To think vet fees are taking advantage?

[Catlady332]

There is making a financial commitment to a pet, and then there is paying extortionate fees.
I pay monthly for a vet healthcare plan for my cat who is older, and this is supposed to cover certain things and include discounts.
They suspect he has a thyroid issue and needs a blood test, and I've been quoted £250 for the blood test.
I think these fees are extortionate and taking advantage. This is in the north West, as I said I know pet ownership is a financial commitment but I'm worried about having to pay these sorts of costs regularly.

Sorry if I'm asking daft questions but I'm finding it all confusing. I did research but I still find insurance complicated.
I regret rehoming from a family friend who neglected to take him to the vets in 5 or 6 years, the cats conditions could have been prevented, it's not fair on the cat.

I have to say, there’s another option here, OP, although I’m sure it would be sad - give this cat back to the person who palmed it off on you just 10 days ago, doubtless in the full knowledge that it needed expensive vet treatment …

I think due to NHS we don’t realise what treatment costs. I’ve googled prices for medical treatment that I’ve had done and it was £20k for surgery to repair a broken wrist and put in a plate. Add on hospital stay and physio, bloodwork. I recently had an iron infusion, it’d cost £1k on NHS.

When I messaged her asking for the previous vet (which she couldn't say because she's never been)
She said she'd be happy to take him back, even though she thinks he'd be happy with me.
I feel like this cat deserves much better, better than me too, even though I want to do my best for him.

I disagree actually.

My dog used to get a bit of a dodgy tummy. We took him to the vet and they prescribed pro kolin. They charged £70 for the appointment about about £45 for the medication - not long after, we found you could buy the EXACT same medication on Amazon (same size) for £18.

Same as a friend who needed to get some piriton for her pet - exactly the same as the off-the-shelf stuff humans buy, but at 4-5 x the cost.

That's not being misused by not knowing prescription charges or medication costs. Thats profiteering. Pure and Simple.

At 12 years old and a black cat too, im not sure how much success he'd have being rehomed, though he might do. He doesn't deserve being passed around, and he deserves someone who can afford expensive treatment. I was naive to think the insurance I had and the pet health club would cover him.

Based on this I think I might know who you're insured with.

They will cover the blood test itself in full (minus excess and any copay), then any additional fees such as blood sample (the cost of taking the blood) and interpretation fees (the cost of the vets time to analyse and interpret the results) are capped at a certain amount.

So say the test is £250, blood sample £25 (capped at £21), interpretation £30 (capped at £25), the coverable amount would be £250, £21, and £25 before any excess. So you would be liable to pay £4, £5 and any excess or copay.

Edit to add: I don't know the exact amounts off the top of my head so this figure is just an example.

I think that’s noble, but only you can decide if you can afford to be noble to the tune of many hundreds of pounds for a cat you’ve had five minutes. Even if you find insurance that will cover pre-existing conditions, it will be very expensive and as a previous poster said they are unlikely to cover you for those conditions immediately.

Would the previous owner contribute to the vet fees? If not, to be honest I’d let her have the cat back.

But will they pay any of this when the cat is registered as having seen a vet less than 14 days after the insurance was presumably taken out if the OP has only had the cat 10 days?

Thank you. She has offered kindly, but it's hard to say how much to ask for, and what she can realistically afford herself. They have other pets and small children.

Might be naive to say, but what happens with elderly, unwell cats who are difficult to insure? Do they hopefully end up with owners who can afford all the bills? It's sad to think about.

I got him on 30th December and took out insurance 2nd Jan.

So it's never been vaccinated/ had check ups etc... or has it never needed any care outside of this?

The increase in charges is driven by the increase in insurance cover.

I asked her if he'd had jabs and she said yes but didn't have the paperwork. Maybe lied in that case.

It completely depends on the policy.

Some don't, some companies I've known off will cover but wouldn't cover any fees within the first 14 days.

Best thing to do would be to ask if pre-authoriasation is possible. You don't have to commit to anything and you can get an answer quickly as to if it would be covered.

But also in the North West, is it possible to look into Animal Trust vets?

The insurance is called Pet friends if anyone is familiar?
Im so torn atm. In any case, I think he shouldn't go back to that home as it's unlikely she'll start taking him to the vets.

Sorry animal friends* not pet friends

You are unlikely to be able to claim anything on this policy for 14 days (check your policy for exact timeframe), unless it was for an accident/emergency.

I had no idea until MN and DD living in Leeds that most vets were part of big conglomerates.

my small town, had a small town vet, that I’ve used for nearly 40 years. Owned by one person who had it until they retired then sold it to their next long serving assistant.

for decades.

thank you * veterinary practice for being there for my pets for ever.

Mine is with animal friends, my vet said they are good and quick to pay out,

My other cat is not insured and has a thyroid issue. Bloods were £70 but as part of the health plan for older cats she got the first ones included so it didn’t cost me anything. Check to if your health plan offers this…I pay £22 a month and it includes vaccinations shins, flea/worming treatment and 10% of consults and treatments. Because it’s the older animal plan she also gets one set of blood tests a year free,

I pay £17 for a prescription and buy the thyroid medication online as it’s much cheaper.

OP - don’t change insurer, any insurance you take out now will not cover the treatment for the current ongoing problem. By pre existing conditions they generally mean ‘historical’ (ie he broke his leg three years ago).

I would query the £21 limit for covering the blood test - I’ve not come across that before (and there are only about two blood tests that exist that are under £21 so it’s a weird limit to have). Could it be that for this claim they are taking off the excess and 20% copayment (common in older animals) and the £21 is what’s left? If this is the case it’s worth claiming because you won’t have to pay another excess the next time you put a claim in for the same condition (medication or further bloods / visits).

These threads always interest me as there are so many misconceptions. I have worked for most of my career in independant practices, but currently work for a corporate - some prices are higher in the corporate than independant practices, and some are lower. My current practice opens 7 days a week and until 8pm so our clients can often see us instead of the emergency vet, which I think probably saves people money and is a lot more convenient for some, but probably makes us more expensive than a vet who closes at 5pm and at weekends. Luckily in most places you can choose to see the vet that aligns most with your needs/wants.

Ultimately, wherever I’m working, I’m still the same vet, still the same person, don’t get paid on commission so I’m not sure what people think I have to gain from pushing ‘unnecessary tests’….

When I've registered pets I've been asked where they're previously registered and had to give permission for them to access records.

You need to ask your friend where the cat was registered at say the vet wants access to the cats notes. Even without the vaccination record if the cats been to the vets before they'll be able to tell you which one.

As a side note has the cat been microchipped as that's a legal requirement now.