To think my vets is a bit of a rip off ........

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9 year old cat just taken to vets for annual injection. Whilst there, vet tells me he looks very healthy etc but there is a slight red mark above one tooth at the back of his mouth which will need cleaning etc. He says that this has to be done under anaethetic and he recommends blood tests done too - total cost £350.

I'm a little surprised that it is quite as much as this; I also want to mention that I took him along to the same vet practice 3 weeks ago ( I have a kitten and 9 year old cat seemed grumpy so wanted him checked over whilst kitten had first jabs). It was a different vet who also said he seemed very healthy. He said he had some plaque which he proceeded to scrape off and that was that.

Opinions please is £350 alot? Do bloods really need to be taken from a healthy cat? I admit that I could see that his gum looked red in a very small area above one tooth and would obviously get this done if it needed to be done but I don't want to be ripped off!

I came on here to say that they're all a rip off, but that one stands above the rest! I'd get a second opinion if I were you.

I've just been quoted £240 for removal of tartar from my cats teeth under anaesthetic...no jabs...not sure if that helps?

What are the bloods for?

Last week we paid £449 for my dog to have most of his teeth out under anaesthetic and for pain medication and antibiotics afterwards (previous owner did not look after him.) He didn't have any bloods done.

£350 for teeth cleaning doesn’t seem outrageous, but I’d be unsure about whether a red mark warranted it!

The bloods are apparently recommended as it would involve an anaesthetic. I have a feeling that this is recommended for any anaesthetic but the cynical part of me wonders if it is always necessary.

I wonder whether it would be worth getting a quote without bloods.

We pay £100 teeth cleaning, But bloods £80 to well over £100 just to test a few things.
Bloods are expensive.

You're never going to get a decent tooth clean (or inspection) in a cat (or dog) without sedation/GA. They don't say aaah
...

Sedation drugs cost money, as should the time of the vet plus nurse involved.

Pre-op bloods for old/middle aged animal are the gold standard- they alert to possible problems with sedation/GA which stress the cat's system so allow additional precautions or to decide a minor op isn't worth the risk

We went a few weeks ago with some vague symptoms. The vet told us she was basically dying and needed and MRI etc, costing thousands. He prescribed her all sorts and really upset me.

2 weeks later, I have an extremely healthy cat and am £70 down. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her!

Vets are all expensive. It was £50 before the vet had even set foot on the yard when I had horses!! A rip off though? I’m not sure. Dental procedures under anaesthetic are pricey. It’s labour intensive for the staff needed during and after. Bloods are always really expensive too especially when they’re not done in house. One of our cats needs them done regularly for his kidney disease and they’re around £80 a pop.

Dental problems can be indicative or can lead to cardio issues though so it is important and that’s maybe why the vet wants to run bloods? It’s of course up to you. If your cat seems fine you could just monitor and reassess with the vet in a month?

Unfortunately a lot of vet practices are now owned by large companies who want to see profits increased and who set targets for the vets. Was the practices locally owned or is it part of a larger chain?

I would take notice of the first vet,some really will say they need something they dont
I took one of my cats, a few years ago for another reason, the vet said she needs a tooth out,so i agreed,didnt want her in pain, they took 3 out A couple of weeks later i took her again for check up for first problem, she was also on metacam
The vet who looked at her this time said she needs some teeth out,i was shocked and said she has just had 3 out
Poor cat then became ill, i thought she had kidney failure after looking up symptoms, vet wanted to do a full blood count[£90], i said she has kidney failure, they disagreed, but i insisted on kidney test only
The results came back with apologies,yes its kidney failure,
Poor cat had had so much metacam and antibiotics that it had made her ill, she had to be put to sleep
Dont let them bully you into having unneccessary tests

Its a local chain. So the bloods are definitely needed?

If you compare it to private healthcare for humans it's not unreasonable.

So the bloods are definitely needed?

That depends on what the blood tests are for.

seems very expensive, didnt even pay that for a spay

Its to check organ function prior to the anaesthetic.

Actually neutering and microchipping (for my little kitten) is going to be £80 but apparently this is heavily subsidised.

Vets are expensive, but so is human healthcare. We're shielded from the costs of ours due to NHS, so with vets it makes you question it. Out of daily takings they pay all overheads plus make a profit, including any tax. If you are questioning a procedure that that may not need to have been done then take it up with them, but the costs are what they are.

I think we are so used to the NHS that is we don’t realise how much many things cost.

Bloods are not necessary; they are merely offered because of your cat’s age and, because they are invasive to take, it is kinder to take them when under a GA. Therefore, taking them is offered as a preventive because it is quite normal at your cat’s age to see signs of kidney failure etc which you would otherwise be unaware of. Many older cats have kidney failure; it’s not necessarily even at a worrying level, but it is often good to know how healthy your cat really is as they are experts at hiding bing in pain.

A scale and polish is generally at least £100 and each tooth that is removed is around £10-£15.

Took my dog to the vet with a repeat ear infection and she told me she would have to sedate him and give him an MRI because his head shaking meant there was "something wrong with his brain " went to a different vet and they prescribed anti-b's and steroids and he's been fine since!

DP thinks the first vet just wanted to run up the insurance

I wouldn’t go under anaesthetic without having bloods done first so I wouldn’t expect my animals to do so . Seems a reasonable cost to me .

You go and qualify as a vet and do it yourself then if you think it is so overpriced.
How do you know that your cat has not got early renal disease, which impacts anaesthetic safety, and can get picked up on blood work?
That 'little red mark' is probably a sign of gum disease, but by all means leave it.
How much do you think would be a fair price for a full anesthetic, monitoring, two professionally qualified peoples' time, use of equipment, overheads etc?
Go have a private medical appointment and come back and tell us how cheap it was by comparison. Of all the related professions, vets are the least well paid, yet because it is private care only, they get the most complaints from people who don't understand how lucky they are not to have to pay for their own medical care.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/pet-costs-do-vets-charge-much/amp/

I think vets get a rough ride. Surely medical costs are part and parcel of having a pet. I have two cats and expect that vet costs will be part of my overall responsibility to them. One cat recently had teeth out and it was around £400 because of bloods, anaesthetic and time. None of it comes cheap but that isn’t the fault of the vet. None of them go into the job with the sole intention of making money...they all care about animals.
One vet said to me that as he is experienced he can often see if things need further treatment or if he can safely leave whatever it is and just monitor it. Inwoukd imagine those less experienced might well err more on the side of caution and suggest treatment.

I love my vets but I wouldn’t want their job. Damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Well said PuntCuffin

Too many people moan about vet costs.

Part and parcel of pet ownership imo.