To think vets charge too much **title edited by MNHQ on OP's request**

[Looobyloo]

I took my 10 yr old cat to the vets earlier for a check up as she has seemed a little lethargic. Vet examines her and says she has a little arthritis in her hip and needs these tablets, one a day. I ask how much, she says £9 a tablet! Everyday for the next, however long she lives. £63 a week!

She gives me a free sample and says if they work she'll give me a prescription So I can get them online. I checked online, 49p a tablet.

We don't have insurance as we've never been able to get her to the vets for injections etc as she's very stroppy (she attacked the vet today)

I know people say don't have an animal if you can't afford and we do have a private cat fund where we put £60 a month into. But even then £63 a week! I'd be torn if it was life and death as much as I hate to admit to it.

Are vets just taking the piss nowadays?

@veterinari I've already apologised for the thread title. I had no idea that vets have the highest suicide rate and no it doesn't make me 'feel better' to think that anyone would want to commit suicide. Silly statement!

@LooobyLoo
So now my statement highlighting the impact of your throwaway comment is ‘silly’
Thanks so much for your sincere consideration of the impact of your words. If you were genuine you might want to consider reporting your thread title and asking MNHQ to amend it. I’m not kidding when I say it’s shit like this that tips people over the edge.

Also, regarding the medication costs - I understand that for some practises, they do not have the buying power and that’s why it’s more expensive etc. However, what I don’t understand is that my Vets are corporately owned by a chain that also has its own website, supplying animal meds, much cheaper than you can buy in their practises?! So I have to get their practise to issue me a prescription to buy the meds from their website, where it’s much cheaper! 🙄🤔 Doesn’t make any sense at all as their buying power is obviously huge, they just don’t pass this on to their practises!

*user1493759849

I think some people on here think poor people should not be allowed pets. Probably think they should not be allowed anything! Probably the same type who think if someone is claiming any tax credits or benefit that they should not be allowed a TV, a day out, a meal out, or a mobile phone. Keep the poor down eh? Throw them scraps of mouldy bread, as that's all the bastards deserve.*

Animal are not commodities like TVs or mobile phones, they are sentient beings who need to be looked after. If your TV goes kaput and needs to be fixed and its owner can't afford the fees to do that, its not going to suffer. An animal will.

There are other ways to have contact with animals if you can't afford to have a pet, schemes where you can walk an elderly person's dog, or volunteer at a charity or foster rescue animals (the rescue will pay all expenses) etc.

Why does my bold always fail???

That's cheap. Where I am in Meath it cost 260 euro for my cat to be as seen to just for a drop in treatment. He suggested doing extra surgery for even more and I said no.

@igotdemons Yes I recently had an insurance claim refused because they decided I shouldn’t have visited the emergency Vets on a Sunday with an elderly cat with an eye that had suddenly swollen up (within the space of 20 minutes!) who is on lifelong medication that can cause facial problems! 🤔 OK then, I’ll just leave my cat to suffer until Monday morning...! 🙄

I am sorry to hear that. Hope your cat is OK now...

@Veterinari

why should I be personally responsible for the financial obligations of my clients?

Fine! But as you clearly don't give a shit about your 'clients,' then also, why do you - and a few others on here, think anyone should give a rat's ass about the 'stress' vets are apparently under all the time?? (And as I said, don't act like vets are the only ones with a stressful job, coz that's just a fucking insult to half the working population!

Do you expect mechanics to subsidise your car servicing or electricians to cover the cost of your re-wiring?

No, but I do expect a decent price, and not to be ripped off. And SOME vets are a rip off.

So why should I pay for your pet care?

I never said you had to. WTF are you on about?

I'm amazed at all the (expensive) vet supporters. I moved to a small family practice from a chain that was sold to investors and found the difference in price for meds in the same area to be huge. My new vets are so much cheaper, and consciously less invasive in treatment.

YANBU just buy the stuff online. Always worth checking.

I don't know why so many people here are jumping around saying the NHS is free, just as an aside. We pay £130 billion a year for it! It's not free! Medical treatment is expensive.

