Vets Emergency cost - AIBU

[Aretheyhavingalaugh]

I had to take my cat to the Vet yesterday as he wasn't going to the toilet or eating and then started vomiting. I called them for an emergency appointment which they said would cost £102 just to be seen, obviously its extortion, but I took him. When they saw him, they said he had a blocked bladder and without immediate treatment would die, they said this is a life threatening condition. The £102 consultation consisted of a few questions and the vet feeling his abdomen, they prepared an estimate which was £1824 to do the procedure, blood tests and scans. I told them I simply could not afford it. Upon looking at the estimate, they were charging £57 to admit him to the hospital ( take him upstairs) £40 for a bandage! £323 accommodation costs to keep him until 8am this morning ( more expensive than a hotel room in Mayfair) 1 specific kidney blood test was £170, bearing in mind, a human can get a full blood test for £95 privately. I told them I could not afford it and would have to take the cat elsewhere that was cheaper. They then managed to decrease the cost from £1824 to £863, taking off the blood tests, scans, making the accommodation slightly cheaper. It was still way too expensive, but if I didn't pay it, the cat would have died. I felt like they emotionally blackmailed me. When I got the very same cat neutered, it cost £65 which included the procedure, all the accommodation costs which was staying there the whole day, medication etc so how can they get away with charging this extortionate amount and basically holding me to ransom? By the way, the £102 consultation fee is on top of the £1800 they first quoted!

@Aretheyhavingalaugh you think they’re not being caring becaue they won’t look after your cat for another day for free!!???

i think you’re not very caring for not following vet advice that your cat should have another day of observation!

i don’t understand why you think other people should subsidize your cat ownership?

My DH was a vet, ran a veterinary hospital. He had two junior partners and employed five nurses who live on the main premises, there was also a branch practice. People don't realise how much running veterinary surgeries cost. Insurance is well worth taking out, we had it for our dogs. Saga paid for one of our Great Danes to have her cruciate ligament injury done at an excellent referral practice, it cost £2,250 some 20 years ago.

As soon as I said I was unwilling to pay an additional £200, they could get him out of there fast enough! It's all about money. I spoke with them yesterday regarding the cost with the agreement that what they quoted would be the final amount and I could get him sometime today but to be called at 7:50 with the expectation to collect him at 8:30 seems to be taking the piss don't you think?

I should also add this was not a small independent vets, this was at one of the biggest in the UK

Hes had an anaesthetic so of course they really want him to stay in, its the same for humans. All animals, including humans, can deteriorate rapidly after an operation despite the operation itself being a success.

However they can't look after him for free. By collecting him you will have signed a form, the same form you sign to be released from hospital against medical advice.

You really aren't thinking this through. Yes its a great shock financially and emotionally but they aren't ripping you off. They have to pay for everything as they don't have large nhs type trusts and a government/tax paying for it.

Yes it is expensive and I am sure they are charging for things that are unreasonable. My vet insisted I bring my cat in for a health check to get a flea treatment prescription that we have used many times before - 80.00. I have a cat. I have a fairly basic insurance policy. However, if there was a large bill that couldn't be covered by the policy, I would have to put the cat to sleep.

As soon as I said I was unwilling to pay an additional £200, they could get him out of there fast enough! It's all about money.

They got him out of there because you wouldn’t pay for another day of obs and they cannot provide care for free.

It was all about money for you as well.

Just so you're aware OP, no insurance company will ever cover him for any urinary tract issues now. That's not to say thay insurance isn't still worth looking into, there's any number of things that might happen in the future that would be covered.

Also, this is a condition that is likely to recur. Speak to your vet/vet nurse about what you can do to minimise the chances of it happening again. Sometimes specifically formulated foods can help (although if you declined additional tests to reduce costs they won't be able to tell you if this will help), ensuring he's kept at a good weight (overweight cats are more prone), increasing water intake and minimising stress (also a big contributor).

It sounds like he was quite far along when you took him in, so early warning signs are frequent visits to the litter tray without producing much/anything (or in and out the cat flap if he goes outside), licking himself lots, abdominal pain/discomfort and potentially a funny wide legged walk on the back legs.

