Affordable Vet in Manila
We now have four cats. Four ?
All of them are rescues.
When they are old enough, we take them to get their shots and get dewormed. And eventually spayed / neutered. We always err on the side of doing this when they are older rather than younger. I heard that doing these things too early might affect their development because they might not produce the hormones they need properly.
The first time we adopted a cat, I did some research and settled on PPBCC (Philippine Pet Birth Control Center) along Boni Ave. in Mandaluyong. The reviews on their Facebook page were good, and the rates were reasonable. It is also close enough to our house so going there isn’t too much of an inconvenience.
Location – it is near Boni Circle. If coming from the Kalentong side of Boni Ave., it is on the left side. It’s easy to miss because the gates always seem closed, but they’re actually open. There’s a 7-11 beside it. Across the street, there’s a South Star Drug in the corner. I think the Gabby’s jeepney route passes by here.
Philippine Pet Birth Control Center
To be honest, I don’t know anything else about this place except that it seems to have a steady flow of customers and always seems busy, which is a good sign. They also have some free neutering projects that I often see on their Facebook page.
We have been customers for a few years now. So far, we have been generally satisfied with the service, but we usually only do vaccinations, neutering / spaying, etc…
The clinic is simple, no-frills. I do not have photos of the clinic because they do not allow picture taking inside to protect customers’ privacy.
Right now, because of the pandemic, they have put up plastic screens around the reception desk, and seating is socially distanced.
Every new pet is charged a registration fee of P250. All the paperwork I get from them, I file in a folder, one folder per pet, and just bring these folders whenever we visit the vet.
For neutering / spaying, your pet needs to fast starting the night before (no eating starting 10PM), and need to have their own pet carrier, which you will leave with them in the morning. The pets are ready for pickup in the afternoon.
Cost is around P500 for cats. If anything, I think the vets at PPBCC are experts at neutering already since they do so much of it. The neutering is done not at the front clinic, but at the side/back clinic.
Other Surgeries
We once treated a stray cat we were feeding who had a prolapsed rectum. This cat was a kitten factory – she was always pregnant again soon after giving birth. She was always too skittish to let us touch her, but maybe because she was sick, she let us hold her. We were also able to capture her latest batch of kittens and eventually ended up adopting the kittens, who are now members of our fur family.
The surgery cost for the cat’s prolapsed rectum was P8,000, and already included spaying. She needed to be fasted the night before. And then, after surgery, we needed to give her the prescribed medicines. After we took the stray cat home after a few days stay at PPBCC, she developed a big bulge in her lower belly but it didn’t seem to be painful when we touched it. We took the cat back for surgery to fix the bulge and it was free, including the few days’ stay. Apparently, the staff explained that the bulge was a muscle that got loose (sorry, I don’t know how to explain it). Anyway, after some Googling, I think it was a “cat hernia after spay issue”.
However, after a few days of rest after her second surgery (kept in a cage, as advised by the vet), the stray cat again developed a prolapsed rectum. We brought the cat back to PPBCC, and the vet recommended another surgery. What? Didn’t the first surgery fix it? I asked if the third surgery will fix it permanently, but they said no, it won’t. It will still come back 🙁 So, anyway, there’s no point to getting the next surgery if it won’t really fix it, right? Also, this was going to be her third surgery. Poor thing. We were just advised to feed her soft food like boiled sweet potatoes and pumpkin, and less meat.
After the prescribed time, we released the stray cat and she stopped visiting 🙁 Maybe she was too traumatized by all the surgeries. I also noticed that she was noticeably much thinner every time I took her home from PPBCC. I don’t know if this is normal, but this had me worried and wondering if she was even fed during her stay. Maybe she needed to be fasted before surgery? I really don’t know.
The whole process was just to leave the cat and then come back to pick it up when you’re supposed to. It’s not like for a human surgery where you can stay with the patient in the hospital room and ask the doctor all kinds of things to relieve your worry and know when the surgery is taking place and be there. When the cat developed the bulge after surgery, I tried messaging them on their FB page so I could send photos, but there was no response. Tried calling their cellphone (which was the one that messaged me that the cat was ready for pickup), but no response there as well. So, eventually, I just brought the cat to PPBCC to get checked out. This is what I mean by not a “personal” service. I mean, I get it, PPBCC is less expensive, so they really can’t do personalized service. Anyway, just FYI so you know what to expect.
Once, we also brought in a stray kitten with a mangled arm, and the vet eventually recommended that the kitten be put to sleep 🙁 The cost was P1,000 at PPBCC. At another vet, the cost was around P3,000+ for another rescue kitten that we tried to save from fading kitten syndrome but the vet there recommended putting him to sleep 🙁
PROS
- much more affordable compared to others
- experienced doctors and staff in terms of neutering and spaying
CONS
No Parking – This is the biggest hassle of going to PPBCC if you have a car. There is a small area beside it that can accommodate maybe 4 cars, but PPBCC usually have more customers than that. Do not park in front (on the street) because you might get towed.
You can try parking at one of the inner streets, but they are also always full. If I really can’t get any parking, I just try to find a parking spot at nearby establishments and then just buy something from there.
As much as possible, we just try to go there during lean hours for bigger chances of getting a parking spot.
Not sure about other surgeries – based on our experience, we are not so sure about the quality of the other surgeries. So far, what I can say is that the procedures they are good at are the usual check-ups, deworming, vaccination, and neutering / spaying.
No personalized treatment – this is a very busy place. In most likelihood, they won’t remember you if you come back. Also, don’t expect staff to fall all over themselves to accommodate you. They are nice and ask you to sit if you are standing, but don’t expect to jump the queue just because you feel like you’re someone special, or expect anyone to entertain you with small talk. You will wait in line just like everybody else. Following up on your pet’s condition is also not easy.
If you go during a busy time, expect the doctors to be in a bit of a hurry. I highly recommend going during times when they are not busy. You are more likely to get better service and the doctors will take more time to answer your questions or to look at your pet more.
Summary
Looking for an affordable vet in Manila? If what you need are the basic vet services, you can get them at PPBCC at very affordable rates, and these are the services that they are good at 🙂
