Dog food allergies and the costs associated with treatment.

I have talked a lot about what is in the dog food sold at stores across the nation.

What you need to know is that most of the food out there is not worth the price you pay for it. Because if you feed bad food, in the end your dog will react to it, possibly get sick enough that you must take your dog to the vet and that can get really costly.

Here is a typical exam and the associated cost with the visit.

$45.00 - $56.00 exam
$175.00 set of x rays
CBC $125.00
Stool sample $50.00 (problematic at best)
Human antibiotics ($5.00 at the drug store) $85.00 at the vet
Dermavet $25.00 (tiny tube)
Shampoo $25.00
Needle biopsy $200.00
Staph Infection test $210.00

Yikes! You can bargain with the vet. When I asked him if I could get a prescription for the antibiotics, he wouldn't give me one and instead charged me $4.95.

He wanted to take x rays of my dog's foot that was causing my dog to limp. I said let's do one x ray and look at that instead of 5 x rays.

I'm afraid most of the vets out there use to mean well but they are also a business. When I was very short on money my vet would not give me a break.

I will remember that for a long time.

I also believe that many vets will not let you out of their network. I have been refused treatment because my usual vet wants me to go to a "specialist". Excuse me??? I should be able to go where I want and treat my dog. Because it's MY DOG!

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Any information contained on this site relating to various medical, health, and fitness conditions of Westies and their treatment is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing dog allergies - you should always consult your own veterinarian.