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Vet Fees |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 321
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Vet Fees
Our cat had to stay in over night for observation, and the charge was £20.00. I said that was expensive, the nurse repled, "well we have fed her, and sorted out her kennel & she will be getting attention and fuss" I said, It wouldn't cost £20.00 to feed her for the night!
Do you mean to say that a vet/nurse will check on her during the night? She isn't Ill just observation!Makes me wonder if they just "rip" us off!! But how do we know? |
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#2 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4,450
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They're an absolute rip-off, no doubt about it. How they manage it, I don't know - it's really a case of money over animal welfare, in some cases, at least.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: North East!!!
Posts: 953
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my dog had an operation on his eye and has had it sown up hes also been for 2 consulations and had a dose of antibiotics and it has came to £476!! how shocking is that!!!
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 321
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ella_X
my dog had an operation on his eye and has had it sown up hes also been for 2 consulations and had a dose of antibiotics and it has came to £476!! how shocking is that!!!
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#5 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4,450
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I think next door spent around £700 on their dog last year (and that's without the cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbit, lizards and whatever else needs treating!
). It's a bit steep.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Night Watch
Posts: 3,522
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You can blame the EU for some of the expense of vet bills. The EU in their infinite wisdom declared that henceforth from some date or other animals would no longer be treated with human medicines but instead they would be treated with the significantly more expensive animal medication. Don't you just love the EU?
I have to admit I'm a bad pet owner, I only do what I think is necessary which is the snip and if they are sick I'll take them to the vet. Never been bothered with vaccinations. However I've only got a cat. I suppose I wouldn't be able to get away with that if I had a dog. |
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#7 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4,450
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mad1
You can blame the EU for some of the expense of vet bills. The EU in their infinite wisdom declared that henceforth from some date or other animals would no longer be treated with human medicines but instead they would be treated with the significantly more expensive animal medication. Don't you just love the EU?
![]() Best thing to give a dog with diarrhoea? Immodium, which is exactly what the vet would give (only he'd charge ten times the price).
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 9,396
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Last year, I decided to get my 3 cats spayed and phoned around for prices. I asked if I would get any discount for getting all 3 done at once, you know, like "buy 2 get one at 50% off"
All said no. Anyways, the average price quoted was around £67 each (average £201 for all 3). Luckily, around the same time my local animal shelter, started a new vet surgery open to the public, and the prices.....? £35 each cat. That's just £105 total! A massive saving of almost 50%! I asked why it was so cheap and they said, "because we charge the price it does cost, not what the other vets think it should cost" So, check out your local animal shelter and see if they have a vets open to the public....chances are you'll save alot of money.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,125
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It is expensive
Although when my beloved Candy (my dog) had a hysterectomy a couple of months ago she had - Blood test Operation (only stayed in for afternoon) Antibiotics Pain killers IV thingy in her leg 3 further consultations Cost about £300 - which we were actually happy about as it is so low. Sometimes just for a course of pills or something it can cost about £20. But thats the price we pay for our lovely pets - would have paid triple that if need be. |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spearman
Absolutely superb.
![]() Best thing to give a dog with diarrhoea? Immodium, which is exactly what the vet would give (only he'd charge ten times the price). ![]() Then you need to change your vet. Our vet always sends us to the chemist to get medication if it is available over the counter. When we took our dog to the vet last year, he told us that 80% of the consultations he does are for things that would have got better on their own if the owners just waited a couple of days. I don't think £20 to have a cat kept in overnight is that unreasonable. A member of staff will have to do the observation and keep notes and feed the animal. The kennel, bedding and feed bowls will all need to be cleaned and disinfected before they can be used again. |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: West Wales
Posts: 14,065
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I'm not going to stick up for vets prices, I have spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds at vets over the years. However, you have to remember you are not only paying for the treatment and consultation to your particular vet, but also the equipment they have had to buy which costs thousands, the overheads on the building they are using, the staff wages (nurses, receptionists etc) and also the fact that the vets themselves have had to go to Veterinary college for years to become qualified, many of which run up thousands of pounds in student debts. (Didn't any of you watch Vets in Practice etc on tv? )
Having said that I have been appalled by some of my bills, £80 +VAT for having my dog's teeth cleaned a couple of weeks back, which isn't covered by pet insurance. The worst bill I have had involved her having a piece of her soft palette removed and a tonsil as she had breathing problems, and that was a couple of quid short of a thousand, which luckily most of was recoverable, but it still didn't cover my travel to the specialist or other bits and bobs, so I was out of pocket by about £200 on that. |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hull
Posts: 923
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Have you people not heard of pet insurance? I think its important to have it if you have a pet because what happens if something terrible happens like a car accident and you cant afford to pay the bills. You lose your pet is what happens.
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 14,532
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You lot dont know you are born. I have two horses and my vet bills would make your eyes water.
My old horse had to have two teeth out and the bill came to £2,000 Looking at the broken down bill and you could see how the charges mount up. For example an injection was broken down into cost of Syringe, needle, drug, administering it to the horse. Each separate layer of dressing was charged plus a cost for putting it on.I do pay over £60 per month in insurance so the blow is not that bad but the excess is £120 per incident and if you claim too often they put up the insurance or exlude parts of the horses body. When they have gone I think I will get hamsters.
