I can elate about vet bills being really high.  I talked to my vet once
about it and she said that the reason they are so high is because they have
to get the exotic training on their own out of vet school mostly and that
they are one of the vets that knows how to properly treat exoctics.  She
said many do not know what they are doing with ferrets.  Annual shots run
me about $20 which is cheap.  An exam though for an exotic is $32 each
time.  A recheck is $15, but if symptoms are different even though it
relates to the same problem, then it is $32 again.  The problem I have is
that I really trust all three vets there, but they are one of the more
expensive animal hosptials in the area.  So each time I consider changing
vets, it all comes back to trust and cost.
[Posted in FML issue 2257]