Changing Vets.

[Alberta]

We have decided it is time for a change of Vet.
The vet we had seen at our local vets for over 40 years retired a couple of years ago and we continued to use the same practice.
On Friday there was something wrong with Alice, a 7 yr old yorkie.
She was going to the toilet many times even when she couldn't squeeze a drop out she was still trying.
Suspecting Cystitis, I managed to get a small sample and we went to the vet on Saturday. She examined her and given her symptoms she said definately cystitis.
I said , thank you, I needn't have brought the sample.
I'll test that for you though she said and went to dip it came straight back 'yes Cystitis.'
Antibiotics and consultation that will be £74 said the receptionist and we paid and not until we got home did iIread on the receipt
For testing the sample £9 +vat and for the lab report on the sample £9 +vat.
I almost didn't take the sample thinking it wasn't enough and I would have been 20 quid better off.

 

[Phil]

Alberta

I have always had dogs & cats and other various pets all my married life, Though since pet insurance has become commonplace and easy to obtain I have noticed charges for treatment shoot through the roof. So because of that also premiums have begun to go through the roof.

Now I notice that insurance companies are beginning to vastly increase the excess amounts on their policies and not happy with that they are now beginning to include 20% of all treatment charges as excess. I have told the wife and my grandchildren that these 4 pets that we have now are the last ones that we will be having. I think that vets and insurance companies are just pricing themselves out of the market.

 

[rosie]

I hope Alice feels better soon Alberta.
Vet fees seem to be very high. I had a "rescue" chinchilla who became ill and we took her to a vet on a Sunday, we were told that she was classed as an "exotic pet" and would have to come back to see someone else. We were sold a few millilitres of eyedrops and the same of eye ointment even though it turned out to be a tooth abcess. This came to over a hundred pounds with the consultations. Then next day she had to be put down at a further charge of twenty five pounds!.......No more pets for me!!
rosie.

 

[Alberta]

We had Alice insured but when she was 5 yrs old the premium went up a great deal, when I enquired why they said she is classed as an elderly pet, I told them that yorkshire terriers can live to 17/18 years but they wouldn't reduce the premium so we cancelled.
As you say Phil there are always excesses on them, most don't cover any problems with teeth and drugs are extra.
I have 3 sons wish now they are grown up they were a Vet, funeral director and solicitor.
They could keep me in luxury.

 

[Old Boy]

I hope Alice feels better soon Alberta.
Vet fees seem to be very high. I had a "rescue" chinchilla who became ill and we took her to a vet on a Sunday, we were told that she was classed as an "exotic pet" and would have to come back to see someone else. We were sold a few millilitres of eyedrops and the same of eye ointment even though it turned out to be a tooth abcess. This came to over a hundred pounds with the consultations. Then next day she had to be put down at a further charge of twenty five pounds!.......No more pets for me!!
rosie.

Hi All,
We took a rescue dog from The Birmingham Dogs home. After a few days he became poorly and I took him to a vet He gave him some pills and asked me to take him back the following week. I did so and it was obvious that he had not recovered and the vet said that he had distemper and it would be best for him to be put down as he might well affect other animals. I said "Fair enough" and it was done there and then. I asked the vet what his fee was and he replied "You have spent enough trying to keep him alive so I could not take anything from you for putting him to sleep" This showed me that some vets were human after all and not after every penny they could get.
Old Boy

 

[Smudger]

I always use a PDSA vet. They`re very caring & fees are very reasonable, in fact, if you can`t afford to pay you may get the treatment free. I always make a reasonable donation. I would rather pay a PDSA vet than a "normal vet". A so-called normal vet charged my son £1200 to remove a doggy treat that was stuck in his throat. Money grabbers.

