To think that the vet chain that charges £1800 to keep your dog in overnight on a drip is ripping caring dog owners off?

[FizzAfterSix]

A week ago my poor little 8-year-old dog vomited a few times, refused to eat all day and that evening began emitting bloody diarrhoea. I called the nearest emergency vet in a panic (I thought he was haemorrhaging!) and asked if I should bring him in.

The vet took some details and told me it would cost £1.800 to keep him in overnight. I was all set to bring him in but when she took my details she discovered I was registered to the wrong surgery. I then called another emergency vet who was brilliant and explained that these symptoms were not an emergency and that I should call back in the morning which I duly did.

The diarrhoea and vomiting had stopped so the vet suggested that I syphon chicken broth into his mouth regularly and make sure he was drinking water.

2 days later he still wouldn’t eat so I took him to the emergency Medivets, who I had originally consulted on the phone, on Saturday morning. They took an x-ray (which didn’t show up anything) and prescribed some antibiotics. They charged £450.

It’s 3 days later. My dog hasn’t eaten for a week now and is subsisting on chicken broth and a digestive probiotic support gel I am squirting into his mouth once a day. He's drinking water.

The vets don’t have anything else to offer me. I’m worried that they have fobbed me off with antibiotics which aren’t doing anything and which maybe supressing my dog’s appetite. How can it be reasonable to charge £1,800 (one thousand 800 pounds) for an overnight stay, especially in these awful times with so many people suffering financial meltdown?

I’m so depressed that small local vets have been taken over by these horrible greedy amorphous chains who care more about the bottom line than animals they are treating. Has pet insurance given them license to overcharge? And more pressingly, how can I tempt my dog to eat?

Ask for a breakdown And complain ....it’s a rip off!

I will, but when you’re desperate you stump up and ask questions later!

Hi there, I'm an RVN.
I know the costs can seem massive and I do sympathise. Was it late at night when you called (ie out of hours)?. This inflates the cost hugely because they are having to staff and pay for a clinic with overnight staff etc which drives the price up before you even get through the door.
Have any bloods been done? What did the Xrays show if anything?

You could try an appetite stimulant like Mirtazapine if the vet thinks it is appropriate, that sometimes helps, but obviously if he is still not eating after a full week then he needs to be seen again. Can you go back to your own normal vet?
Can you try him with something bland and easily digestible like chicken and rice? Scrambled egg made with water not milk?
Honestly it sounds like he needs to be rechecked.

I’m not getting a lot of ‘traffic’. Anyone?

@NameChangedForThisOne7 I called about 10pm... the problem was the first emergency vet was all for bringing him in which I later found was not necessary.

You are right. He needs to be seen again. I’ve also been I touch with a great holistic vet in Kent, Birgit Allemeyer, and she’s recommended various herbal and homeopathic support, but as she hasn’t seen him as she’s so far, her hands are somewhat tied.

I’ll call tomorrow - the appetite stimulant sounds great. I will ask. Thanks 😍

she’s recommended various herbal and homeopathic support

Feeding your dog £50 notes will be cheaper and more effective.

The registered veterinary nurse 'traffic' wasn't enough? If he's still not eating properly he needs to be seen again, in-hours with your usual vet, probably in the expectation of a full work-up (bloods, scan etc.)

We cannot possibly know what the £1800 was for without an estimate or breakdown of costs. Stick with your own vet's dedicated OOH provider if they were so helpful on the phone.

Is it just dog food he won’t eat or anything at all?

I have one who will go days without eating but will happily snaffle ham/cheese/chicken

I do think you need to book an appointment and get him seen though

Has his sickness stopped now, and did they consider pancreatitis? Definitely sounds like the poor lamb needs to be seen again.

I remember taking my lad to the emergency vets around 1am about five years ago. He had his stomach drained of excess gas/acid and they worked him until 7am when I had to transport him to my normal vets. That cost me a grand it S over £130 just to get through the door, they won't let you in otherwise where we were then. My friend only pays £40 to get the vet to come out to her horse, and the emergency fee is below £100!

