To think vets are overcharging

[MyPunnyLemur]

I've just picked my dog up from vets. He got a grass seed in his paw and our first aid measures didn't stop him licking it incessantly so off to the vet we went. As I don't have insurance I was given a choice of prices. We had, apparently got the seed out but "to be on the safe side " a sedation of dog while given a thorough cleanse and check over was required. I suppose I could have said no but he's 11and I love him to bits, so I agreed to an estimate. £660 or £487!!!!! Obviously the paw was covered in a gold leaf bandage for that price. He came out 1 hour later with 4 painkillers a plastic cone and no covering at all on the wound. £487? I've paid obviously. Wth did they do for it to be so expensive? And to top it all whilst I was paying someone reversed into my parked car and then drove off so I'm left with a damaged car and another big bill. But that's another story .

If you went to a private GP or dentist, or needed a plumber or a mechanic, you’d expect them to be able to provide you upfront with the cost of their initial appointment for examination / assessment, and to display their pricing for other routine procedures, even if they can’t tell you what’s wrong without further investigations which may cost more.

A pricing structure which is to all intents and purposes “just bring your pet in and we’ll do a range of uncosted things which you won’t necessarily realise are all separately billed procedures until afterwards” prevents consumers from informing themselves about cost and from being able to assess whether their vet practice is value for money and - as with funeral directors, which the CMA also investigated over lack of transparent pricing - many practices bank on knowing that many pet owners won’t want to stand in the surgery room talking about money.

How much were the flights and accommodation?

@Icanbuymyselfflowers86it is absolutely NOT a typo! Small animal vets are imo ripping people off due to insurance. The vets who treat livestock know that farmers (we are small holders not commercial farmers) will not and can not shell out for sheep etc.

I agree and its not just the expertise but the running costs of a modern surgery with all the kit people expect from a large practice.

Try asking your vet, optician, dentist for the hourly run cost of the practice when you next visit. My dentist and optician both have equipment running into many hundreds of thousands plus the monthly maintenance costs, depreciation etc as kit need to be replaced every few years. Then you are paying for the expert services, building costs and maintenance (huge in the SE)

A ten minute procedure or appointment isn’t ten minutes of surgery time. It's the prep time, the admin time, the clean down time, the recovery time - its perfectly possible for a ten minute procedure to be two or three times than in terms of surgery time.

Vetinary has never been one of the higher paid professions - the costs are from modern developments in medicine and IMHO, a tendency to over extend the lives of animals who have reach the point where the kindest thing to do is to let them go.

Yes agree there should be a pricing structure available, all the vets within reach of me have this on their website. There is the caveat that investigations may bring the unexpected but there is then a discussion before further costs are incurred (as with my mechanic or dentist). Bearing in mind they have to do this to be compensated by insurers anyway.

If vets don’t have basic pricing structures available that suggests its time to look for another vet of possibly the owning partners missed the business module in in their training.

We were once charged 110 euro for the vet to pick our dog’s paw, look (as in just look at them!) at stitches for approximately ten seconds and say ‘looks fine to me, anything else?’

Just be glad we don't have to pay for human healthcare at the point of service as well!
If you want expertise, you have to pay the experts (and pay for all the drugs and machines developed by other experts).

I left our vet when they were taken over and the surgery turned into a swanky air conditioned, uniformed receptionist, plush sofas etc etc. The prices went up, and the up selling was ridiculous.

My cat apparently needed his teeth descaling, several hundred pounds worth.

I went to the newly opened down market local, run by a lovely vet who had left the new practice when it got taken over, he picked the tartar off Arthur's tooth with his fingernail, no charge!

I do a lot nursing myself, always have. All the day to day tick removals, wound cleaning, nail clipping. I get de-flea, and de-wormer online.

I think we over treat animals these days and apart from acute injury, much of it is probably not needed.

Have you only just realised that vets are expensive?

My cat has an allergy and needs regular medication which comes in a tiny thumb-sized bottle. My vet charges £230 for each bottle. Saw it on Amazon for £80. How do they get away with it.

ohhhh I get what you mean, sorry I misunderstood, thanks for explaining 😊👍

Small cabin sized dog is £50 for outbound flight.
Idk for accommodation, depends on number of days, family size you have and place you are staying.
Problem is there are no flights back that will allow dogs to UK think appart from NY and maaaybe Amsterdam or Paris.
We went by car after initial year.
Dog(s) included :)
Obviously it is not great for emergencies but all else works great.

