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How much should it cost for a cat to be sedated and have ortho radiographs performed?
My 16 year old cat seems to have agitated her back right "knee." We took her to the vet yesterday for preliminary blood work to make sure she was in good health for sedation. When they called this morning to say that was OK and we could proceed, we were a little surprise to be told the x-rays would cost $900. Has anyone had this procedure done, and do you think we should try to get a better price from another vet?
As the vet explained it to me, the nature of ortho x-rays is that the cat needs to have their leg being x-rayed bent and stretched in somewhat unnatural ways, which requires the sedation so that the cat is comfortable and cooperative. The vet described at least three "positions" our cat would be x-rayed in, so I assume there will be multiple plates. I will ask for a break down of costs to see what is making the total so high though. Thanks for the help so far!!
5 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
Veterinary costs vary widely by region and quality. Working at a veterinary clinic in Illinois, I would say a rough estimate for sedation would cost about $100 and xrays an additional $100-150. So, $900 seems high. Ask for an estimate from the doctor that goes step by step. They should be able to break down what you are exactly paying for. (hospitalization, sedation, IV fluids, xray processing, etc.) This may help you to understand the charges better.
I hope that they are able to find what is troubling your kitty.
Source(s): Veterinary Assistant - 1 decade ago
Honestly, it's going to cost something different in different areas. Various things go into the price: the anesthesia, monitoring of the anesthesia, the time put into positioning the cat for the radiographs, the use of film, developer, and fixer, and probably the hospitalization of the pet. Then this money goes towards the people that work in the clinic, including the people who directly worked on yor cat.
Honestly, it would cost a lot less in my small town, because no one here would be able to afford to shell out that money for some rads. As a result, the clinic doesn't make that much money and therefore doesn't have a lot of the "toys" other clinics have (like automatic processors), and the people employed by the clinic don't make as much money as they would elsewhere.
I'm going to say, sure, ask around and see what other price quotes you get, but I'd guess that there wouldn't be any significant difference (meaning 900 v 650 or something).
- rrm38Lv 71 decade ago
I would ask specifically what type of images they're planning to get. $900 and sedation is about right for a CT scan with a radiologist reviewing the films, but it's way high for just plain x-ray films. The whole series shouldn't be more than $100-$200 if they're just shooting regular x-rays. Also, given her age, please make sure she has all of the pre-anesthesia blood work done before she is put under anesthesia. As cats age, the risk for complications from anesthesia increases considerably and it's always best to rule out high risk factors ahead of time.
Source(s): Lots of cats having x-rays, plus a couple of CT scans, through the years. - J CLv 71 decade ago
Cats normally aren't sedated for x-rays, unless they're terribly uncooperative. That sounds very high - I would ask them for a break down of what it entails. X-rays themselves should be in the $75 to $150 range.
Source(s): Many years of cat rescue.
