Hi Angie, and FML,
 
I'm posting to see if anyone else agrees with my advice here.  These are
just some options, I'm not saying you "should" or "have to" do any of the
following:
 
Some options as far as taking action are to submit this bill to 1) the
Better Business Bureau, which does keep tabs and collect information on
veterinary offices, as well as 2) the Attorney General's Office which
investigates fraudulent and overcharging on the part of medical
practioners including vets and 3) the American Veterinary Association or
whatever vet organization in your state regulates veterinary offices on a
professional level.
 
The bill is pretty long; I suppose from a technical standpoint they
"covered their ass" by listing every single little thing done for Luna
but it comes across as being very nickel-and-dime, like they don't want
to miss a penny of what's due.  I think the bill, should you choose to
send it to any of the above offices, should be accompanied by a letter
describing the entire scenario as well as the way you were treated.  I've
not seen a bill so detailed and thorough for a ferret who didn't make it.
There are so many exam fees that I question what justifies that.  I don't
know anything about actual regulations on vet bills but I wonder if there
is a limit on the number of exam fees they can charge for a single animal?
There are 5 exam charges on this bill!  The charges that get even as
nitty-gritty as "vitamin drops" are ridiculous.
 
If you're looking for opinions, mine is that this bill and the
accompanying explanation of the entire affair should be reveiwed by one
or several of the agencies that are in place to keep businesses from
effectively "ripping off" consumers.  I have no idea if all of this stuff
was really done for the ferret, and they have the advantage over you that
they can charge you for everything under the sun and you have no idea if
it was all really done.  There are an awful lot of fluids and medication
listed that were pumped into your ferret; I question the amounts listed
and I think another vet or the AVA should review this.
 
I have the utmost respect for vets and personally have a wonderful one,
so I guess I'm biased.  In several cases, our local "ferret vet" has not
charged anything when ferrets underwent surgery and she found that they
were too loaded with tumors to do anything for them.  She still could have
charged for the exploratoty (at least $250) but didn't.  Re-checks and
evaluations for my ferrets post-op care have frequently been "on the
house" when a surgery has already cost $300-$400.  So I have a negative
opinion of a vet clinic that gets that "nickel-and-dime" about a case,
particularly when the result was that you lost your fuzzy kid.
 
I've had surgery done on 5 ferrets and have never even heard of most of
what's on this bill.  I've never heard of anyone being charged $27 for a
"syringe infusor pump", $10.50 for feeding needles TWICE, etc.  I have a
deep apprecation for the work vets do and I know their bills are often
disputed because people somehow expect that pet treatments will be cheap
when they're not.  But this bill is awfully long and contains things that
you have no way of proving they ever did or used.  Combined with the
treatment you received, I'm suspicious!
 
Just my thoughts.
 
-Heather W.
 Dookin' and dancin' with Dante, Nikite, Dusty, Beanie, Boomer, and Rocky
[Posted in FML issue 3666]