This is where vets make their money, I've learnt to get a bit cynical over the years with a horse on 47 tablets a day.

Ask the vet for a prescription (my horse vet will charge approx £15 for a 6 month prescription). Then I get them prescribed online. There are a few online animal pharmacies. No hard feelings, you're allowed to do that, they charge for the prescription and any consultations so they're not out of pocket. You could invite them to lower their price as you're self funding rather than insurance based, but again I wouldn't expect much if anything.

It sounds like the vet was quietly suggesting you did that in a roundabout way. I think vet practice both large and small animal these days is all about up selling and increasing income these days.

Pets are a luxury. I couldn't afford it if something bad happened to my cats so therefore I have them insured.

It's not black and white unfortunately, but there are some good vets out there, just as there are ones who might price higher due to a pet being insured.

@user1493759849

Fine! But as you clearly don't give a shit about your 'clients,' then also, why do you - and a few others on here, think anyone should give a rat's ass about the 'stress' vets are apparently under all the time?? (And as I said, don't act like vets are the only ones with a stressful job, coz that's just a fucking insult to half the working population!

Please please show me where it’s ‘clear’ I don’t give a shit about my clients? Is it the part where i’ve Spent most of my career working for charities? Or the part where I spend my free time on MN giving free professional advice?

Yeah I guess it’s behaviour like this that makes me a ‘robbing bastard’ who ‘doesn't give a shit’
Or is that just your assumption to fit in with your own prejudice?

I’m not expecting you to ‘give a shit’ but you might want to work on you maths skills. The suicide rate amongst vets is 4x higher than the general population and that includes the ‘half with stressful jobs’ that you seem so concerned about. So yes feel free to dismiss the maths, feel free to decide that I don’t care, feel free to swear and call people names from behind your keyboard... Still doesn't Make you right though.

Do you expect mechanics to subsidise your car servicing or electricians to cover the cost of your re-wiring?

No, but I do expect a decent price, and not to be ripped off. And SOME vets are a rip off.

Some of every industry is a rip off - shop around - read the first article I linked to. You’re an adult I assume, though i’m Starting to wonder....

So why should I pay for your pet care?

I never said you had to. WTF are you on about? confused

@user1493759849 so who is going to pay for it then? Since you seem to think poor pet owners shouldn’t have to and that owning a pet is a right?

@Looobyloo

You’ve started a truely horrible thread. You’ve dismissed my concerns about the impact such an unpleasant and personal thread could have, and you don’t seem to have asked for the thread title to be changed.
Hope your cat gets better but it would be really nice if you actually did something to minimise the impact of your actions on others

@MNHQ I’d like to ask for this thread to be deleted - it contains multiple personal attacks and is not in keeping with the spirit of the site

So she was happy for you to pay £9 a day?

Didn’t quite understand that bit.

And yes, most vets are robbing bastards. Don’t get me started. I avoid as much as I can and that includes their annual robbing bastard vaccinations (which also damage their health)

@veteriniri you seem very very angry. I've only just woke up so haven't had time to report repot and wouldn't know how.

'the impact of my actions on others' bloody hell have I really affected YOUthat much? Haven't you been called worse? I didn't think it was that horrible a thread, I've seen much, much worse on here.

Is it not important for people to see both sides? I said how expensive vets are and lots have come on giving a different view which has certainly made me think so maybe it's made others think too.

Ok my title could have been nicer but I've apologised which you don't think is genuine.

I think some people on here think poor people should not be allowed pets. Probably think they should not be allowed anything! Probably the same type who think if someone is claiming any tax credits or benefit that they should not be allowed a TV, a day out, a meal out, or a mobile phone. Keep the poor down eh? Throw them scraps of mouldy bread, as that's all the bastards deserve.

What a load of absolute shit.

Animals are not mobile phones or televisions. They aren't inanimate objects which exist for the benefit of humans. They are living things, and anybody who owns one is morally responsible for ensuring that the animal is suitably provided for. That includes either paying for insurance, or having the means to cover vets fees. People are not entitled to have pets they cannot care for.