That's is complete nonsense.
If a car doesn't start its likely to be a couple of things which the mechanic can give you a price for.
If a dog is off its food, lethargic and clearly unwell then unfortunately as they can't speak its up to the vet to try and work out what is wrong with a series of tests and examinations. Blood test results might indicate something going on but US or scan might be needed to see more. Would you prefer them to pop out to give you a ring when they are wrist deep in Fluffy's abdomen to tell you what the next drug they intend to use will cost?

Did you know veterinarians have incredibly high rates of suicide? The financial pressures they face are a huge contributing factor.

They’ve always overcharged. A rip off.

And surely the AHC, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment that you require to return to the UK eats into your 300 quid saving too.

This is very true. They also have easy access to the medication required and know the exact correct dosage for weight so are very very unlikely to get it wrong . Sad isn't it? They could do with more support and less financial pressure I guess is the answer. Probably why they are all selling out to corporate bimbos.

I used to work at a vets and the vet would make up the price on the spot. He also used to brag about charging loads and his £5k a month income, whilst we struggled on minimum wage. I didn't stay for long.

For us as farmers vet bills are big because of the cost of medicines. Next week we will inoculate 320 sheep against Bluetongue. A disease that is racing through the country. Treatment costs for our elderly cats has been extortionate.

Farmers will not spend more than the commercial value of an animal on treatment so treatments will be basic or its off to the abattoir.

When did you last see a sheep offered chemotherapy or extended treatment for a broken limb including physio pools? The only time I’ve seen farm animals have much spent on them was if they were prize winning breeding stock with a high stud value.

My dog got a grass seed in his ear. He was sedated and it was removed for £385. This is in Surrey.

I lived in the Netherlands - which if anyone is wondering is a BLOODY EXPENSIVE country, with a high tax rate. Vet care there was so cheap compared to here. I remember getting a full blood panel done for a cat - I was expecting well north of €100 - it was €35. We had a week of daily care for my dog before he died - he had a sudden illness. We spent 3 of those days at the vet for about an hour a day. It cost maybe €400 total including meds and the euthanasia.

UK vets are absolutely ripping us off, there is no excuse.

It is perfectly possible for vets to be highly trained, with decent salaries, need expensive equipment, etc. AND overcharging to happen.

Yeah, I reckon the increasing prices and insurance go hand in hand. Last trip to the vet's cost us over 300 quid for some blood tests.

Of which i got about less than half back on the insurance as the excess is 150 quid (plus 15% costs). I have had the dog for 4 years. Have paid about 2000 quid in insurance over the years and got a grand total 150 quid back.

It's like a fucking tax for owning a dog, except the money goes to the insurance company/surgery profits. I wish it went to the actual vets, if anyone other than me gets my money.

Think the point is the tests have a fixed cost or range.

• vet £50 (includes weight, physical exam etc). After the exam the vet provides a list of diagnostic or curative options
• blood tests £100-250
• x-ray
• MRI
• prescription
• anaesthetic
• vet practitioner to trim nails/teeth/wound cleaning
• etc.

Not sure that’s so difficult.

I think the way veterinary work has gone is scandalous. Apparently, there's a huge module in vet training on business...hmmm. I don't buy the old 'vets care about animals' line any more. They care about money. Nothing wrong with that as long as you're up front about it.

@CoffeeCantata Unfortunately running a veterinary practice is literally a business so students do need to learn business skills to make a go of it.

I completely agree that some owners choose to put their elderly, ill pets through treatments when perhaps letting them go peacefully would be a kinder approach. I mentioned on another thread that a friend did this to her elderly dog recently - he underwent a major operation and sadly died a few days later. I couldn't understand her decision as he was already extremely ill, and it must've been a terrifying and painful ordeal for him. You can't compare it to a human who can make their own choice whether to undergo an operation as a last-ditch attempt.

Anyway, the bill will be several thousand for emergency surgery and the hospital stay.