Cost of getting blood test

abff

We have a ten year old labrador bitch. We have been giving her Metacam for the last year in order to help stave off arthritis. She needs an operation to remove a cyst and we were told by the vet that they should take a blood sample to check everything is OK before carrying out the operation next week.

There was no mention of cost so we were somewhat taken aback to be charged an additional €95 for the blood test. Does this seem reasonable?

I know we were stupid not to ask first how much it would cost and we won't make that mistake again. But we are now considering whether we should go somewhere else to have the operation because we feel that (a) we should have been told that there would be a significant extra cost for the blood test and (b) the amount seems ridiculously high.

I'd welcome any comments/suggestions.

Thanks
abff

anniehoo

Its important before surgery that a "pre surgery screen" or biochemistry analysis is done to make sure all the major organs (liver,kidney etc) are working correctly before an anaesthetic is given. It checks liver,kidney enzyme levels, glucose, protein and electrolyte levels. €95 does sound on the dear side to me just for biochemistry, but they may have done a full "general health panel" either which incorporates haematology or Complete Blood Count. A CBC checks red/white cell parameters and platelet count. This ranges between €50-70, plus a sampling fee so €95 wouldnt be too far off the mark.

You need to find out what tests were done in the blood screen to say whether you were overcharged or not.

abff

Thanks Annie. I'll call them tomorrow and ask them exactly what tests they did. At the end of the day, we'll pay whatever it takes, but it's not nice to feel we're being taken advantage of.

By the way, any idea what would be a reasonable charge for removing the cyst?

anniehoo

abff wrote: »

By the way, any idea what would be a reasonable charge for removing the cyst?

Where is the cyst? Internally or externally? It depends on how difficult it is to get find, drain or remove and how long the anaesthetic takes tbh. Every vet gives an estimate of cost before surgery so if you don't want any more surprises id get this first if it was me.

paultf

abff wrote: »

By the way, any idea what would be a reasonable charge for removing the cyst?

My pup (cocker) got a cyst (~1cm in size) removed from his back last week. The vet only had to give him a slight sedation. Dropped him in the morning and picked him up at lunch time. The pup needed 5 stitches and some meds. I asked for it to be tested - sent to a lab in the UK.

Cost €220 (previous week the pup got some injections and I wasn't charged so I think they may have been included).

Sounds expensive but insurance covers most of it.

I would have thought the size of the dog might make a difference to the cost. At a guess it might be around €120-€150 in your case.

abff

It's external and on her groin. There's also a small cyst on her belly. They've quoted a cost for doing both and I'm happy to say how much, if you'd prefer to comment on the figure rather than quote what you think the cost should be.

abff

paultf wrote: »

My pup (cocker) got a cyst (~1cm in size) removed from his back last week. The vet only had to give him a slight sedation. Dropped him in the morning and picked him up at lunch time. The pup needed 5 stitches and some meds. I asked for it to be tested - sent to a lab in the UK.

Cost €220 (previous week the pup got some injections and I wasn't charged so I think think they may have been included).

Sounds expensive but insurance covers most of it.

I would have thought the size of the dog might make a difference for an operation. At a guess it might be around €120-€150 in your case.

Thanks Paul.

Unfortunately we don't have insurance (didn't get it when she was a puppy and then it was too late to get it). But we have been quoted a lot more than your guesstimate.

anniehoo

abff wrote: »

It's external and on her groin. There's also a small cyst on her belly. They've quoted a cost for doing both and I'm happy to say how much, if you'd prefer to comment on the figure rather than quote what you think the cost should be.

Are they definitely anaesthetising her or just sedation? I would expect if its just an external cyst they'd just aspirate the fluid with a needle and syringe which is straightforward enough. Are they sending the fluid away for cytology (cell analysis) to make sure it is just a cyst do you know?

You can say what you got quoted no problem, but you really need to ask them for a brekadown estimate first of whats actually being done.

boomerang

The vet is recommending doing the blood tests, but not insisting on it. Personally, I'd get the blood tests done. At her age I'd be getting them done at least annually to check her liver and kidney function and to diagnose any conditions early for the best outcome. If she is undergoing anaesthetic at her age then liver and kidney function is very important. The €95 charge is well within ballpark if they are doing both blood biochemistry and haematology.

Gael23

If your getting the full works done then €95 is ok. We paid about that but we got alot of different things tested so it wasnt so bad.
Its alot but when they reach that age its worth getting done for your own peace of mind if nothing else.
Our guy is 13 now and on a few diffrent nedications for a number of health problems and we are always afraid that his medication will mask symptoms of something we might not know about so getting that done was more than reassuring.

abff

Thanks everyone for your replies. As I know you will all appreciate, money is not the issue here compared to our dog's health. We just wanted to be reassured that we're not being taken advantage of.

Thanks again
abff

Dingle_berry

abff wrote: »

...

There was no mention of cost so we were somewhat taken aback to be charged an additional €95 for the blood test. Does this seem reasonable?

...(b) the amount seems ridiculously high.

I'm just wondering what are you comparing the cost of the tests against? I know that the most we are normally charged by a GP for a blood test is €20 but that is to cover the phlebotomist, not the assay. Blood tests can be very expensive, depending on the analyte, but the HSE doesn't charge GPs for the lab services.

abff

Dingle_berry wrote: »

I'm just wondering what are you comparing the cost of the tests against? I know that the most we are normally charged by a GP for a blood test is €20 but that is to cover the phlebotomist, not the assay. Blood tests can be very expensive, depending on the analyte, but the HSE doesn't charge GPs for the lab services.

Fair point. I hadn't really thought it through.