The welfare of an animal is far more important than the desire of any person to own a pet.

Vets cannot work for free. Their business model is expensive - they have huge overheads. They have to charge the fees they do to pay for those overheads, and because they are providing a specialised service.

If you cannot afford an animal, you shouldn't have one. It is not reasonable to suggest that an animal should suffer or go without necessary treatment because it's owner can't afford its care. Deciding whether you can pay for that care is an essential part of deciding whether you should have a pet.

@Looobyloo

No not angry, just really sad that despite the fact you’ve admitted your local vets have previously been very good, and this time gave you meds for free, you decided to start a thread slagging off ALL of us and generating a whole load of slagging.

When I challenged you on this and highlighted the potential mental health implications you said I was I was apparently being ‘silly’

And yes of course i’ve Been called worse - i’m A vet. I get it every single day of my life. Every taxi ride, every dinner party, every small talk interaction. It’s fucking exhausting to constantly have to justify why I don’t work for free if I love animals. And is the reason myself my friends, my colleagues are leaving the profession in droves, or sometimes, taking our own lives. Because what’s the point when you try your best and everyone thinks you’re a robbing bastard anyway?

I’m sure there are worse threads on here - rascist, disabilist and others that are downright bullying. If all you aspire to be is not as bad as them then I guess you hit the mark. Well done.

Ffs. Don’t have a pet you can’t afford. Don’t get a pet if you don’t have insurance. Not rocket science. Why the fuck do some people expect everything for free in this country?

Previous poster only £26 for consultation! Bargain, £70 here as soon as you're over the doorstep.

I quoted the word silly in response to your previous post where you said "if it makes me feel happy that many vets commit suicide"
This thread has also generated a whole load of people in support of vets, it's also made me think as I said.

But, in defence of vets, I'm glad they're available. Any medical treatment is expensive, try breaking a leg in USA before complaining about prices vets charge here.

Everyone has a choice. If you think your best is to expensive then don't take your pet. Google their symptoms and use an online pharmacy.

If you'd rather expert advice from an experienced practitioner and a tailored treatment plan then maybe the vet is a better option

I was going to reply last night with simple facts and haven't read the whole thread. It seems to have gone a bit ott.

However. Our vet is fantastic. They are kind, efficient and communicate. They seem really to care about our boy (nearly 11, half BSH). I wish our NHS GP was similar.

He has PetPlan which is expensiveat £59pcm but it provides life cover for chronic conditions. Now he is elderly they cover 80% nd there's a £200 excess.

Earlier this year op he was diagnosed with an arthritic hip. I think the consultation, check-up and bloods came to about £168. He is on Metacam for arthritis. It's £56 for a bottle which lasts for about two months. He is due a 6 monthly check this month.

Over the years he has had, inch of tail amputated, stomach pump and admission for five days after poisoning, another stomach pump after the lily incident.

He's been an accident prone boy and I reckon we have broken even with the ins or at worst ended up paying the equivalent of a cheap plan.

Are vets a rip off. No of course not. They are professionals who run a business without subsidies. Mine is bloody awesome as are their staff.

Pets are v v expensive - I'd say my cat costs circa £120pcm without the extra for his arthritis although I confess he may be a tiny bit spoilt.

Running a bit late this morning so won't pass the gorgeous Noel in the village

This thread has also generated a whole load of people in support of vets, it's also made me think as I said

Well it would be really nice if you took those thoughts and translated them into action so us ‘robbing bastards’ don’t have to keep looking at your offensive thread title

Many years ago I had to get human antivirals from Boots for my cat. Confused Boots no end when I gave them a veterinary prescription 😂
£49 for 5 tablets. If they had been for me they would have been whatever the prescription cost was at that time.
I had to quarter the tablets, my vet said if she had prescribed the correct size they would have been three times the cost

Also whilst I appreciate the support of many posters on here, let’s not pretend that was your aim. The support has come in spite of your unpleasant intentions, not because of them