Cost of vet treatment petition for animal NHS

[Speakeasy]

Everyone is suffering from the cost of living crisis and it is hitting pet owners too, especially with the cost of vet treatment rising rapidly. There are two petitions running asking for an Animal NHS, one on the UK government site and one of the Welsh government site. People in Wales can sign both but everyone else can only sign the UK one.

Please consider signing and sharing the petitions because it might just help people to keep the pets they consider to be their family.

The UK petition is at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/635352
and reads:

Create an Animal NHS for pensioners, those on low incomes, and for emergenciesIntroduce an Animal NHS for the animals of pensioners, those on means tested benefits and for animals who present with emergencies. Creating a national service to meet the needs of these animals would allow veterinary charities to help a new range of clients who are struggling to make ends meet.
More details
No animal owner could be unaware of soaring veterinary costs. One of the most common reasons that the SHG sees for animal welfare prosecutions that is failure to seek veterinary advice, either at all, or quickly enough, even if the animal is booked in for when the next pay cheque arrives.
A recent survey found that nearly all UK vets that responded have seen animals during the last 12 months that should have been presented earlier. Financial problems were given as the main reason in 91% of cases.
We can and must do better.

The Welsh petition is at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245403
and reads:

Create an Animal NHSIntroduce an Animal NHS, if only for the animals of pensioners, those on means tested benefits and for animals who present with emergencies.
If private vets could access general government funding it would allow the veterinary charities to help a new range of clients who are struggling to make ends meet.
More details
No animal owner could be unaware of soaring veterinary costs. One of the most prolific reasons for animal welfare prosecutions that come into The SHG is failure to seek veterinary advice, either at all, or quickly enough, even when the animal is booked in for when the next pay cheque arrives. Nearly all vets have seen animals during the last 12 months that should have been presented earlier.
www.vettimes.co.uk/news/report-shows-growing-number-of-clients-delaying-treatment-for-their-pets/
Financial problems were given as the main reason in 91% of cases.
Times are hard and there are many calls on government finances but the proven benefits of animal companionship means that an Animal NHS would pay for itself many times over, if only by reducing demands on the courts and legal aid.
Wales can and must do better.

Good grief, a hard NO to this. It would be far better to tackle the hyper-consumerisation of pet ownership, which has led to so many people getting pets without necessarily having the resources and forethought to provide them with care in every scenario.
It is an obscene idea, when you think of how many very basic human welfare functions that the state is so severely failing in.
Donate the one of the animal charities that provide veterinary care for animals whose owners can't afford it.

I'll be damned if I'm going to help fund some skanky chav's xl bully fund.

Lololol Phaimant, telling it like it is

There are posters on another thread today recommending that if you like walking alone, you should get a dog so that people don't think you're weird.

Great, so in order to wander round my local park without "looking weird", I now ought to commit to 15 years of caring for a type of pet that I have no experience of or interest in.

"Have you thought of getting a dog" seems to be the new "take yourself off for a spa weekend".

I’m an animal lover and would not wish to see animals in pain nor neglected. With that said, no way would I ever sign this petition.

If you cannot afford a pet, do not get one.

there are people who need medical help and cannot get it as there’s too much wrong with the nhs system, it’s grown too big without major overhauls over the years and not enough people paying in to it.

where is the money supposed to come from for the government to find this pet care plan?

shoukd someone go without a hip replacement to pay for a dog’s hip dysplasia? A child go without dental care so a dog can have teeth cleaning and teeth pulled? A mum go without Brest cancer treatment do a dog with cancer is treated instead?

what a crazy suggestion

Pets are not necessary, if people can't afford them, sadly they shouldn't have them. Taxes can't be spent on a luxury some people choose to have

This.

