Q: "I have six ferrets and my medical bills are more than I can afford.
Are there any ways to reduce my costs....and still get good care?"
A: I care....is that good enough?
It really depends on your vet and the circumstances. Like some car
mechanics, some vets will not budge on their prices. Others give "group"
discounts, or give percentages off for bringing in new clients. Here are
some ideas that *might* help you, or your club/shelter.
1. Loyalty is worth money. Find a vet, stick with them, and recommend
them to your friends. A vet than can count on you is far more willing to
shave prices than one who hardly knows you. If someone asks you about a
vet, take the time to actually introduce the vet to the new client.
2. Some vets are open to giving a discount to a club or shelter that steers
members their way. It can be as simple as the club paying the vet a
retainer, and members that use the vet can show their card and get a
percentage off their bill. Shelters can give a discount card to new ferret
parents for specific vets, and are in turn given a discount from the vet
for the number of new clients that show up.
3. Have your club/shelter "sponser" a vet clinic. Many clinics offer low
cost neutering, or help abandoned animals. Have fund raisers to benefit
*those* clinic programs in exchange for club/shelter discounts. Have the
membership turn out for periodic work programs, such as cleaning the clinic
cages, exercising or caring for animals in the clinic, or even repairing
the clinic facilities. One vet I know gives out "Bunny Money" for specific
tasks, which can be used to offset vet bills.
4. Barter. If you have a skill or trade that is useful to the vet, barter
your abilities for vet time. I once bartered pictures of the vet's pooches
for considerable vet time. I know a person who designed a work shirt with
a vet motif, and sewed them in exchange for several pet surgeries. Yet
another person I know does the vet's books for vet time. My brother (a
contractor) custom built storage cabinets and exam tables for his vet, and
is still getting free visits.
5. See if your vet will allow to pay in advance on a sort of installment
plan. A friend of mine gives her vet $25 each and every month, which goes
on account. Vet bills are substracted from the fund as needed. Because
there is usually a surplus, the vet gives her a 15% discount, which is more
than the interest she would earn if the money was kept in the bank.
6. Call your vet first. Some vets might think of this as a dirty trick,
or might think I am out of line for suggesting it, but many times if you
think you have a problem, and if you are on good terms with your vet, you
can call and discuss a problem over the phone and occasionally save the
cost of an office visit. Some vets will charge for this service, which
will still save you some money, so don't complain if they do.
7. Build your own ferret medical library and study it. More importantly,
get two copies of each and donate a set to your vet. While this might not
result in your vet giving you a discount, the literature can certainly help
your vet make a quick diagnosis, which saves you money.
8. Prevent rather that treat. Each time you prevent a ferret from
contracting a communicable disease or from being needlessly injuried, you
save yourself money. Keep the food dishes away from the litter box, keep
your cages clean, frequently launder bedding, have good air circulation,
innoculate, isolate sick or unknown ferrets, and learn the warning signs of
the common ferret diseases. An ounce of prevention can be worth a ton of
money, especially when paying for a surgery to remove bits of an eraser
from a curious ferret's intestines.
9. Use a vet school clinic if one is in your area. The vets might be
students, but they are backed up by professors and the care is usually
first rate and usually cheaper.
10. See if your vet offers "bulk rates," and have all your ferrets treated
at the same time. I do this; each and every ferret goes in for shots, for
earmites, for rabies at the same time, on the same day. Sometimes the vet
comes to my house to save clinic time. I get a substantal discount.
Bonus Idea: Dump your spouse and marry a vet. Be prepared to clean a lot
of cages and hear lots of barking dogs.
Some of you might argue that none of these ideas will help, but you have
missed the point. If you are loyal to your vet, your vet knows your
animals, and you honestly explain you financial woes, many (if not most)
are willing to help you out. You can find ways to overcome the costs of
vet care if you are look for them, but nothing is for free, and the lowered
costs usually result in increased work for you.
Bob C and 22 MO Ferts of Finance
[Posted in FML issue 2423]
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