Vets Fees (1 Viewer)

[kglblue]

Touring France in April, our Whippet puppy had a bad cut that required stitches, we took him to the Vet in Rue who was recommended by Funsters. He had a general anaesthetic, an operation by the vet to clean and stitch the wound and 10 hours nursing care in the kennels. The total cost...75 Euro! which included a follow up consultation a week later, to check the wound and remove the stitches. We estimated that our UK vet would have charged at least £300. With this in mind our elderly collie needs Meta Cam for her Arthritis, we paid our Vet £37 for 100mg of the stuff, enough for a month. Online it's being sold for £9 per 100 mg, that's some mark up!
We have been with this Vet for 25 years and wouldn't like to change and anyway, I'll bet the UK Vets all charge more or less the same. It needs regulation, but will never happen; Doctors, Vets and Solicitors etc have much better and stronger trades unions than any working man, but they're called Professional Associations and no Government seems to want to talk about price caps or regulation of the "market" I note the new anti trade union laws which makes it next to impossible to withdraw your labour, the only option for many working men and women, whose rights fought for over 150 years have been eroded over the last 10.

 

[sdc77]

Vets fees are just astronomical imho .. but there's nothing we can do in the UK. Don't see the connection with trade unions tbh .. but as someone who has to put up with transport workers striking for anything and making massive pay demands whilst holding the capital to ransom I think some of these new laws are justified. .

 

[jockaneezer]

Think the prices got even worse once companies started selling pet insurance.
Our neighbour got some meds for his dog and when he got them home, realised the wrong dosage had been issued, he took them back to the vets and they wanted to charge him a £12 restocking fee

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

Imho, UK vets know that the regulations are very well enforced and they manage to make most treatments (that work) be prescription only. I rang for some tick and flea treatment and they said oh yes, we can dispense it without a consultation but the price of £56 just happened to be the online price plus a consultation fee! All designed to keep them living the high life.
I would think that the French like with other issues would not accept being ripped off hence the sensible costs incurred by kglblue

 

[Irishrover]

It's the same here in Ireland, Dentists over here feel their profession is a licence to print money....No wonder so many head to Budapest and get work done, have a holiday at a fraction of the cost!

 

[MillieMoocher]

It's always worth telling the vet that you're not insured (if that's the case). Vets (and private doctors) know the fee scale that the various insurers work to for different treatments and, in my experience they always seem to bill the fee appropriate to the insurer as opposed to working out anything on an hourly rate...

Pretty much like any job - car/ MH repairs, home repairs etc - as soon as the repairer knows the job is insured, the costs seem to go up..

(I'll put my tin hat on now and wait for all the flak from members who are involved in auto/ house repairs to tell me that's simply not true but I am only saying it how it looks to me which may or may not be true!)

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[Spidey]

My daughter is training to be a vet and has just finished her 3rd year of the 5 year course. A few things that not everyone knows about vets.

They don't get paid much at all, start at around £22k and hopefully reach about 30k in a number of years. The only way to make more money is to buy into a vet practice at on average £100k. She was talking to one of the partners about pay etc and he said that for every £130 bill the practice only makes £10! That is the profit the partners share out between them. On call vets get (at the practice she was at) £10 call out pay! This call out could last hours or mins but it is just £10. Vets do not live a rich life, look at their cars for example. Doctors, dentists and solicitors get paid so much more. Most go into the profession for the love of animals not to make money. But not a lot of people know this and are shocked and vet wages!

In France i don't know how they are cheaper, maybe she should move there when qualified.

 

[Encantador]

Just paid 46 euros for a vet to give my dog a worm tablet, but she did spend thirty seconds listening to his heart too.

 

[Candapack]

Slightly off thread, but I was at the (NHS) dentist on Friday - abscess.
X-rayed, abscess drained and dressed (root canal needed but just about to go away for a while), total time about 40 minutes with dentist and dental nurse. Cost, £3.46

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[TheBig1]

the veterinary practice we use and have ever since working in rescue is half the cost of other local vets. not because they cut corners, but because the owner chose long ago to help more animals. if you keep costs down, those owners on low income are more likely to take pets to the vet when needed. his head nurse regularly shops round for the best priced medication and if you can buy it over the counter at a chemists then thats what they tell you

having said that, he is by no means poor and makes an excellent living from the practice. a couple of years ago, he sold his old ferrari to put towards the cost of upgrading and expanding the practice to a veterinary hospital. then he employed even more vets, some newly qualified or retraining from abroad

he may have cheap prices but works very long hours (somebody there 24hours) and will retire early in a few years. others just want to be rich now

 

[Fragle]

Just paid 46 euros for a vet to give my dog a worm tablet, but she did spend thirty seconds listening to his heart too.

Bet you are not far from the port at that price. Not like they want to rip you off at all

 

[frogijock]

If going to France call into a vets, they usually sell it over the counter no consultation necessary

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[bhs]

Our vet will issue a prescription for metacam, three uses and only charges £6 + vat, we can buy it online with this script £14 for 100 ml

 

[simbadog]

My dogs vet has a new Porsche 911!

 

[bellabee]

Think the prices got even worse once companies started selling pet insurance.
Our neighbour got some meds for his dog and when he got them home, realised the wrong dosage had been issued, he took them back to the vets and they wanted to charge him a £12 restocking fee

I think you're right about prices getting higher since pet insurance became common. We've never insured any of our dogs, preferring to pay vet's fees as and when required. We think that, over the years, we're quids in. When our dog had to have his leg amputated, the vet charged us £1,300, which we thought very reasonable. Someone else we know had to have a similar operation on their dog. They were insured, and the bill for the treatment was over £4,000!

