Cost Of Immunisation

[Stitch]

I recently got an email from USA company offering 10 Parvo.(does the 4) ampules for US$15.

I know that they are able to obtain and immunisate their dogs privately over there... and yes I also know that there is the freight and associated costs of getting it into Australia....but US$1.50 per dose begs the question .... why is it sooo expensive to get your dog immunised here?

Local vets here charge a minimum of $65 per vaccination.

[minimax]

Vets aren't just charging for the physical vaccine, but for the consult, rent, their experience, etc

[moosepup]

That is true but you usually have to pay a consult fee on top of the actual cost of the vaccination (which I think Stitch is referring to). It's been a while since I had a pup though so I have no idea what a C3 or C5 costs anymore.

Is $65 what they charge just for the vacc or for the consult as well? If it's both then that's pretty reasonable.

Edited May 4, 2013 by moosepup

[Alyosha]

Australian vet meds can also sometimes cost more due to very high standards of manufacture. It can be a matter of getting what you pay for...

You need to respond to the company in question and tell them that it may be an offence for people to import vaccines personally, both with Quarantine and with APVMA. Australia has these sort of laws for very good reason.

[dancinbcs]

I think my vet is still only $28 for a C3 for a breeder. With pet dogs the vet needs to spend a lot of time making sure the owner knows about worming, weight, feeding, etc and charges accordingly. With known breeder clients all they have to do is take the temp, check the puppy over and stick the needle in. All done in a matter of minutes so they charge a lot less. It pays to shop around to breeder's vets for better prices on vaccines.

[karly101]

I can also say it is not that cheap to purchase vaccinations here. There are a lot of costs involved with running a business its not just the vaccine you are paying for.

[alpha bet]

You need to shop around with vets... medications can have a huge markup - Frontline costs about $18 over the counter at the vet, where as I paid online $5.50......

Another time a friends horse had an accident and the leg had to be treated regularly, they did the initial bandaging and then left cream to be applied for further care - I was looking after the horse while friends away went back to pick up the cream in 100gm tube costs $48.00 each.... sheese... leg had to be re-bandaged twice a week for six week so that meant near $600 just for the cream, so went to local chemist... bought the same cream, same brand in an 85gm tube for $6.50...... We queried this with the vet and they reduced the cream we had already purchased to cost of $22.00 each. Vet said in future she would buy the cream at the local chemist instead....

You can take any tube into a chemist and probably find a cream with the same composition for less.

Shop around.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I agree it can be expensive.

I also agree shop around!

But that being said, I do pay a higher price than I probably need to but I LURVE my vet and so do all my animals!! To me that is the most important thing. I would love it if we could vaccinate ourselves here, but I know what I"m doing with that and unfortunatley probably if it were allowed then you would also have lots of people who know nothing about such things doing it - possibly not good for the animals.

In terms of some medications, I had a vet who refused to supply or advocate for the animal specific meds while you could get exactly the same human product for less than 1/4 of the price over the chemist counter - she always sent me to the chemist!!! And even now with one of my cats heart meds the vet writes me a script as it costs me about $10 for 6 months of his meds at the chemist as compared to getting the exact same product (but with a label that says for animals) that costs around $1 per day!!!

[Everythings Shiny]

Cost of immunisation involves the consult (health check) plus the cost of the needle and syringe plus the water for injection, or in some cases syringe with sterile diluent already in it (about $8 per syringe cost price to the clinic), then you also have the vets wage to cover for their time in there vaccinating, plus the money they need to recoup for their HECS fees.

[_PL_]

You can buy parvac (parvo only) and a kennel cough one (and some cat ones) but you aren't allowed to do other people's animals as far as I know and you don't get the certificate.

Dogs should go the the vet anyway, a good vet does more than just pop a vaccine in and send you home till next year so if you'e going to spend the money, get a good vet and have a yearly checkup.

[Jumabaar]

You can buy parvac (parvo only) and a kennel cough one (and some cat ones) but you aren't allowed to do other people's animals as far as I know and you don't get the certificate.

Dogs should go the the vet anyway, a good vet does more than just pop a vaccine in and send you home till next year so if you'e going to spend the money, get a good vet and have a yearly checkup.

A good vet will also discuss if you need a C3, C5 or C7 depending on where you live, what other animals you come into contact with and the current disease levels in your area.

Exceptional vets also discuss titre testing

[Safffy]

plus the money they need to recoup for their HECS fees.

rofl

And the new bmw the vets partner just bought.

Australia is up there with the most expensive places in the world to live, go figure.

Edited May 5, 2013 by saithroth

[Stitch]

Interesting replies.

Australia is up there as one of the most expensive places to live.

I love my vet/s too BUT I do think that their costs are way too high for some things.

I have the feeling that they charge what they do, because they can!

[minimax]

Interesting replies.

Australia is up there as one of the most expensive places to live.

I love my vet/s too BUT I do think that their costs are way too high for some things.

I have the feeling that they charge what they do, because they can!

Probably. Vets are businesses.

[Alyosha]

And the new bmw the vets partner just bought.

Do you personally know many vets or people in the industry? Or checked out the wages on offer to new grads and junior vets? It's not a field you would be entering for cashflow. Bloody hard work for not a whole lot, and very high costs involved in running a clinic.

[HazyWal]

My vet has recently built a new huge surgery after 32 years in a clinic you couldn't swing a cat in and his prices still seem the same to me. He had one other vet before and now there are four and more nurses. I always get a discount on any surgery, I have been going to him for 20 years, he doesn't have to and I never expect it but he always does it. My point is not all vets are out to rip you off. He probably does drive a Beamer and I know his house is a mansion on acres, he goes on an overseas holiday every year and good on him I say...he's a great vet and has worked bloody hard for the last 34 years.

[2boxer]

I have teacher friends who get paid better than my vet friends. Vets are definately not in it for the $$$.

[Crisovar]

I can't understand the griping about Vet costs...seriously ...the overheads involved in running a Vet Practice are huge...and after all those years at Uni the wages are not great. The after hours and weekends on call, and the whinging clients would be enough to warrant double what they get in the first 10 years.

[kelpiecuddles]

I must admit I'm at the vets so often for other things I'd love to be able to do my own vaccs to save a few dollars. When I have taken mine for vaccs the vet hasn't really done any health check stuff anyway so I'm only really paying for five minutes of needle and paperwork

[sandgrubber]

In the USA you can do your own vaccines, though in many states you can't buy rabies vaccine (required by law everywhere) and you have to have a prescription to buy Heartworm meds. The vet does a test, generally costing $50 plus a consult, before they'll give you a script. In Florida, where I'm living now, almost everyone who keeps dogs has lost one to Heartworm, so the Heartworm thing is no joke. Some breeders get around it by using horse or cow Ivomectin in large doses, but that's not safe for all dogs, and pretty complicated for the average pet owner.

The thing you do see here, which I'd think would work in Oz, is public vaccination clinics. These are commonly done on a monthly basis at feed stores, or other animal friendly locations. No appointments ...just wait in line. The dog gets a brief physical exam and shots for $10 to $30, depending on what jabs you get. The vet makes a little money cause there's almost no overhead or wastage of vaccine and they can serve 10 or more patients in an hour. You get stamped vaccination cards, as required by boarding kennels, clubs, etc. unfortunately this doesn't help for Heartworm, cause the test requires a blood draw and some lab work.