Why are vets so expensive

[bevelino]

My precious dog has been treated by our local vet but is now an in-patient at a veterinary hospital. The cost so far is way more than the cost of treating a human for the same condition privately,

@Darklane ETT?

*I cannot think of a single vet that has not been visibly and genuinely concerned when my dogs have been in real trouble, even more so when the time comes to PTS.

That also goes for the other vet staff. Only a few days ago a vet nurse remembered my dog and asked about a previous issue, just based on her memory of him. Including giving accurate commentry on behaviour changes since she saw him last. For this to happen, the memory must have registered as worth saving, in her mind, iyswim.

I do not believe he is just £ to them. He is an individual who they remember caring for.*

^ This 100%. Every single member of staff at our veterinary surgery is worth their weight in gold. Kind, compassionate, thoughtful and I trust them implicitly. The care they provided throughout the latter years of my little dog's life was impeccable, right through to the end.

Pets can be expensive. If you can't or won't accept this fact then please do not take on the responsibility.

@Darklane

I have a wonderful vet, been with her for years & we have a great rapport. Privately owned practice. I often say wish she could treat me instead of our GP who isn’t great. Doors all locked since last March, rarely answer the phone, everyone complains but that’s another matter completely. Just something about insurance. I know not everyone’s I’ll agree with me, so please don’t have a go, just saying what my experience has been. I’ve been keeping, showing & breeding one of our very rarest Native British breeds for over 40 years, always right up there near or at the top of the Kennel Club at risk list. Rarely more than half a dozen litters bred a year, one year my litter of just three were the only ones that year registered, so I’ve kept a lot of dogs over the years, many vet visits although they are a pretty tough, healthy bunch. My point, you’re wondering, I take out insurance fir any new puppies, just for a few week to tide them I totheir new homes, then the new owners can decide if they want to continue, change provider, just pay bills themselves. But I’ve never ever taken out insurance in my own dogs. What I do is set aside a given amount each month to pay into a show rate savings account just for the dogs. I roughly pay what an insurance premium would be. Any vet bills come out of it . Over the years it has more than covered all the bills, even a few hospital stays, operations, specialist referrals for my tiny different breed little shadow. Must say it’s a very healthy balance now, a good several thousand pounds, double figures. All vet bills happily covered but no surplus premiums to insurance companies.

I think that's a very sensible approach. Savings accounts/emergency credit cards and other strategies can all be helpful - it's a case of picking the best strategy depending on what you think the outlay could be (in some rarer cases tens of thousands)

I also want to know what you breed @Darklane - not Dandies are they? Otter hounds? Skye's? Glen of Imal? I'm a bit of a sucker for functional native breeds. Really don't get the labradoodle/cockerpoo/flat-faced fads

@Veterinari, I've often wondered if you are our amazing vet. Do you have a love of HPR mutts?

[quote MrsPernicious]@Veterinari, I've often wondered if you are our amazing vet. Do you have a love of HPR mutts?[/quote]
I doubt I am.
I am very partial to the less trendy/more functional dogs though. Love a Gordon setter, German wire haired pointer, proper standard poodle, or anything thing pointy-hound/lurchery
Many others too of course

Skyes. Veterinari

MrsPernicious what’s ETT? Sorry, I don’t understand

@Veterinari GWP cross GSP here

@Darklane, they are lovely.
ETT = English Toy Terrier, also very rear, a family member used to breed them

@Darklane

Skyes. Veterinari

MrsPernicious what’s ETT? Sorry, I don’t understand

Oh I love the native terrier breeds. I Went down an internet rabbit hole a few weeks ago researching dandies, Skye's, cairns and Scottish terriers. I love that they're all so 'pretty' looking but actually still really functional 'proper' dogs

Also had a gorgeous Irish terrier in the other week.

[quote MrsPernicious]@Darklane, they are lovely.
ETT = English Toy Terrier, also very rear, a family member used to breed them[/quote]
AKA black-and-tans

I love researching dog breeds and wondering what I might enjoy next 🤓

@bevelino

I have pet insurance, however that aside the vet fees are astronomical and over £3000 for a 4 day stay at the veterinary hospital for iv fluids, ultrasound scan and painkillers.

@Veterinari please don’t comment if you are unable to be polite.

