I am so pissed!

[Jag]

I got Ziva in the carrier again, she squawked like a chicken, then she started to scream. That was hard enough. When I called the other day to make the appt, I told them what I needed done (a thorough vet check with labs for a rescue) and asked the cost. They said $230. Well, I got there, spoke with the vet, and they took her back to check her. He said that they'd give her some anasthesia (sp) to not have her totally freak out. They clipped her nails and trimed a sharp point off her beak, took blood, etc. They did a fecal wet mount, also wanted to do an upper wet mount..from her mouth. I got her back, he said that she was about 15-20% underweight. Said something about bacteria in her stool, but wouldn't know until the culture if it was something to treat or not. Said the chlamidia test would be back by middle of the week, and then if that was OK, I could put her upstairs with my other fids.

Went to check out.. and the bill was $531!! I about dropped dead. They charged $95 for DNA sexing!! It was $300 more than what they told me on the phone altogether. I'm officially screwed. I have bills out the yin yang, she needs a cage, and my house payment is past due. I didn't expect that kind of a vet bill, considering I ASKED before making the appointment!! I just feel sick...

The doc never called in any antibiotic, and my joints are killing me. Got a call from the disability folks, they still haven't approved my disability pay... so it's only going to get worse. Taking her in wasn't a mistake, but the bills already are killing me. I can't believe that they can NOT tell you how much you're going to get nailed before doing something. A DNA is $20!!

[becca623]

Have you tried Dr. Mohan in Reynoldsburg? That's where I take my birds. I thought he was expensive.
Good luck getting your disability and getting your drs to behave. It took 4 yrs to get mine. I didn't even want to do it. My drs. insisted that I get it. Stubborn me, I thought I was going to get better.
Hugs Jag. Hang in there!

[hollyhawkz]

My vet receptionist misquoted me once, and I pointed that out to them. They waved the difference. I can't believe they did not wave the unapproved amount for you! Where was the discrepancy?

DNA testing at a vets is usually between $60 to $100.

[Jag]

I have NO idea what the discrepency is. I only know that when I called, I said she'd need bloodwork.. CBC, chem, and a fecal..and of course the office visit, and whatever else they 'normally' would do for a new bird with possible illness. The only thing different that was done with the sedation which wasn't much, and the chlamydia test.

I'm not filing federal disability, it's just short term for this illness for work. They didn't pay out all of my time off, either.. my check was short. It was short near the amount of the vet bill. I gotta make some calls, one to my mortgage company. What a mess. If she does need to be treated, it won't be there. I guess I'll go pick up some handfeeding formula and see if I can get some of that in her. She's so underweight. She eats decently I guess, but little bits for a bird her size. She also wants me to feed her.

She'll eat out of her bowl, but the fruits, veggies, and non dry food she won't eat unless I feed it to her by hand, piece by piece. He also said to get some talc (when I can touch her) or desatin and put it on her body where she doesn't have feathers and her wings would rub. They obviously cut a nail too short, she has some dried blood on her claw, but I don't see anything actively bleeding. She's also mad at me. She started preening, so I thought that would be a good bathtime, but that made her mad. So, she sat there shivering for awhile after. I have to figure out some way to bathe her without freezing her.

I think I'm going to call the vet's office back, because that was just plain excessive. I did say something when they told me how much it was, but they didn't offer to do anything, I didn't get any happy vibe off the receptionist.

[Astrid660]

what a nightmare I hope you get it sorted because a misquote is nothing to take lightly.. the person on the phone should have known what those things cost. I would be pissed off too.

[hsmoscout]

a $300 mistake is serious. You really need to call them to make this right.

[Congobongo]

That totally sounds outrageous. Did they give you an itemized invoice so you can see what they charged? And maybe you should call Dr. Mohan's office and see what they would charge for the same work.

I took my B&G in for a health check and wing trim and claw and beak dremmel to Mohan and it ran about $140.

I totally think you need to call them back and complain and ask to be reimbursed.

[xafsmom]

Good gods, you guys pay through the nose! They say California's expensive!?

I'd toss a giant flaming hissy cow.

[LovelySydney]

If I were you Id definitely call and fix this. That is A LOT of money to be messing around with. My vet always gives me a quote and than when were there we discuss options and the price of those options and THEN he prints it out and I can see everything on paper before anything is done.


Phew Id be fuming!!

[sodakat]

Fees like that discourage people from vetting, don't they? It's one thing to misquote by twenty or thirty bucks, but charging 120% more than you expected is out of line. ESPECIALLY when you got an estimate first.

You *must* call them back and find out what you were so conveniently talked into during the visit that took the bill over the top.

I just went and found my bill from last month:

avian exam/consult 40.00
lab charges & mailing fee 150.00 (full blood profile plus aerobe culture)
sedation 21.10

I was quoted $160 when I called, but our conversation during the consult resulted in the vet requesting more comprehensive lab work...

This is more along the lines of what you were expecting, plus the dna test I suppose.

Do you have anything you can pawn?