Cost of blood pressure reading for my cat

lorihmatthews

lorihmatthews

A taste for the arts
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Oct 7, 2006
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#1
I had to take my cat to the vet last week because he is having trouble chewing. As I suspected they will have to extract at least one tooth. He is 12 years old.

The vet suggested that I might want to get his blood pressure checked as well. They wanted to charge me $83 for this service, so since it wasn't critical right now, I declined. It seemed to me like an exorbitant amount just to check BP.

Any veterinarians and vet techs can you comment on the cost?

Pic of Heathcliff.

Heathcliff Aug 2022.JPG
 
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#3
Not a vet but we had to go to our vet hospital when my dog went into anaphylactic shock from his vaccine. He had to stay overnight as well, it was a nice bill of ~$2400 (including a $300 emergency deposit). (Which I predicted, and wasn’t too surprised about because I have an idea of human healthcare costs)

On the bill, a single blood pressure reading was $40 USD.
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Hope this helps!
 
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#5
sdkitty said:
interesting as BP reading is just a normal part of any doctor visit for humans....Is is hard to do on a cat?
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I don't think it's too hard to do on an animal. Taking vitals is standard of care for humans. But, it seems like taking blood pressure readings is not considered standard of care for house pets (even during regular check ups and vet visits), and therefore is considered an additional expense. My guess/thoughts though lol :huh:
 
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#6
I have it done on my little girl due to her health issues (kidney failure, congestive heart failure) and they run about $60 or so.


The way my vet does it is they put a tiny little cuff on one of her front legs and then put some gel on a paw and hold some sort of sensor there. I have found that having me, the person she loves and trusts, hold her for this definitely improves the reading. I think my vet sometimes refers to it as a doppler test.

And also--despite her health issues--she is doing great. She gets special ($$$) kidney diet food and medications and is as happy as can be.
 
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#7
Lori you are in a pretty high COL area so it’s to be expected veterinary costs are higher than average.
Rent is higher
Malpractice insurance is higher
Staff is paid more than in a lower COL area
So prices for routine things are going to be above the national average.
My 2 cents.
 
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#8
lill_canele said:
Not a vet but we had to go to our vet hospital when my dog went into anaphylactic shock from his vaccine. He had to stay overnight as well, it was a nice bill of ~$2400 (including a $300 emergency deposit). (Which I predicted, and wasn’t too surprised about because I have an idea of human healthcare costs)

On the bill, a single blood pressure reading was $40 USD.
View attachment 5595006
Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
That's roughly what my vet charges for blood pressure checks on my dog, but I'm in the southeast. He has high blood pressure so he get's tested every few months to make sure his medication is working. If you live in a higher cost of living area, then $83 may be the norm.
 
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