Tried to schedule a behavior vet appointment…they said it’d be $900 for 1 office visit

[mollym8505]

@misschildfree1970 Sorry just now seeing this. So far it’s okay.. hella expensive but our vet Dr. Spano is really nice. The first drug we started our dog on made his reactivity worse, and this second drug hasn’t had an effect and it’s been a little over a month. We have a follow up appointment Monday so I’m going to try to see if we can switch to a third drug. Otherwise If nothing helps him I’d rather have him drug free.

 

[misschildfree1970]

@mollym8505 Thanks for circling back to share!! We have an appt with Dr. Spano, so fingers crossed

 

[breatheme]

@proguarda1 I've heard that getting a dog is, from a financial perspective, comparable to getting & maintaining an additional car. I guess we should try to think of our reactive dogs as luxury vehicles?

All kidding aside, I have often had similar thoughts/feelings/frustrations. I can empathize completely. When my dog first started showing signs of reactivity, I looked into private lessons with the same company we had done our initial, pre-COVID (affordable) group obedience classes with. They started at $250 an hour. And this was for virtual sessions. I was absolutely shocked.

 

[rkj]

@breatheme I wish my dog was as cheap as my car.

 

[floxy4u]

@proguarda1 This sounds exactly like NYC prices - the rates are right for the VB- there are limited VBs and you may need to wait to get an appointment due to demand. The follow-up appointments are virtual and short - like 15-30m and tend to be every 8 weeks or so until you find the right medication. Mine charges this by 15m increments so only charges based on the time needed. Then it's just the in person medical follow-up every 8 mo or so. Yes, super expensive. If you are in NY area - I know there's a VB in NJ that may be different pricing.

BUT you can find a certified behaviorist for less. Sometimes virtual training is less than in person ($150 -170/hour)- but the initial consult is usually 90m which will be a higher price. The benefit of going to the trainers within the VB practice is that they collaborate with the vet on the plan and share notes. The vet's plan is shared with whichever trainer you work with - but the notes/collaboration is not unless something specific.

Here's a link to find a certified behaviorist: https://m.iaabc.org/consultant/

Most have website that show the pricing upfront.