Dr. Kemmerer: >...The reason I don't post more is because there's a lot of vet bashing >on this list. It's usually subtle, but there are lots of snide little >comments. <fin> I'm horrified that you feel intimidated about posting on here. Please, don't go away we need people with your type of specific knowledge to keep us on the rails around here. Unfortunately in any open discussion group the risk exists that people are going to post something that may infer something (hopefully unintentionally) that puts another person's profession in a dimmer light. I would like to apologize for those among us who have been unfair to vets on here. In some cases it is not intentional (i.e. someone is just frustrated) and in others people are out of line. I would also like to thank you and your colleagues for the great work you do keeping our critters (ferrets and others) healthy and treating them when they take ill. In my opinion you generally don't get thanks enough for your efforts. TO THE REST OF THIS LIST - I know vet bills aren't cheap, but keep the following in mind. Medicare does not pay for any pet bills so owners are liable for all costs around their animal's treatments. I have volunteered at a vets office and let me assure you they aren't making $$ hand over fist. The fees are necessary and justifiable. If they don't charge for their services they can't afford to practice medicine, and if they can't afford to practice medicine there isn't a clinic. Everything costs $$ to provide. I would rather sink $50-100 into my animal to find out that I have panicked over nothing than wait and be sorry. I know some people have a gripe over the cost of the annual vaccination/check-up. Of course the vacination does not cost anywhere near $35-50 to provide. However, the monies from these exams keep the clinic running so that they don't have to scalp you on more serious health emergencies. The extra amount they charge for this exam goes towards equipment, medications, and wages for staff, to ensure that there is a well stocked clinic with competent staff ready to assist you when you have a genuine emergency for your critter. Most vets I have known donate time to assist stray animals with shelters. Many of them also donate part of their services with programs for pets belonging to poor families who can't afford any vet care. Another credit to vets is that when an emergency occurs they will try to accomodate most owners with some sort of payment plan for larger emergency bills just so long as immediate expenses (for example lab fees where a third party is involved) are covered right away. They won't give you forever to pay the bill, but they will give you some leeway. They don't have to do any of this stuff. Nowhere in a vets job description does it say they must do anything for purely humanitarian reasons. Many of us don't take the time to think "Will I be able to afford a real emergency for this cutie?" when we are getting a pet. The possibility that some day you may have to spend several hundred or even a couple thousand dollars to save your pets life is something you should consider and try to plan for. This is also part of responsible pet ownership. Hats off to vets. They are there when we need them! Lorraine [Posted in FML issue 3679]