Absolute madness- blood test costs

[Team Svartalfheims]

That's exactly what I thought Ela and Des, I can't understand why a vet wouldn't do them as it's not as if they need specialist equipment o do it or as if it's a very rare thing t ohave done.

Yep Bilbo was in and out in 10mins so I am hoping it's the same with Miss Boopy. She's got the first appt of the day at 8.30am just in case. Poor girl will be terrified if she has to stay in on her own all day seeing as she'll only get home to the UK just over 6 hours previous to her appt. I'm not bothered about the cost if she has to stay in all day it's the stress effect on her I'm worrying about. 

[Desley (booktigger)]

What odd vets you have there Lottie - fancy not doing FIV/FeLV tests??? I have only had one cat stay all day for bloods, but she was unhandleable so needed a slight sedation. For cats that haven't, they are done in teh 10 min app slot, and I generally stay with tehm.

[Ela]

after ringing round a few vets who told me they don't do any sort of FIV/FeLV tests

I have never known that before.

They've said they might have to keep her in all day

Nor that. Surely they can let you wait in the waiting room  a few mins while the take the bloods. Perhaps it is an excuse to charge more.

[Team Svartalfheims]

IDEXX isn't virus isolation so I cancelled the appt at that vets and after ringing round a few vets who told me they don't do any sort of FIV/FeLV tests I've found a vet that does and that will send to Glasgow for me so Miss Boopy is all booked in for 8.30am on May 9th. They've said they might have to keep her in all day but I'm praying they won't as she'll be so stressed as she only gets home about 2am that morning.
Not sure how much it will be at this vets for Glasgow one as they have never sent to Glasgow before but they only charge £25 for snap tests so at least I know they don't charge stupid amounts for blood tests. Then once the results are back a couple of weeks later I can start introducing her to Bilbo.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Did you get anywhere Lottie?

[Team Svartalfheims]

Thanks Lynn, have found a contact form thing on their website so have emailed them to see if it's virus isolation or not. If it's not then I'll cancel the appt and try and find another vet in Leicester who will send to Glasgow.

[CurlyCatz]

IDEXX IS  a company that makes all the in house ultra expensive lab blood testing equipment.  they also produce snap tests (we used to use idexx snap tests) but i do believe they may also now have a lab where you can send off bloods to for testing aswell..like we might have sent thyroid samples to the local sac lab for testing  (we didnt have the inhouse t4 testing thingy at that time, not sure if anyone did actually) idexx probably does that stuff now aswell.

at a guess i'd say you may be within your rights to demand it sent to glasgow but do some reasearch first because idexx may very well do virus isolation now as well, i guess if your vet never uses glasgow they maybe dont HAVE to deal with them ?

look up idexx online and see if you can contact them direct

[Team Svartalfheims]

Bilbo had his FIV/FeLV test done up here in Aberdeen a few weeks ago and sent to Glasgow and it cost £46. I just rang the vets in Leicester to book Miss Boopy in for the same test the day she gets to the UK and they charge £55 for the in house snap tests and more for the IDEXX one (they said they didn't know how much exactly but approx £65 if she doesn't need sedating). The fact that the in house snap one there costs more than Bilbo's Glasgow one did here seems ridiculous 

Wht exactly is IDEXX that they send away to (I'm guessing it's a lab)? I said I wanted the Glasgow test and she said they send to IDEXX, can people just confirm that I am within my rights to demand it is sent to Glasgow?

If any of you need your cats testing then it might be worth ringing around a few vets and comparing prices!!