I miss Dr. Barabas. I really do..He was a brilliant man ... perhaps one of the most brilliant I ever met..A people doctor, a veterinarian at night and on weekends, and he sold Amway!.The man was tireless. A Hungarian by descent (if I recall correctly) — he studied medicine in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. He once told me he could sleep for a couple hours a night and still function. The only man I ever met who didn't really need sleep!.Yet, he was always cheerful, funny, down to earth..He owned a nice house, with an attached clinic in ritzy Springbank, on the hill, overlooking what he called "the pool district" where some famous hockey players lived..But the best thing of all was that he didn't charge outrageous fees for his vet services. You could actually afford to take your pet there.. Cat getting a checkupCat getting a checkup .Sometimes, too, he would let you watch the procedure or even assist!.Once, I did take him up on that offer — he was spaying our cat, Duchess — but I became dizzy part-way through and had to excuse myself..I waited outside, taking in the view of Springbank below until he called me back in, telling me it was all done..The reason I'm penning this is because of a good friend of mine in Brantford has a very sick Mackerel Tabbie..The vet bills are stacking up, and stacking up. I mean, it's crazy what they're charging today, it really is..But before I go any further, let me just say that the vets in Canada are among the best in the world — if not the best. They have the latest equipment and technology, they are very well trained, they have friendly secretarial staff at the front desk.. Vet at workVet at work .But all that costs a lot of money — and of course, it's passed onto the consumer..I recall once staying at a villa outside of Havana. I was the guest of a friend..And the villa had a guard dog, a medium sized German Shepherd, whose name was "Bite 'Em." I kid you not, that was his name..The staff were actually afraid of this dog, but I wasn't, and I took him out for walks in the area..I noticed the dog had some medical issues, so I asked the staff to call a vet. I wanted to help this dog while I was there.. Muggles and BaileyMr. Muggles and Ms. Bailey both recovering from surgeries wearing the Cones of Shame .So, a vet showed up, gave Bite 'Em a shot, gave us some meds, and gave us some suggestions on feeding, etc..I asked about the bill ... and, the guy started totalling up a long list. I thought, 'Oh my, how much is this going to cost me?' It was time to rip off the tourista!.Total cost ... $5..I was stunned. I said, "Five dollars? US? That's all?".Yes, my interpreter said. I gave the vet the $5, and, another $10. I said, please come back again in a week, after I'm gone and check on the dog. He agreed..I know we can't really compare to vet services here, but it was a lesson in economics I will never forget..Getting back to Dr. Barabas, the man helped save my cat, Hunter, several times. And didn't charge me an arm and a leg..Hunter, by the way, was named after Calgary Flames pugilist, Tim Hunter, because he loved to get into fights with the local tough guys..He was big, stocky, and had strong shoulders — yet he was a gentle, friendly cat at home..One day, Hunter came home, without an eye! I was stunned. He had been in another brawl, and this was a bad one. I phoned Barabas, and rushed him there.. DuchessDuchess .On the way, the other eye opened — it was just swollen. I breathed a sigh of relief..Barabas did delicate surgery to the eyelid, it had been torn. He saved Hunter's eye!.Again, years later, Hunter became very sick, this time with a high fever. A local vet wanted to do hundreds of dollars of surgery for a suspected urinary blockage..I took him to Barabas — he said no, cats can stand strong doses of medicine, let's try that first. He upped the medicine dose, and, miraculously, Hunter bounced back..He didn't even charge me for the overnight stay. Incredible..Hunter would survive one more scare: Cancer..But that was handled at a special vet clinic and cost us well over $1,000. My wife at the time brought him specially cooked chicken livers!.Thanks to Dr. Barabas, Hunter would live to the ripe old age of 23..And by the way, a friend of mine knows Tim Hunter, who's now coaching in the NHL, and showed him the picture of Hunter, his feline namesake. I'm told that Timmy loved the photo!.According to MoneySense.ca, the price tag of a trip to the vet clinic can seem steep..Besides the one-time cost of micro-chipping and spaying or neutering, standard annual veterinary care costs around $650 for both dogs and cats, according to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association — and that doesn’t account for any emergency surgery, treatments or medicine..Veterinary costs aren’t standardized in Canada, so the price of the same procedure may vary between clinics, depending on things like the needs of an individual pet, the type of equipment used, and whether anesthetics or post-op drugs are needed, MoneySense.ca reported..Every clinic has a different way of breaking down costs: some vets will schedule up to three appointments an hour, while others will do five..If one veterinary clinic charges $300 for a procedure and another clinic charges $600, it’s important to ask exactly what’s included, such as pre-op bloodwork, anesthetics, hospitalization, monitoring, fluids via IV catheter, medication and a follow-up visit..A pet’s size and a variance between dog breeds will also impact the cost of a procedure, MoneySense.ca reported..Of course, that doesn’t mean more affordable vets don’t provide a good quality of care. Ultimately, it’s about understanding and being comfortable with how your vet breaks down their costs and accounts for their time..Also, besides the cost of actual medical care, pet owners should also consider what goes on behind the scenes, MoneySense.ca reported..Independently-owned veterinary offices, which make up more than 90% of clinics across Canada, operate as small businesses and have to pay rent, insurance, utilities, and staff salaries, and buy facilities and equipment that meet regulatory standards..Even the purchase and maintenance of smaller items such as an autoclave — a device used to clean and sterilize surgical tools — costs thousands of dollars..If a vet’s office is in a prime location with top-of-the-line diagnostic and surgical equipment and provides 24/7 celebrity-level care, the cost will reflect that..Of course, vets are animal lovers too and believe it or not, they’re sympathetic to their clients’ financial hardships..If you want to balance cost with the quality of care in selecting the right vet, you need to ask the right questions and seek out recommendations from trusted sources, MoneySense.ca reported..In addition to reading online reviews and getting referrals from friends and family, you can assess the quality of care by touring the clinic facilities and equipment and interviewing the staff..If you cannot view staff bios on a clinic’s website, simply ask for an overview of the staff and their credentials..In terms of cost, location can be a big factor, MoneySense.ca reported..Generally, urban centres have higher prices than rural areas. If you're willing to travel outside the city for vet care, you may be able to save money. Convenience comes at a cost!.Which brings us back to Dr. Barabas. I originally heard about him from a friend. A pretty country gal named Kim. I worked with her at Montreal Trust..She said Barabas was awesome, and he was..The last I heard, Dr. Barabas sold his Springbank home, retired from medical practice, and moved to Utah to teach and do vet research..I never heard from him again, but man, was I ever thankful, I met him and got to know him..He was one unique individual.. Cat getting examCat getting exam
