The Happy Hospitalist - Latest Comments in A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:22:00 -0000

Go to Walmart or Costco for the Rx if the drug is also used in human pts and a generic is available. Vet pricing on drugs is outrageous. I have nothing but respect for vets, but it's often more cost-effective to fill the Rx elsewhere (no, not 1-800-petmeds!) My old dog Sophie had CHF and was prescribed a drug used for treating CHF in humans, with a generic available. Vet's 1 month fill price: $60; Target's price: $15 (this was before $4 Rxs became available).

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

drsam — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:40:00 -0000

This post made me think of a post I made last year.

http://drsamonline.com/2008...

Cheers,

Sam

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

tracy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:17:00 -0000

Hee, you're funny Drack "ula" .

Gotta ponder on your double cheezeburger idea too....Hummmm....Are you ..."Loving it" or what? :)

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

all but 1 — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:29:00 -0000

No hidden costs. Cats are kept in a double-isolated room, in individual cages until their readings are low enough. Yep, they're bored, but they are cats, so they generally sleep most of the time. The I131 therapy targets only the overproductive thyroid tumor, not the normal cells, so the cats rarely need thyroid supplementation later in life. It really is the best bang for your buck. But negotiation on price? Not a chance - most of us vets are just breaking even with those costs. Of course, I'll luckily never have to do that internal medicine stuff - give me ECC all the way!

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Sara — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:49:00 -0000

How do you keep a cat in a lead-lined room for 10 days without either the cat or everyone in earshot going bonkers? Sounds like there may be some hidden costs there.

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Amy-65C — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 19:42:00 -0000

I like vets:
They are general practitioners, surgeons, dentists, radiologists, and all kinds of -ists. They can do it all.
They know how to treat more than one species and like your post mentions, they always tell you BEFORE treatment how much this is going to cost you.
Added bonus: when you wake up from any procedure, your nails have been clipped! :-)

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Hey, You — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:17:00 -0000

Vet medicine:

1) No insurance (though that is changing), so there is no middle-man to pay.
2) By and large, patients (or their custodians) can't sue. This is HUGE in terms of what needs to be done and documented. My dog always got better medical care than humans, largely because she got exactly what she needed and nothing more. Documentation was done based on what the doctor needed to have available.

Veterinary medicine is like the ideal practice of medicine. Perhaps it explains why it is harder to get into vet school than medical school in some places.

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Frank Drackman — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:53:00 -0000

How About "Do Nothing" and just get a new Kitty? which you probably wouldn't need anyway, I sorta of wish ours would get a little bug eyed, instead of sleepin 23.5 hrs day...

Re: A Hyperthyroid Cat Named Calvin

Keith — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:30:00 -0000

Wouldn't the cat have to take thyroid replacement after having its thyroid nuked? Or do you not consider this ongoing medication?