Anyone ever get their vacs at Petco?

[courtnek]

Freebee and Ford need their shots. when I took Pushy and Laurel in for theirs, it was 230.00 total, which included a nail clipping for Laurel. The shots at the vet always seem really expensive, so I thought I would look into Petco. They have a vet come in every Sunday to do vacs. I called and asked about the price, and its only $14.00 per pet! and $15.00 dollars for the nail clipping.....

Now the downside of Petco is that it's first come, first served, no appointments. so I might have to wait, but the price difference is amazing....I am curious to know if anyone has ever done this and how it went.

thanks

[SizzleDog]

The vets at Petco are all private - they aren't corporations like Banfield in Petsmart. Therefore, the quality of care is different at each Petco.

A good idea is to call around the smaller practices and see who has the best prices. SInce I just moved to Ames, I needed to find a vet - the one down the street from me is a great clinic, but very pricey. My boss breeds Ragdoll cats,a nd she highly recommeded a small practice in a SMALL farming community about 30 minutes away from home.

That particular practice is small, but very cheap - an exam and vaccinations for my new kitty only cost $28 ($6 for the exam, $22 for three shots) The vets are extremely nice and practical - but very competant. If I were to have an emergency, I'd probably drive 5 minutes to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital here at the university and pay with a credit card - the VTH is extremely expensive!

Routine care though? I'm going to go with my small town vet ;)

[ObedienceGrrl]

SD

Didn't you just hit the nail on the head!! Our normal vet is a small country vet. He's actucally located by a cow farm! His prices can't be beat. But, with our problems with our one cat being allergic to the dogs, I went to our big specialty clinic to seek a Dermotologists help. Now, that is pricey!! But, sometimes specialists are needed.

Courtnek,
I would call around for pricing of wellness checks and vacs as well. You do want to have an established vet in case something else comes up. You don't want to always have to run to the emergency clinic (cuz that is MUCHO bucks!!). So it is nice to have a regular vet for little non-emergency situations that arrise.

[courtnek]

well, I tried to post this earlier. My son revved up the welder in the garage and the circuit blew...I have checked with other vets, and the prices are pretty much the same. I live in a city environment. Petco is the cheapest.
My Ex decided to stop paying his child support (for which I am taking him to court, but that will take months to work out) and the dogs need their shots NOW. So I guess I'm gonna go tomorrow and see what happens....

:cry: :cry:

[Cairn6]

When we moved and had to get new licenses for all the dogs we realized while looking through the paperwork that Mandy hadn't gotten her rabies shot. We figured the vet must of thought it was a 3 year vaccination but the shelter we got her from only gave a 1 year vaccination. So I took her down that weekend to get her rabies shot from Petco. They were very professional and you fill out paperwork the same as your regular vet. I like to have them go in for a check up once a year at least but if you are so strapped right now you don't have a choice there is nothing wrong with getting it done there.

[Horsefeathers!]

Court, will your vet not sell you the shots and let you administer them at home? My vet does that. The only thing he won't sell is the rabies vaccine and that's because state law says it MUST be administered and recorded by a vet. I know laws vary from state to state, but I just wondered if it were worth asking if vets in your area are allowed to dispense vaccines. I don't do yearly vacs, anymore, but when I did, it saved me a buncha buncha money to do it myself. If you're really needing to save money and not particularly wanting a checkup or wellness exam at this time, it'd be worth checking out.

You have experience with needles, so I can't imagine you'd have any problems giving the shots. My dogs will protest an application of Advantage more than a jab with a needle. Weirdos. :wink:

[imported_Kat]

I do all my own animals (and other peoples usually when begged!) myself. I have to say that your veterinary vacc costs are through the roof! A booster for a dog here is between

[Daisysmom]

I have never gotten shots there, but Daisy is due, and I have considered it before. One thing I noticed there is that they sell the frontline type of flea treatments too. They are under lock and key and I have to see if they have what we are using now, but I looked at the prices and they are much cheaper than the vet. I don't see a problem with saving a few buck there!! We are there every other week for food any way. The vets here are very expensive too!!! With 3 dogs we need to cut costs.

