What is the average price of a senior dog vet checkup?

[robertbelmes]

I took my 10 year old mix breed to the vet today for a routine senior exam, and was very surprised by the final cost. The exam included bloodwork, a 6 month pack of Interceptor, and a normal physical examination. All total it ended up costing over $400. Is this normal pricing? Breakdown of charges are below:

Senior canine bi-annual exam: $68

Venipuncture fee: $14.42

Interceptor Plus 6 pack 25-50 lbs: $57.78

SuperChem/CBC/T4/O&P/Accuplex: $267.96

 

[questionforatheists]

@robertbelmes It usually varies depending on the clinic you go to. My advice is to compare vet prices. Also before I go to the vet I always make sure they let me know the price before I go to my appointment so I can check out other vets and ask other dog owners what they've had to pay. Other than that yea the price seems pretty normal, vets ain't cheap

 

[inhissight]

@robertbelmes Sounds roughly similar to what I pay. I budget about $500 per year per dog for routine health care. That includes exams, preventative tests, minor procedures, vaccines, flea & tick preventative, heartworm preventative.

Granted, I live in an expensive area and am picky about which vets I'll use. It's possible to find much cheaper care if you search around.

Vets differ on what they recommend for senior pets, too. One vet I went to really pushed visits every 6 months and wanted to run extra bloodwork every time just in case. My current vet sticks with the regular yearly checkup and only requires the usual targeted tests for things like heartworm and parasites, unless there are symptoms that suggest other tests.