Vet Farm Charge

[Fuego]

I'm currently boarding at a large facility. Generally speaking, approx. 100 horses and 40 boarders.

So naturally, when it comes to spring shots, coggins, health certificates, ect...they are often done en masse.

What I just learned recently, despite the fact that so many horses are 'seen' at the same time, the vet still charges EVERY boarder a $40. farm visit fee.

It certainly sounds like gouging to me. If he sees only 20 different boarder's horses, he's collecting $800. in farm visit fees for ONE farm.

Is this typical? I was ASSUMING, we'd be getting a discounted rate do to volume, if anything.

Would aprreciate hearing about other's experience with this type of situation.

[pnalley]

My vet splits the farm fee.

And if I hold the others horses & they don't show up, it is split between THEM.

Yep, that is price gouging.

[PasoJoy]

I'd sure say it's gouging...if I happen to get the vet the same time as my neighbor the vet will usually split the trip charge..

[Helene]

Depends on the vet....Happened to me, once, too. Vet told me that he would be at my neighbor's to check on her horse and said she could come by and "look" at my foal. She had just done a check on my new born foal....She came by, looked (2 seconds) at my foal and charged me a full farm call. I told her she was just coming by to "look" since she was just next door....To, at least, split the cost between my neighbor and me....no, I had to pay her the entire farm call. Needless to say....I NEVER called on her again...
On the other hand...I have taken my horse to other farms to meet the vets and we split the farm call fees.

[CarolU]

My vet also splits the cost...and when I do my spring shots, he usually waves my farm call AND gives me a large volume discount. I do all my horses, dogs and outside cats on the same visit.

BTW - I have one of the best vets for pricing I have ever seen. When WNV first came out, I was the first in my county to give the vaccines. He let me buy it by the bottle and charged just the farm call to come give it.

He is also the one who told me NOT to buy insurance!! Have a savings account and charge card instead. For what they charge for insurance, I could save the most expensive thing he does within a year. And if nothing ever happens, it's still MY money.

[Carol Nelson]

My vet will split the cost of her farm call if the two places are within 15 miles of each other...
but considering she charges 4.75 a mile now...it's still a big chunk...

Now Lockhart vet will charge $48 to come out this far...and they will split the call between two adjacent farms. That brings it to a very reasonable $24.

Of course, my vet's an equine repro and lameness specialist...and the small town vet is just that...small town...

[Red Ryder]

my vet comes and treats 9 horses [4 are mine] and he charges one farm call of $25

[Abejita]

my vet splits the call too in the same barn..but a different farm is a different farm..so if she went to my neighbors because they called and asked her to come look at a horse..you made the appointment and its a seperate call fee..I would say Fuego that you vet is a rip off artist..I wonder if the barn owner gets a kick back...

[Terry Wallace]

My vet charges $65.00 for call-out. If I have two or three client horses being seen on the same day...I make darn SURE he splits the fee....
equally between clients.... he is very good about it though....his "other charges" are HIGH enough...lemme tell ya!!

Normally...I haul to him if its my own "keeper" horses.....he is 15 miles or so away from me...

[Jane Hurl]

That is a blatant rip off. It is a "farm" fee ... not a "per animal" fee ... and you are all at ONE farm. For cryiing in the soup! By that standard, I'd have to pay NINE times the farm fee for a vet to come and give all my horses their spring shots!

No, Fuego, I'd be raising cain! And if that didn't change things, I'd be contacting my local veterinary licensing association, whatever that may be in your state.

[Cindy]

I agree with everyone else and more. I would not use this vet as to me a vet that would do that is one who is in the business only to make money and not for the client OR, most importantly, the horse. I would not trust that vet to work on my horse. In fact, I would use another vet even if it cost me more. In the long run, I guarantee, I would save money. And possibly a horse.

[Monty]

Our vets split the call charge - Use to have to go to another farm for 3 that are now here - but they split the charge - now they will just come here for the 6 and split it between Amy and I - since 4 of the horses are hers .Or she just pays me her share ;-)
When Amy leased and ran a barn - all the vets would split the cost - I remember the one day there were 16 horses to give shots and do coggins, 2 floats ,can't remember what else - he was suppose to have a list of what shots were to be given - he didn't bring the WNV one - and TRIED to charge me for another trip - I told them NO - He had the list and didn't load it in his truck - his fault - so he did come out and give the shots free - also the second shot later ;-) - - - - We have never used that clinic again - ;-) I might in an emergency - but Wisconsin Equine ONLY does equines and have over 9 vets ! And full services - with a beautiful hospital with all the fancy surgical and testing things.
At least one if not more are instructors at UW Vet College too -

[Pam M]

My vet has designated days where he visits a particular area and on those days he charges the same thing as if you brought your horse to his clinic. I think it's about $20. But he doesn't split the charge - it's basically an office visit fee and there's one for each owner or at least for each check he gets. So he'll do all of mine under one fee and each of my boarder's pay their own fee. I don't actually mind that because he would charge us like that if we hauled in as well unless I just ran them all under my account, which I prefer not to do.

I really feel for my vet - he's pretty much the only one in a 2-county area that will make farm calls and he's way overworked. As a result, he's recently gotten a little particular about taking new clients and about educating owners not to call him in the middle of the night for the little stuff!

[CarolU]

If you stop and think about it, the farm call is basically the cost of gas and wages for the time spent driving. IF the vet were visiting different farms, I can see charging everyone a certain amount. But I disagree with what this vet is doing...once he's there he's there.