That's really cheap. A 4 day stay in a private hospital with the above procedures would be a lot more

MrsPernicious
Ah yes, should have known, Black & Tans, the oldest British native breed.
I used to know someone who had them, he was a breed group judge, including Crufts. Lancashire Heelers always remind me of a chubbier version
Veterinari I used to have & show Cairns as well. I’m a sucker for the Hairy Mary Scottish untrimmed Terrier breeds.

I'm a sucker for anything scruffy too

What are Skye's like temperament-wise? I think I've only met one or two in real life.
And doesn't their hair in their eyes get annoying? Do you ever trim or tie it?

Temperament wise...real dour Scots. Very much one man dogs. Mine barely speak to my DH. Suspicious but rarely snappy with it. They tend to just glower at strangers. Out walking, particularly somewhere new....we have a huge motorhome so we can take them away with us, people always want to stop you & make a fuss of them. They’re not impressed & tend to bark...they can curse & swear better than any Glasgow docker. We go to Scotland a lot, easy in the van to get away & they’re more welcoming than England to motorhomes, & I’m amazed how few people recognise one of their own native breeds, always being asked what they are.
Couple of years ago actually met a chap with a puppy, near Perth. Said, personally,wished he’d never got it. Dotes on his wife but won’t have anything to do with him
The vet I had years ago, a Scot, was very wary when I first went but said how surprised he was that mine were so willing, calm, as any he’d encountered before had taken his thermometer as a personal insult.

No the hair doesn’t bother them, don’t like the sun in their eyes. Much prefer lying outside in a stiff breeze....or pouring rain!

Vets have to study various anatomy, species etc . Humans are just one to study! It takes alot to become a vet .

Not a dog .... however one of my ponies who I have had 21 years has cost us various amounts that we don't even want to think about it . One bill was just shy of £16k!
It's their expertise also you are getting.
IV Fluids, bandages, gloves for staff, overalls , swabs, feed, diagnostic x-ray etc , someone to care for the animal 24/7 , admin work involved especially if you need insurance admin done , boarding , surgery time etc it all has to be covered.

We had insurance luckily !

My pony sees the dentist more than me and has more shoes than I ever will!,

For a vet to step on the yard on a Sunday is around £250 before any work that's just the call out fee. Imagine if you had to pay more for taking a small animal in on a certain day of the week.
Animals are expensive.
I think even my hamster when I was little cost £20 to be PTS . RIP Scary spice 😂

Of course vet fees are cheaper than a doctor's. We live in a country where we use private healthcare and often pay in full to be reimbursed by insurance later. And I have recently had to pay for human and animal treatment. Absolutely vets are cheaper. But I wouldn't expect them to be cheap for good qualiy care. Medicines and medical supplies are similar in costs and vets and vet nurses are highly trained professionals.

@Darklane

Temperament wise...real dour Scots. Very much one man dogs. Mine barely speak to my DH. Suspicious but rarely snappy with it. They tend to just glower at strangers. Out walking, particularly somewhere new....we have a huge motorhome so we can take them away with us, people always want to stop you & make a fuss of them. They’re not impressed & tend to bark...they can curse & swear better than any Glasgow docker. We go to Scotland a lot, easy in the van to get away & they’re more welcoming than England to motorhomes, & I’m amazed how few people recognise one of their own native breeds, always being asked what they are. Couple of years ago actually met a chap with a puppy, near Perth. Said, personally,wished he’d never got it. Dotes on his wife but won’t have anything to do with him The vet I had years ago, a Scot, was very wary when I first went but said how surprised he was that mine were so willing, calm, as any he’d encountered before had taken his thermometer as a personal insult.

They sound wonderful

@Frouby

I don't have to justify my narrative. They are my thoughts, observations, opinions and knowledge as a knowledgeable pet owner of 25 years. 7 years with current small vet practice, 25 years with horse vet.

Vets fees are higher now than when it was an independent surgery. 25% higher. No amount of pension tops ups (which aren't generous btw and I do know that as fact), new equipment I haven't used, training I see no evidence of except the phone rings longer before being answered and appointments are harder to book even before covid. Oh and we now get an extra £20 charge for a same day appointment when before as long as they could offer one in normal surgery hours there wasn't any additional charges.

