# Vet fees



## Tink_JCF

I was just curious as to how much it costs for taking a rat to the vet. In case I have to take one of mine, I want to make sure I have enough funds at the time. Our newest one, is starting to show signs of maybe becoming sick. As not knowing about getting them from pet stores vs a breeder, I got mine at petsmart. However, petsmart has a 14 day guarantee and the one I got mine from, has a Banfield vet hospital inside it. If I could get some feedback though of how much anyone has spent on just a simple visit to the vet, that would be great. 
I have only had the new rat since Tuesday. Upon a change of enviroment and bedding/cage changes, she has been sneezing and can't tell if she may be hiccuping or not.


----------



## rissa1227

rats have new home sneezes so it may be totally normal. if it is something, petsmarts do have a 14 day guarantee, and are very good about getting the animals back to health and calling the owner to come "rebuy" them. i work at a petsmart .
my vet charges 36 for a vet visit and if i need two antibiotics id leave w about an 80 dollar charge


----------



## smesyna

You'll have a far better idea of what vet care will cost you if you call local vets and ask what the exam fee is, tumor removal, spaying/neutering, etc. Since you asked though, my vet charges a $65 exam fee, spays are 100 (including the health check right before the visit), neuters are 65 last I checked, and I've paid 65-105 for tumor removals, and just to be seen at an E-vet is 100. Aside from the exam fee, my vet is pretty cheap as far as surgeries go. Rats are very prone to URI's so treatments for them are fairly common. Females are also very prone to mammary tumors, and other female problems, so if your rat is a female and you have a good vet, I'd consider getting her spayed.

Also, rats are really social creatures and should never be kept alone. You may be able to find a companion at a rescue (they will often arrange transportation).

As to the 14 day guarantee, the kind of luck you'll have with that depends largely on the store-many of the banfield vets don't know what they are doing. Vets are taught almost nothing about rats in vet school unless they go out of their way to study them.

The more money you save up the better. Rats are quite expensive pets. I'm not trying to scare you or anything, but it's a genetic lottery, you don't even want to know what I've spent on my rats.


----------



## Tink_JCF

Thanks Smesyna! I will definitely call around and find out. I am familiar with pets being expensive and the health problems they can get cause I have a ferret. Had two of them at one time and both diagnosed with lymphoma. 

I have another rat that I plan on introducing to the new one. I just wanna make sure that this new one is not sick first. Unfortunately, since the two share the same air space, it is possible that my oldest one has already been exposed to anything the new one may have if she does. They have been in the same room together for 3-4 days now, but not in the same cage.


----------



## rissa1227

in the same house QT is broken already. i have no where to do safe QTs at this point so i am very careful not to bring home any new rats right now lol. but it shouldnt be super expensive to get your rat on antibiotics if need be. my vet is OUTRAGEOUS for surgeries so if i had to do a surgery it would be through the local vet college which is alot cheaper. i got my rats neutered at a dog/cat spay and neuter facility because they had a vet that specialized in small animals. u just gotta call around. ask my boyfriend, he will tell you how much hes unhappily had to help me spend on the rats lol


----------



## Ratastrophe

The vets around me charge between thirty and forty for a visit. I just had to take one in, and after the meds they prescribed, it ran me sixty bucks. I agree though, you should call around, it can vary a lot from place to place.

Not to stir up trouble or anything, but if you do decide to take him back to Petsmart, you should be prepared for the possibility that you won't get him back. I got a guinea pig there once when I was a teenager, he got sick, I took him back with explicit instructions that they call me when he was well. I didn't ask for a refund or a new piggy, I just wanted that one better. They never called, and when I called them back, not only did they not have him, they didn't even have any records of him. So they couldn't tell me what happened to him, and I had to pitch one heck of a fit to get my money back. Maybe it was just that store that was bad, but if you're attached (so hard not to be!), I personally wouldn't risk it.


