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AIBU?

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Original poster

CF vet???

244 replies

Millionpoundvet · 22/10/2019 10:33

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 :)

OP posts:
privatehack4 · 22/10/2019 11:56

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Furiousfive · 22/10/2019 12:01

She was booked in for a thyroid op and you didn't enquire about her for over a week when you happened to bump into your friend at the pub? Then left her a further couple of weeks with only a couple of attempts at making contact? That is beyond weird if this is true.

musicposy · 22/10/2019 12:12

When the vet has had any of my animals staying I am phoning every single day as a minimum, mainly because I am frantic with worry. Why on earth did you not keep checking and questioning what was going on?

I think the fee for keeping your cat all that time is ridiculously cheap, to be honest. Our poor late dog was in overnight at the end and even that was nearly £700.

You seem to have tried to get a diagnosis from your friend for free when she came round socially and I suspect this was your first mistake. Had you taken her to the vet and put it on a business setting from the off, you both might have treated this whole scenario with more professionalism. I don't think your friend is faultless in this, but neither are you.

AutumnCrow · 22/10/2019 12:13

You seem an extraordinarily casual cat owner, OP.

LittleDancers · 22/10/2019 12:14

There's no way I'd be not ringing and visiting and keeping fully abreast of the daily news/update/action/treatment. When my elderly cat went in for a minor day op under anaesthetic, I rang when I knew the op should be over to see how he was doing, then again a couple of hours later to check if he was OK to be collected and I was there on the dot of the time they said he would definitely be ready to collect. I didn't want him to stay in a minute longer than necessary - and they are a lovely, caring vets practice too.

cathpinc · 22/10/2019 12:15

I mean, generally speaking, all the vets I've known have been genuine, caring individuals but they do sometimes make weird mistakes. Our last vet re-examined our dog, whom we knew had arthritis, and immediately referred us to a specialist for a CT scan on 'an old traumatic injury that means he needs a complete joint replacement'. £1800 later, the specialist advised us that no, it was just arthritis.

Fuckenstein · 22/10/2019 12:15

How strange, were you just hoping the cat hadn't made it through the OP now that she is old and incontinent?

TheNestedIf · 22/10/2019 12:18

The vet did do a test, to be fair, and that''s why the thyroid operation didn't go ahead.

The test will form part of OPs bill and the test in itself is not cheap. I know this as, whilst the practice I used had several excellent vets, the practice manager was a rip off merchant who would try to get me to agree to the thyroid and other tests every single time I took the cats in despite no symptoms to suggest those tests were necessary.

Bad teeth? Thyroid test.
Cat scratch abscess? Thyroid test.
Cat with a fast heartbeat after a public transport journey it really didn't want to take and who hates the vet so much it gets back into the carrier of its own accord? Thyroid test.

That aside, I'm going to join in with the kicking. I can't believe how casual you were over the cat, OP. When one of my cats was staying in, both I and DP visited at least once a day with DP regularly sneaking him a bit of sausage as he wasn't eating otherwise. We even visited on a Sunday when the practice was closed and chatted to him through a window.

viques · 22/10/2019 12:18

I think if the vet does provide an itemised bill (and I'm surprised they didn't since ours provided one automatically, a bit like a hotel or a private hospital wth everything itemised by cost ) you will find that your friend has already given you a substantial discount.

BarrenFieldofFucks · 22/10/2019 12:18

But if the animal was only still there because VF was treating it casually as it belonged to her friend, it shouldn't then be racking up boarding fees.

LittlePaintBox · 22/10/2019 12:21

Veterinary tests are enormously expensive, so I'm not surprised if you gave your vet carte blanche to do all the tests she wanted to do, the costs racked up.

I think you were unreasonable to pay the bill before you had received an itemised account of what you were paying for. I have a thing about employing friends, though - I avoid it if possible. I was once royally ripped off by a friend's partner installing a kitchen for me and it was really difficult to question the bill for what was essentially an unfinished job. So social embarrassment cost me a lot of monety.

Spidey66 · 22/10/2019 12:23

My cat had an overactive thyroid (which was suspected here.) He didn't stay in at all-just had a blood test for diagnostic purposes, then lifelong meds with occasional blood tests. Thyroid removal was discussed but for one reason and another wasn't done.

I agree with others, there was wrong on both sides. I can't believe a family pet was at the vets for 3 weeks with such a casual approach to it.

ruralcat · 22/10/2019 12:24

The price doesn't seem high for the length of time the cat was at the vets. The issue is they seem to have kept the cat unnecessarily thus bumping up the cost. Though it is very strange you didn't push to find out what was going on and get the cat home.

FizzyIce · 22/10/2019 12:24

Your cat was kept in for 3 weeks and you only questioned the vet about the cats wellbeing when /if you bumped into her in the pub??
What?!
Poor cat

Tootyfilou · 22/10/2019 12:28

Who gives a fuck if your husband is a GP? Why on earth would you not enquire about your cat for a whole week?

Astrabees · 22/10/2019 12:29

I took my elderly Staffie to the vets when he produced red urine and seemed to be in discomfort. He was in for a full day for tests and they could not find anything wrong with him. The bill was nearly £500. The problem with animals is that for most tests they have to be anaestheatised and the blood tests and pathology bump costs up a bit too. I was miffed to pay £500 and be told nothing was wrong, but eventually came to the conclusion that was better than being told he was suffering from something nasty.

BareKneesDeCourcy · 22/10/2019 12:32

Get your cat together, woman!

FleurNancy · 22/10/2019 12:35

I can't get past the point where you left your cat in the vets for a week without checking up on her. Or the fact that the cat got to 14 before you clocked that overnight stays at the vet are £££.

Vilanelle · 22/10/2019 12:40

Almost sounds like she forgot about the cat. Something strange about all this so YANBU in that respect.

However, the amount seems quite cheap for a 3week stay, do you not have insurance?

When my cat was in vets for around the same time, I was ringing every day, sometimes twice a day lol he was in Bristol and I was in Wales, and he was very very ill.

Seems odd that you only brought it up casually in the pub.

hovatn · 22/10/2019 12:45

This all sounds very weird. Something doesn't add up.
No idea why you weren't on the phone more often or why the vet wasn't phoning you to let you know.
When my cats have been in for something or other the vet or vet nurse has always phoned to update. Also, all treatments agreed in advance.
But if the vet had not phoned I would have been on the phone every day or been in to visit - not leave my cat at the vet's for a couple of weeks.

It seems like the cat was in for an awful long time for what turned out to be a few tests. However, I don't think the bill is that excessive for the length of time the cat was in. One of mine was in overnight and had a drip and an x-ray and it cost nearly 200 quid just for that. It costs a lot because you have staff checking on and treating the animals if necessary during the night.

Ask for an itemized bill and ask what the heck is wrong with the cat!

Jaxhog · 22/10/2019 12:46

The cost seems ok for 3 weeks at Vets. What seems odd is that they didn't want you to take the cat home ASAP. My Vet would. I'm also puzzled why you weren't on the phone to the VET every day. I would be.

Soulsista14 · 22/10/2019 12:48

I call troll. Surely no one can be this stupid and heartless?

frankie001 · 22/10/2019 12:50

No reply from OP? She is waiting to casually meet us in a pub in about a week to update us!

Djimino · 22/10/2019 12:51

Is there a reason you thought you would get a discounted bill?

Mia1415 · 22/10/2019 12:52

I just can't imagine ever being in a situation where one of my pets was at the vets for a week and I didn't ring to find out how there were! I'd have been ringing daily and asking if I could visit.