think.

That Veterinary Official looks like he is into this vet scams ... he keeps blinking as if thinking what to say to your questions 😂😂

It's terrible. It really makes me upset what many vets do. Like over-vaccinating. They are supposed to "do no harm" and help you keep your pet healthy, but instead they are doing the opposite. And the "prescription" food that they sell, they make a large profit off it, as they do on their over-priced meds. To sell medicines and food is a conflict of interest. It would be like your doctor selling you medicine instead of giving you a prescription that you can take to an independent pharmacist and it is like your doctor selling you food in his office. You can only eat his food, that he sells. See the problem? I am further disturbed listening to the guy at the CVMA ignoring the point about the very maker of the vaccines saying that the vaccines do not need to be given yearly, that they are effective for 3-5 years at least (I read the monographs from the manufacturers myself). And he goes on to say that if the vet feels yearly vaccines are for your pet, then he can give that. That is nonsense!! Why would it be up to the vet if he "feels" that your dog should get over vaccinated? What if your vet "feels" that you dog should have exploratory surgery for no good reason? Is that acceptable too?? Ridiculous!!!

Took 23 feral cats into vet. Wanted $75 each exam fee to give rabies $35 each. $45 spay,neuter .... Left . To Humane society free.

Do your homework on your pet foods. Including Hills Science Diet. You'll be disgusted. Google poisons in dry pet foods. Keep in mind any brand that has issues with their dry foods also has issues with their wet foods.

More important question that wasn't asked... How many pets tested POSITIVE for heart worms out of all those tests?

I never take pets to the vet unless I notice something unusual in their behavior or habits... other than that there really isn't any need to. I have had a cat live 21 years without any health problems until his last year of life, and my current cat is 8 and still healthy and strong.

The eye specialist didn't check my cat's eye pressure after getting diagnosed with Uveitis he became blind with Glaucoma had he checked his eye pressure his Glaucoma could have been caught early and save his vision. You have to be your own advocate when it comes to your health and your pet's health.

Step 1 to not pay too much at the vet: don’t get an English Bulldog Step 2: success!!

Heartworm fear is a real thing. It really doesn't need to be tested for if your dog is taking medication. You can refuse any kind of test. I had a dog that died of heartworm, and it was awful. The dog starts coughing one day, and it gets worse and worse until they need to be put down.

Luckily the vet we took my dog too was very understanding and didn't try to shove things we didn't need for my dog. He even recommended we give him aspirin for his sore paws from the drugstore rather than buy ones at the vet office because it was expensive. Probably because it was in a more rural town they might be more honest and truthful? It's really ridiculous they do this to people that just want the well being of their pet.

"He's giant! He's giant!". That must hurt Marshall's feeling.

Riverview Animal Hospital in NB Canada charged me $1527 to diagnose the cause of a spasm my dog was having. Full sedation, rhinoscopy, nasal flush, and then prescribed antibiotics with no evidence of an infection. and followed up with oral steroids. A 2 min youtube search found video about Reverse sneeze and a vet saying it is super common and can be treated by over the counter benadryl for like $11.99 a box

Ive been working in vet med for awhile, i personally will offer services or prevention to my clients and whatever knowledge i have but if they say no i drop it immediately( this makes me unpopular with my bosses) because ultimately if there are negative consequences its their decision to deal with. Im here to give info and offer support. There is a habit of upselling in the vet field (shocker, i know) but ive had plently of clients personally blame me for issues with their pets that i warned them about, or youll get the client that never follows up with any wellness services and when you finally see the pet its in horrible condition that could have been prevented. I do the job because i love animals, but no matter what the humans arent happy and you have to constantly fight for people to do things for their pets For anyone unsure about your vet, ask for an estimate before they do anything, ask about each line item, ask about declining services you dont feel necessary. If theres any attitude or unwillingness to do this walk away. ***PRO TIP*** publix and some other pharmacies give certain antibiotics for free all you need is a written script from your vet. So ask your Vet or call around to local pharmacies to see what they offer, it can save you a good bit.

$7400 for a pet bil???l !!!!!!

