Posted 2008-02-12 1:38 PM (#76716) Subject: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Farmville, VA
I'm just interested to see what other vets across the country do for farm calls on "well visits". Around here, mid atlantic, we pay a farm call $65 or more, then pay an "excess fuel" charge for another $35 or more, so your already at $100 BEFORE they get out of the truck. Then you get the call that says "do you want us to take his vitals & check his eyes" before we give him his spring vaccinations ~ which is another $35 before ever getting the original vaccinations that run $175 plus. Oh yeah, then you get the "assistant" fee tacked on if they have a tech in the truck that they are training...while you hold your own horse. Is this standard nation wide? At least when I take my child to the Drs. for a well visit, they check all his vitals, etc. before giving him his is shots? Shouldn't the vets do the same? I'm not looking for a lamness exam, just vitals included without an extra charge.
Posted 2008-02-12 1:46 PM (#76717 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Expert
Posts: 2614
Man,those guys in your part of the country are really racking it up!! My vet charges so much a mile (it's not cheap but probably in line with fuel prices+) but I don't believe she charges a "farm call" on top of it.If she does,she's never mentioned it when she's quoted charges for going out to a place.
Posted 2008-02-12 1:51 PM (#76719 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1069 Location: MI.
$50 for a farm call during normal business hours. After hours........I've had a few but can't remember the cost of the call. Maybe I have selective memory.........My brain doesn't want to go there.
Posted 2008-02-12 2:45 PM (#76724 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 274 Location: Memphis, TN
Farm Call in North Mississippi is $35. That covers vet, and an assistant if needed, to come to your place. I dont know how far they go before tacking on fuel fees because I am only 5 miles from the vet, so its never come up.
Posted 2008-02-12 5:26 PM (#76738 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 225 Location: Urbana,MD
My vet is $65 for the farm call ,and They have never mentioned checking vitals ,and such.I just tell them what I want them out for and they come do it.Emergancy call after hours is more than the regular farm call.I only have the vet out once a year for coggins ,and rabies(which I can't do in MD)all the rest of the vaccines I give myself according to my vets schedule.That way I only have to pay it once a year .Unless something else comes up ,but I 've been lucky on that part.
Posted 2008-02-12 8:21 PM (#76747 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Wow. I normally haul to the vet, but on the ocassions when he has come out it was a $35 trip fee plus meds or what ever I called for. Even for the call that made him leave the clinic "unexpectly" when my gelding couldn't get up. The most expensive trip was at 1am when my mare was in labour and the filly got stuck. Ipulled the mares head and the vet had a foreleg and his wife had the other foreleg. That was $35 trip fee, $50 after hours and a $95 ob fee.
Posted 2008-02-13 8:35 AM (#76760 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Ours is $65.00 - $35.00. We have a few vets around where we are so it depends who you choose and how far they are. We went with the vet that charges $65.00 to come out. They have a super reputation but he is nice, answers all your questions, looks over our horses. Will make suggestions if necessary, also understands what you can afford. The vet charged $75.00 (barn call) we just received another horse and he had to follow us to the place - it wasn't that far. Did both horses shots, and coggins also had our mare examined all for about $135.00 maybe a little more. Only charges for the coggins, shots and the exam. - after the barn call. For the quality of care and knowledge we felt it is worth it. If you do not live to far we can also split the cost of the barn call - some vets will do this.
Posted 2008-02-13 9:29 AM (#76763 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Farmville, VA
Ended up not as bad as I anticipated. Farm call was split 4 ways, only shots and coggins, no exam and my final bill was around $200. We have good vets, just not enough competition to keep the cost down. Oh well...... now the stray cats that need to be fixed are another story! LOL!