 

[Big Gee]

Last year our beautiful black cat Joolz collapsed at about 11.00pm on a Bank Holiday. I immediately phoned our vet's emergency number and I was told to bring him to the surgery right away. The vet was wonderful, but couldn't make a diagnosis there and then. By now Joolz had recovered a little, but was still falling over as though his balance was affected, so the vet said it would be best to keep him overnight for observation. Next day I phoned and was asked to collect him later in the day when he'd had an X-Ray, ECG, blood tests, and other tests. The various tests showed no internal problems, but he was still falling to one side. The vet said it seemed he'd pulled a muscle or a tendon in a back leg, and it was going into spasm periodically, causing him to fall. (I once did just this when I was out walking on rough ground, and it was agony for a time). We were just relieved that Joolz was otherwise passed 100% fit, was given some medication and anti-biotics, and he fully recovered in a few days. The bill was nearly £400, but as Joolz was insured there was no problem and the insurance company paid up quickly (less an excess, of course). However, when we received their quote for the next year's insurance both the excess and the premiums had risen quite drastically, so I was onto GoCompare pretty quickly, and found another reputable insurer (a specialist animal insurer) whose premiums and excess were considerably lower, so we moved to this company. The main thing is that Joolz fully recovered, bless him, but I agree that vets' bills and insurance have sky-rocketed, as more and more owners insure their precious little friends.

Big Gee

 

[Phil]

Big Gee

The thing is no new policy will cover you for any ailment that your pet has previously received treatment for. I have learnt this through experience. This is the only problem if you have aged pets and you decide to change insurers.

 

[Big Gee]

Hi Phil,
quite correct. However, in Joolz's case his problem was recorded as the effect of an accident rather than any organic disease or disorder. We think he may have tried to jump in the dark onto a new side-gate we'd just had fitted, and which is about 2 feet higher than the old gate - and missed. He's not what you'd call 'gymnastic'.........

Big Gee

Big Gee

The thing is no new policy will cover you for any ailment that your pet has previously received treatment for. I have learnt this through experience. This is the only problem if you have aged pets and you decide to change insurers.

 

[DPL]

I/we also sourced a dog from The Birmingham Dogs home: a Staffie/Border collie mongrel crossed with godknowswhat. He died aged 16 a year ago. His last three years were beset with health problems: cataracts, diabetes requiring twice daily injections of insulin and arthritis, and on most of the days of his ailing, the tail still vigorously wagged!

His medical costs were horrendous: costing not less than £2,500 a year. There was never a time, not once, did I regret or complain about the money (or lost holidays) this mongrel was costing me/us...not once. And if the truth betold, Alberta is as soft (or softer) as most other pet owners despite her joshing vitriol directed at the business of veterinary.

 

[mikejee]

I always use a PDSA vet. They`re very caring & fees are very reasonable, in fact, if you can`t afford to pay you may get the treatment free. I always make a reasonable donation. I would rather pay a PDSA vet than a "normal vet". A so-called normal vet charged my son £1200 to remove a doggy treat that was stuck in his throat. Money grabbers.

Many years ago I,on occasion, looked after my ex-wife's two Yorkies, both in Leeds and at my home in Reading. The difference between Vets costs was big. In Leeds the charge at a private vet was much more than down in affluent Reading. I was told by my assistant , whose brother was a vet, that this was because the PDSA in Leeds was very active and well organised, whereas there were few similar free, or subsidised facilities in Reading, and so people had to go to a private vet. Therefore the Leeds vets made up for loss of income by charging much more to their private customers

 

[Dave89]

Hi DPL,

I know only too well just how expensive vet's bills can be and I truly sympathise with you.
I had a beautiful Rottweiler dog who developed diabetes at the age of four. He was insured,
but of course, at renewal the premiums and excesses rocketed. The costs, coincidentally,
were around £2500 per year, and he required two 70 unit injections a day . plus 2 water
samples to taken and tested. I will never forget how readily he would come when called for his
injections, and he never complained at the jab. The vet initially thought he would only live
for a couple of years, but he lived for another 4 1/2, mostly in otherwise good health.
Unfortunately he developed a nervous problem in his front legs which caused him to collapse
forwards. This could not be corrected and regretfully I had to have him put to sleep.

This was eleven years ago, and I have never ventured another dog. I still have his ashes,
and I don't expect I'll ever part with them.

