vet bills and when to take to the vet

[jacody]

when getting my new beardie @ end of mo. should I take a stool sample to vet to be tested for parasites since any problems sometimes don't present themselves until damage has been done?? also, what do you pay for a reptile rundown w/ a complete check-up? is it even necessary??

 

[Carnivorouszoo]

Any new pet should get a complete check up when it comes home. They usually have a limited health warranty which many times require a vet check up to be valid. It can be as little as $75 or go up there a bit. Its best to have money put aside at all times for vet visits. My vet lets me prepay on my account when I can so I am covered when I need to use it.

 

[scubasteve25]

i would wait till the relocation stress period is over. stress can suppress the immune system making the parasite load look more inflated than it is, for a general workup and a fecal test, we only paid 50$

 

[Carnivorouszoo]

Lucky you on the low cost checkup lol. It does vary from vet to vet and area to area.

 

[scubasteve25]

well i think it would have cost 73.00 but i got a discount on the fecal cause she pooped in the carrier while i was at the vet, and the dr offered to do a fecal for free. there is a discount for it on my bill of 23.00/

 

[jemiluc]

I just went over the weekend and it was $51 for the check up and $22 for the fecal. I'm sooo glad I took him =) and overall pretty happy with the vet. good luck - just call around to get prices.

my vet wouldn't do a fecal without seeing seeing him at the same time. after the initial visit though, he'll do fecals if there's nothing else wrong with him. but he had a spot on his back and it made me a little nervous, so I just took him in.

just think of it as an investment - getting stuff taken care of now will go along way - more years with your beardie to look forward too! and also getting piece of mind - that's priceless!

GOOD LUCK :!:

 

[danab]

As suggested I would wait until your beardie has had a few weeks in your home for relocation stress to calm down unless there is an indicator that something is amiss (or its cheap to see a herp vet where you are at). It also depends on where you are getting your beardie from. Large pet store chains will most likely come with a plethora of parasites and the animals are quite stressed out before you even bring them home. Most animals from reputable breeders will be in better shape from the git go. You will have to use your judgement a bit.

I would also suggest shopping around and calling the vets in your area to see who speciallizes in/sees reptiles and find out what they charge for an initial visit + fecal. For some reason the herp vets here in my area are quite expensive. One charged $150 for the initial visit and fecal. Another is about the same for just the initial visit but instead of a $70 fecal they charge $50. Then tack on the cost of meds. I paid about $180 for one beardie exam +fecal +meds for coccidia and MBD. So far none of these vets here are willing to just run a fecal without paying for the exam etc.

If I was willing to drive further away, I bet I could get better pricing. So a little time on the phone to check pricing before you make an appt. is worth it.