I remember an old Vet explaining to a client why his charges were excessive. The client asked: _''How can you charge £40 for just one injection?''_ The Vet replied: _''It's £5 for the injection....and £35 for the know how''._

The only time I've ever bought food from the vets office was when my cat was a young kitten (a rescue with major health problems) She did need a special food that we wouldnt find at a local grocery store, however the second her health improved enough to be off it the vet herself told us we could go to a regular grocery store for her food.

From working at a vet clinic. The vaccine is labeled by the supplier to be considered current for 1 or 3 years depending on the vaccine itself. They can be up to 80-90% effective for up to 7-ish years. With vaccinating, boarding facilities require them to be “current.” We also only tested for heartworm if their meds lapsed, like missing a dose or not renewing before they need their next month’s dose. Our vet and all vets do get paid or given perks like paid vacations to promote prescription diets like metabolic or dental foods. Some pets with diabetes or kidney disease do actually need specific food, though. *I’m not a vet, and I don’t work at a clinic anymore, this is just what I learned while working there.

Thank you and please continue to expose dubious and unscrupulous professions and practices. People need to be more informed and educated.

As far as heartworm tests go, they are important. I’m from a warm area humid area with many mosquitoes and with a high rate of heart worms. Even if your dog is on preventatives, ou should still get a test. Some companies will pay for the treatment if you can prove the dog had been taking the preventative consistently, and some preventatives can cause harm to the dog if they have undiagnosed heartworms.

Here’s advice:ALWAYS STAY WITH YOUR DOG DONT LET THE VETS ALONE WITH YOUR DOOOOOG

Thanks to Marketplace for doing this excellent expose. Small wonder so many folks don't have their pet spayed or neutered, when the cost is so high. I live in southern Ontario, just 20 minutes from the US border. A friend of mine is taking her cat across to upper NY state tomorrow to have him neutered. The estimate she got here in Ontario? $350. In the US? $90. That's an absurd difference. The vets in this video - especially the guy who's a spokeperson - should be ashamed; in human medicine, there's something called "guidelines," and these guidelines are based on studies and evidence, so it isn't up to an individual doctor's discretion to decide on what's recommended. Sure, you can decide not to vaccinate your kid - that's up to you - but at least you're not going to hear a dozen different things from as many doctors. Probably because in Canada, doctors don't get paid to recommend "more."

Anytime a vet would gives me a quote. They never make eye contact when they say about $600.

The older Hispanic vet wearing blue was reassuring to see, he seemed to hit a good balance between “your dog could probably end up needing this” and “but right now he will probably be fine with just minor care”

My dog had lump on his chest which was growing at a decent speed. He was 13 at the time...the vet scarred me so badly. I had the lump removed (at his age going under is risky). I was charged $870..for the removal of a lipoma..its a fatty harmless tumor extremely common among older dogs. What she put him thru was completely unnecessary. All she needed to do was take a small sample to confirm it was nothing. I wish I would've known back then. I know she knew prior to cutting him..

In Mexico they give vaccines for free, Anyways I live in Texas and I had a nice vet, never screwed me in anything. On the contrary he would often give me some bag treats, and never annoyed me with heart worm vaccines or any other shit. I only vaccinated my dogs 1 time in their life time and they lived healthy life's..

One thing I suggest. If your Pet is on Heartworm meds. You dont really need to have Heartworm tests every year. But Suggest doing the test at least every other year or Same with Vaccine every 3 years. Just a Extra precaution. Just to make sure Meds are doing what suppose to be doing.

The same thing happens in the US. I had to take a dog to an unknown vet for repeated vomiting while traveling. Later, getting her to "her" vet we found she suffered from acid reflux. She ended up going on rounds of Pepcid AC every 3-4 months and lived well for the rest of her life. The vet she saw when she first started vomiting said she was a boarder line diabetic and that she had a stomach infection. He then proceeded to sell me Ampecillen, one of the cheapest antibiotics on the market, that had not only a 300% mark up from her vet, but later on in checking, was expired. total cost was $380. Next time your looking for a vet...open maps and read the reviews!

