Create meetup in Los Angeleschevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
explore Los Angeles Guides
bar_chart Trends in Los Angeles
Why why why is Vet care so insanely expensive now????
VCC (VCA, I assume) is basically the ER of vet clinics, you're paying for the building and the corporate overhead. For routine stuff like anal glands, you want a smaller independent practice. Try Dr. Mel at Highland Pet Hospital on Franklin, she's old school and won't upsell you on food or gabapentin. The fecal test price is actually pretty standard now across the city, labs raised their rates during covid and they never came back down. If you're in the valley, Dr. Kim at Van Nuys Animal Hospital is also solo and reasonable, cash only but half the price of VCA for the same exam.
yeah VCA is a total racket, they quoted me $600 for a simple ear infection once. for anal glands honestly most small clinics will do it for like $50-60 without any exam fee if you just call ahead and ask. I take my dog to Dr. Reyes at Echo Park Animal Clinic on Sunset, he's been there forever and still charges $45 for a fecal. also worth checking if there's a spca or a shelter-run low cost clinic near you, the one in Silver Lake does walk-in wellness stuff for like half price. the 700 tab is insane, sorry you got hit with that
The boot scooting could be worms too, not just glands. Shelter dewormers don't always get every type, and if she was stressed from the move that can make things pop up. A basic fecal float at a place like Lincoln Heights Animal Hospital on N Broadway runs about 35 bucks and they'll look at it under the scope while you wait. For the gland expressing itself, try calling around to groomers, some of them will do it for 15 or 20 bucks without a vet visit. I've been taking my dogs to Dr. Chen at Chinatown Pet Clinic on Hill Street for years, he's a one man shop and still charges 55 for an office visit. The corporate places are all pushing those prescription diets and supplements because they get kickbacks from the brands. Your old vet was likely charging cost plus a small markup, these new places have revenue targets for each room.
How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.