[Fuego]

Thanks all. I pretty much had all the same thoughts. Though my source was what I would consider a reliable source at the barn, I haven't had the opportunity to speak with the barn owner in person yet.
It's possible I misunderstood something.

If it does prove to be true, I have no plans of using this vet for anything!

I'd rather pay twice the amount for a farm visit with a different vet then use a vet of that character. Being in Louisville, finding a competant equnie vet shouldn't be too hard....

But just for clarification, the farm call fee was per owner, not per horse ( at least from what I was told). I'll definately find out for sure before the 'farm vet's' spring visit. I've never heard of such a practice before. So I figured who better to ask then the experts here......

[Jane Hurl]

But just for clarification, the farm call fee was per owner, not per horse ( at least from what I was told).

Yeah, but, Fuego ... it is as CarolU pointed out: the amount charged for a "farm visit" is the cost of the vet coming to the farm. S/he is only traveling to ONE farm, therefore there is only one tank of gas and one hour (or whatever) of his/her time. It doesn't (or at least SHOULDN'T) matter HOW many owners have their critters there!

[Abejita]

wow Pam your vet charges if you take the horse to the clinic plus the fee for whatever is done?? Not my vets..you go to the clinic for anything from stallion collection to mare exam you only get charged for that service..

Even if that vet comes and has to spend half a day vaccinating (100 horses) the call fee shouldnt be higher..He/she is getting the same amount of work done..actually more ..than if they had to travel to 5 or 6 different farms to vaccinate the same number of horses..unless that vet doesnt make any mark up on the drugs/shots- ..yeah ..right.. ;-)

[CarolU]

My vet charges like Sheri's. There isn't even a spot on the bill for an office visit charge. He will charge to come in to the office for an emergency..but that is different.

[SandyMM]

We paid $25 for a weekday farm visit in Rome, GA, and $75 for afterhours/weekend/emergency visits plus whatever work was done. The vet would split the charge if any other owners' horses were treated. I could meet him at another farm and pick up any paperwork/shots/meds he had for me - saving him a trip and me the farm visit charge. He worked strictly out of his truck and was prepared to do anything except major surgery - which he referred to Auburn or UGA.

The vet clinic at our new place is equally reasonable. They do have a clinic location where we can take our horses - if needed - and are less than 4 miles, so they are readily available. Pricing is less expensive for the little bit of work we have needed than at our previous location.

We did run into the 'per horse' charge with our barefoot farrier when gas prices went up last year. Instead of a 'farm visit charge' to cover the additional gas cost - which I would have considered reasonable, she jacked up the price per horse specifically because of the rise in gas prices... and it didn't come down when the gas prices came down...

[Barbwire]

Mitch, I was told if I got my horse's radiator cap recalibrated , his radio antenea tuned up, and his floor mats realigned for $200, they throw in the farm call for free......

[Fuego]

LMAO.... nice one Barb ;-)

[CarolU]

Mitch, I was told if I got my horse's radiator cap recalibrated , his radio antenea tuned up, and his floor mats realigned for $200, they throw in the farm call for free......

:lmao

[Pam M]

I thought everyone paid an office visit fee :-? Both my large animal and small animal vets charge them. Every vet I've ever used around here charges one. Bummer. I want my money back.

[Boyd R]

being a service call person let me tell ya. farm visit charges (trip fees) don't account for anything specific. Yes we would like to think it is for gas and wages while driving. But it is simply overhead recovery. A vet will look at his books at the end of the year and budjet in how much time he spends traveling and what that cost is. Then he has to figure in where to recoup his overhead costs. We can all go to Jeffers and buy our shots for a fraction of the cost most vets charge. I know several vets that charge almost cost for those shots just to keep clients from self administering. Others charge less trip fee but higher on services or office visit.
It boils down to what it costs to keep you pet healthy overall. And who you trust to do that. I rarely look at a bill from my vet, Ferrier or equine therapist. I count on them to treat me right, charge enough to still be there when I need them, and most importantly take care of the kids. If they don't it is time to find someone new.

[Jane Hurl]

Yeah, but, Boyd ... if you don't look at the bills, how do you know when you're being had? I mean, look at Fuego's situation that started this whole thread.

[Boyd R]

for one thing he is not positive it is for fact and yes if this is how this vet operates He definitly needs to get more info. Maybe this vet only charges the flat rate period that is info he needs to find out prior to any service. Along with other info. Such as is he licensed, chech the BBB in the area.
Maybe get some recomendations. What other fees does he charge.
does he bring assistance. does he send me reminders of when things are due. etc etc etc.
When I say I do not look at the bills does not say I do not know what I am getting prior to them touching my horse. And would think it be irresponsible of anyone that did. At minimum come on High recomendation of someone I trust.

[motorgypsy]

None of the six vets we use at all of the six boarding barns we have been at have charged anything more than one barn call fee split between the people who had horses worked on so yes if that is the way the vet does it you are being ripped off.

[CarolU]

Yeah, $800 for one day's farm call seems MORE then a little excessive to me! Maybe $80 for the day!!!

[KAB]

Maybe everyone should call for a seperate visit and let him EARN that farm call.Might give him the idea to offer a discount if all do it on the same day.

[CarolU]

Maybe everyone should call for a seperate visit and let him EARN that farm call.Might give him the idea to offer a discount if all do it on the same day.

LOL...I like the way you think. :lol:

[Jane Hurl]

*grin* Me too!