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AIBU?

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Original poster

To still be angry 3 days later…

154 replies

Somethingintheheavens · 19/03/2026 05:58

I’m not even sure if I’m angry or if I’m still upset tbh.

I Have a golden retriever who is 2, they have a very rare medical disorder that took us nearly a year and nearly 10k to be diagnosed (thankfully they have very very good insurance).

Anyway after several different interventions we finally have a diagnosis (sort of, as it’s rare they don’t have a name for it but we know what the condition is and therefore now how to treat it, as a result she now has the medication and treatment - practically healthy - if she doesn’t have her medication she loses control of her back legs and is in significant pain.

her insurance has now ran out so I’m paying for the meds out of pocket for 3 months (most of the money was used up on MRI’s etc) - I went to her vets on Monday and got her new meds for the month - £390!! I had no idea they were that expensive as previously it had all been on insurance.

I paid and then got into the car and burst into tears - I don’t have £400 a month! And I sat there realising that after everything she’s been through, despite now being a ‘normal’ healthy dog, I might have to put her to sleep because I won’t have her back in the pain she was in before.

I then googled the prices of her meds - the medication that they had charged me £300 for a month is 15p a tablet (she is on 3 different types of mediation)

£15 for 100 tablets which is what she needed.

I went back into the vets (looking like an absolute wreck at this point) and demanded a refund, arranged a private prescription and the meds were delivered yesterday.

But I’m still seething. I have spent an absolute fortune (well the insurance company has) with these vets - I feel so let down and angry over it.

i knew meds were more expensive via the vets but that is insane - and now I am left with all those emotions (despite the situation being resolved) and I don’t know how to let go of it.

so AIBU to still be so so angry? And if so, what do I do to get rid of it?

OP posts:
abracadabra1980 · 19/03/2026 21:01

Buildingthefuture · 19/03/2026 06:13

I completely understand your anger op, I’ve been there. It’s dreadful the way SOME vets charge such massively inflated margins and it feels worse because of your emotional involvement - it’s not like being over changed for your car!
To overcome your anger, I’d look at what you actually did. You did not accept that you couldn’t afford this and your dog would have to suffer or be PTS. Even in the middle of all the stress, you got your shit together, went back in, and sorted it. You should be massively proud of yourself for advocating for you and your dog.
And, it goes without saying, but change vet. Is it a chain? I do find them to be far, far more expensive than independents.

This. You have been exceptional in advocating for your dog. I'm almost tempted to copy your text and send it to my local MP and various other media outlets. The whole situation is absolutely unacceptable and it's usually surgeries owned by chains (not independents) who force their vets to hit targets and to sell and market. It makes my blood boil. I would probably max out a credit card if I had to for my dogs; i always used quality of life as my baseline, regardless of age. Sending hugs OP.

TheFormidableMrsC · 19/03/2026 21:05

I agree. My cat had a neck scratch that I had to
get checked because there was a lot of blood. The vet prescribed some cream and it cost £115 for the prescription. I googled it and it was basically Germolene. I was so angry. It’s a licence to print money. I hope your dog recovers well.

Sunsetseascape · 19/03/2026 21:24

Awww my heart just broke for you. So glad you’ve managed to find an alternative supply for your dog ❤️

Knittedanimal · 19/03/2026 21:25

Mix56 · 19/03/2026 08:58

Fortunately not all vets are so unscrupulous. My vet gives me piece of paper & I go to the chemist..,

I had no idea animal medicines are available from chemists! Also, how does one get a 'private precription'?

Barcodescanner22 · 19/03/2026 21:26

Sounds like you are in a similar situation to us with our cat. 4 conditions, one of which is rare. We also run out of insurance most years. We now get everything we can on a written prescription with repeats to make the insurance last longer. One of his medications is a bottle a week(£25 at the vet, £13 online) we get a prescription for 5 bottles with 5 repeats. That covers over 6 months on one prescription. Some things though are restricted by blood tests. We can only get one repeat on another drug as they aren’t allowed to prescribe without a blood test every six months.

marmaladejam1 · 19/03/2026 21:35

Agree with everything you say OP. It's a disgrace where I live too. Also agree I too will never have another goldie. Good luck.