I'll be checking back to see how you made out :wink:

[courtnek]

They open at 2:30 CDT so it will be later before I can let you know. I agree the vet costs are astronomical, but I never realized how much so before checking this out. If there was something actually wrong with them I would not hesitate to take them to my regular vet, believe me. But since this is just shots, I want to try it out. HF, I could give them the shots easily, except of course, rabies. It would be easier on Free anyway, since I always have to hold her when she gets her vacs. I bet the heartworm meds are cheaper too. AND I have a petco card, since I shop there so much. I wonder if the discount applies to the shots as well? probably not.
I'll call the vet on Monday and see what she thinks about my vac'sing them....

thanks everyone

8)

[courtnek]

well, we're back. the 14.00 I was quoted was just for rabies. the full panel is 40.00, but that's ok. that's still a lot less than the vets office. I couldnt get Ford's rabies yet - she has to be 16 weeks, and she's not yet. Still, at 84.00 (theres an additional 8.00 charge for Kane County, because the law here has mandated they have to give you the tag as soon as their vac'd, instead of waiting for it in the mail) it's still a third less then the vet, and the vet there did a minor checkup on both of them. Checked ears, and teeth, felt along the legs and hindquarters. all in all it was a good experience. the wait wasnt too much longer than I do at the vet anyway. maybe 15 minutes more, and its more entertaining cuz there's things in the store to look at. Free was SOOOOO good. (for her anyway, around other dogs) she barked a few times, but never growled, and mostly she barked at dogs that started growling or barking at her. DO, I saw **4** Boston Terriers there!! (one of them was growling at Free - lol) One lady there had a baby dachsund, and Free couldnt understand it at all. The lady was holding him the whole time, and he kept growling at her, and she kept turning her head like "what is WRONG with you?????" it was really funny.

for the smaller dogs and cats, the staff would bring you a shopping cart to put them in. I would never have thought of that, I put Ford in one. Made waiting in line a lot easier. Then they let you take them out to the cars in the carts, which was nice. I couldve put Free in one, they're that big, but at 65 lbs I doubt I could lift her up that far. Someone asked me if I wanted to breed Free. No, she's fixed, and she's a mix, not a purebred. She was disappointed, said her lab mix male and her would make cute puppies....
Before I took this womans head off the staff guy who was doing the paperwork looked up at her and said "we offer discount neutering too...." and went into all the reasons why she should get him done. They have affiliations with different vet clinics (PAWS was one of them). Saved me the trouble and he was much nicer about it than I would have been.... :lol:

Now for a question. It's been 14/15 years since I had a kitten get their shots. Are they normally kinda lethargic afterwards?

:fadein:

[ObedienceGrrl]

My one cat is very lethargic after her shots. We also have another one who gets ill and throws up. She has to get an anti-nausea shot before she gets her other one.

That would also be great if you could do it yourself! A girl I work with gets her shots at a vet supply store for VERY cheap and I am thinking of going with her next times she goes. Vacinated 5 hairy bodies (possible by the end of the year 6) can still get pricey, even with my vet!!

[schippsmom]

:Dog_run:

Sorry I wasn't here when you first posted. Re-Run had his second and third puppy shots at Petsmart, they are closer than Petco so we went there but they pretty much have the same set up. I was very pleased with them, the vet (independent of Petsmart) was very professional and has a private practice and does this as a service to the community.


I do have a regular vet for the yearly things and emergencies but I was very pleased with Petsmart and will take him back there for more vaccinations.

