The first time I spoke with the vet, she listed 3 possible reasons for my cat's ailment, and listed the two she thought were most important to test right now. And, by the way, she did not recommend the most expensive test, unless the other two were inconclusive. She asked me if I was OK with the first two tests after I was able to look at the cost, and I agreed to have them done. This helped me get a feel (and a bit of a say) for how much I was going to have to pay for the intake, diagnosis, and preliminary treatment (hydration), which I appreciated. When I went in I wasn't sure whether I'd be paying $500 or $5,000, but now I could safely assume it would be in the $500 range.
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