Farm Call Fees

[Blueeyedroan]

So my horse ended up with a plethora of corneal ulcers. We all know how serious that can be and that monitoring is important.
The vet clinic working with me on this is less than 10 minutes from the barn - a full 10 minutes if traffic is BAD. And it’s just off the main highway leaving town.
The vet was wanting to come check twice a week, now once.
They charge me $100/farm call fee + an exam fee EVERY time they show up. Even though it’s scheduled at their discretion, as they are heading out of town. The appointment is maybe 10 minutes.

Now - I get it… vehicles are expensive to insure and maintain. I’m a service advisor who looks after fleets, this doesn’t need to be explained to me. But when I’m $500 into farm call fees alone, for less than an hour of actual vet work and about $15 in fuel, doesn’t that seem a little insane?

Maybe I have just been spoiled by other vets (much more old school ones who owned the whole practice) who, when they want to to multiple check ins, generally try to combine it with other trips or book it on a day they are driving by and discount the farm call fee completely.

Where do you stand on this? I really can’t stress enough how important and appreciated our local vets are. But when do we get to call a spade a spade on the price gouging?

[ThreeWishes]

My vet charges $75. I adore her. She’s the only mobile vet left standing. I pay it. I figure it’s more a fitting you in charge for an emergent condition while they’re trying to accommodate routine weeks sometime months scheduled visits along an already planned route.

[NaturallyHappy]

I would pay it without batting an eye…no pun intended. Equine vets are in short supply. I would not ever challenge that.

[Larksmom]

could you take the horse to the vet?

[ThreeWishes]

Also has your vet gone corporate ? They don’t control the fees. If so.

[Blueeyedroan]

This is also on top of the $150 exam fee, that’s also over in mere minutes.

No, this vet is callout only as their clinic is literally in the middle of a pavement jungle in the center of town.

[trubandloki]

@Blueeyedroan

So my horse ended up with a plethora of corneal ulcers. We all know how serious that can be and that monitoring is important.
The vet clinic working with me on this is less than 10 minutes from the barn - a full 10 minutes if traffic is BAD. And it’s just off the main highway leaving town.
The vet was wanting to come check twice a week, now once.
They charge me $100/farm call fee + an exam fee EVERY time they show up. Even though it’s scheduled at their discretion, as they are heading out of town. The appointment is maybe 10 minutes.

Now - I get it… vehicles are expensive to insure and maintain. I’m a service advisor who looks after fleets, this doesn’t need to be explained to me. But when I’m $500 into farm call fees alone, for less than an hour of actual vet work and about $15 in fuel, doesn’t that seem a little insane?

Maybe I have just been spoiled by other vets (much more old school ones who owned the whole practice) who, when they want to to multiple check ins, generally try to combine it with other trips or book it on a day they are driving by and discount the farm call fee completely.

Where do you stand on this? I really can’t stress enough how important and appreciated our local vets are. But when do we get to call a spade a spade on the price gouging?

I would not have a problem with those fees.
I actually pay just a couple of dollars under $100 for a farm call too.

I have never gotten a group farm call price unless there were multiple people at the same place going together on the same farm call.
No reduction if someone in the same neighborhood happens to have an appointment on the same day.

Jingles for your horse.

@Larksmom

could you take the horse to the vet?

This is great advice since you say it is so close.

[Blueeyedroan]

The vet herself does not control the fees whatsoever. She works under the umbrella of a partner owned clinic.

[Calvincrowe]

Yeah… my lameness vet does not charge that way, and I’ve been working through an issue for months now with my mare. Recheck fees are charged even if it’s weeks later. I’d have an issue with it as well, given that you are having to recheck the eye multiple times, with little to no effort/materials on the part of the vet in this case. Perhaps a conversation about a scale of charges? That’s what my lameness practice does: follow up calls, whether in clinic or mobile, are scaled less than an initial appointment.

[trubandloki]

@Blueeyedroan

This is also on top of the $150 exam fee, that’s also over in mere minutes.

That $150 exam includes expensive tools and even more expensive knowledge.

You can’t do the exam, so it is worth paying someone with the knowledge and equipment to do it, and that costs money.

All of their expenses have gone up too.

To clarify something, I owned a horse for a good long time with a chronic eye issue that required way too frequent visits by a specialist. I know how it works. When that eye is healthy and happy, it will be worth every penny you spent to get it that way.

[Blueeyedroan]

Interesting, things have sure changed in the vet world. I miss the older vets who did things a bit different.
I always pay the bill promptly and say nothing. Eyes are important and it is what it is.

[Amberley]

The call fee is what it is unless you can split it with someone. Vet trucks and equipment are expensive. The exam fee - some clinics charge less for rechecks but some don’t and honestly if you’ve taken a small animal in to a clinic recently you’ll realize what a good deal equine care is these days.

[K_VanOlst]

This thread is making me appreciate both my small animal and equine vets

[RedHorses]

While I understand the rational behind them, and would pay without question, I would also feel annoyed about the fees in your situation. I think you can be in both places at once.

[Simkie]

My farm call is over a hundred bucks–130, maybe??–but not every visit includes the exam fee. I think that’s usually just the spring vaccine appointment.

I too would be a little irked with that exam fee!

[MapleFarm]

I think mine is like 70, or 100 for emergencies + more for after hours emergencies. I’m about 15-20 rural minutes from the clinic.

It’s a lot but they don’t make any money while they are in the truck so it accounts for that. We have one clinic that does reduced costs in spring and fall for annual “standard” appointments and groups locations.

[trubandloki]

I might have read it wrong, I assumed the exam fee was not a general exam but a fee to look at the horse’s eye again to see how the healing is progressing.

[LCDR]

My multi-doctor equine clinic facility is 10 miles away. Maybe a 15-20 minute drive. Farm call charge is $40. There and back is 40 minutes, so the farm call is paying my vet (in theory) $60 per hour for her otherwise non-productive travel time.

In the OP example of 20 minutes travel time for $100, the hourly travel time rate for non- productive time for her vet is $300.

The question is how much income each of our vets can potentially generate in-clinic in that travel time, and whether we the clients find that an acceptable fee to pay to have the vet come to us.

In my situation I feel my vet’s $60 per hour travel rate is very reasonable. In my state, SC, the AAEP says the average hourly rate of an equine practitioner is $74 per hour, with top earners at $122 per hour.

[ThreeWishes]

Unless it’s the last game in town. Run ragged. No matter if you’re close their radius may be much further. Believe me I get it. But mobile equine practices are dropping like flies. In all honestly my vet probably wouldn’t charge me multiple recheck fees. But I’m a 15 year long standing client. Who uses her for all vacc and dentals. All routine care.

[2DogsFarm]

If you are a longtime client who keeps their account current/PIF, I might ask if there was any way to discount the followup visits.

My (sainted) vet charges the same rate farm call if seeing just 1 of mine, or all 3.
Revisits for a condition are not charged that fee, just a lower Exam fee + any treatment or meds.
I’m trusted enough so some followups are phone consults at no charge.