It's more expensive and no improvement on service. And no justification other than a big company needs more profit to operate.

Maybe when they were independent they were under charging and ended up having to sell up as they were unviable without higher charges.

I always went for the savings approach, and then the puppy managed to run up £10k of vets bills in the first 18 months of life. I don't begrudge a penny of it (5 hours of specialist surgery and a week's inpatient stay does not come cheap!) but I rather suspect a lifetime's insurance would have been cheaper.

It does rather highlight the importance of insurance if you're not in the (very privileged) position of saying, "Don't worry about the bill - do what's best for her". Not being able to treat her because I couldn't afford to would have been heartbreaking. It would also have been my responsibility, and not my vets.

Ahhh well. Swings and roundabouts. It's not like I've spent much on clothes, meals out, or holidays this year. And I love the grunty farty expensive little beastie no end.

[quote 3JsMa]@Veterinari
@BadEyeBri

It is shocking statement from both of you yet again.
I would never consider someone who is struggling with mental health or other health condition to have a dog/cat or whatever other animal as you describe as ''lifestyle choice''.
There is massive evidence available how these 'pets' are literally saving people's lives and reducing the need for an NHS treatment.
It's pretty awful that UK does not recognize support animals as a necessity (and I know few people where their GP was happy to confirm that their pet was definitely contributing to their recovery and well-being)
Any responsible pet owner will have pet insurance although we should be sensitive to those who can't afford one but their pet is a 'lifeline'[/quote]
Oh give over. There are all sorts of things that improve quality of life for people with mental illness, but that aren't provided free by the State.

I expect the vets on this thread are tired of irresponsible owners who get pets, can't afford the vets' bills, then expect care for free.

They sold because one of the vets who set the practice up died, and the other was approaching retirement age. Can't blame the remaining partner, they just did what was best for them.

To reiterate I don't blame or hold responsible individual vets. I hold responsible the commercial companies who have decided that veterinary practices are fair game for profiteering. Both my horse and small animal practice vets are excellent. My horse vet in particular knows me and my ponies particularly well. I have 1 insured and 1 not and know that the uninsured one can rack a big bill up and vet knows he will be paid. Might take a few months but am and have been for 5 years around £500 in credit with them. Vet also knows that because I had a previous pony operated on (and wish I had gone for the non invasive option now) that I wouldn't sanction for instance a colic operation (many £££), even for the insured pony and would chose PTS, not because of cost but because of the recovery which is brutal. I'm sensible and pragmatic re animal health, dog recently had a nasty tumour removed, if it reoccurs I probably won't chose for further surgery. Just because we can doesn't always mean we should. Because we can has resulted in more owners seeking expensive (and not always successful) treatments which wouldn't have been considered in many cases years ago before pet insurance became common. This in turn has driven vets to be able to offer more and more ground breaking surgeries etc, which drives the potential claims up which in turn drivea the premiums up which I think tends to make people think 'fuck it, I've paid £50 a month for last 6 years, I may as well get my monies worth'.

It's a complicated cycle which ultimately has seen a lot of small vets bought out by commercial companies which impacts the price customers pay. It's not about individual vets profiteering from peoples love of their pets, it's about companies and then insurance companies profiteering.

@Veterinari

I'm sure she will heal, it will just take time, possibly more time than if she had been treated elsewhere who had a different approach to the wound.

I don't know why you're bothering to pay for veterinary treatment. You sound like an expert!

She has been back today, seen the owning vet who has said they have mismanaged the wound. If it needs to be restitched, we will pay for drugs only, not the vets time.

Seems I wasn't wrong after all

We used to put money aside each month instead of getting insurance. It caught us out with expensive vet bills and sadly having to put our old dog down. Had to put a few thousand on a credit card.

Since then we've always got insurance. Very glad we do as our dog recently got run over and after visiting several emergency vets (accident was on a Sunday and all our local vets were closed) our bills totalled over 10k. If it wasn't for paying into insurance we wouldn't be able to give our dog the chance to live. (she's doing really well now)

(also I don't think Veterinari said anything out of line)

I say expensive vet bills but I certainly don't think they are over priced. Our dog was in the vets for over 3 weeks. I'd hate to know how much that would cost for a person having the same treatment and care.