AIBU refusing to pay this vet bill?

[NicoAndTheNiners]

I have an elderly, poorly cat who I took to the vet last week. Vet did a consult and said he wanted to run blood tests which I agreed to. He never said how much they were. £140 when I got to the desk which I nearly fell over at but paid. He said he would ring with the results either that evening or the next day.

I was out when he rang back and he spoke to my teenage dd. He admits he didn't clarify who he was speaking to. He told her some of the blood results and said he'd like to "do some more tests" He said he wasn't sure what was wrong and was going to speak to someone and ring back the next day.

He rang the next day to say he thinks the cat has a terminal condition, we can do more tests to confirm. I declined as when I asked how much it will be £hundreds. Cat is 15yo.

I've been back at the vet today about something not to do with the cat and they called me over and said I need to pay £48 for the extra blood tests. I asked what they're on about and they said they'd run an FIV test after the other tests. I said I hadn't agreed to this extra and wouldn't have done.

Vet came out and said he'd spoken to someone on the phone who said ok. DD said she had no idea it was another blood test, that it would cost more money. She thought when he said he wanted to do more tests that I would need to take the cat back in for these tests and that's what he was going to ring about the next day.

I haven't paid. They've said they will knock it down to £40 and give me till next month to pay. I am close to ringing them up and saying it's not happening. There is no way I would have said yes to another £48 of tests and dd had no clue he meant to charge more or that she was actually agreeing to anything.

Problem is if I fall out with them its 8 miles to the next nearest vet. So maybe I should just pay to keep the peace. But I did that 5 years ago when my dog died during a routine dental and they billed me £300 for the dead dog. Now I just feel like they're fucking useless and taking the piss.

Blimey I love our rural vets. Cat got sick and started losing hair, check up and bits and pieces £30. Abscess on bottle fed lambs foot drained and antibiotics £20 odd. He’s even done a home visit and performed minor surgery in our yard and from what I can recall was less than £50.

Even the vets before in a town, looked at our sick frail not so old cat and was honest that investigations would be expensive and would be unlikely to change outcome so better just to put to sleep if we were okay not to have a formal diagnosis.

It seems we’ve been lucky.

My 17 year old cat got taken in yesterday and the vet was brilliant. Made it clear that there was a bank holiday call out charge, then the price of full blood work up, being put on a drip, one nights stay etc. We were aware we were at £400 before we left and if the bloods showed tumour then there might be an X-ray but they would discuss and confirm before they progressed. The vet was very upfront on the pricing.

Thankfully she's improved today when I visited.

Think your vet should have spoken to you and you alone about treatment and cost

@NicoAndTheNiners if you hadn't said £25 for a consultation I'd swear it was the same vets as I'm sure ours is £40. But on the off chance does it begin with a C?

Last year we had a horrendous time with my cat who died but was misdiagnosed to begin with, the icing on the cake was when they said he needed an operation at £700 but then the day before increased it to £1500 because the one vet had got it wrong. Insisted he was well enough for the op despite our questioning it and guess what he died as soon as the anaesthetic went in. I'm still angry and upset about it every day over a year later as I feel I let my boy down. There are some great vets out there but also some who just see a licence to print money.

Doesn't begin with a C, no.

I've got some fb recommendations for a new vet in town so regardless of what they say I'm not paying and am moving vets.

Vets have to tell you costs upfront and get your consent. They did neither of these things.

Your best bet is to try and come to some amicable agreement by speaking to the practice manager.

But bear in mind they do have the right to sack you as a client if they feel like it.

I see you've decided to move vets.

Good for you.

Some of the bills here are horrendous, most we've had was £230 for a partial tail amutation after it was trapped in the kitchen door! The initial appointment was £55 but that was with an out of hours charge as they had to stay after hours and wait for us. We've been with this vet fod years and never had a problem with them

@NicoAndTheNiners

I have to say seriously all animals are worth the same. They all have beating hearts and feel pain. I seriously wouldn’t give a shit if it was one of my mice, rats, rabbits or my cat they would get the same level of care. I suggest you do not buy an animal if you can’t care for it how it deserves.
No wonder animals are neglected. “Oh, don’t worry about it I will get a new one”. Your not talking about an object for fucksake.

I don't think anyone would pay say £6000 for a mouse. But I know people who have paid that for a dog. If you really think you'd pay anything for a mouse you're either very, very wealthy or are fibbing.

The rabbit wasn't perfectly healthy, it had inverted eyelids which were scratching its eyes and causing ulcers. Rabbit needed an expensive and risky operation and yes I would have preferred to pts and buy a new one. Where do you draw the line? Its quite personal, I'm sure some people would pay £200 for a rabbit. Would you pay a £200 operation for a hamster by the same logic? How about a £500 operation?