Oh, and YABU about the costs 😊

But it’s all about the money for you!!!!!

you’re the one who’s begrudging spending money on your cats care and the one not prepared the full amount needed for the best care.

can you not see how entitled you are and the double standards you are applying?

what’s your job op? How would you feel about doing it for free some of the time?

No, he didn't have any anaesthetic and I didn't have to sign any form to release him.

This is my point exactly, charges that are unreasonable, on the breakdown, it said £40 for a bandage. I took off the bandage from his paw when he got home and it was nothing special.

Vets are legally bound to regularly examine patients in order to prescribe flea and worm treatment. They need to be examined (heart and lungs checked) to make sure they are well enough to receive the medication. They also need to have their weight checked to prescribe the correct dosage.

Thanks for your advice, he started acting odd on Wednesday night, in and out of the litter box without doing anything, not eating. Yesterday morning he seemed slightly worse so I called the vets immediately and got an appointment for 2pm yesterday afternoon and he was taken care of. The vet did say stress was a major factor so have been looking at ways to minimise that.

Try getting a contraception repeat prescription from your GP without an up to date blood pressure reading and weight. It’s the same thing.

I work in a finance based job and have frequently worked longer hours to get something done and not been paid anymore for it. Of course, it's about money, energy bills, costs are soaring but at the same time trying not to get ripped off and mLe sure the cat receives the appropriate treatment. As many can understand, you can only stretch money so far.

You should try living somewhere without an NHS. It's absolutely horrible.

Hip replacement for your six year old? Better get saving.

My DD's school had constant Fundraisers for a child in my DD's class with a brain tumour.

I'm not begrudging spending money on cats, I'm begrudging being charged an extortionate amount. A different cat needed an operation regarding its umbilical cord, was quoted a reasonable amount, including an operation, cat staying in etc, paid it immediately with no problem.

I assumed he had an operation to unblock the bladder. The bandage was to stop dirt and saliva etc from getting into the wound causing infection but you took it off?

The price involved wouldn't be just for the bandage but for the person who put it on. Some animals require a second person to hold the animal still while the first person puts it on. But they have to work for free?

I despair. You don't seem to be thinking at all.

Vets work as long as it takes too. Many practices now employ night vets because working a full week generally finishing around 7 then a night on call plus 1 in 4 weekends wasn't sustainable. Separate nurses working nights has been a thing for ages because you would be nowhere near minimum wage...

So your costs are soaring but not the costs thst vets pay? And vets employees should also be offering hours their time for free because, well, presumably their concerns about costs for themselves are not important.

you have no evidence that the prices were extortionate.

I’m glad your cat is on the mend. Take no notice of all the unpleasant comments.

The costs of running a vets surgery have massive increased. My practices fuel costs in 2020-21 were £4700, 2021-22 so far have been £25,000.
The £57 for accommodation. Covers providing the kennel, the bedding in the kennel and the nursing care in the kennels.
Why do vets bloods cost more - because they are patient side machines smaller (therefore more expensive) and providing a result within a few minutes (again more expensive technology).

No, the bandage was on his paw and they told me to remove it once I got him home. My point was that charge was £40 alone. The admission cost was charged at £57, for basically taking him in. I expect to be charged for the skilled work they carry out but not added on nonsense

My ParentsIL have a dog that they love to bits. He recently went a bit lame (he's 7) so he went for loads of tests and x-rays etc. The specialist vet (ie £££££) said he needed a knee replacement and was probably suffering a bit of arthiritis. If it wasn't for the insurance my PiL would have had to fork out close to £8k!!

I pay £12/m to our vet on a payment plan which means I don't have to worry about consultation fees for my cat, but everything else is paid for. She once got a kidney infection. She stopped eating and drinking and was vomiting a lot. Rushed her to the vet, an anti-emetic jab, antibiotic jab and some specialist cat food later (which was refused, naturally) I was out of pocket to the tune of £150. The consulation on top would have been another £120. And I would pay it again, even if she doesn't appreciate it. (It wasn't covered by insurance)