Earth Angel_79 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 This is my long story short -=- I have two 4 month-ish old kittens. I saw a "rice" thing on the butt of one last night, so they've been locked up in laundry all day. These cats have been eating like maniacs from the day we got them...I was in denial, I guess, in trying to believe they were just growing kittens. I cannot afford to take them to the vet for all the shots right now. I took the 1.5 hour trip to get de-wormer today, only to have them tell me that those particular worms are tapeworms and they can't give me anything without seeing them first. I took the "Strongil" they had (for every other type of worm I assume). It will cost me somewhere around $150 to get both cats in for full shots and worming. If I only do the wormings I still have a $65 office visit. I will also, of course, need to get them spade in the near future (approximately another $200). If I was able to squeeze it into this initial visit then I would save $45 in office visit fees. I've always liked having pets, but cannot figure out how my mother on a very limited, single income budget ever allowed us to have them with the crazy cost of pet ownership!! Was it always this expensive? Am I probably just forgetting that my mother probably didn't take our pets to the vet? I feel like a poor citizen for even taking them in "if I can't afford them", but seriously $300 for 2 cats!!! So, there is my gripe....any suggestions? Is there some kind of sure-fire herbal remedy for tapeworms? Small doses of gasoline? :tongue_smilie: JUST KIDDING! Anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmmom4him Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I would price check with different vets... Are you close to a vet school? They will often have reduced rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 First off, ask around for lower cost vets if this is a hardship for you. There are often clinics attached to shelters and SPCA's which offer reduced cost care, esp for spay/neuter. Your kitties are getting in the danger zone as far as their age so pls make getting them spayed a priority. We really don't need any more kittens right now! If you have craigslist for your area, ask on the pets section for recommendations for good low cost clinics. Spaying though is not a simple surgery - it's an abdominal surgery which requires skill to do well. It's usually more expensive to spay females than to neuter males. Most vets charge significantly less for a spay than they would for a similar abdominal surgery which is performed for other reasons....so a spay is still usually a bargain. As for worming - there are several reputable online pharmacies where you can buy dewormers. For tapeworms specifically for ex. http://www.1800petmeds.com/Tape+Worm+Tabs+Cat-prod10415.html I would consult with a vet first to see which products are appropriate for your animals & the particular parasites which are a problem in your area. Heartworm in cats is starting to be a problem in some areas. I worm my dogs myself - usually with otc Panacur which apparently can also be used in cats, though it rarely is (not sure why). You'd need to look up dosages & figure this out. One of the things we pay for when we consult a vet is their expertise in knowing which medicines in which strengths etc is appropriate. I feel comfortable deworming my dogs but I don't deworm my medically fragile, chronically ill cat - too risky. If your cats go outside, you'll need to do deworming more regularly and frequently than if you have indoor cats. BTW, check out the up to date vaccination guidelines from the Association of Feline practitioners. Once the core vax are done, you may not need annual shots.... http://www.catvets.com/uploads/PDF/FINALVaccineTable12.15.pdf Best wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Check with your local Humane Society. They periodically run great cut rate deals on spay/neuter, shots etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolash Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 This is my long story short -=- I have two 4 month-ish old kittens. I saw a "rice" thing on the butt of one last night, so they've been locked up in laundry all day. These cats have been eating like maniacs from the day we got them...I was in denial, I guess, in trying to believe they were just growing kittens. I cannot afford to take them to the vet for all the shots right now. I took the 1.5 hour trip to get de-wormer today, only to have them tell me that those particular worms are tapeworms and they can't give me anything without seeing them first. I took the "Strongil" they had (for every other type of worm I assume). It will cost me somewhere around $150 to get both cats in for full shots and worming. If I only do the wormings I still have a $65 office visit. I will also, of course, need to get them spade in the near future (approximately another $200). If I was able to squeeze it into this initial visit then I would save $45 in office visit fees. I've always liked having pets, but cannot figure out how my mother on a very limited, single income budget ever allowed us to have them with the crazy cost of pet ownership!! Was it always this expensive? Am I probably just forgetting that my mother probably didn't take our pets to the vet? I feel like a poor citizen for even taking them in "if I can't afford them", but seriously $300 for 2 cats!!! So, there is my gripe....any suggestions? Is there some kind of sure-fire herbal remedy for tapeworms? Small doses of gasoline? :tongue_smilie: JUST KIDDING! Anything? Hmmm. We just had to have our cats treated for those little boogers (two had them and one is preventative) but our vet only charged us $15 for all three. Granted, we live in a small town and he's always seen our animals but still, $300 for treating tapeworms seems excessive. I'd look around for another vet who maybe has cheaper meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nata Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) Check with your local Humane Society. They periodically run great cut rate deals on spay/neuter, shots etc. I second this...plus not all shots must be given. My cats only get rabies. In fact my vet is against over-vaccinating. The worms on the other hand are a serious problem and should be addressed right away. We have a WONDERFUL mobile van here in CT that does low cost spay/neuter, shots and worming. Check it out here http://www.everyanimalmatters.org/new.html#worming%20your%20cat The worming kit is as follows: Complete Worming Kit Contains four treatments that will rid your cat of all worms, including tapeworms. Cats 1 - 10 lbs $10 Cats 11 lbs+ $12 Plus shipping & Handling. These kits are only available to Ct residents, but I'd be happy to buy them for you and mail them on to you. Email me if interested natika@optonline.net I have personally used this kit and if you can get the stuff down, it does work! Edited September 29, 2009 by nata forgot to add Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 :iagree: with the others, check around. We have one 'pampered pet' clinic that charges an office visit for everything, but we go to a 'big' animal vet so our little dog is peanuts compared to the cows and horses. He does not charge office visits and meds are super cheap. He will even give us scripts to get meds online if we want to, but he is always cheaper so we don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth Angel_79 Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 (edited) Thanks everyone so far for the suggestions (I still don't know how to multi-quote on these boards, otherwise I would to thank individually). I do intend to call around tomorrow and see if I can find a cheaper route. $300, btw, would be for spaying the cats and the shots...not just the worming visit. I do want to get the cats fixed pronto so that we don't have any accidental kittens if one of them slips outside when they go into heat. I know of the low-cost/free clinics. We utilized one last year on a stray that ended up dying. They are great, but the waiting list is verrrrry long here and most often you get called back repeatedly (I think it took about 3 tries with the last cat) because they are overbooked. Pamela --- thanks for the link to the meds. I wondered if 1800 was an option, but was unsure whether those pills would actually work. I know you can buy flea meds in Krogers, but they never work. The vet told me that they couldn't give me the tapeworm meds because of FDA regs, so I assumed I would at the least need a prescription. Renata -- HOW SWEET OF YOU! I may take you up on that offer, but I really want to resolve the worm issue fast so that the cats can come back into the house at large. They are jumping at the laundry room door all.day.long. and meowing like banshees. I feel awful for them, but not bad enough to let them give us worms! So I intend to call around more fervently tomorrow and try to come up with a solution. If nothing is cheaper than my original vets fees, then I will most likely break out the c/c. Sigh... ETA: Okay folks, I'm feeling rather stupid here. I thought that Drontal name on the 1800petmeds stuff looked familiar. I just went to my "pet-med drawer" and found a baggie with a couple small pieces of these in them (not enough to dose the cats with) that I bought from a feed store last year! I did give these to the current cats when we first got them....evidently they need to be given more regularly? Or does this stuff not work? I will be heading to that feed store first thing in the am to buy more. Edited September 29, 2009 by Earth Angel_79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 My humane society place charges 40 for spaying and runs a 2 for 1 deal every so often. The vets charge 350.00!!! They also had cheap shots. If you have one any within a decent driving range,that would be my bet. I like our pets too but I'm not paying more for their care than I do for my kids. The vet just seems to get higher every time we try to use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nata Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Renata -- HOW SWEET OF YOU! I may take you up on that offer, but I really want to resolve the worm issue fast so that the cats can come back into the house at large. They are jumping at the laundry room door all.day.long. and meowing like banshees. I feel awful for them, but not bad enough to let them give us worms! So I intend to call around more fervently tomorrow and try to come up with a solution. If nothing is cheaper than my original vets fees, then I will most likely break out the c/c. Sigh... Honestly, no problem here. They ship the same day, I get it in 1-2 days and another 2-3 days priority mail to you so probably @$8 shipping costs on top of the kits...if it's worth it to you just LMK! Would be a weeks wait though...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yslek Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I second checking area animal shelters for low-cost spay/neuter clinics. This is the route we took when we had our cat neutered. They offered a discount for microchipping at the same time, which I took advantage of; I don't remember what I paid, but it was definitely under $100. Also, you mentioned a feed store. Our local feed store sells pet vax. I was able to get the combined vax recommended for my cat for something like $15. It wasn't fun to administer, but worth the savings. (The lady at the feed store told us what to do, and my SIL, who has a bit of experience giving shots to her pets, told us the same thing.) You can't do the rabies vax yourself, but everything else is included in the combo shot (I think :D.) HTH, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 You can get worm medicine on line or at a feed store. Really the only shots that many people get for cats are rabies to protect others... if you get all those recommended by hard core cat people... it would cost as much as a mortgage payment. (not really, but scary high). WE give our cats (all 6) the feline leuk shot & rabies. We worm them ourselves and buy all the worm meds at the feed & seed. (hook, round, and others). To pay a vet for worming is way too much money. Just read the instructions & do it yourself. Dogs too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 $300 to get two female cats spayed, wormed and vaccinated is CHEAP imo. I do understand the predicament you are in and I wish you luck in finding a cheaper alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 There are many meds you can buy online or at a feed store. Heartworm meds require a prescription from your vet at 800petmeds, just FYI. If you have a vet that signs your script without a valid client relationship they are in violation of the Veterinary Practice Act. Just trying to keep everyone legal here. Flea meds and dewormers do not typically require a prescription. The cats cannot give you tapeworm, just FYI. Outdoor cats should be dewormed one or two times a year depending on where you live and what they are getting into. Also, check them for fleas. Fleas and tapes go hand in hand. Cestex tablets are cheap and I dispense them without an exam to valid clients on a walk-in basis. I will even dispense them to clients I know for strays that I have never seen, but I will not dispense anything to anyone who is not already a client. So having a good relationship with a vet in your area comes in really handy sometimes. $300 for two cats spays and vax is a bargain. At most clinics, just examining and vaccinating two cats may approach that. Do you realize spaying is major abdominal surgery? Do you realize that anesthetics are costly meds to administer to keep your patients under during the procedure? Do you realize that the vet has had just as much education as an MD only in more than one species? Do you realize that the technician assisting the vet is highly trained to keep your pet from dying under anesthesia? Did you want the surgical pack sterilized because that costs us money as well? I just wonder how many people think the pet disappears into the back room and magically comes out spayed with little or no cost to the clinic? Sorry, but I am really confused when people complain about veterinary costs. Compared to many industries we are a bargain. And it is still a free market so you can find the cheapest vet you want, they are certainly out there, but some of them are cheap for bad reasons, just keep that in mind. Be thankful the government hasn't taken over veterinary medicine yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I second this...plus not all shots must be given. My cats only get rabies. In fact my vet is against over-vaccinating. No FVL there? It is not a pretty death to watch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nata Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 No FVL there? It is not a pretty death to watch.... No, he doesn't give those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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