Yes that was a perfectly healthy pet with a physical problem which could be fairly easily corrected. Surgery in rabbits is more risky but perfectly doable. And yes I have in the past rushed my pet rat to an out of hours emergency appointment on a Saturday evening when he lost partial use of his back legs. Various test and meds saw him live another year. It was an expense I had not predicted but If we make the commitment to bring these animals into our homes and families then they deserve to to cared for even if they are not a cat or dog?????

Of course the bills are relative to the animals size don’t be so stupid. I simply wouldn’t deny an animal vet care I have paid £100 to have a pet mouse put to sleep at the emergency vets because she was in pain. I paid over a grand to help my rabbit.
Hundreds on degu dentals in the past.
I would always find the money to help my animals I would never put an animal down (murder it) and get another one because it was cheaper!

I've certainly paid over £200 for rat surgery. I wouldn't dream of euthanising one for the sake of the amount you were charged for the rabbit.

When you purchase an animal you have a duty of
Care.
If my hamster needed a £500 operation to save her life then yes I would find the money.
I am not rich at all but I know my priorities.

I would change the vet regardless...
Out of the point of the principle, I'd be tempted not to pay. They may learn to confirm they are speaking to the registered owner/authorised person in the future.

@hammeringinmyhead

Yes. I have suffered the lump removals with rats in the past. Mostly if they don’t get lumps they can go on ages.

I had a guinea pig that had a large mass on her side. She was only a 3 year old and i paid £450 for bloods/diagnosicts/operation/tests on mass removed. It turned out to be cancer sadly and we had to have her pts a couple of months later, another £50. I'd do it again for any other of my guinea pigs, my hamster or my dog. I owe each of my animals the same level of care and I agreed to that when I made myself responsible for their lives.

I cannot stand people who value one animals life less than another just because of species/size/amount of interaction.

If you won't pay veterinary care to give a young rabbit a comfortable life, (which is what is deserves as a BASIC) do not buy a rabbit.

@Itswinternow
Hello my friend......Exactly!

I initially took our cats to the local vets when we first got them so I'm their registered owner there. I'm also the registered owner on the microchipping etc as I sorted it all out. Our vets wouldn't do anything with dh's say so until I'd signed a form giving him permission. This may seem like overkill but I at least feel safe they won't perform any tests or undertake any treatment without appropriate permission.

In your case I'd definitely switch vets and refuse to pay as they'd failed to contract with someone legally old enough if anything else.

@Itswinternow
Yes!! Exactly!!

My vet always try's to help me save money!

Mine does too. I took my dog to see the vet when he had an upset tummy and the vet told me not to bring my dogs to see him straight away but to wait 24 to 48 hours. In fact even the receptionist tried to tell me to wait but I insisted (new mom)

Our cat was a bit off her food earlier this year, and after £160 of tests we were told it was to be a further £240 for a scale and polish and one extraction. When we went to pick her up they had taken six teeth out, and the bill was over £500. I was happy to pay (on my credit card) because she needed the work done, but still wonder what would have happened if we had turned up with £240 in notes and no other way to pay.

The wee madam is in my black books after cheerfully murdering a bird earlier this evening, DP had to take feathers out of her mouth, like Sylvester with Tweetie Pie. Clearly money well spent.

(In case anyone jumps on me, she is lying in my lap right now purring like a train, and I genuinely mean money well spent. But poor baby bird.)

Your daughters 17, not a baby, you should have taught her that as, if you say, it's not her cat, she should have said "I'm sorry but it's not my cat, I'll get my mum to call you when she gets in". They obviously believed she agreed and she's old enough to expect a level of responsibility from. Personally I'd pay, I don't see why the vets should be out of pocket for trying to help find out what's wrong with your pet.

@HiJenny35 that's a ridiculous statement. How would you even think about teaching her that? How would you ever anticipate that eventuality arising?

I am shocked by some of the vets prices on here. When we had to put my old cat to sleep. We were told before it happened we can have as much time with our cat as we needed afterwards. They said not to go to the desk and just go when we are ready. I didn't even have to think about paying a bill at that time.
We had asked if they could store the body for a little while. My husband had ordered a wicker cat coffin as we just knew our cat was coming to an end. We had to wait for it to be delivered. They had our cat for over a week. He was transported to a larger branch that had room in the freezer. We were not in the right state at the vets to think about prices. But we expected a large bill for all this. When the bill arrived. We didn't have to pay a penny.