Please don't take this the wrong way but I would try every conventional method first before I went down the herbal or homeopathic route. There really isn't a lot of science to support its effectiveness and would end up likely costing you a lot of money for not much gain.
Have you finished the antibiotics yet?

@threemilesupthreemilesdown I cross posted before the excellent advice posted at same time from helpful vet nurse.

@NameChangedForThisOne7 he still has a few more days of antibiotics to go but I fear they may be suppressing his appetite.
The holistic vet is fully trained in allopathic methods (she’s German and it’s very common to train in conventional and other methods over there). She is so experienced and has a lot of patience and reasonably priced. I’ll pay anything to get my dog well but I was touched when she said she felt bad for charging during a time like this.
She’s done wonders with my old dog with a heart murmur and another with Leish. She prefers that I continue consulting my local vet as she can’t see him what with being so far away.

Our closest two practices are now part of chains, so we drive a 30 mile round trip to go to ours. It's family run (father and daughter), they have an amazing practice that covers 24 hours and we've never had anything but brilliant treatment.

It's a good idea to find one vet and stick with them, as they get to know you and your pet and have their medical record to hand in cases like these.

Hope your dog is better soon When mine are poorly, we swear by mashed sweet potato and boiled chicken, with pro-kolin paste.

Sorry to hear about your dog OP.

My dog has been very ill with something that sounds very similar, it started about three weeks ago and the first night’s stay at the 24hr vet was £800.

My dog hasn’t really recovered and has been in and out of the vets regularly including 7 nights overnight. I think we’re at about £4K now.

Has your dog been tested for campylobacter? Apparently my dog has this but it’s taken ages to get to this point and they think there may be underlying issues too as he’s not recovering.

I don’t have any advice really but yes it’s vv expensive! Hope your dog feels better soon.

Oh my goodness OP, what a worrying time for you. YANBU and I hope your dog makes a speedy recovery

My experience was similar, £1200 for 2 consultations and a Saturday night at Medivet. They saved his life though so worth every penny.

Yes it is a huge rip-off. Veterinarians are a scam these days.

Have you taken your dog for a long walk if he is well enough? Sometimes this can make them hungry and can improve their mood if they're feeling a bit down.

OP

No advice on the dog, but yes, I do think pet insurance has increased the costs and made it more common for vets to suggest expensive treatments assuming insurance will pick up the bill. Just my opinion.

Veterinarians are a scam these days.

Oh yeah, that 5 year training is just so cheap.

Sceptical of ethics here also op..
Charged 160 quid for antibiotics that locum vet prescribed.. After seeing the practice manager vet she said it was obviously a tumour..
No refund for the useless antibiotics...
2k later charged 250 for pts...

Ddog was admitted to medivet on Boxing Day with pancreatitis and then diagnosed diabetic. He was in for 4 nights. Total bill was £1800 so yours seems ridiculously high.

My Mums dog needed a blood transfusion a couple of years ago . The vet took 10ml of blood from another dog in the waiting room- dogs don't have blood groups- and she was in a cage for a few hours, having the transfusion. Wasn't even overnight, or an emergency appointment.
£ 1100.....
Never liked this particular vet- he talked the talk, and my Mum ended up paying out God knows how much money each month for stuff she could have got from the pet shop- but she thought the sun shone out of him and wouldn't hear a bad word said against him. It wasn't until my Mums little dog was literally dying that she actually realised what he was like.

I am always shocked when I go to the vet. You walk in, they give you a list of things they need to do/prescribe, with no word on the costs at all. Then you head to the desk at the end and are presented with some enormous figure!!! The lack of upfront discussion, cost/benefit consideration and a transparent price list amazes me every time! In my sector, we have to meticulously estimate costs, weigh up prospects of success and account for every minute of our time so it always amazes! I appreciate veterinary work is highly skilled, and I don’t begrudge paying, but it’s the surprise element of the cost that always amazes me!

Yes, I said amazes A LOT!!