Kind regards

Dave

 

[Alberta]

DPL, yes I am soft and it is true however much it takes in the end it doesn;t matter but I spoke to a neighbour yesterday who uses another local vet and the charges are not so high so that is probably where I would go if I need to.
Dave 89, the pain is dreadful isn't it.
I have 2 yorkies and had 2 before, in this section you can find a post in 2012 when I lost my beloved Busby, I said then ,never again, but Alice was lonely and along came Bradley a little buddle of fluff .
I too have small caskets of ashes and when I am scattered(many years hence I hope)they will be too.
I was fortunate enough to have children but I can fully understand why pets take the place of children in some peoples lives because now my own are grown up my 2 little ones are my babies.

 

[Alberta]

I can't believe i moaned about paying the vet £74 in my earlier post.
An update on my pets , I mentioned Bradley my little bundle of fluff in my last post , he is now almost 12 years old and he has gingivitus in his gums so his side teeth have to be removed on Wednesday, £850 , kids inheritance will go down a bit,

 

[Godber]

I can't believe i moaned about paying the vet £74 in my earlier post.
An update on my pets , I mentioned Bradley my little bundle of fluff in my last post , he is now almost 12 years old and he has gingivitus in his gums so his side teeth have to be removed on Wednesday, £850 , kids inheritance will go down a bit,

Not too long ago one of my younger dogs began to have difficulty walking. Our regular vet referred us to another practice who diagnosed spinal trauma and carried out surgery to correct it, total cost was approaching £8000 if I remember correctly. Thankfully the procedure was successful.
Vets are first and foremost businesses and they exist to make money. They do a very worthwhile job but I remember reading an article in a newspaper written by a former vet who recommender that pet owners should never reveal that their animal has insurance as some vets see it as an open cheque book. I’ve often wondered if that’s the case.

 

[williamjukes]

Not too long ago one of my younger dogs began to have difficulty walking. Our regular vet referred us to another practice who diagnosed spinal trauma and carried out surgery to correct it, total cost was approaching £8000 if I remember correctly. Thankfully the procedure was successful.
Vets are first and foremost businesses and they exist to make money. They do a very worthwhile job but I remember reading an article in a newspaper written by a former vet who recommender that pet owners should never reveal that their animal has insurance as some vets see it as an open cheque book. I’ve often wondered if that’s the case.

The majority of vets working in the veterinary profession do not own the clinic they work in, but are merely employed to work there, so do not see this as a money making business.

I am sure you will find that it is the business corporates who own the majority of the clinics nowadays, that see this as a money making venture.

William.

 

[Godber]

The majority of vets working in the veterinary profession do not own the clinic they work in, but are merely employed to work there, so do not see this as a money making business.

I am sure you will find that it is the business corporates who own the majority of the clinics nowadays, that see this as a money making venture.

William.

Later that year, another of my dogs developed a medical problem. I took her to the vets who had previously carried out surgery on my other dog, and after a sizeable consultation fee I was told that although they thought they might know what the problem was, an exploratory procedure was required to find out for sure. If this was able to confirm their suspicions, they would then proceed to operate. I asked how much the exploratory procedure would cost but no firm price would be given, merely “not more than £2000.” The cost of the operation would be a further £4000, giving a total of £6000. I explained I had already paid out £8000 to them that year and would struggle to pay such a significant fee so soon again, and asked if could pay in instalments. Yes, was the reply, four monthly payments. Not much help, really.
My wife then contacted Animal Trust, who carried out a free consultation, exploratory procedure and successful operation for the grand total of £1295. They could do that because, to quote their website:

“As a not-for-profit vets we’re not curtailed by shareholders motivated by profit, so we’re free to act differently and focus on the animals. We’re continually striving to make high quality veterinary treatment more affordable and being the local, friendly, go to when your pet needs help.”

So, one veterinary practice wanted £1295 and another wanted £6000 for exactly the same thing. That’s because one of them is a Community Interest Company which exists to benefit the community, and the other most certainly isn’t.