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[dippingatoe]

About 20 years ago one of my dogs had to have a small operation.

The vet did it in the afternoon I collected the dog and the bill was sent later for about £14. Some 10 years later I had another dog which needed the same operation. The first question was is it insured (which it wasn't) The bill was just shy of £1000. Goodness only know what it would cost now. I shall make sure my new puppy in insured.

Incidentally when Phoebe was ill there were two night time call out charges - one to the farm I was staying at, and the other when she went to the surgery. The attendance charge each time was nearly £300, so if the vet is only getting £10 and the partners are only making £10 between them goodness only knows where the other £280 goes - all the incidentals were charged as extras!

 

[mjltigger]

Just paid 46 euros for a vet to give my dog a worm tablet, but she did spend thirty seconds listening to his heart too.

I heard a side remark when I was at the vets the other day that this requirement would be done away with soon.. any ideas?

 

[jockaneezer]

I heard a side remark when I was at the vets the other day that this requirement would be done away with soon.. any ideas?

I don't get the worm tablet thing at all, our dogs get wormed regularly at home so don't understand the need ? The rabies jab I do understand but they get those details off the PP when they're checking the chip at Calais anyway. We've been to vets who have given the dogs a good check, temp, heart etc and others that have just popped the pill and stamped the book.

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[gus-lopez]

Just paid 46 euros for a vet to give my dog a worm tablet, but she did spend thirty seconds listening to his heart too.

Tablet ,sign book for rabies, dhppl,other vaccs, & stamp & encapsulate pages,..,.............3euros....,............for the tablet!

 

[Irishrover]

Just been down at the vets tonight getting his rabies shot/check over/chip read etc for his passport ( Heading to Europe next month in the MH )..Anyway, that came to 70 euro and passport will be ready next week....another 40 odd euro..... Dont know how that compares to the UK price wise, I dont mind either way, have to have it if we want to take him with us....

 

[Silver-Fox]

Our dog had a bit of a wobble a few weeks ago like she was drunk

Phoned the vet out of hours at around 8.30pm and told imediatley would cost £100 plus vat and they recon they only get £10 a call out yeah right.
Thats like saying politicians expenses are fair.

In the end she sobered up and all was good

The problem over here is they know most people with pets are a soft touch so charge accordingly

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[Spidey]

I was only quoting what a partner at a the practice told my daughter when she was doing her work experience. Different vet practices charge different amounts. The one my daughter was at is very reasonable, we get charged about £19 for a guinea pig consultation and meds. Vets are very dedicated. In order to even be considered for entry to the course they have to do loads of work experience. My daughter had 26 weeks under her belt and even then only got 1 offer. She then spends most of holidays while at uni doing even more un paid work experience.

This is an interesting article written by a vet (not a practice my daughter has ever been too) who has been asked the same question.

Broken Link Removed

I think dentists charge far to much, £1400 for the last bridge i had!

 

[Spidey]

Our dog had a bit of a wobble a few weeks ago like she was drunk

Phoned the vet out of hours at around 8.30pm and told imediatley would cost £100 plus vat and they recon they only get £10 a call out yeah right.
Thats like saying politicians expenses are fair.

In the end she sobered up and all was good

The problem over here is they know most people with pets are a soft touch so charge accordingly

How much would an emergency plumber cost in the night? A lot more than £100!

 

[Southdowners]

I've just had a bill for £430 for two call outs to my horse. He did have a blood test and the fees for this came to £63 but its still a LOT of money! During the visit he had a rectal examination and the cost of this alone was £26.67.

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[Jaws]

£70 to bandage a foot on Dillon.. If we wanted it x-rayed £400 plus VAT..
Pee taking in the grossest way ...

 

[Shrimp]

My dog was extremely ill over last winter, as we were travelling she went to two different vets and had to stay in for 24 hrs both times with a difference in price of around £100.00.
The first vet wasn't really interested they did some tests & gave us meds, but it was really just life saving!
The second vet did tests & meds and gave us loads of advice, and ideas of food etc.
Last time she went to our vet was for a worming tab and a check-£3.36!

 

[jockaneezer]

A wipe with a dettol soaked rag and two staples in a skin tear while on Mull, £85. Bought a sterile staple gun off eBay for £12 for the van first aid kit when we got home.

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[Allanm]

My Brother in Law was a partner in a veterinary practice in South London. He retired in his mid 40's, bought a 36ft yacht (cash) and was given his almost new work vehicle when he retired ( Land Rover Defender 110) as part of his leaving package.
He now has 10 houses that he rents out for his income, owns a 4 storey house near the coast in Kent and has a house in the South of France.
I agree, vets are paid far too much.

 

[Spidey]

I think this must be the exception. His practice must have been worth a lot upon retirement. This is not the norm for vets. Good on him to be able to do that, and will certainly give my daughter some hope that she will be able get some decent money.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/veterinary_surgeon_salary.htm

She is looking at moving further up north as there is no way she could buy a house where we live in Wiltshire.

 

[bhs]

£113 yesterday to remove grass seed from Harry's paw, local anesthetic and antibiotics 20 minutes, recently paid £1200 for one nights hospitalisation and tests for one of our other boys who sadly died.

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