DramaQueenlady · 19/03/2026 21:40

Jellybean23 · 19/03/2026 09:24

I thought I heard the other day that a government agency is looking into vet charging because so many independent vets have been taken over. It might be worth writing to your MP about your experience to add to the fact finding they do. At least you will get it off your chest.
Shame on the Veterinary Practice.

Not 100% sure but I think it might be Martin Lewis. But its just shocking.

Dimpledaisies · 19/03/2026 21:53

Had the same thing with my dogs heart meds they didn't even mention i could get them online with prescription I was absolutely fuming having paid £100s for months. Now they make me have a check up (£30) and chare me £25 to print off the prescription... absolute joke.

Hellohelga · 19/03/2026 21:56

Never buy meds from the vet, always get a prescription and go online. Usually the prescription is only valid for six months but I’ve been changing the date on my wormer prescription pdf for a couple of years and no one’s ever noticed.

Poobs2022 · 19/03/2026 22:00

It might be worth asking if your vets will do a prescription for 3 or 6 months so you don't have to pay the prescription fee each time. It depends on the drug and if it's a controlled substance but they might do a repeat that lasts longer. Our old vet did it for eye drops for one of our dogs. Couldn't do it for the other as he was on human grade epilepsy meds for arthritis. Worth asking though!

Ringthebell26 · 19/03/2026 22:03

I used to work for a vet and live on a farm and have pets. Some vets are complete robbers.

billybear · 19/03/2026 22:04

another vote for vet drugs on line,when my last dog was on regular medication i bought a 6 month prescription off my vets and ordered off them saved a lot of money,

Hellohelga · 19/03/2026 22:05

TheFormidableMrsC · 19/03/2026 21:05

I agree. My cat had a neck scratch that I had to
get checked because there was a lot of blood. The vet prescribed some cream and it cost £115 for the prescription. I googled it and it was basically Germolene. I was so angry. It’s a licence to print money. I hope your dog recovers well.

Never go to the vet for a minor wound. Clean it up and apply leucillin spray. Go to the vet if it doesn’t look better in a couple of days. Guaranteed it will. How do you think they survive in the wild.

newornotnew · 19/03/2026 22:06

InterestedDad37 · 19/03/2026 06:09

To help dissipate your anger, you could channel your thoughts into thanking the gods that we don't (yet) in this country apply this health model to people.
Wishing your pooch well.

Yes the cost of vet treatment is a hint at just how expensive private healthcare would be

Hellohelga · 19/03/2026 22:15

TouchtheEarth · 19/03/2026 17:36

Just be overjoyed that you don't have to have your golden girl euthanised. Nothing else matters.

You are being simplistic. The vet isn’t absolved from their unscrupulous actions just because the dog didn’t die. Vets on the make at the expense of pet owners is an important issues. It’s not just the end result that matters here. You wouldn’t say man drives drunk but no one dies so that’s ok.

mylittleworld563 · 19/03/2026 22:19

I have great sympathy with you. Vets are inflating the prices of medications. Whilst my pet prescription costs aren't anywhere near £400 a month I have a similar story.

My greyhound has an eye condition which means she doesn't produce enough or good enough quality tears to lubricate her eyes. Which has caused her to have ulcers on her corneas, she now has some scarring and without treatment would be in considerable discomfort/pain and would likely go blind. She takes a prescription eye ointment called Optimmune twice daily and hasn't had any since. To buy it from the vet it would be £95 every 4 weeks. We can buy the same ointment from an online pharmacy for £38. But the vet still gets their £30 to write a 6 refill prescription.

We also live in NI and now can't get the ointment shipped from mainland UK so our costs will go up to about £55 for the eye drops. But I'm not 100% sure on price yet as we stocked up before 1at January when the new regs came into effect.

It's older people and their pets who aren't internet savvy that I feel really bad for as they won't necessarily know they can get the medications online for a much lower price.

