we have ,at the moment one of our dogs requiring treatment for possible arthritis,been prescribed Onsior, 30 tablets at the vet and they charged £68:00!!!, looking at an on line vet supplies ,per tablet they charge 78 pence, but require a prescription, to get one from the vet they want £35:00...... even with buying that we can save almost £8:00, l know these people need to make a living but find this rather taking the mickey out of the customer with that amount of profit in this transaction , as i would imagine a vetinary outfit would get these cheaper than me anyway
------------- That's not a dog....... That's a Schnauzer
Vet bills and pet insurance charges are the main reasons we no longer have a dog. When our last one died in 2020 we thought long and hard about whether or not to get another, and they were the deciding factors. We would be devastated if we got another dog and it needed expensive treatment, as I know we wouldn't be able to afford it. Insurance companies will try and wriggle out of paying too if you have insurance. Their charges are outlandish anyway. With our last dog it seemed to be doubling every year and once they reach 8 years old you can't change companies, as very few will take on a dog of that age. We are finally getting used to not having one around, but it was very hard at first as we have had dogs for decades.
Same here, we had 2 "adopted" dogs, vets' bills were ridiculous. But we would still have a dog if we were a bit younger. We are still considering fostering.
Been down the vet extortion route in the past with a previous dog's meds, and again with current dog for prescription only (as they were at the time) Seresto flea/tick collars! IIRC correctly, Vet wanted around £50 for one, found one online from a reputable supplier for £18 including P & P! I know the online ones have gone up a lot since then, but shudder to think what a vet would charge now!
Generally found online vet med suppliers were a fraction of the price, even factoring in the cost of a prescription still saved a significant amount. Last prescriptions I got were only £10 (which is still a lot for what the vet actually has to do to write one!), £35 is a complete rip off, unless for multiple items, as the charge is per item, not per prescription.
Can't but think the all too cosy relationship between insurers and Vets is driving up costs to the user, both profit handsomely, often with the user never seeing the actual bill as paid direct by insurer, it's only the ever increasing premiums the user gets to see!
I challenged my vet on the cost of meds and pointed out the huge discounts available from other suppliers, he just shrugged his shoulders and said "that's our charge", clearly happy to rob the unwary who have no knowledge of getting meds from a supplier other than prescribing vet!
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 18/2/2023
Same here, we had 2 "adopted" dogs, vets' bills were ridiculous. But we would still have a dog if we were a bit younger. We are still considering fostering.
All our dogs have been rescues. Maybe we would have had another one if we were younger and still had a half decent income, but on our ridiculous state pension it is prohibitive. I even volunteer as a home-checker for a rescue but it is the cost of care should they become ill or have an accident that puts us off.
I agree with you, Colin. As some may recall, I have mentioned the dog we used to have on occasion here.
We obtained her from a nearby RSPCA dog home. Before taking her, we had given very careful thought to the cost of keeping her and my wife opened a savings account at a building society specifically for the dog. We paid a small regular amount into the account each week so that, when the vet's bills arrived, there was money to pay them.
Of course, that was long before the con of pet insurance and the ridiculous high fees that now exist.
We began camping as a result of owning her so that we could holiday together. Although it is nearly 30 years ago that we lost her, we still think of and miss her.
We had to take our dog to the vets about two weeks ago as he couldn't open his left eye properly. The vet put some dye in the dog's eye which revealed that he had an ulcer that needed to be treated. The vet prescribed some medication to put into his food and a small bottle of eye drops to be administer twice daily which the meds and consultation fee came to a total of £112. The vet requested to see our dog again in six days time for an eye check up which thankfully the ulcer had healed but he spent no more than 5 minutes on the table which landed us another consultation fee of £38 which was £150 in total. Vets fees are ridiculous and totally unjustifiable.
Quote: Originally posted by Ancient Uncle on 18/2/2023
I agree with you, Colin. As some may recall, I have mentioned the dog we used to have on occasion here.
We obtained her from a nearby RSPCA dog home. Before taking her, we had given very careful thought to the cost of keeping her and my wife opened a savings account at a building society specifically for the dog. We paid a small regular amount into the account each week so that, when the vet's bills arrived, there was money to pay them.
Of course, that was long before the con of pet insurance and the ridiculous high fees that now exist.
We began camping as a result of owning her so that we could holiday together. Although it is nearly 30 years ago that we lost her, we still think of and miss her.
We did very similar for the last few years of our last dog's life, putting what we would have spent on insurance into a separate bank account. Luckily he did ok until the last couple of months of his life when he went downhill rapidly, but I was always worried that if he needed an operation that would wipe out our savings in one go.
I'm sure that rescue centres must be feeling the effect of this as a double-whammy, with fewer people taking on a pet because of the vet's bills during the cost of living crisis, and paying their own vet's bills for the dogs they are looking after.
Our now retired vet checked over our aging terrier and advised that the pills she should sell us would cost a fortune... we'd do better buying Glucosamine from Tesco and giving him half a tablet.
We did, it worked both for the dog and me.
------------- Knowledge is recognising that a tomato is a fruit: experience is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 18/2/2023
We had to take our dog to the vets about two weeks ago as he couldn't open his left eye properly. The vet put some dye in the dog's eye which revealed that he had an ulcer that needed to be treated. The vet prescribed some medication to put into his food and a small bottle of eye drops to be administer twice daily which the meds and consultation fee came to a total of £112. The vet requested to see our dog again in six days time for an eye check up which thankfully the ulcer had healed but he spent no more than 5 minutes on the table which landed us another consultation fee of £38 which was £150 in total. Vets fees are ridiculous and totally unjustifiable.
Consultation is £48:00, and of late I notice that the attending vet tries to eek out that period to at least 10 minutes, it then " seemingly" justifies their time...£200:00 an hour ain't a bad return ( there are two at any one time) and they do have at least 4 surgeries across our area within 30 miles as the crow flies
------------- That's not a dog....... That's a Schnauzer
With my old dog, I believe the excess on his pet insurance is about 70 GBP.
Apart from the big bills e.g. the first of his dental bills, I did not bother to claim when the bills came to just a bit over the excess.
He was never on any medication for long.
I did ask about getting a prescription from them to get the two meds they started on him for his cognitive behaviour and joints elsewhere, as I believed he would need them for the remainder of his life. He was about a month short of his 14th birthday, and died 2 days after starting the meds at home in peace.
Fingers firmly crossed for Bean to be free of medical issues for as long as possible, and he has a comprehensive insurance cover.
DK
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Check who owns it.
Many Vets aren’t the nice independent “Yorkshire Vets” of TV fame any more. My local practice changed in character after the owners retired (a uniform for the receptionist, a smart new counter). I went online to check who owns it & discovered it’s now owned by another business that is itself part of some huge conglomerate that I’ve never heard of. They’re all out to make money for shareholders, that’s business.
The important thing for us, for the 3 cats & 4 dogs we’ve had over nearly 40 years, is continuity of the vet looking after the animal as they get older & less well. Explaining everything every visit is frustrating. The cost is what it is, we put money by regularly to pay for future bills.
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Topic: vets and their costs/profit!
via mobile 18/2/2023 at 5:42pm
