$80 for 1/2 a Pepcid?

Romie Petunia

  I have mentioned before that we have a very well loved, well fed cat. Her name is Romie. She is fabulous! Seriously, she is the best cat anybody could ever hope for. Ever. She comes when you call her, she snuggles, she never scratches or bites (even when Abby is attacking her!) As far as cats go, Romie Petunia is totally boss.

That is why, when she was barfing little piles of kitty puke all over our house, and continuing to do so for 2 days, I finally called her vet. Now, it's not just any vet. This is the vet we have always taken our precious kitty to. They specialize in cats. They're called, "Cats Exclusive". Sounds legit, right? It is. And priced to match.

We chose this vet 7 years ago when we adopted Romie from a shelter (Romie was 2 when we adopted her). It was just down the road from our townhouse, and Romie was my baby, which meant anything less than a place with "exclusive" in the name was out of the question.

Since then, we have moved 30 minutes away from that vet's office. We have had a "real" baby, and we have spent thousands of dollars at the "exclusive" vet. However, they know us. They know Romie. And I'm loyal, damnit! So, not overly concerned, but enough to call & ask the vet what I can do to help my poor barfing cat, I called & inquired how long I should continue to let my cat turn my white carpet into leopard print. The vet tech gasped, "Ahh! She's been puking for TWO days? That is NOT normal. You need to bring her in right away!" I responded in a much nicer way, but basically said, "Look lady, I have to work, I have other priorities." So, we scheduled an appointment at 4:30pm. Of course, with her reaction, the entire day I was racked with guilt thinking I could very well come home to a dead cat. And it would be all my fault, for working instead of taking a taxi home from downtown & rushing my kitty in for IV antibiotics, or whatever she possibly needed.

I discussed the appointment with my husband. He agreed she should be seen. She's a pretty hearty cat & rarely gets sick, so we were concerned about her. Of course, my husband is attached to this cat on an entirely different level than I am, and he was saying things like, "She has been a good cat. She's old. She's lived a good life." Um, it's a vet appointment, not an appointment to put her down. You realize that, right, honey? Then I did what nobody should EVER do. EVER. I went to Dr. Google. (side note: you know the website webmd? did you know there's a pet version? yep!) So pets.webmd.com told me that Romie probably had kidney or liver disease/failure. And I admit, thoughts of burying her in the backyard under the maple tree started to drift through my mind. Was it better to bury her in a shoe box? No. She wouldn't fit. Hmm...trash bag? That seems a bit cold, she couldn't breathe. Ah! Diaper box. Ok. Plan in place.

I took the earliest bus I could from downtown, to get home to my hopefully still breathing cat. The bus driver took the wrong route. I mean seriously!? This is not the day where I can stand for delays. Finally, made it home at 4:05, called for Romie, who was not coming to my calls. Darn. She's dead. I knew it. Should have taken her in at 9am. This is all my fault. I hope she isn't leaking fluids on the carpet. Oh...there she is...on the stairs. She's fat, it takes her a while to maneuver the stairs. I shove her in the cat carrier & soothe her the entire 30 minute drive to the vet. Did I mention I happened to be wearing all black?

So we get to "Cat's Exclusive" where they are informing this poor old man with a sick cat, that because he's being squeezed in for an "emergency" appointment, their fee is double. I mean really? They are open, they have an opening in the schedule, yet they need to charge this old man $110 plus whatever tests they'll need to run? "Oh and by the way sir, all services will need to be paid in full today before you leave."

Romie and I went into an exam room. I let her out of the carrier, she finds the kitty treats and all was well. The Vet arrived, weighed her...she's lost 3/4 of a pound! Yay for Romie! Then...the Vet tells me "Your cat needs a dental cleaning & needs to have teeth pulled. But no, that's not the cause of her vomiting. It is, however, going to cost about $600." After a full body mashing courtesy of the Vet, Romie is pronounced not dying. She prescribes an anti-nausea shot and some Pepcid. I have some hesitation here.
"Does she NEED a shot? I mean, can't you just give her some kitty pepto?"
The Vet responds with, "That's what the Pepcid is. But if we give her the shot and she barfs, then we'll know for sure she's dying. The shot is only $35"

Ok, I'm all for being humane to animals, but $35 for a shot because my cat probably ate some grass or has a hairball seemed a bit extreme. I turned down the shot. The Vet gave me a lecture about how I might regret it if Romie continues to barf & I have to come back in. Duly noted lady. Give my cat some Pepcid & get us out of here!

$80 later for who knows what...1/2 a pepcid? We were able to leave. The lady at checkout offered me an itemized receipt but I turned it down. I didn't want to know what they had the gall to charge me for 1/2 an over the counter antacid.

On the way home, I couldn't help but think to myself about the business that this "exclusive" vet seems to be running. They tried to up sell me...twice. First with the dental cleaning, then with the shot. Is this what Veterinary medicine has come to? You pay $55 for a 30 minute visit, and yet I have never only paid $55, not once. They ALWAYS up sell something. In fact, I think the $80 was the cheapest I've gotten out of there in years.

Romie is back home, she is happy. She has not barfed since. Maybe just the Vet visit frightened her from adding any more stains to my carpet. And that is what counts. But I am starting to wonder if we should find a different vet. One that doesn't sell kitty toothbrushes.