Paula & Re-Run

[courtnek]

yea I intend to look into that. Shots are second nature to me. I would have no issue with doing them myself, for any of the animals (of course, it will take two to do PushyCat. Someone will have to hold him while I jab him :lol: ) but I dont know if they allow it here. I have to check Monday.
Ford seems better already. she's purring and while not playful, at least not
lying on the floor looking like someone tortured her...(hmmm. could be deliberate? "oh woe is me?....") :lol: :lol:

all in all, it was not a bad experience at all. I talked to the other people in line, people came up with small kids and actually ASKED if their kids could pet Free and look at Ford...Free was very good to everybody. I honestly think being around gentle Laurel has tamed her some. I just wish Laurel had some of Free's spunk. who knows, maybe some day? They are both happily chewing on bones I bought while there (like I could EVER get out of Petco withOUT buying something...) Ford was a big hit. She is such a friendly kitten, likes everybody immediately. Purs for everyone. One little guy looked at me dead on and said "Can I have her?" and it was such a beseeching look I felt bad saying no...I had to explain her name about 10 times :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now I have heard in the past bad things about Petco, but this one has always been a model store. They take good care of the animals they sell, have them in life-like environments, the cages are clean and the temps are right for the reptiles and such. They even take really good care of their fish. They have thermometers on the cages that people check all the time (seen them doing this) to make sure the reptile cages/tanks are correct.

all in all I am pleased with the outcome. and surprised as well. However, I dont know if other Petco's would have the same good experience...

[Canis erectus]

Sounds like quite a good Petco, Courtnek. When I lived in Calif, the Petco I had there was similarly exemplary. But the one by where I live now... Well the last time I went there (and beleive me it was THE last time), all I wanted was a new food dish because my cockatoo had broken his (again). After twenty minutes of searching the entire store for an employee to man the register, I finally marched into their stock room where I'd finally found someone. Sheesh, I coulda looted the place and no one would've been the wiser.
I think maybe some Petco stores could be franchises, which may explain why some of them are such nice places, and others are rather horrible.
Glad you had a geed experience Courtnek.

[MajiesMom]

Petsmart and Petco give vaccines? I don't think I would go there for my dog's vaccines. That would be assembly line vaccines I prefer my regular vet that would spend the time with us plus I have to get her physical and stool sample etc anyway at the same time so it seems worth while. Who cares about the extra bucks (and believe me I am cheap I work with dogs and don't make a lot of money so I am cheap). I don't think it would really be worth it anyway.
DivineOblivion19 do you know if there are cheap vaccines (crappy quality) and more expensive vaccines that are a better quality?
I've heard that the spay/neuter clinics that do cheap spay + neuter use cheap anesthetic, yikes, I rather pay more.

[Cairn6]

[quote name='MajiesMom']Petsmart and Petco give vaccines? I don't think I would go there for my dog's vaccines. That would be assembly line vaccines I prefer my regular vet that would spend the time with us plus I have to get her physical and stool sample etc anyway at the same time so it seems worth while. Who cares about the extra bucks (and believe me I am cheap I work with dogs and don't make a lot of money so I am cheap). I don't think it would really be worth it anyway.
DivineOblivion19 do you know if there are cheap vaccines (crappy quality) and more expensive vaccines that are a better quality?
I've heard that the spay/neuter clinics that do cheap spay + neuter use cheap anesthetic, yikes, I rather pay more.[/quote]
Well I guess if you have the bucks it's easier to say who cares about the extra but if you read her post carefully things aren't going well at the moment.

[imported_Kat]

Court, kitties usually are fine after their vaccinations :wink:

[courtnek]

Majies, I honestly dont have the money to spend. I am on a very stretched budget right now. I have a son who is a diabetic, I am a diabetic, and our medicine is very expensive, even with insurance. Plus the mortgage, and feeding the kid. He is a growing teenager. The child support covered the food he eats, and a little more, but thats it. Now all of that has to come out of my pocket. That's 500.00 a month. so to get my shots for 84.00 instead of 230.00 was a big load off my mind. If I had a medical problem with them, they would go to the vet straight away. But just for vacs its not necessary. and I cant feed cheap food to myself or my son, because of carb/fat restrictions. and I wont feed Ol' Roy to the dogs.
we go through 4 bottles of insulin a month, at 30.00 a bottle. after insurance. in one month, we take 150 shots. a box of 100 needles, after insurance, is 40.00. That doesnt include blood sugar testing strips, lancets, and all the other medical stuff we need to control this illness, and it doesnt cover the utilities and the mortgage and the gas for the cars.

it's expensive to have this illness. With no child support, I have to take every available means to cut costs. This seemed like an acceptable one to me.

