Location probably, I'm in the Hudson Valley. I get charged $40 travel fee (she's 20 minutes away), regardless of what other farms she's doing that day, plus her hourly rate once she's there ($87, if I remember correctly) plus a fee for each procedure (blood draws are $3, ultrasounds are $30, etc.). Basic exams are covered by the hourly fee. She is the absolute best in the area for ultrasounds (rectal or abdominal) and her in-office fecals are only $10 ($25 less than any other vet in our area!). The clinic is also the only one in the area that does 24/7 emergency service, onsite blood (limited) and fecal testing, and has other vets with some alpaca experience when she isn't available. She also does small animals.
For x-rays, CVIs and where less than 2-3 animals need to be seen I put them in the van and take them in. The staff just loves it!
There is another large animal vet with a good camelid practice, but he works out of his car, has to send out all his tests and doesn't do after hour calls.
My BVD fees are the same as yours, but she charges for the blood draw and the mailing. My mentor did my microchips for me last time, I haven't decided yet whether to try them myself this year or have her do them when she comes out --I don't have a reader, so I will likely have her do it just so I know they work. I do my own CDT, but no longer do it annually. Still making up my mind about annual rabies--we have lots of 'coons and other small beasties and a high incidence of rabies in the area. I used to do IGG's on all cria. Now I'll just do them if I have a concern about colostrum intake.
Cheers,
Morgen Bowers
Dreamwood Farm
Claverack, NY
www.dreamwoodfarm. com
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com, Judith Korff/Ladysong Farm <judithkorff@...> wrote:
>
> I don't know why your fees are significantly higher, Morgan. My vet also uses Cornell Lab for the BVD testing, and I have her bill that shows a total charge of $72 - $60 for the pooled group of 5 and $12 for the single test, or $12 each. She obviously didn't charge me for the blood draws (I really love that gal!) 'cause when she came out to do those, she also injected 2 microchips, did 2 sonograms, took blood for a chem panel on one skinny girl, and rechecked an older male who has suffered weight loss over the winter.
>
> I never have a vet out on a routine birth, but do call and consult over the phone when anything appears abnormal about a birth. I don't do routine CDTs, nor do I do routine IgGs. I only microchip alpacas that I expect to show (or when I have multiple white boys that I can't tell apart, LOL!).  I try to keep Mary's visits to a minimum too by combining tasks, and Mary is very good about trying to schedule multiple farm calls in my town to make best use of her time, and because this means the time of arrival is rather fluid depending on what she encounters at each stop, she splits the farm call fee among all the farms she visits on that occasion.Â
>
> If I just have one who needs something (for example, a CVI for travel, or is ill and I need an accurate weight for medication purposes, or a sono before leaving the farm for a new home), I load 'em up in my minivan and take them to the vet's office where we entertain, amuse and in general cause a ruckus among other clients. Â
> Â
> Judith Korff
> LadySong Farm
> Music to Your Wallet
> Randolph, New York 14772Â
> Cell: (716) 499-0383
> www.alpacanation.com/ladysong.asp
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