Cost of lameness exam and injections?

[caryledee]

I had a top notch vet out earlier this week and just received the invoice. I am just curious about what others would expect to pay for an exam, 8 x rays, and 3 joint injections (stifle and hocks).

I was very pleased with the thoroughness of the exam and the time he took. I had an idea of what the charges were going to be but it is still a shock to see it in black and white. However, I am not sure if I could afford to do this every year and I am just curious if the price would be much cheaper elsewhere.

Thanks for your help!

[findeight]

Most vets charge a farm call for driving out and their time. An exam fee for their experience, opinion and, again, time. Most charge per picture to cover the cost of the machine, film or disc and their opinion.

Joint injections generally price by injection site plus sedation drugs and/or other meds including those in the injection, HA combined with a steroid is more then just the steroid.

Cant say how much is typical for any of this as it’s very dependent on how far the vet came, how long they were there and the cost of doing business in the area- like the area within two hours of NYC or LA is more expensive for any business to operate in then, say, two hour range of Des Moines.

Likewise a highly regarded lamness and sport horse specialist with a well regarded practice who does hundreds of joint injections a year is going to charge more then somebody two years out of vet school who does a handful.

Maybe 8 years ago I paid 65 per site in 6 sites plus 50 for the farm call plus sedation. No x Rays. It was a continuing treatment and I had extensive imaging done in the PPE by the same vet. Mid price area.

If you decide to redo the injections in a year for maintenance the vet will already have examined the horse and you can skip new x rays. Now, if the horse is lame, that’s not maintenance and you would need new diagnostics.

[jherold]

Around $800 for mini lameness (watched trot, flexed hocks and checked stifles), horse is 16 with no previous maintenance. Didn’t do xrays. Injected both hocks with HA, etc. incuding sedation. I’m in NW Indiana. I would imagine KY would be more expensive. HA is very, very expensive and you need a lot of it for joint injections.

[Smiles]

X-rays/injections/examine/trip call/sedative I’d say easy 1 grand. Injections alone are $250 from a good vet, so if you had uppers/lowers and stifles it adds up fast.

[joiedevie99]

That would run me =/- $1500.

[starrunner]

Also depends on what is being injected. What’s injected in my older mare is different than a young performance horse.

[TWH_Girl]

A lot depends on what drugs were used as well, but for all you said…

• farm call: $28
• lameness evaluation: $67
• Xrays @ $25 per view: $200
• sedation: $30
• stifle injections with hyvisc and vetalog: $240
• hocks@ TMT joint only both hocks- $240- add extra $50-75 if DIT joint injected too

So that’s $805 from a good lameness farm vet. I’d expect to pay between $800- $1000 for what you described.

How much was your bill?

[steelerino]

I’m in south Florida and it cost me $600 for lameness exam and hock injections last year. No X-rays. X-rays would be $40 a view.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=joiedevie99;8350661]
That would run me =/- $1500.[/QUOTE]

Yeah. At least.

And some of the drugs they put in the joint really jack up the cost. IIRC, adding Hyaluronic Acid to the recipe for just lower hock joints would increase my will by $100. Plus, the stifle is a huge, open joint. You could just about pour a Big Gulp in there if you wanted. Mo’ money, is all I’m sayin’.

In any case, OP, so sorry about your case of shock.

[joiedevie99]

[QUOTE=mvp;8350740]
Yeah. At least.

And some of the drugs they put in the joint really jack up the cost. IIRC, adding Hyaluronic Acid to the recipe for just lower hock joints would increase my will by $100. Plus, the stifle is a huge, open joint. You could just about pour a Big Gulp in there if you wanted. Mo’ money, is all I’m sayin’.

In any case, OP, so sorry about your case of shock.[/QUOTE]

Yeah. My estimate may have been low. I just got a bill for hocks…

250 - call and basic exam
850 - hocks, incl. injection of antibiotic and banamine

No x-rays or stifles - $1100.

Sorry, OP!!

[silverdog]

$795 for exam/flexions, 8 xrays, inject both hocks with HA and acupuncture - included sedation. Possibly got a shot of Banamine too.
That was at the equine hospital. I won’t have my horse injected at the barn - too dirty no matter how clean the area.

[NurseHorsey]

Last year, I paid $850-900 for lameness exam, 8 xrays, and upper/lower hock injections combined with his usual wellness visit cost (which usually runs me about $100).

I’m in the same camp as silverdog - I always haul-in to the vet for injections due to concerns about sterilization.

We’re on a 10 month cycle for injections. This year, I didn’t do xrays (vet and I discussed only doing xrays if we suspect changes in his hocks) and just had his hocks done - $400 total for the exam and injections, plus an additional $80 on top because I stocked up on bute and scratches ointment.

[stargzng386]

I’m jealous, farm call exam and hock xrays cost me 700 and they quoted 1k for hock injections with HA. My cousin is an equine vet a few hours away so I took him to her for a discount on the actual injections.

