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[Jonathan]

Good morning everybody,

I have a female chinchilla, for over a year and a half now. She never gave me any worries, or shown any problems but lately I was wondering how expensive is a veterinarian? I have a seasonal job, and I'm trying to make sure I can save enough if an emergency was ever to come up for my baby! I live in New York, how much does it cost you to get yours checked roughly? 

[GrayRodent]

A vet visit for me is about a $50.00 minimum for a simple exam and consultation. My last vet bill was probably around 120.00 including medication (to treat coccidiosis and it was successful). The one I had prior was for a more complex procedure. It was about $250.00 for a tooth exam under anesthesia including euthanasia and disposal once they made the diagnosis and I decided it wasn't worth trying to save the chinchilla. I could have saved about $50.00 if I knew it would cost that much or I would have my own disposal but I'm still kind of glad they did it for me.

My vet is also much less expensive than others who specialize in exotics so you may want to call around. However beware as specialists that you pay more for may actually be better and have more resources. For complex procedures you may want to look at a teaching hospital as often their rates are lower but they can be less convenient as you are dealing with inexperienced students. The quality of care can be higher though as the procedures are being overseen by experts.

Whichever way you go I recommend having at least $300.00 saved up or available credit line. That should take care of simple things that may require antibiotics like infected cuts or parasitic infections. Or a diagnosis that can tell you what your next move should be. I'm not someone who will spend much more than that to save a pet but if you are you'll want to look into getting a healthcare limited credit line such as CareCredit that covers veterinary procedures as well as pet insurance. These work well together if the care is covered by your plan because it can take some time to process the claim.

Of course, as always, the best kind of care is prevention.

[kageri]

Expensive.  We spend $100s on minor things each trip and if you are looking at surgery it easily surpasses a couple $1000 in large city areas.  You have to decide how far you want to go to save a pet.  $300-$500 for basic tests, exams, and antibiotics or painkillers is a good starting place.  Teeth issues will probably cost more and are quite common, particularly in poorer bred chinchillas like those that often show up in petstores.  A good breeder usually screens for dental issues and doesn't continue breeding any that show problems.  It can be difficult to keep track of though because many breeders only breed a chinchilla until it's 2-3 years old and then move on to the next generation.  They may not see a problem before they are done using that chin and have sent it off to a pet home.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Hi,
I live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. There's a Banfield hospital here:
632 Broadway
New York, NY, 10012

They charge $80 for a check-up, and I think a vet there has a chinchilla of her own.