# TX Law Question - Vet exam required for any shot???



## troy n sarah tx (Dec 31, 2005)

I got a call from my vet today notifying me that they would need to charge me exam fees (45.00 on top of the 23.00 heartworm and 12.00 shot) to administer my dogs a-lepto and heartworm test since a new state law requires that a vet exam is done for any vaccine. Thats $80.00/per dog. 

This sounds odd to me since the a-lepto is available at the feedstore and I can easily administer it to all my dogs for well under the exam cost. 

Does anyone know anything about this? I would hate to think that my vet is trying to screw me over since I have been going there since 98 and currently have 6 dogs that need to be vaccinated/tested.

I have searched all over the internet and can't find anything that agrees with their statement. 

Any help would be appreciated.

Sarah


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

That's how it was back in the 90's when I worked for a vet. Exam required if not done in over a year. No idea if it was law or not but that's how most vets operated. Wouldn't vaccinate if under the weather.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Can you take them all at once for one exam fee? That's what I do.


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## caroline (Sep 29, 2009)

Same here for the exam. I think a dog needs a yearly exam anyway, just to possibly pick up on something yu may not catch. I agree with Sunset on tis one.


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## troy n sarah tx (Dec 31, 2005)

I take them all in at once. My dogs are in excellent health so I hate to pay 45.00 each for the vet to comment about how good I take care of them year after year. If my dog even hints at getting sick they are at the vet. Our vet bills since we have been with this vet are well over $15,000.00 due to a mastiff with liver issues/seizures, mastiff with hip displasia to chihuahua with collapsing trachea, dental cleanings...etc. 

I just haven't heard of a law being passed that requires it. I can understand if the vet clinic decides to change it's policy but I don't want to be lied to about the reason they are going to charge me more.

Sarah


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I give all my own vaccines, except for rabies (which must be given by a licensed vet, but you can find low-cost rabies clinics for that). 

If I want to heartworm test my dogs I can order the tests online. I trained as a vet tech so I know how to draw blood, I can test my dogs at home for this.

I give my dogs OTC ivomec (labelled for use in cattle) for their heartworm prevention and de-worm them with OTC dewormer - ivomec + pyranel pamoate = heartguard brand heartworm prevention.

I've never had a dog test heartworm positive with this regimine, which I actually learned when I was a vet tech at a clinic where we helped hunters with large packs of hounds keep their expenses affordable without compromising on the level of care that the dogs received.

I also examine my dogs myself on a regular basis...I know my crew and if something is wrong with them I trust myself to pick up on it. 

Lots of vets won't give vaccinations to an animal they haven't examined because its a liability......


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

Our hospital policy is once yearly exams in young dogs/cats, semiannual in seniors (we will vaccinate a senior with a yearly exam, but strongly urge the semiannual). No vaccinations or prescriptions (including heartworm) without the exam. We do often split vaccinations into separate visits but don't do an exam at each visit.


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## caroline (Sep 29, 2009)

GoldenMom said:


> Our hospital policy is once yearly exams in young dogs/cats, semiannual in seniors (we will vaccinate a senior with a yearly exam, but strongly urge the semiannual). No vaccinations or prescriptions (including heartworm) without the exam. We do often split vaccinations into separate visits but don't do an exam at each visit.


Precisely the way the clinic where I worked operated....no pun.
We really watched over the very young and the elderly animals; they are so vunerable.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I don't know Texas law, but where I am and also in California, it is against the law for anyone other than a vet to give medication to someone else's animals. In short, you can not practice veterinary medicine without a license.

So I can give shots to my own dogs. Nobody else can (legally), except for a vet.

I've never had a vet give a shot of any kind without giving at least a basic exam: temperature, listen to the heart and lungs, check the eyes.

There are clinics here where the "exam" is included with the price of the rabies shot. It's a very brief one, but it is an exam.

My own vet gives rabies for $10 and that includes the exam. However, he won't do anything else without a full price exam.

Think about this. If your vet gave your dog medication without taking a few seconds to check that the dog was healthy and the dog had a bad reaction to his shot or meds, you'd be screaming mad.

