I use two vets. I just had OFA's come back today from my "old fashioned" but less expensive vet. The films were sent in on December 26, back today 2/1/14. That seemed really long to me, with the digital previous OFA's last August, it took 3 weeks. However, I saved almost $100 doing it the old fashioned way. I guessed a good for hips and normal elbows and was correct :)
Digital gets there instantly once your vet sends them. Do you get your regular mail faster than email? I don't know why digital would cost you more either since there is no postage like regular films. Digital is superior to plain films for reading too.
THe vet who did digital simply charges about 10-20% more for everything compared to my other vet. In some things, care is quicker/better, so I use two. The price had nothing to do with digital vs. film but rather vet vs. vet. The "old fashioned" vet does not have capability to do digital.
The reason that digital costs more is probably because equipment in the clinic for digital films costs somewhere in the range of $20,000. That cost is then passed along in increased cost of Xrays. Digital technology does not come free!
We've found it to be one half dozen or the other. I think it depends more on the quantity of submissions rec'd at any given time versus the format sent. Avg. turn around is 4 weeks. The one that took longer submitted in December also had to deal with holiday vacation schedules I'm guessing.
I will never send film again. I had films ruined when somebody (either the vet mailing them or the mail carrier) left them where the rain was able to get to it. The vet wouldn't redo the film without my paying full price again so I was out $250.