----------



## smesyna

Ratastrophe said:


> The vets around me charge between thirty and forty for a visit. I just had to take one in, and after the meds they prescribed, it ran me sixty bucks. I agree though, you should call around, it can vary a lot from place to place.
> 
> Not to stir up trouble or anything, but if you do decide to take him back to Petsmart, you should be prepared for the possibility that you won't get him back. I got a guinea pig there once when I was a teenager, he got sick, I took him back with explicit instructions that they call me when he was well. I didn't ask for a refund or a new piggy, I just wanted that one better. They never called, and when I called them back, not only did they not have him, they didn't even have any records of him. So they couldn't tell me what happened to him, and I had to pitch one heck of a fit to get my money back. Maybe it was just that store that was bad, but if you're attached (so hard not to be!), I personally wouldn't risk it.


You bring up a good point. There have been many instances of them following their word, but you have zero recourse if they don't, because you actually have to return your pet for them to get it veterinary care. I was in a similar situation, and opted to pay for it myself, because I was afraid they'd either not take care of them properly, or kill them and try to return to me different rats. I'm so sorry you went through such a nightmare


----------



## Frodowisebrandytook

Vets in my area are highway robbers, running at $500 for a spay of nuter, $100 for meds for a URI and $1000 for a tumor removal. DONT let that stop you though! it seems that I live in a rat vet dead zone. There are simply no vets here that know what they are doing with rats, and the few that have a slight clue about rats have astronomically high prices. It seems like most people in other parts of the world have much better luck with rat vets, so shop around, and find someone good. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. When they are finished treating your rats, please ask them to come to eastern VA to treat mine!


----------



## smesyna

Frodowise, there's a vet on the vet rec thread on here in Virginia.


----------



## Snippet

My vet charges £10 for a consultation, £2.50 per ml of baytril, £7.50 for a steroid injection, £5 for a bottle of metacam, £30 for x-rays, £5 for a FNA, between £30 and £50 for a lump removal, £20 for samples to be taken and results sent back to me and £22 for a rat to be PTS. I can't think of anything else my rats have needed from the vet.

My vet is fairly cheap, and they're usually willing to learn.


----------



## Frodowisebrandytook

smesyna: where can I find that thread?! I looked for it, but I did not see it (Sorry, I am still very new to the forum and don't quite know my way around yet!)


----------



## smesyna

http://www.ratforum.com/index.php/topic,1179.0.html That is page one.


----------



## lilspaz68

Normal prices for my vet for regular customers (In Toronto, Canada) are 65 for the visit/exam, 350 for a spay, 200 for a neuter, 350 or more for tumor removal, 65 for euth.

Its 2-300 to even be seen at an E-vet around here


----------



## smesyna

I dont know how you manage to help so many rats with prices like those, I think I forget that sometimes when you're talking about what you're bringing your rats to the vet for.


----------



## bcfromva

Frodowisebrandytook said:


> Vets in my area are highway robbers, running at $500 for a spay of nuter, $100 for meds for a URI and $1000 for a tumor removal. DONT let that stop you though! it seems that I live in a rat vet dead zone. There are simply no vets here that know what they are doing with rats, and the few that have a slight clue about rats have astronomically high prices. It seems like most people in other parts of the world have much better luck with rat vets, so shop around, and find someone good. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. When they are finished treating your rats, please ask them to come to eastern VA to treat mine!


I live in Charlottesville, VA and I pay $62 for a wellness check-up, $75 for a "sick" visit. The first tumor removal I did cost $300, and the second tumor removal+spay was $270. Most visits end up costing between $90 and $160 depending on the medications, etc.


----------



## lilspaz68

smesyna said:


> I dont know how you manage to help so many rats with prices like those, I think I forget that sometimes when you're talking about what you're bringing your rats to the vet for.


I get rescue discounts (not these prices), its still expensive but my vet cuts me breaks wherever he can.


----------



## Tink_JCF

I am definitely NOT taking Lilly( we have now named her) back to the pet store. I have done some research on vets around here and picked out 5 of them to call. What is interesting though, is that the petsmart where I got mine and my brother's rats from, their Banfield vet is listed as an exotic vet also. Where as, the one that is actually a little closer to us, is only listed as a small animal vet. Anyways, I think I am going to be calling the ones on my list today or tomorrow to find out for sure, which vet I should go to . Although, I really like the Banfield's hours cause they are open every day vs. the others aren't.


----------



## Frodowisebrandytook

bcfromva: I could handle prices like that. Granted, they are still on the very high end, and I would steal feel like I am getting robbed, but better than here on the coast. I am about 4-6 hours away though, it is a long haul, especially in an emergency.


----------