Nobody: Narrator: bARkInG mAd

AHHHHHHHH. We get the pun already. If I hear one more person say barking mad one more time, I swear

Undercover reporter: can you help me to expose these vets Shaggy and scooby: no Reporter : how about for a Scooby snack Shaggy and scooby: ok

Heartworm tests are actually important. Sometimes the heartworm can survive through the prevention. I do think it is far too expensive but it doesn't mean you should throw out the tests all together

*DONT BUY FROM A BREEDER* Breeders (most of the time don’t care for the puppies just want the money) Th circumstances of the dog is key most of the time the dogs are in horrible conditions they just want to sell the puppy they don’t care about there health! Dogs from breeders are adorable and loving but so are shelter dogs , there just as loving then any other dog . Dogs from breeders also have more health complications like heartworm, etc . Most importantly never buy a French bulldog from a breeder , French bulldogs always need to get a c section when there in labour and breeders will work the pour mother out. Thank you so much for reading. *ADOPT DONT SHOP*

that was funny the Vet actually didn't give any straight answer to the journalist

Sadly, many people dont take their pets unless it is an emergency. When the vet isnt making condescending remarks toward the owners to imply they dont care about their pets, they're doing unnecessary tests, and refusing to treat an animal if you refuse the unnecessary tests. Every time i took my dog in to get his pills for itchy skin problems, they refused to give him his pills without unnecessary testing. I couldnt take him in for anything without paying close to 300 dollars or more. I had to put him up for adoption because the vet made it impossible to care for him. All i could think was how cruel, to know how to help an animal, know what's wrong with him, and still refuse to help him. Cruel and unusual asshat vets.

The first two(vaccination and hw testing) are preventive measures to keep our pets out of danger, if vets only think about profit they wouldn't suggest these because the treatment cost more🙂

Dogs are not pets, they are friends.

PLEASE...... people don't trust anyone! I want to save many the years of terrible experiences I've had over 50 yrs. Those you thought would NEVER hurt your pet, etc. Yet, they smile in your face & are nice......we all just TRUST them! Like fools!! Wake up.......don't trust ANYONE.....EVER!!! Research!!

They should keep in touch with the most up to date research. They are doctors , they should be well read

Take a shot every time they say “barking mad”

the same in the u.s. my rule of thumb is...the glitzier the office the more expensive everything is. the other thing that really bugs me is the pet food industry and how expensive decent quality food is..a couple of years ago the dry food I feed my cats was about 28 dollars a 16lb bag now it is 22 dollars for 6lbs! thanks for the video.

They suggested cutting eye lid on my English bulldog. I asked a different vet, she said he’s fine. Shop around people, vets are a business.

Have been very fortunate, have a phenomenal and awesome vet that has always charged fair prices and has an empathetic nature to boot. Attended a more local veterinarian who was more financially motivated which is not an issue but he had no compassion or empathy. My dogs and cat were quick to respond to the difference.

I am on a fixed income (retired). I have had to nurse my cat through cat food poisoning twice because I cannot afford a vet.

I am a vet tech in the bay area and I will let you know my honest thoughts on this video. Let me begin by stating - many people think because purchasing an animal at a low price means they wont be costly - you love them - medical bills for humans and pets are high -medication and having someone with a PHD/DVM costs - as they dedicated their life learning the trade. I know some people do unfortunately get ripped off - but at the end of the day if you aren't signing a pre-invoice pre-exam/procedure - you should know something isn't right.

Using a bulldog as the test subject is a bit disingenuous.

I knew a man who never took his dog to the vet since it was a puppy and the dog lived to the ripe age of 17

My Maltese dog was attacked by a pitbull yesterday and I spent the whole night at the veterinarian hospital it was $2000 for a few staples numbing medication and some medication they gave me to bring home can you believe that

I don't have any dogs, however, I'm the servant of 2 (4 year old) male cats. I take them to the vet every year for checkups. The only time that I had to pay extra was the first time, at about 6 months old (to get their 1st shots and get them "fixed"), but, I knew that I would because I knew they had ear mites. I think that the antibiotic cream cost about $10. I'm lucky to have a great vet! My cats are my lil buddies!

This hold time I just wanted to pet Marshall he’s so cute and chunky