Lougle · 19/03/2026 22:30

There are two issues here. Firstly, small vet practices don't have the ordering scale that the larger companies have in order to get bulk buy discounts.

Secondly, they are legally obliged to prescribe drugs that are authorised for the species first and can only use human equivalents if they are unavailable. That's much more expensive.

tsmainsqueeze · 19/03/2026 22:34

PlanBFertility26 · 19/03/2026 20:50

Urgh. I always try and refrain from commenting on these posts but here goes.

Speaking as a vet and a business owner. Are we ‘in it for the money’? No. Do we need our business to be profitable so that we can stay open and provide care for pets in the community, yes. As do any other businesses.

It blows my mind that in this day and age people are still comparing online prices to clinic prices. Of course they’re cheaper online. The online company can buy the meds CHEAPER from wholesalers than we can. They have minimal overheads. No staff training costs, laboratory costs, instruments and supplies etc. Our drug prices take in account our overheads and the fact you can get them there and then.

Yes the CMA is investigating us. And I whole heartedly welcome some of the recommendations. Do I agree it should be my job to constantly remind people they can buy drugs online cheaper? No. My job is to diagnose and treat patients and inform owners. An owners job is to make us aware of your financial limitations so we can help.

For everyone that throws mud at us - please remember we are humans. Humans who put their life on hold to pursue a job to help animals. I definitely would have been much wealthier (and a lot less stressed) in numerous other professions but I don’t see them get daily bashing. You don’t see the patients I’ve had signed over to me so I can fix them and re-home them; strays I’ve fixed and re-homed; wildlife I’ve nursed back to health and released in my garden. All the majority see are pound signs.

I urge you to be kind. If you want to openly discuss finances, do so! We want to help you just as much as we want to help your furbabies

I hear you.
As someone who works in this field i am sick of defending us, yes there are greedy corporates getting us all tarred with the same brush but most of us aren't like that at all, certainly not in it for the money !
All the hours worked over , all the plans we had gone to pot for a pet in need , all the juggling about - not charging for everything to lower someone bill as they just can't afford it but we can't let the pet be put to sleep for that reason .
Yes to the strays we bend over backwards for to find them a home -sometimes our own home !
The tears we sometimes shed for your beloved pet because we are all pretty devoted to animals and know what it feels like to love one and lose one.
The risks we are exposed to daily most of us have the scars to prove it !

Please be totally clear with your vet and tell them what your limits are ,they will do their best to help you, you are not committed ,the same with anything call around and get some price comparisons, ask for the written prescription , at my practice we will even help our client by showing them how to buy from an online pharmacy.

Hellohelga · 19/03/2026 22:41

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 19/03/2026 18:19

Sorry to hear about this @Somethingintheheavens and about your poor dog, and I hope she is on the mend now. Flowers I haveno suggestions o how to let go of the anger to be honest, but it will fade eventually... it's still only been 3 days.

However, shit like this is the reason why DH and I will never have any more pets. We have had pets (cats, rabbits, and hamsters) since the late 1990s, and our last cat died last year, aged 18 (the second from last died 2 years earlier, aged 17.) We noticed over the past 5 or 6 years or so that the vet bills were going up and up and up, and when our last 2 cats got to 16-ish, they suddenly started to go downhill health-wise.

With both cats, the vet said they wanted to do multiple tests and scans and x-rays and all sorts, and they may need to go onto meds for the rest of their life, and have certain treatments and all sorts. Long story short, it was going to cost 100s of pounds a month, and 1000s over any given year. That had never happened with any pet - ever, in the 25-ish years DH and I had had them, OR when our parents had pets when we were younger.

Pre late 2010s, when pets became very old, and they started to become ill, the vet would put them to sleep, yet now, they seem to want to milk every last penny out of the owner. Doesn't matter if they can't afford it, or if it's not in the best interests of the animal. It's all about the ££££ $$$ ££££!