I'll admit, some vets are getting too eager to vacuum out their clients pockets.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

We use a "Mobile Vet" for shots. Twice a week, he parks an RV at a feed store, and is there for shorts and any minor care. We did have our male nutered by him.
Shots are with out much additional charge... last time we used them.


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

I agree about the liability comment, same as a doctor can't prescribe medication to a human patient they haven't seen or haven't seen recently.

I'll also comment that I think routine exams are half the bread and butter of any small animal practice. Without those, there wouldn't be any vets for surgeries or emergencies. I don't think they could make a living at just surgeries or emergencies unless it was in a big city set up for just such things.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I worked for a cat-only vet clinic once....we got paid less than we would if it had been a regular small animal clinic because the revenue of the clinic itself was lower. The vet always said that because we didn't do annual heartworm screenings or heartworm pill sales, our bottom line was thinner.

I don't begrudge vets their profession or livelyhood by any means. Heck, I worked as a licensed vet tech and considered vet school seriously at one point (until I got pregnant, which is another story alltogether). 

But I also have to watch MY bottom line, and the mark-up on vaccines is obscenely high. When I worked at the SPCA we used to get our rabies vaccines for free from the manufacturer because we ordered so many distemper combos. And microchip companies have sweet deals with clinics - they get free microchips for every time a client registers their newly microchipped pet, and last time I didn't have microchips on hand at home and had to get a puppy done the vet included the cost of the registration in my bill. So I paid $32 for a microchip they didn't have to pay for at all, which is 100% profit to the vet.

If it were just the cost of an examination and a halfway decent mark-up on the other stuff I'd probably be more apt to go in. And I know that probably 90% of the vet's clients will pay for the things that I do myself at home, and that keeps their practice up and running. And I know if I do something wrong with my own animals that its my fault; if a vet does something with your pet and hasn't done an exam, they're liable. So I understand them mandating an exam before they do anything, just to cover their assets


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## troy n sarah tx (Dec 31, 2005)

I worked out a deal with the vet so they only charged me 362.70 total. That included all the exams, combo shot, and heartworm test. Vets were extremely happy with all of my dogs since only 1 is still overweight, rest all lost between .2 - 2 lbs since last visit (.2 was on 7 lb dog, 2 lbs was on the 18 lb dog), and my dogs are in excellent health (other than known collapsing trachea - Freddie and heart murmur - Murphy). 

Only thing that came out of the exam is that I need to watch their teeth (duh they are small dogs). At least I know that they are healthy and happy doggies.

All's well that end's well. 

Sarah


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

The reason vets have high mark ups is because of the technology they use to diagnose and do surgeries...and equipment isn't cheap either. Lots of vets who are big timers have sonogram machines and many other high tech machines that enable them to do their jobs faster....but they can do with out it but the average city owner screams and demands for those high tech stuff so what can a vet do?


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Figure how many shots, exams, surgeries, medications, sick visits, tests, etc. have to be done just to employ ONE vet, ONE vet tech, or even ONE receptionist. The vet has to pay off a usually large student loan, office rent or mortgage, utilities, equipment running into the thousands, medical supplies (and some medicines run over $100 a bottle - VET cost), office supplies, computer (s), let's not forget STAFF, and enough profit to support a household. 

There are no insurances paying big money - it's all out of the owner's pocket, and not everything is affordable. A vet's training is as much as a human doctor's except the return is not the same. It's also more difficult as patients can't talk. Even vet techs are comparable to PA's, yet the monetary comparisons are laughable - they can draw blood, run blood tests, run x-rays, assist in surgery, administer anesthesia, treat (under supervision), perform dentistries (our techs had a LOT more experience in this than the vets), all for a living that would be lucky to pay rent for a modest house in the city. And it requires a 2-4 year degree and certification, at least here.

If you compared what a vet charges to what a doctor charges for the same procedures, the question is not why should a doctor charge more when a vet charges less, but why shouldn't a vet charge as much as a doctor! Well ok maybe that's a bit extreme.  But so many people DO ask that question, but there are SO many overhead costs at any vet hospital. Remember a family doctor has to pay for a nurse and/or PA, receptionist, rent and utilities and office supplies, while a vet has to pay for literally a complete hospital in a compact space, as well as possibly another vet.


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