It's pathetic that you think the taxpayer should be footing the bill for your pets. My mum would quite like a cat, but can't afford it so has decided not to get one. Some things you just have to take personal responsibility for

I'm a vet nurse with my own pets and i won't be signing this either.
A pet is a choice and anybody sensible would think long and hard about how they can afford one .
I don't expect anyone else to finance any procedure or meds my pets may need that is my responsibility alone.
The pdsa do a great job , there will people who disagree with this but they are usually the ones who ask if the pdsa will come and collect /return their pet as they can't get there -ask anyone who works at a vets and they will have had this conversation !
There are lots of animal charities who will help people in real difficulty.
Educating people on not keeping/hoarding /breeding so many animals when they can't afford to would be money better spent.

What might make sense is a look at the pet insurance market. Pet insurance seems very expensive and I guess that is partly because it seems to cover a very wide range of elective and complementary therapies.
Are there any budget policies available that provide essential healthcare - just to the extent that is required to avoid unnecessary suffering? Could there be legislation to encourage/require this type of basic policy?

One of the horrendous aspects of this hyper-commercialisation of dog ownership is the continuing breeding of dogs that are medically dependent for the whole of their lives, because of inbred problems of one sort or another. This creates a market for specialists like that annoying weird Supervet guy on telly that seem to feed off of these poor dogs' vulnerabilities, offering more and more extensive, expensive, distressing treatments.
It often seems like dogs welfare would be better served by euthanasia than by some of these procedures. If there were the option of a 'no frills' budget insurance policy, it might help to ensure that the veterinary sector could be properly reimbursed for basic welfare needs and less incentivised to go all supervet?

Wrong, and I didn't start the petition either.

Pets are costly. Albeit living creatures and bundles of joy, they are a “luxury item”. No way should this exist when the NHS can’t function. Give over.

The PDSA do not cover all areas and have strict restrictions on who or what they will see.

Errrm, no.

If you're on a low income, don't have pets.

@Speakeasy The PDSA do not cover all areas and have strict restrictions on who or what they will see.

They don't cover all areas as they are stretched so far. There are no restrictions on what they will see as long as you are eligible.

Most independent vets are already in buying groups. Unfortunately it still doesn’t match the buying power of corporates.
Also drugs bills are just one one small part of running a practice.

Just daft then

Then they shouldn’t have pets.
I love my animals but this is a daft idea.

Correct , and why should they ? caesarean's being one example.
The pdsa are totally abused by people who know how to work their system - i will not give examples.
You are right sadly they are stretched so far , they used to be able to cover more but not now .

Nope. We didn't have pets for years as I could not afford them or have time to care for them.
Insurance is how to cover pet health.

Look at the threads on here about people who are in serious pain being unable to be seen and then waiting months for inferior tests and treatments.

Animals come a distant second I am afraid.

This is an area for voluntary giving (charities), not compulsory giving (taxes).

Nope. Ridiculous. If someone can't afford a pet, it's not the taxpayers responsibility.
I'm not paying for next door's pug who gets taken out in a pushchair 🙄

Independent vets even in a buying group can not stock huge quantities of meds, in doing so you take a huge risk of them going out of date and then having to destroy them , absolute waste as it is illegal for us to use them once date expired or even to give them away.
We usually order them from the wholesaler daily or every few days .
Heating bills alone are astronomical in a practice , the pets in my practice are kept toasty warm during their stay ,very important in aiding their post ga recovery and they are wrapped in bedding washed in persil .
2 examples which are just drops in the ocean of running a practice, business incompetence does not come in to it .

I'm going to start a petition for dog owners to pay an extra tax for cleaning pavements of dog mess. There's a street near me that's disgusting.

Omg As If!

Vet bills have gone up hugely. A large reason for this is that owners expect an almost human level of care. Vets can’t risk doing anything in a quicker, cheaper way like they used to because they could be sued. Every appointment takes longer because all the risks to the animal have to be discussed. That all has to paid for.

Absolutely not, and my cats have run hip huge bills. They are a luxury, and it's my duty to care for them. No one else's.