CF vet???

[Millionpoundvet]

NC for this because it's very outing and I'd rather it didn't follow me around. For ease I'll refer to my friend as VF.

This is a bit awkward. One of my very, very good friends is a vet, she owns and runs two practices and has an impressive amount of qualifications; far more than your average vet. I'm not sure what they are, specialisms in some things.

I decided to move my pets to her practice because of the friendship, her expertise and I wasn't entirely happy with the old vet. She very kindly allowed my dd (12) to go and do a few hours of work experience, my animals have been well looked after whenever I've taken them. My kitten was neutered, vaccinated and chipped there, and they spotted and dealt with a potential abscess on his tail. All great.

I have an old lady cat, she's 14, still sprightly but had got very, very thin, was messing around the house and had moments of confusion. VF had been to my house a few times, cuddled the cat and I'd asked about what could be wrong with her. VF could feel a couple of thyroid lumps and suggested that she have an op to remove the thyroid gland. I booked her in and delivered her to the surgery. I didn't hear anything for a week or so, but didn't mind, I assumed VF was doing what needed to be done. I bumped into her in the pub a couple of days after that, and she tells me that the thyroid tests have come back as normal. She now suspects that it's lymphoma. She says the cat is too poorly to come home yet, she will discharge her soon.

Again, we hear nothing for a week or so. I ring the practice to ask about what's going on and I'm told "Oh, I'm not sure, it's VF dealing with this. Can I ask her to give you a ring?" No problem. However, no phone call either. Again, I bump into VF socially (lots of the same friends) and enquire about my cat. She doesn't have lymphoma now and is ready to come home. VF says something vague about the cat having a liver infection. Along the way I've asked her to keep an eye on the bill and tell me when it's gone over a certain amount (£600 quoted for thyroid op). If I ask her directly, she says "It's still in 3 figures."

Anyway (sorry, this is really long! Didn't want to dripfeed), I arranged to collect my cat yesterday and I am greeted with a bill of £1,250. I was absolutely gobsmacked. She's billed me for that huge amount, despite:

Cat didn;t have or need a thyroid op.

Cat didn't have lymphoma.

Cat has had no surgical procedures at all.

Cat has had a few blood tests and basically been left sitting there for three weeks, whilst I was under the impression that she was being treated for cancer!

I asked for a breakdown of the bill and was told they didn't have it ready but that they can post it to me.

Awkwardly, it was my friend doing the discharge and I didn't want to challenge her at the time, because I wasn't sure if the fee was a fair one, and I didn;t want to accuse her of something she hadn't done, so I paid the bill and left.

I came home to my partner (who is a GP) and he says that we've been taken for a ride by VF and he's furious about the bill. Now that I've had time to process it, I'm furious too.

But what should I do?? If I go back and complain it will make things very awkward between VF and I and I do genuinely like her. Or shall I just chalk it up to experience and move my pets elsewhere? I feel like I can't say nothing, but I also don;t want to overreact. Or have I done something wrong along the way which has allowed her to bill this much??

Opinions please :)

If I was your vet friend I’d be looking to get the poor little thing rehomed.
Except the vet friend is equally at fault. Actually I'd say more so, seeing as she's (meant to be) the professional here.

Tbh I think this vet needs reporting. Who on earth keeps a cat for three weeks without informing the owner of its progress? Even though I believe you are equally at fault OP for not enquiring on the welfare of your pet at any point during that three weeks, except when you bumped into your friend

No animal should be shut in a box for three weeks.

Thats just plain cruel, unless the animal is actually barely alive and fixed up to a drip for a condition they won't likely recover from, to keep them as comfortable as possible.

After three weeks lying down in such a restricted space muscles will atrophy, and animal will be very stressed and unhappy, very likely to become lack-lustre

I recognise the feedback of RVN adoring their animal, it seems the norm for RVNs to interact a lot with their charges and speak of interactions, cuddles, comment on behaviours. If the cat was purring alone, thats different to cat purring when receiving affection/cuddles from the RVNs.

It's the medical treatment and professional relationship I seriously call into question.

They cannot charge a figure without having a list of procedures, medicines, and other incurred costs,or where has the figure comes from?!

