The vet charged me £46 for ear drops for my dog and when I looked up the price online it's only £20.49. I know that vets can't buy in bulk like the big online companies but why would anybody pay over double for medication for their dog if they can buy so much cheaper online? I won't be paying my vet for medication I can buy so much cheaper online in future. Who would?

The £46 did not include the vet's consultation fee.

Are the drops prescription only? If so you would need to pay for a prescription. Interestingly when I argued the point with my new vet, they lowered their 'inhouse' charge!

That's a 125% mark-up which seems extortionate to me. I used to work in a vets practice and I don't remember the mark-up being that much.

My cat is on twice-daily tablets which used to cost me about £40 a month (including the dispensing fee). I now get them online for £16.90 a month. I had to pay my vet £12 for the prescription which lasts six months, so it's a huge saving to get them online.

I'm guessing a lot of people don't realise they can do it that way, or don't want the hassle of getting a prescription, uploading it etc. But it's well worth it.

Yes, the ear drops are prescription only so I would need to pay for the prescription. Did you tell your vet that the ear drops are cheaper online? When I went to collect the ear drops from the vet's today, another vet was there and she expressed surprise when she saw how much I'd been charged and that's what made me look up the price online. I think I've been charged huge amounts for previous medication and now I've lost confidence in the vet. I'd like to find a vet who charges more reasonable fees but I don;t know if that's possible.

I would suggest shop around we find our one man independent practice is very much cheaper than the national and international conglomerates.

it never ceases to amaze me how much my vet charges!

I took my cat last Wednesday evening, I had a 6.20pm appointment and was still stood in reception at 6.40pm - vet eventually saw me at 6.50pm

no apology for keeping me waiting - cat was practically hysterical as the waiting room was full of barking dogs and she is terrified of the vets anyway

I was in there literally 3 mins and the bill was £48!

Again I say shop around my vet runs early if anything and only time we have ever been kept waiting was when an emergency came in while we were there and they couldn't have been more apologetic but had to see the emergency as all we needed was a nail clip which was hardly as life threatening as the heart failure that was seen before us.

years ago our old cat needed loads of teeth removing. It has always stuck in my mind .... They were charging £1 a minute then plus all the anaesthetic, medication etc. I dread to think what it costs nowadays.

If you ever nee them again if the problem recurs you know you are entitled to ask for the precription and you can scan and email it to vetuk and buy there cheaper.

It's expensive!!! I have small dogs. Had one in twice this year for theeth out. £250 each time. The other had two wobbly front teeth otherwise gleaming white teeth except for a tiny little bit of plaque on two back teeth. £250 that cost and £50 of that was for a scale and polish. I enquired did she even need that done as her teeth are very good and they said we just did two back ones. £50 for that!!!!!

wow, you are really lucky!! my vet is never ever on time! they never apologise for keeping me waiting either!

So find another who does treat the animals well, mine always says they get stressed when kept waiting so keeps to time as closely as he can, and if you are there he will often see you early. Rarely books dogs and cats on the same surgery or uses his two rooms to keep them apart. I have often been moved to the side room because they have rabbits or cats coming in. No problem if it helps I am happy to move.

easier said then done! only 1 vet in my town otherwise I would change, I dont drive so it would mean having to get on public transport which would probably stress her even more!! - once I am in the examination room they do treat the animals well, just not a great "waiting area" and they are never on time *shrug* nothing much I can do really, they only have 1 waiting area

Will wait outside next time I have to take her so she isnt in the same area as the dogs - not ideal but it will have to do

Ah I see, we are lucky being near the town we have several choices and I drive, I decided years ago it is easier to pop the dogs in the car to go and find a nice walk as around here we would be pavement pounding all the time if I didn't.

Our vets very good with prices

Recently our kitten was spayed, got prescription eardrops for mites, wormed and a 3 month course of Frontline for £64. 3 follow-up aftercare appointments in that price as well.

I love my vet but BOY are they expensive. My friend bought some cans of Indorex from them when she had a flea problem. It's £11.33 on Amazon, yet it was £23 at the vets.

That's an INSANE markup. And someone who works in the industry told me what they pay for the flea tablets (and the various basic injections), yet one tablet costs about £7.50 to buy. No one can possibly tell me something that costs pennies to buy should have a mark up of £6+

Out of that mark up they have to pay for rent on property which can be extortionate in some areas, wages ours have some wonderful ladies in reception and working as nurses, insurance, taxes , pensions for staff ..... list goes on. They cannot give the same or even near the same price as Amazon where it's in a warehouse and the staff are treated really badly.

My vet told me that they can't buy meds as cheaply as you can get them online - he wishes he could. He said he's not allowed to buy them online and re sell them.

If everyone bought heir meds online the cost of consultations and surgery would have to rise as they have to make enough to cover all their cost and make a profit - they're not a charity. I do buy some meds on line but if it's something they need immediately you have to be aware that it takes a few days for online drugs to arrive as they have to have the prescription sent or unloaded them they ring up the vets to double check it in a lot of cases. It usually takes 5 days for meds to arrive from Animed who are one of the cheapest reputable online suppliers.

One of my cats has been diagnosed with having a bad case of placque and the estimate for removing it is around £250.

My sister lives in Yorkshire and I would have thought Vet charges might be a little cheaper than here in the South but apparently not. I buy Indorex flea spray for around £9 online whereas her vet charged her £20!! Also, they have doubled the cost of the annual booster injection to £90, my vet charges £45.