[NorCalDressage]

[QUOTE=joiedevie99;8350661]
That would run me =/- $1500.[/QUOTE]

Yep, at least.

[findeight]

Just noticed OPs general location. If she’s in Northern Ky, from Lexington to Louisville to across the river from Cincy? I’m guessing 12-1500, maybe more with the fact it’s an initial treatment requiring more time and dx then a straight repeat maintenance visit. Most of the vets in the area are highly specialized sporthorse practices with all the latest equipment and very well stocked trucks. They have to be to compete in this area.

Both coasts are more expensive because of higher operating costs but doubt the vets are any more skilled or better equipped.

Its still going to be less for maintainance visits once the initial Dx and treatments gets done, unless there are new problems. But I would sure not skimp on who does those injections or what they inject.

[beau159]

Haha, I try not to look at the vet bill and just hand them the credit card.

It’s usually at least a few hundred for hock and stifle injections alone.
My gelding needed coffin joint injections last year and that was around $600 for just that part.
It is spendy, spendy, spendy, but dang those injections sure work well! (when warranted, of course)

[Clair2014]

Having the vet out to do hock injections alone (just lower joints w/HA and steroid) costs over $450 and that’s with no x-rays and no lameness exam (assuming horse already has diagnosis). I agree that, for everything you’re describing, the bill would likely be well over $1000.

[horsepoor]

@TWH Girl;8350712

• Xrays @ $25 per view: $200

I haven’t paid less than $40/view for x-rays since they all went digital. So $25/each is unbelievable.

Whenever my vet does some work for me, if I don’t have a pretty good idea of the potential cost, I do something really strange - I ASK! When we are talking about treatment options, I include cost as part of the comparison. There is no shame in asking.

For here, this is my guesstimate for what the OP described-
Exam $250 (+/- depending on how extensive and time consuming it was)
X-rays 8x$45=$360
Injections – I read OP’s post to indicate both hocks and one stifle? So I’ll go with $250/each and say $750 but could be more or less depending what is used
Sedation - probably needed for the films and injections so another $100 here
Total of $1,460

I’m headed to the big bucks lameness guru of our area (and the US, really) next week and I will be relieved and thankful if I get out of there with a bill like that. Although my biggest fear is to have a tiny $ bill and a still lame horse with no hope.:no:

[caryledee]

Thanks everyone! I am in the middle of bluegrass horse country with plenty of vets to chose from, ranging from good to great. Both my go to lameness vets are not practicing right now so I was scrambling around trying to figure out who to call. After one vet telling me my horse just needed a chiropractor, I decided to go right to the top and called an FEI vet in. So I knew the bill was going to be high. Like beau159, I just called in my credit card and said do what you gotta do.

I’m glad I went ahead with it; I will now have a plan for the future. I just wish I had gone to him first; I would have saved a week and been able to go to a (riding) clinic I was looking forward to.

Total cost was just under $1500. That included DIT and TMT.

EDIT TO ADD: Horsepoor, you are good! Only $28 off! (and I didn’t ask because I really didn’t want to know, lol!)

[TWH_Girl]

[QUOTE=horsepoor;8351341]
I haven’t paid less than $40/view for x-rays since they all went digital. So $25/each is unbelievable.

Whenever my vet does some work for me, if I don’t have a pretty good idea of the potential cost, I do something really strange - I ASK! When we are talking about treatment options, I include cost as part of the comparison. There is no shame in asking.

For here, this is my guesstimate for what the OP described-
Exam $250 (+/- depending on how extensive and time consuming it was)
X-rays 8x$45=$360
Injections – I read OP’s post to indicate both hocks and one stifle? So I’ll go with $250/each and say $750 but could be more or less depending what is used
Sedation - probably needed for the films and injections so another $100 here
Total of $1,460

I’m headed to the big bucks lameness guru of our area (and the US, really) next week and I will be relieved and thankful if I get out of there with a bill like that. Although my biggest fear is to have a tiny $ bill and a still lame horse with no hope.:no:[/QUOTE]

I hope you get some good news on your horse. My 5 yr old is currently questionable right now, so I know the feeling.

Yeah, if this was the big bucks lameness vet at the clinic 5 miles from the barn, it would be about $1500 as well, so that isn’t out of line. Every vet has varying steroids or HA forms they prefer, in various quantities etc. so all that plays a factor.

I do have to say, I was a bit upset with my vet- it’s been back & forth trying to figure out what’s going on with my guy and she did the initial hocks only at TMT joint and with vetalog and hyvisc. He blocked to the left hock and we injected again with Depo Medrol and hyvisc and now he’s on Adequan too. I don’t know why she didn’t inject BOTH lower joints from Day 1 when he was and has been 3/5 lame for the past 2 months??! :mad: At least outline the various options and then we can decide together. I hate to question everything, but it’s the only way to know FOR SURE.