“2 I am changing my review from 2 stars to 4 due to the thoughtful, respectful, and informative response below. I was grateful to be seen on a Saturday morning and expressed my gratitude both over the phone and in person at the front desk. I was genuinely hoping to find our new vet and came prepared with vaccine records, prior prescription info and even his food so the doctor could better evaluate the situation.
I certainly don’t mind paying a reasonable markup - I get it and once owned a small retail boutique - but when the markup results in a price nearly doubling, I think a degree of outrage is understandable. It really felt like a “gotcha” moment when I reviewed my invoice after work.
I also reacted due to prior similar experiences - we are all informed by our lived experience, after all. My last dog, who passed away about 7 years ago, needed eye specialist care (only a handful of vets in the entire state) that was absolutely necessary and I paid about 4x more than I needed to for her Rx for many months before discovering a vet in the Midwest offering it for far less. She also needed eye ointment that was OTC and available for a fraction of the price elsewhere, but I was never told that in office. So, I paid an outrageous sum for months before finding it widely available online. Obviously, when events such as this occur repeatedly, they break trust and breed skepticism.
The two stars are because today I was charged $47.71 for Animax 15ml, an ointment that can be purchased on Chewy.com (and elsewhere) for $28.
This is why people lose trust in healthcare in this country whether for humans or pets. I am livid.
I felt that the office visit and vaccination charges were fair, but the markup on this ointment is obscene. I feel, justifiably, ripped off.
Unfortunately, the warm, honest, and fair veterinarian in Blaine passed away. I get that a vet practice has overhead, but expecting me to pay a price that requires 2 hours!!!! of my labor for a cream that can be found anywhere for nearly half the price (it was a just 5-day treatment and there is a smaller size tube for under $20!!!) is reason enough for me to lose trust completely in this practice.
I did not get a diagnosis. Just a “let’s try this.” We both concluded it isn’t allergies. Dogs can’t talk so here we are…I’m fed up with experiences like this.
Also, my dog, who loves absolutely everybody and has never displayed fear at the vet’s, was afraid of the doctor, which was disconcerting.
My prior veterinarian (CA) before moving to WA was always transparent and made every effort to help pet parents keep costs down. They had a much larger private practice that included large animals, but still managed to win my trust - and cover their own overhead - because of their level of integrity. I actually moved away but continued to drive FOUR HOURS round trip to go there for two more years. My dog went there from 4 months to 3 years when we moved up here.
This is the second “gotcha” moment I’ve had with two different Whatcom County veterinarians - another one tried to force me to use her more expensive Rx service, Covetrus, when I wanted to use Costco. She lied and said she beats competitors, but Costco was $17 less. Then they had the audacity to charge me $7 to call it in to Costco. Unbelievable.”
Veterinarians
“2 I am changing my review from 2 stars to 4 due to the thoughtful, respectful, and informative response below. I was grateful to be seen on a Saturday morning and expressed my gratitude both over the phone and in person at the front desk. I was genuinely hoping to find our new vet and came prepared with vaccine records, prior prescription info and even his food so the doctor could better evaluate the situation.
I certainly don’t mind paying a reasonable markup - I get it and once owned a small retail boutique - but when the markup results in a price nearly doubling, I think a degree of outrage is understandable. It really felt like a “gotcha” moment when I reviewed my invoice after work.
I also reacted due to prior similar experiences - we are all informed by our lived experience, after all. My last dog, who passed away about 7 years ago, needed eye specialist care (only a handful of vets in the entire state) that was absolutely necessary and I paid about 4x more than I needed to for her Rx for many months before discovering a vet in the Midwest offering it for far less. She also needed eye ointment that was OTC and available for a fraction of the price elsewhere, but I was never told that in office. So, I paid an outrageous sum for months before finding it widely available online. Obviously, when events such as this occur repeatedly, they break trust and breed skepticism.
The two stars are because today I was charged $47.71 for Animax 15ml, an ointment that can be purchased on Chewy.com (and elsewhere) for $28.
This is why people lose trust in healthcare in this country whether for humans or pets. I am livid.
I felt that the office visit and vaccination charges were fair, but the markup on this ointment is obscene. I feel, justifiably, ripped off.
Unfortunately, the warm, honest, and fair veterinarian in Blaine passed away. I get that a vet practice has overhead, but expecting me to pay a price that requires 2 hours!!!! of my labor for a cream that can be found anywhere for nearly half the price (it was a just 5-day treatment and there is a smaller size tube for under $20!!!) is reason enough for me to lose trust completely in this practice.
I did not get a diagnosis. Just a “let’s try this.” We both concluded it isn’t allergies. Dogs can’t talk so here we are…I’m fed up with experiences like this.
Also, my dog, who loves absolutely everybody and has never displayed fear at the vet’s, was afraid of the doctor, which was disconcerting.
My prior veterinarian (CA) before moving to WA was always transparent and made every effort to help pet parents keep costs down. They had a much larger private practice that included large animals, but still managed to win my trust - and cover their own overhead - because of their level of integrity. I actually moved away but continued to drive FOUR HOURS round trip to go there for two more years. My dog went there from 4 months to 3 years when we moved up here.
This is the second “gotcha” moment I’ve had with two different Whatcom County veterinarians - another one tried to force me to use her more expensive Rx service, Covetrus, when I wanted to use Costco. She lied and said she beats competitors, but Costco was $17 less. Then they had the audacity to charge me $7 to call it in to Costco. Unbelievable.”