To not pay the whole vet's bill

Not sure how an annual check will prevent/address pain a month later?

I'd think it would be obvious to anyone that blood tests wouldn't be included in the consultation fee. It really is on you to ask the costs. Our vets have their basic prices on their website and on the wall in the waiting room.

A payment plan for less than £200?? Do you have no plan for unexpected expenses with your dog

YABU. One of my cats came home on a Friday night during lockdown and wouldn’t let me or DH touch her. We eventually wrangled the cat and she had three cuts to her belly caused by another cat. A trip to the vets on Saturday and no sign of blood or infection but she ended up with a weeks worth of antibiotics to make sure nothing came of it and it cost me £65.

Understandable that you might want an estimate before proceeding, but you should really ask for one in that case.

There is an awful lot to pack into a (typically 10-15 minute) consultation. Once a thorough history has been taken, physical exam and then diagnostic and treatment options discussed it can be tricky to fit a detailed itemisation of costs into the time allocated. That's not to say it shouldn't be done when requested, it totally should. However you need to accept that if this is done every time, without (eg insured) clients asking for it appointment times would need to be extended and guess what that would do to the consultation fee?

Also remember that the fee you have paid for bloods includes the sample being taken (typically two professionals required), the lab fees to run the tests, the interpretation of them and the time the vet will take to call you and discuss them. It really isn't the crazily profitable racket many think it is.

As for the upset over flea and worm meds requiring a check up it is a requirement for POM-V products that the pet is under the care of the veterinary surgeon. This does not apply if the practice have not seen the pet for two years. Asking a vet to prescribe regardless is asking them to risk their licence to practice and their livelihood. It's really upsetting that clients can be so agressive about this. There are other products which can be sold over the counter but if you want the prescription ones please don't be angry when the practice want to comply with legislation.

I'd be shocked but would pay. This has actually happened to me before, was asked over the phone if I wanted blood tests, just to be safe blah blah blah. Of course I said yes but then was shocked at the final bill. They never mentioned the extra cost at all, bit sneaky. My cat is going in to be castrated soon and the cost is quite reasonable at £68. They didn't mention blood tests so I bet they try and sneak the question in when I drop him off.

The vet should have explained the costs. I think the cost of vet treatment has risen hugely in the last 5years and I fear this is in part due to the takeover of many small vet practices by large organisations concerned only with profits for their shareholders. This article is quite enlightening www.gov.uk/government/news/cvs-takeover-of-the-vet-raises-competition-concerns

I have owned cats and dogs for 25 years and I have noticed an increasing tendency to try and increase the number of check ups. Often in my opinion unecessarily and can be stressful for the animals. My cats in particular really do not like going and react badly but now it is impossible to get flea and worm treatment without a minimum of 1 year check up and my vets are now encouraging 6 monthly check ups.

I am also very cynical about pet insurance as we had a pedigree dog who sadly had a couple problems early in life(18 months onwards) - hips dysplasia for example and insurance became ridiculous. I had life time cover for him but that meant staying with the same insurer. At age 5 we were being asked to pay £1500 per year so we self insured. Insurance is fine until you need to make a claim and then the costs skyrocket.

The reliance on pet insurance and the popularity of tv vets has also contributed to rising costs as 'the insurance company will pay'!

13 years old and third vet visit? You’re either lying or a bad dog owner. They need an annual check, as a minimum - it’s not like they can tell you something’s not quite right (they can communicate a lot of stuff, but they’re hardwired to cover pain etc).

We used to find that a lot - the other favourite was to say they would get the money sent to them and then spend it while asking us to do them a payment plan. For some reason clients didn’t like being reminded that to do that is fraud…

Routine bloods for cats is £200 at my vets, so you got off cheap. Brace yourself because vet fees are astronomical

I think it was naive to assume treatment and tests were included in the consultation fee.

I am shocked a long time pet owner doesn’t understand how vets work.

I have had a cat for four years and have spent an absolute fortune in vets fees (despite having insurance!). Everything costs - but you should really be making regular visits to the vet. What about vaccines etc??

Going against the grain here. The costs sound fair, and I expect to pay extra for treatment beyond the consult at the vets, however my vet has always told me how much the additional treatment would be if it isn't included in my yearly plan (vaccines etc. are included for an annual fee at our local practice). I'd be shocked to be asked for lots of extra money at reception when I hadn't been warned beforehand. Even if the costs were very reasonable.

YABVU get pet insurance or don’t have a pet!

I’m with you OP. Before carrying out any extras our Vets always ask if we have insurance and also tell us roughly how much things will cost.

I agree they should give a better indication of costs upfront, I don’t think the onus should be on the patient to say ‘hang on a minute, how much will that be?’. They should say we need to do x, it will cost roughly x, do you agree. Going to the vet was always like playing Russian roulette with my purse.

Did you pay in the end OP?

We took our pets to the vet many times so we know what they are like, this is the norm unfortunately, not sure why they never mention the costs. We pay pet insurance so it's usually covered.

Still, if service provided, the fee should be paid. Lesson learnt, ask next time.

YABU but I’m surprised the vet didn’t mention the cost. I’ve never had a vet not say “it will be approx £X, do you want to proceed?” and then discuss the risks and benefits.

Covid didn't affect our costs, the massive increase in pet ownership and demands of clients driving staff away from the profession is what did that combined with loads of our work force returning to Europe as they weren't welcome.
2019 a locum would cost £250 a day and now they cost upwards of £450 per day.

I took my cat for her jabs a few months ago. While waiting I was listening to the receptionist talking on the phone about a brain scan. Heard her say it’s going to be in the region of 4 - 5 … thought to myself , bloody £500 ! NOOOO it was £5000 😱😱😱😱

I think vet fees are outrageous

That's because you walk into your local hospital or GP surgery, see a highly qualified professional, have all sorts of investigations done and walk out without a bill.

The british public is utterly deluded about the cost of human health care because the NHS is free at the point of delivery, and because of this are horrified at the cost of pet health care..... IT COSTS THE SAME......you just have to pay for it.

if you were used to paying for human health care it would have occurred to you to ask how much the blood tests are.

Of course you have to pay 😂 This is the reason I haven’t got any pets, I’m too tight to pay vet bills! Maybe you should rethink whether you really want to be a pet owner?

Don’t get a pet if you aren’t prepared to pay for their medical expenses. The fact that you say you wouldn’t have had them done if you had known they cost more is awful.

if you don’t have spare money for a pet then get insurance or don’t get a pet. Be responsible

I think vet fees are outrageous at the moment but also that vet medicine is in crisis. I dread my animals getting ill.

Third trip to a vet?;does he not have his annual boosters and health check?

Slightly OT here but £188 is nothing.

If you have a 13 yo westie get insurance now as likely you will be hit with a bill for thousands when the stomach packs up.