Ask for the details that the final summary figire was based on. Just make a call to reception, or better, email (so you and they have a written request) asking for the itemised list you are expecting for all the charges.

Also put in writing an ask for the summary of treatment, and actual dx, as you are very confused about what your cat has, and/or what has been definitely ruled out, etc. Ask for it urgently as you are still very worried about her.

I definitely would have have the investigations done, but never have left a cat there all that time without really sound explanations, and would be visiting, a lot, as much as allowed, to maintain a regular contact with the poor cat and to just because we would all miss it so much and be so worried.

Pets have some hefty ops and still come home after, with aftercare notes.

Your VF sounds dodgy AF. No highly qualified person with a very good and busy practice, crows about their status, and ignores their clients, charging figures plucked from the air wih no basis in auditable procedures and charges.

Another thing to add - I’ve used three different veterinary computer systems and you literally press ‘print invoice’ to get a breakdown.
There was no reason they wouldn’t have had that available.

3 week's vet stay for just over a grand? That's amazingly cheap. I paid £1.5k for antibiotics,emergency vet trip,and a very small procedure and no stay over at all. I thought that was reasonable,I was expecting it to be more.

OP I hate to say it, but the cat's hind legs not working (in my experience - just a layperson but I've had several old cats) is a very bad sign.
Combined with the lack of grooming, losing weight, messing etc.
You can get kitty checked for diabetes. My last cat had the same symptoms and it was his heart and liver shutting down. He was drinking water like crazy, it ended up pooling in his abdomen.
Good luck OP.

£1250 is also a very round figure

You can get kitty checked for diabetes.

I mentioned that, but you’d bloody hope in 3 weeks they tested for diabetes in an old cat losing weight!

Crikey. She sounds like a seriously dodgy vet. I’ve had cats for about 20 years and have never known a vet behave in this way with a sock animal. Nor been unable to clearly explain what they’re planning to do/ have done and how their bill has been made-up.

Any veterinary computer systems I've used, like has been said, it's just literally press 'print invoice' to print out the itemised invoice, so I'm not sure why this is such a problem. For instance, kitty is in for 3 days. Day 1 you inject X amount of antibiotic. Pop it on the system. You give X amount of fluids, Pop it on the system. Painkiller, on the system etc etc. Day 2, you give X amount and use X amount of fluids etc. Day 3 and so on. It keeps a running total with each and every charge and what it is for. Figures literally cannot be 'plucked out of the air' because the computer will not let you put in a made up figure. It has to relate to a drug/consumable, how much of that was used, then the computer prices it up depending on your practice price list. At the end of the treatment or inpatient stay, the whole invoice can be printed up detailing every charge.
I wouldn't be surprised if Op has already received a discounted rate for the 3 weeks stay!

Also RVNs all know whos having what done and how much it costs.

What is so peculiar is that in order to have a total figure they would have to have an itemised bill. So if they don’t have an itemised bill they don’t actually have a total figure.

I guess OP will never come back now and I’d love to have known what the vet was up to.

It is possible the vet wasnt charging properly and was giving mate's rates and wanted to discount the bill...or the client finally showed up and demanded her cat back. We only have the client's comments about the vet big-noting herself and this reeks of the client being pissed off and subsequently exaggerating and fabricating. Which would also chime with the ridiculous tale of the client not enquiring about her cat! And her GP husband? Neither of them can follow a diagnostic plan or ask about their cat or understand what is going on? Nah. This poster is being petulant and unreasonable and shifting guilt blame whatever to the vet. As someone said...less angst and more do....

less angst and more do....

Lol, that should be Mumsnets new slogan. 😅. It applies to so, so many threads.

YABU. Only because you weren't enquiring about your cat and left her for three weeks aside from 'bumping into your friend socially'. What if you hadn't met her, would you just have left her there? FFS.

@Millionpoundvet
Any update?
I think a few of us are wondering how this could practically happen in reality...

Yes, it does make you wonder, doesn't it?

No updates because it’s an exaggerated version of events.
Everyone knows a story about ‘money grabbing vets’ gets the reactions.

If it helps anyone reading this, as a vet nurse (and my vets)... we don’t see the money. Trust me. It’s a job for the love and absolutely not for the money. So all those that have commented about us doing it for money and not caring, be kind to your vet staff. It’s a hard bloody job.