Vets and Canadians

Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

"James" wrote in message
ups.com...
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.
----------
In the United States, a competent vet will not vaccinate an animal without
having examined the animal first. And animals do require routine checkups,
especially as they age, because problems can be caught early and treated.
One of the reason cats are now living to be 15 to 20 years old is because of
advances in veterinary care. (Another reason is that more people keep cats
indoors). Cats who do not receive routine care have a greater chance of
dying young due to undiscovered illnesses that could have been treated. If I
hadn't been taking Alex for routine examinations, I would never have found
out that he has a heart murmur and cardiomyopathy. There were no symptoms.
My health insurance covers the cost of my checkups. I have to pay for my
cats' checkups. Nevertheless, the cats get more checkups than I do.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

James wrote:
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

I'm not sure where you're going with this, but here goes. I get an
annual checkup for myself. My health insurance covers checkups to a
certain dollar amount. However, a couple of years, my previous
insurance did not cover checkups, but I paid out of pocket to go
anyway. Checkups are a small price to pay for overall health.

Yes, I "drag" my cats to the vet for annual checkups. One cat does not
get vaccinated, due to having severe allergic reactions to the
vaccines, but he still gets bloodwork and an exam. The other cat gets
vaccinated, but not as often due to recent studies (another topic).
Both are brought in if a medical problem comes up. I pay for this
myself, and do not hesitate to do so. I made a commitment to these
animals when I adopted them.

On Jun 18, 11:33 am, "Rene S." wrote:
James wrote:
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

I'm not sure where you're going with this, but here goes. I get an
annual checkup for myself. My health insurance covers checkups to a
certain dollar amount. However, a couple of years, my previous
insurance did not cover checkups, but I paid out of pocket to go
anyway. Checkups are a small price to pay for overall health.

Yes, I "drag" my cats to the vet for annual checkups. One cat does not
get vaccinated, due to having severe allergic reactions to the
vaccines, but he still gets bloodwork and an exam. The other cat gets
vaccinated, but not as often due to recent studies (another topic).
Both are brought in if a medical problem comes up. I pay for this
myself, and do not hesitate to do so. I made a commitment to these
animals when I adopted them.

Where I was going is trying to get a feel of how many people like
cindys for example would bring their pets to vet more often that their
own visits to the MD.

Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that
people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs.

On Jun 18, 10:21 am, James wrote:
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

Yes, I "drag" my cats and my dog to the vet annually "just" for a
checkup. Taking a dog or cat to the vet once a year is roughly
equivalent, in terms of the amount of aging that happens, to seeing
your own docter every 3-5 years--hardly an excessive frequency. A
competent vet will not vaccinate an animal without an exam, in any
case. And if an illness or injury comes up, they go to the vet then,
too.

I do take them to the vet for things I might not go to the doctor for
myself, because for myself I have the ability to identify and describe
what I'm experiencing. That itchy insect bit--I'd know it was really
an itchy insect bite. My pets don't have the same ability and can't
tell me what they're feeling and exactly what preceded it, and if I
can detect something wrong, there may be more wrong that I can't
identify. This is especially true with cats, who are _very_ _good_ at
hiding illness.

Responsible pet ownership includes providing proper medical care.

Lis

Where I was going is trying to get a feel of how many people like
cindys for example would bring their pets to vet more often that their
own visits to the MD.

Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that
people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs.

To use the example from your original post, no I would not go to the
doctor for an insect bite *unless I felt it necessary* (ie, it got
infected, didn't clear up within a few days, extremely swollen, or an
allergic reaction). I do not go to the doctor unless I feel it's
medically necessary (excluding my annual checkup, which I feel is
important in its own right). Why would I want to pay a copay, wait at
a pharmacy, pay that copay, and then pay the % my insurance didn't
cover? Makes no sense to me.

Like Lis said above, yes, I might take my cats in for something I
wouldn't go in for myself, or for something that seems "minor." One of
my cats is especially stoic and hides his illnesses. If I waited until
he truly acted sick, he might be too far gone. If I have a question, I
call the vet's office and tell them the symptoms--and they can advise.

James wrote:

Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

What's being Canadian got to do with it? I'm Canadian and my 2 cats
certainly see the vet more than once a year.

I think you would be a cheapskate no matter where you lived.

-mhd

wrote in message
...
James wrote:

Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.

What's being Canadian got to do with it? I'm Canadian and my 2 cats
certainly see the vet more than once a year.

I think you would be a cheapskate no matter where you lived.


Sounds reasonable to me.

James wrote in news:1182176492.166028.30380
@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't
include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she
hasn't been to the vet.



I (Canadian) used to get annual checkups (yes they are paid by our
health insurance) which proved important because they detected early
breast cancer 5 years ago, and lately abnormal cells in my cervix.
However, our doctor left town 4 months ago and we no longer have a
doctor (along with thousands of other Canadians). Therefore, annual
checkups, Pap and blood tests, etc. are not possible until I can find a
doctor who is taking on new patients. I would gladly pay $40 to get a
Pap test in view of my high risk, but I can't even do that.

Yes, my cats/dog have always been taken to the vet annually for checkups
and vaccinations and I consider it very necessary to do so. Early
detection is as important to humans as to pets.

Lately, my cat is getting better medical care than I am :-(

Bobble

"James" wrote in message
ups.com...
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself?

I do. (Canada)

Health insurance don't
include checkups.

OHIP - Ontario Health Inusrance covers checkups

If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy
insect bite, would you still go to the MD?

probably not.

Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just
wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets.

yes, I take all my cats into the vet at least once a year.