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,421
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Vet surgeries are a business like any other - just because what they are doing is for the good of an animal doesnt change the fact they are there to make a profit. Look how much private medicine costs - there isnt THAT much difference between that and what vets are doing (there just isnt an option of NHS vets - but then again it is your choice to buy a pet in the first place)
£20 I dont think is too excessive. As others have said they will have to pay a nurse to be there as well as cleaning/feeding etc. They will also have to charge a fee that will give an over all profit depending on what the average number of animals they have in over night. If you are concerned about the cost of keeping a pet either dont get one or get pet insurance. The likes of Direct Line pay the vets directly for non-routine / pre-existing conditions and so it doesnt even have to come out of your pocket. |
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#15 |
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Posts: n/a
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Astaroth
If you are concerned about the cost of keeping a pet either dont get one or get pet insurance. The likes of Direct Line pay the vets directly for non-routine / pre-existing conditions and so it doesnt even have to come out of your pocket. Pets are not essential to our life. You want one you pay for one. We pay £1200-1300 to the NHS per year for each person on average. Whether they are fit or not. Don't like the bills - don't get a pet or pay proper insurance just as you would for a child through taxation. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: West Wales
Posts: 14,065
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The trouble with the pet insurance companies is there are so many things that aren't covered under the policies. That is what soon mounts up. I have been paying £8-£9.50 for my dog for over 5 years, and yes I have had my money back and more besides because of the breathing problem, and also allergy tests which she has had have been over £400 too. But they don't cover for what is in their opinions "non-essential" treatment, ie having her teeth cleaned. Only dental treatment as an emergency is deemed to be necessary. They also don't cover for any treatment for more than 12 months after the onset, they don't cover for any drugs which she may need to take either during the course of treatment or for the rest of her life. You really have to look at the small print very carefully. This is I suppose a bit off topic now, another issue on the pet insurers, not the vets.
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hull
Posts: 923
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FLicker- good pet insurers insure for life. I have my cats on supercat pet plan. No it doesnt cover regular costs but I wouldnt expect it to. It will pay out however much I need it to, will pay for a new cat if I lose my cat (for whatever reason) and will pay for advertising if my cats go missing. Dont be tempted to go for the cheapest possible. Like anything else, you get what you pay for.
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flicker
The worst bill I have had involved her having a piece of her soft palette removed and a tonsil
What sort of dog is she. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 14,532
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekP
Pets are not essential to our life
Quote:
You want one you pay for one
Agreed though.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 21,390
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I have just signed up for pet insurance on our puppy with E&L. He got 3 months free insurance, but now we have to start paying - and it will cost about £12 a month for their platinum service. But i do believe its worth it. I have many animals, and when i got them i couldnt afford insurance and over the years i have spent thousands on vets bills - i wasnt going to make that mistake again.
The only bummer is the excess on all policies which is normally around £50. And you can almost guarantee when you go to the vets for something relatively minor the bill will be £49.99
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2001
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 252
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My parrot hurt his leg not long ago and the vets bills were out of this world for what they actually did....
The first visit cost £20 for the vet to feel the leg for about 30 seconds then declare come back on Monday for xrays. The second visit on the monday cost £76.95 for about 30 mins while they xray'd the birds leg and told me nothing was broken but it was probably a pulled ligament and should get better within 14 days..... 2 weeks later, still no better so go back to the vet they feel the leg for about another 30 seconds declare the ligament is torn because they can feel it all of a sudden now (why they didn't feel this the first time i went i'll never know), then tell me to leave it a few more weeks and "see what happens" because there is not much they can do!, cost for this visit £30. Daylight robbery if you want my opinion.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: West Wales
Posts: 14,065
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bossyboots
I paid nowhere near what you did for my dog to have that operation and it was done at the local surgery.
What sort of dog is she.
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#23 |
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Posts: n/a
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We recently had to pay around £90 for a sample to be taken from a lump on our dog - it is expensive - luckily it turned out benign though (she's 11 so she's getting on a bit).
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#24 |
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Banned User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: A secure padded cell.
Posts: 3,295
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Benuk73
Our cat had to stay in over night for observation, and the charge was £20.00. ..:
Quote:
Originally Posted by markjonson
...The first visit cost £20 for the vet to feel the leg for about 30 seconds then declare come back on Monday for xrays....The second visit on the monday cost £76.95 for about 30 mins while they xray'd the birds leg and told me nothing was broken but it was probably a pulled ligament and should get better within 14 days....
Daylight robbery if you want my opinion. ![]() The training to be a vet is almost as long and arduous as training to be a doctor. They deserve to be well paid. I cannot comment on the competency of this particular vet. |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flicker
She's a Cavalier King Charles, and it's quite a common problem with them apparently, the tongue is too big for the size of their mouth and blocks the airway when they relax or panic - hence she could snore for Wales! My vets don't have the expertise for this, I had to take her to Bristol to a specialist which was a journey of 120 each way. I had to take her for the initial consultation, then take her back a few weeks later for the op, leave her for two days and then fetch her back. Thankfully she is okay now, so it was well worth the money, I thought she was going to die a few times when she had the attacks and couldn't breathe, so horrible to watch, and have to stick your fingers down her throat to clear the airway.
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Do you mean to say that a vet/nurse will check on her during the night? She isn't Ill just observation!