Posted 2008-02-13 3:09 PM (#76797 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Member
Posts: 27 Location: Pink, Oklahoma
My vet's farm call is $45.00 - and he is a good 45 minutes away from where I live. No additional charge if he brings anyone along to help him. He even brought the vet clinic's surgeon with him on two occassions to look at a weanling filly and it did not cost anything extra for both of them to come out. Lisa in OK
Posted 2008-02-13 8:18 PM (#76813 - in reply to #76811) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
$55 for vet trip plus an additional $60 if it is an emergency. $45 examination fee, then any meds added on. But I'll gladly pay this in case of an emergency. I am taking time away from his/her family and sometimes dinner or warm bed to come out to my place on a below zero night. A good relationship with your vet is vital to animal care. Costs for vets have gone up too, so think again if you think they are making a fortune. I try to do all my vet care such as vaccines, worming, foaling and kidding etc, but occassionally need the assistance of the vet for colic, bloat or unexpected accidents.
Posted 2008-02-14 5:19 AM (#76829 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 391 Location: Columbia, KY
$45 is the standard farm call fee which pays for the DVM to arrive here. if he brings help it's no extra charge. exam fee is I think $25. emergency/after hrs. visit adds another $100. I normally trailer in but sometimes it's worth it to pay for the convienence of the vet comming here.
Posted 2008-02-14 10:49 AM (#76856 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Veteran
Posts: 294 Location: Fort Worth, Tx
I just got spring shots and Coggins pulled this morning, where I found out that the farm call has gone up to $50. No exam fee, just that and the cost of the shots and Coggins, my total was $175.
Posted 2008-02-14 7:19 PM (#76886 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
Our vet, 15 miles away charges 25.00 farm call, that usually includes the exam, for injury, colic, whatever. I give all my own shots myself,( my medical background does help a little!!) so I save on that. I usually haul my horses to them for coggins, health papers, etc. But with the way fuel prices are, I'm sure they will be charging more for farm visits. Not much worse than medical docs..........125.00 for simple office call for a sore throat?? Sometimes my horses ARE cheaper than my kids!!!!
Posted 2008-03-10 12:19 PM (#79181 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 662 Location: Vanzant, Missouri
Farm call was$60, Coggins $30, routine check $25, shots $109... so $224 for 1 horse. My vet will charge $10 extra for farm calls if mileage is longer than the normal area...Still that is cheaper for me than, to hookup rig, get horse on and drive 1hr each way at 3.80 a gallon.
Posted 2008-03-10 1:07 PM (#79196 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Regular
Posts: 87 Location: Lavaca, Alabama
The only vet that will come to my house charges a flat rate of $80 for the first 10 miles and then $4 per mile after that. It would cost me $220 just for the vet to come, extra for a vet tech. There are no vets in the county I live in. You must drive at least 45 miles to get to a vet clinic.I just hauled two of mine to this same vet and spent $180 on vaccines and Coggins for the both of them.It gets more and more expensive each year to own a horse.
Posted 2008-03-12 3:46 PM (#79386 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
Farm calls here (depending on what vet is used) for the vet in this town $85-90 includes nothing but the drive over. I am now using a different vet from out of town who only charges $45-50 for a call. I think it is time to move outa here- diesel is now at $4.19 a gallon here- hay is at $18 a bale for alfalfa and $20 for oat or grass.
Posted 2008-03-12 7:37 PM (#79391 - in reply to #76717) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Expert
Posts: 2614
Originally written by crowleysridgegirl on 2008-02-12 1:46 PM
Man,those guys in your part of the country are really racking it up!! My vet charges so much a mile (it's not cheap but probably in line with fuel prices+) but I don't believe she charges a "farm call" on top of it.If she does,she's never mentioned it when she's quoted charges for going out to a place.
I asked her today about her "farm call" price.She doesn't charge one,just $2 a mile.I guess this would be her farm call charge.
Posted 2008-03-15 12:32 PM (#79624 - in reply to #76716) Subject: RE: What does your "farm call" include?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 474 Location: White Mills, Ky.
Farm call is $35 then $5/mile on top of that. We are 20 miles from the vet so, that's $135 before they even step out of the truck.
We vaccinated 10, pulled blood for bloodtyping on one and pulled blood for Coggins on 4. Also did teeth and sheath on Hubby's gelding. Total bill was $1,325!!!!!! And that did not include the Potomac Horse Fever vac because they did not have it in stock. We'll have to go pick that up when it comes in and give it ourselves. So we'll add another $100 when that comes in.
What does your "farm call" include?
.........My brain doesn't want to go there. 
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