Unfortunately, there are no rule-of-thumb guidelines. In all my years and at dozens of clinics, I have yet to find a get who "gouged" anyone, but there's a wide range of expenses, even for the same things.
Whether $500/visit is unreasonable depends on a lot of things - how many animals that covers, what vaccines you're getting, whether they're also running any tests, whether you're taking home any meds... have you ever asked for an estimate beforehand, or an itemized bill after?
F'rinstance - $500 for a single cat to get an exam and a rabies vaccine is absurd. $500 for two cats for exam, rabies, FVRCP, and feline leukemia vaccines, fecal samples, wellness bloodwork, and a 6-month supply of flea/tick preventive is a good bargain. And there's a whole world of stuff in between.
no subject
Whether $500/visit is unreasonable depends on a lot of things - how many animals that covers, what vaccines you're getting, whether they're also running any tests, whether you're taking home any meds... have you ever asked for an estimate beforehand, or an itemized bill after?
F'rinstance - $500 for a single cat to get an exam and a rabies vaccine is absurd. $500 for two cats for exam, rabies, FVRCP, and feline leukemia vaccines, fecal samples, wellness bloodwork, and a 6-month supply of flea/tick preventive is a good bargain. And there's a whole world of stuff in between.