[BuddysMom]

Congrats and good for you for finding a way to TCB within budget!

Our cat was very lethargic after getting the leukemia vacc, we were really worried she'd never be herself again ... finally after 3-4 days she was back to her frisky self but we decided not again for her.

[courtnek]

Desertlady, I'm thinking it was the leukemia vac that did her in. That was the one she got in that leg.....if she's going to be an inside cat mostly, does she need that vac? maybe DO knows...the only one required by law is rabies, but I always do distemper too.

K, he decided to stop paying because he wanted Kyle to come live with him
(so that he wouldnt have to pay) and Kyle is old enough (by law) to decide that for himself, and he said NO. It's been over a year now since he sent me a check, and he owes me in excess of 8000.00. I have had to cut back on everything I can, because Kyle needs his meds and decent food, more so than me since he's still growing some. He got PO'd at me when I told him Kyle's decision. He and his son do not get along. His dad is the "my way or the highway" type, and that doesnt work with Kyle at all. Compromise is not in Kevin's vocabulary....even over the "small stuff".
(like when to take the garbage out on Sunday, Monday is garbage day. I honestly dont care WHEN he does it, as long as its on the curb by 7:00 a.m. his dad used to make him get up from his favorite show and take it out. Whats the point of that?) and he's a teenager, and being one there is only so far you can be unreasonable before he starts being unreasonable back. Him and I rarely ever argue, I understand his side, he understands mine. I would say "Garbage has to go out before you go to bed" and he'd say
"I'll do it tomorrow morning" - to that I replied "if you dont I'll be in your room waking you up. Count on it". during the summer he doesnt want to get up early, so he takes it out at night. Crisis averted. Now its not an issue anymore, he starts a new job in two weeks and will have to get up anyway. By why make a big deal out of that? As long as it gets done, who cares when?

I used to clean the house at 11:00 at night, because I am not a morning person. My ex always had an issue with that as well. He's fast asleep, so I have to be fast asleep as well? He gets up at dawn, so that means I have to? that;s what I mean by "my way or the highway"....

**sigh**

[BuddysMom]

Gladysse was 15 at the time she got the luekemia vacc. She's 17 now. We really didn't even need it at the time IMO, and now the vet (same vet) says given her age and lifestyle she does not need anything except good checkups with blood and urine checks 1x a year. Her lifestyle for many years now is going outside once a day (if that) for about five minutes at a time while we carefully watch her. And no other cats in the household.

[MajiesMom]

sorry Court. Why not just get rabies then? I wouldn't get anything but rabies if I didn't take Magic to work (the kennel) all the time and she wasn't around other dogs all the time.

[ObedienceGrrl]

Court,

My father still owes my mother into the 10s of thousands. And I'm 26. She and I shrugged it off. Now, trust me, I know not everyone can do that. So please, don't think I'm telling you to, k?

Also to add (and we can see if DO agrees with me!!), our three cats do not get the leukemia. They still get rabies and just the regular vac. Our vet said if there are not any stray cats around, then don't worry about it. We moved into a brand new development. In May, we were the ONLY house there. No strays!! But who knows when the other 399 get built....Also, ours NEVER go outside. But I know what DO means, if they do come face to face by a screen, it's bad news.

[courtnek]

honestly, if I could afford it, I would shrug it off. Kyle will be 18 in 3 months, so the payments would have stopped then anyway. He has medical bills that need paying, and I have credit card bills (for his medicine
and such) that need paying. I dont want to bust his dad, but I need the money. I am hoping my lawyer friend can work out a payment plan with him.

[quote]We actually have cat owners who come in and get the distemper and the leukemia vaccines and decline the rabies because "he doesn't go outside." I give them the a little speech everytime but they don't care. I don't understand what they are thinking.....[/quote]

DO, what County are you in? Here in Kane, no rabies, no pet. They'll literally take it away....unless they've never had one. then I dont think the county can track it....

:o :o :o :o