I’m finally ready to try medications for Lilly’s anxiety. So, my big-picture trainer recommended a veterinary-behaviorist nearby. Scheduling put our appointment 3 weeks out, which was a bummer, but it’s a good thing I couldn’t get in right away because it turns out the cost is too high.
Last week, to be as prepared as possible, I emailed and asked for intake forms I could complete in advance. I got them, along with a list of fees. And, I … was … astounded.
Keep in mind that I’ve worked for a major, national veterinary association. I’ve helped edit and promote books on veterinary fees, which were based on national surveys of actual fees. I’ve written about veterinary medicine and related fields since 1995. I feel like I have a pretty good idea what things cost, what to expect.
What I expected was around $300 for the consult. The reality was another thing entirely.
Dog cases involving aggression were $225 an hour, with a 3 hour minimum. That’s $675, not including any blood work or meds, just to get started. It did come with 6 months of “free” email follow-up support, but the cost still shocked me.
I immediately called my trainer in tears. She too was amazed. She essentially said she had no idea, and if she had, she NEVER would have recommended it.
Everyone I’ve talked to agrees. One agility pal, who is also a longtime breeder and “dog” person, replied, “HOLY COW, and I mean HOLY COW. That’s so out of line, I can’t believe it.”
I emailed the doctor back right away to say I *may* need to cancel for financial reasons. Once I got input from my husband and my other dog friends, I called the hospital to cancel my appointment.
I cried for a solid day.
It was a BIG decision for me to seek this help. To find out that I cannot afford it was devastating.
So, the new plan is to work with our family veterinarian on the meds side of things in partnership with our big-picture dog trainer we love on the behavior mod side. Our veterinarian is on vacation for a couple weeks, so it’ll be a bit before we can sit down and go through all this together, but he’s agreed to help.
More times than I can count, I’ve handed over my credit card and asked a veterinary team to save or fix my dog, no matter the cost. I’ve spent years paying off such debts in the past, including more than $5,000 when Ginko blew out both knees at the age of three and some $3,000 when two of my past dogs nearly died from some kind of poisoning. So, it’s not that I don’t spend money on my dogs.
When I saw the part on the behavior history form that asked if I’d considered rehoming or euthanizing Lilly, I knew the situation did not match such expense. Why? Because the answer is not just “No” but “Hell, No!”
Lilly is a shy dog. She’s a performance dog with performance anxiety. She’s a really good girl who often gets scared and reacts a bit badly to other dogs who get in her face. She not miserable day in and day out. She’s NOT hard to live with. She just gets anxious and needs a little help.
Unfortunately, *this* kind of help I cannot afford.
I’m glad to see you’re considering medication for Lily. It may be just what she needs to be able to carry on with a normal life. It might not work but it’s worth a shot.
I also think those fees sound ridiculous. There’s no way it should cost so much for you to get Lily evalutated for anti-anxiety medication. She certainly doesn’t have serious aggression issues that would require such an expensive evaluation. Unfortunately I have noone in particular to refer you to but I would suggest contacting CSU’s vet hospital up in Fort Collins if you haven’t already. I’ve heard they provide excellent care at decent prices because they’re a teaching hospital. I don’t know if they deal with these types of behavioral issues but it’s worth a phone call to find out. You might also query the people on the rescue agility yahoo group. I know some of those people have their dogs on anti-anxiety medication and maybe they could give you some guidance and moral support.
Elayne
Yeah, totally out of the norm. I saw a vet-behaviorist for a rescue Dobe I had and she was very expensive, too and had lots of credentials. But she wasn’t much help and I wish I had just gone to my regular vet (who is more of a “dog person” than this behaviorist was) all along.
I think you’ve made a wise choice.