The First Visit

Late October 2025 - I noticed randomly that she was coughing and wheezing. It wasn’t uncommon if she got too hyper, but I was noticing it happen more frequently than usual. I made a rule with myself that if something wasn’t too serious, I would wait 48 hours and after that time if she was still having issues, I would take her in. After 48 hours, her cough hadn’t gotten any better and I had to take her in. This was the first time I would take a dog to the vet that I was paying for and I was really scared. It was her very first appointment there so there was a very long intake process. I sat there for a full hour before a doctor came to talk to me about tests she needed to run and the cost breakdown. It started off not too bad with an exam fee and some other less expensive fees. Thankfully, the vet I take my dog to is very transparent about cost and the breakdown of everything. Since this is about sharing tips, I take her to Best Friends Animal Hospital and Pet Hotel located in Fayetteville, AR. Then we got to the x-rays. Those came out to a whopping $300. I’m lucky if I make that in a week most of the time. Luckily, I had just gotten a credit card that was meant for these specific expenses, and I had pet insurance, so I didn't worry too much about it. I found out that I was misled to believe that this treatment would be covered under insurance, but since it was related to a pre-existing condition, it wasn't. I was paying almost $40 a month for something that wasn't helping. Unfortunately, I still hadn't learned anything from this experience.