My friend's 19 year old cat was diagnosed with a mass on her stomach in October, and the vet wanted to operate on her. The operation was going to cost £7000. She wasn't insured as she couldn't get insurance as the cat was so old. She said she wanted to have her put to sleep, as it makes no sense to put a very old cat through that, and the vet even said there was a chance the surgery may kill her. (I bet if it did, they'd still want their £7000!) Hmm They tried to talk her into the surgery for her cat, but she stood strong and refused.

Yes I know NAVALT (not all vets are like that!) but many are now, and it's really sad, because it's putting people off having more pets, and soooo many animals now will not be able to find a home, because so many people are being put off by the bloody vet bills! That is the main reason DH and I won't have any more. I would love another cat, but can't risk the ever-rising vet costs bleeding us dry. The price the vets charge for the meds alone are hilariously high. It's farcical!

And as has been said, not everyone has the luxury or good fortune of having multiple vets to choose from, and it's really, really difficult to find one that doesn't charge the earth! Many of the bills are more than humans pay for private health care!

Oh and pet insurance isn't worth the paper it's written on most of the time. There's soooo many things it doesn't cover, or it will only cover so much for so long, and once the cat or dog gets to about 8 or 9 years old, the premiums go up hugely! So much so that many people can't afford the pet insurance!

You are so right. I had an elderly cat pts last year. He was clearly in pain, stopped eating and was just lying in his bed. He was on painkillers just to get him to eat and was losing weight. After a couple of visits the vet discovered a mass on his bum hole that was blocking him right up. Poor little thing must have been in so much pain. Vet said let’s to scans and X-rays but I said no. You can’t remove a mass in that position, he can’t eat, poop or walk, and he’s suffering, please pts immediately. Once I said it the vet was fully in agreement and seemed relieved. I actually think they aren’t allowed to recommend pts rather than expensive diagnostics and treatment, for commercial reasons. Pet owners go along with it and most don’t realise you have the right to say no. The ethics of most vet companies are out the window and it’s all about profit.

tsmainsqueeze · 19/03/2026 22:41

Somethingintheheavens · 19/03/2026 19:07

I did not know that! Is that the same for controlled medication as well?

Show quote history

The usual legal protocol for a controlled drug would be to dispense a 28 day supply only and not on a multi use script.

TutiFrutti · 19/03/2026 23:02

I also work in this industry and it makes me sad to see the current narrative and attitude towards my colleagues.
All the staff I know bend themselves inside out to do the best for the animals and their owners within any financial constraints they might have.
#NOMV

SplodgeWaddler · 19/03/2026 23:17

So basically they have wasted a large chunk of your insurance and now there's nothing left so you have to pay anyway. That's shocking OP.

I used to work at a local vets many years ago and what has happened to the industry is disgusting. It puts me off getting any more pets.

More importantly, it stops people taking their pets to the vets when they need help.

JayJayj · 19/03/2026 23:31

I’ve found most vets are the same. Some are fine when I’ve asked for a prescription to order myself but I’ve definitely had a few snotty ones.

My dog needed blood tests before they would release his prescription. She kept saying “if money is an issue…” I told her it wasn’t an issue I just don’t see why I would pay twice the amount for medication than I need to!! You wouldn’t buy bread in Tesco if it was half the price in Asda!!

AdarajamesAgain · 19/03/2026 23:32

I wouldn't want to advise something you shouldn't really do, but you do know that there isn't a way for companies to know if you've already used the prescription on one website, so you could conceivably use the same one on a number of different suppliers websites and no one would be any the wiser. Not that I would o or encourage such behaviour.

harveythehorse · 20/03/2026 00:02

Unfortunately a lot of private vet practices have been bought by conglomerates who set the charges & have therefore set the tone for price hikes across the board. Vet care is now monstrously expensive & pushes yet another ‘normal’ thing like pet care into a ‘luxury’. You’re lucky your insurance has been so helpful - I’ve stopped paying for my dogs’ because I’ve been let down at every turn when I needed financial support.

It sounds like you’ve done the best for your doggo & I wish you both all the best.