Author Topic: Sick of being ripped off  (Read 5776 times)

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Offline Mari

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #15 on: August 10, 2017, 06:02:37 PM »
The take money for meds/ treatment for decades for animals with on going conditions, but when the animal dies they don't offer free euthanasia ......


I'm sorry to hear that you have bad experiences. I feel lucky to have found several vets that I can trust at several different surgeries. All the invoices I have ever recieved have listed everything I pay for, and all of it has been for a good reason. So you must have had some bad luck unfortunately.
But free euthanasia? Why should they offer that? Someone has to pay for the medication used for sedation and euthanasia, not to mention cremation and transport to the crematorium. Even if the vet decided to donate their time, it would still not be free. And you wouldn't expect your doctor or accountant or plumber to work for free, so why should your vet?
I'm sorry if I misunderstood or if I sound harsh. But like my favourite vet once said, she would love to help people for free since she loves animals. But she has student loans, bills of her own, kids to feed, her own vet bills for her pets etc...
Hope you can find a vet you feel comfortable with in the future!

Offline TheAdventuresofBarnaby

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2017, 08:30:55 AM »
Re free euthanasia:

I sang the praises of our local veterinary practice earlier in this thread. 

Over the years our old Cocker,  earned our vet a minimal income.  Even with her kidney failure problems,  the vet gave us what turned out to have been very sound advice on how to look after her without the nee for OTC dietary foods and special medicines.  But they loved her almost as much as we did,  never failing to stop and make a fuss of her whenever we bumped into them in town or socially.  When the end came the practice owner,  a tough older farm type vet of the James Herriot style,  was seriously upset.  He insisted on taking care of the process himself,  and absolutely refused to take a penny from me for doing so.

And to this day,  we never meet without him making some reference to the old girl.

This is why I love living here in the Sumava.  We're in something of a time warp with still present landscapes and human social niceties that disappeared in UK in the 1950s

Back on subject:  This modest but caring veterinary practice of ours is no hic outfit.  It has a modern surgery with all of the diagnostic equipment one would expect.  They tend to pets, livestock and horses. And parked outside the surgery are their cars, easily distinguished from all of the other cars in the street, by their encrustation of mud,  and interiors with so much straw and debris scattered around that we suspect may be overnight roosts for their hens!  Would that all vets were like this....

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #17 on: August 12, 2017, 12:18:11 PM »
Re free euthanasia:

I sang the praises of our local veterinary practice earlier in this thread. 

Over the years our old Cocker,  earned our vet a minimal income.  Even with her kidney failure problems,  the vet gave us what turned out to have been very sound advice on how to look after her without the nee for OTC dietary foods and special medicines.  But they loved her almost as much as we did,  never failing to stop and make a fuss of her whenever we bumped into them in town or socially.  When the end came the practice owner,  a tough older farm type vet of the James Herriot style,  was seriously upset.  He insisted on taking care of the process himself,  and absolutely refused to take a penny from me for doing so.

And to this day,  we never meet without him making some reference to the old girl.

This is why I love living here in the Sumava.  We're in something of a time warp with still present landscapes and human social niceties that disappeared in UK in the 1950s

Back on subject:  This modest but caring veterinary practice of ours is no hic outfit.  It has a modern surgery with all of the diagnostic equipment one would expect.  They tend to pets, livestock and horses. And parked outside the surgery are their cars, easily distinguished from all of the other cars in the street, by their encrustation of mud,  and interiors with so much straw and debris scattered around that we suspect may be overnight roosts for their hens!  Would that all vets were like this....
Sound very much like our's, infact when our previous dog had to have an emergency op late one evening to remove a huge, very fast growing tumour in order to save his life, OH and I, along with his wife, ended up having to assist. The practice has expanded since then and I don't think that would happen now but we're very fortunate to be living in a place where, as the Germans put it "the fox and the goose say goodnight to each other!" 😉

Offline rubyduby

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #18 on: August 16, 2017, 02:51:39 PM »
I live in Lancashire, and have tried virtually every vet in sensible travelling distance. My dog has just had a sedstive for lip shaving and cream for lip fold dermatitis, £180, (thought it was less till I checked c/card bil)that was after around £60 for a visit and antibiotics....needless to say it has not worked...The vet told me at the appointment that surgery doesnt always work better off with cleaning and cream...rubbish, I have had it done twice with my dogs in the past and it has worked perfectly..so out of pocket ,dog still with sore lips. AND no doubt the vet is waiting for me to ring back, then he can say 'oh dear' I suppose all thats left is surgery....sorry but this is all RIP OFF....
I purchased tablets for my other dog 60 tablets £69 , I could have got them online for £33, Kidney meds charge £46 by vet got them on line for £22....Everyone tells me they have to charge a lot for meds..but no-one says why? 

Offline aliceandlouis

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #19 on: August 16, 2017, 05:24:02 PM »
I am sorry to hear that the sedative for lip shaving etc and the procedure carried out didn't sort the problem - seems that you are having some bad luck there again.  I know that the drugs for sedation and surgery are very expensive (I have friends who are anaesthetists - for humans!) so that might explain the size of the bill.  As for surgery as the next step, the vet has advised you that surgery doesn't always sort the problem (an opinion probably based on academic reviews/evidence in veterinary press), so I guess it will be your decision whether or not to go ahead with surgery based on your personal experience of two previous cases  :dunno:?

Also,  I am confused as to why, if you can get tablets cheaper on line, you don't always choose to source the medication that way?.  As for the price that vets charge - I am guessing that they are required to add VAT on anything they supply, and a warehouse/internet-based provider will not be employing highly qualified staff such as veterinary nurses, nor will they have to heat, light, decorate or furnish their workspace to the same standard? - all these things need to be paid for in some way surely?  In these days of counterfeit medications I personally would rather pay the premium to acquire bona fide medication via my vet than run the risk of something that may or may not have the correct active ingredients - but we all make the choices that we feel are best for our pets.

I have to say, the posts by bizzylizzy and TheAdventuresofBarnaby would suggest we should all move to Germany for cheaper veterinary bills  :o

I hope your dog soon has relief from symptoms and maybe you could do a 'trial' to see if cleaning and cream has any effect before making a decision re surgery, which may or may not work (and at least then your dog would not be subjected to the risks of general anaesthesia - let alone the expense?)

I wish you well.

Offline vixen

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #20 on: August 16, 2017, 06:08:44 PM »
I used to be able to take my dogs to the vets and not worry about the cost.  Although they are both insured, most visits to the vets were under the excess charge anyway so have seldom needed to claim.  My vet was an elderly man with a very run down surgery (ripped lino on the floor, torn chairs in the waiting room, smell of tobacco lingering from the pipe he had smoked in between consultations  ph34r.)  He was a grumpy so and so to the owners BUT he was wonderful with animals  :angel:
The last time we had to visit was when Marley was nipped by a collie on a dog walk.  He examined her, gave her an antibiotic injection, gave her a 7 day course of antibiotic tablets and the price was £17!  This was only last year.  When Stevie needed a lump removed the total cost of everything with the anaesthetic, surgery and after care was £100. He didn't have any high tec equipment and had to refer you to another practice if you needed xrays, scans etc but none of my visits needed them and most of his clients just needed basic veterinary help  (vaccinations, neutering, flea treatment etc) but the opportunity was there if your pet needed further investigation.
He was able to manage his surgery successfully for many many years without going bankrupt with these prices and he only gave up his practice due to his retirement.  His practice has now been taken over by a franchise and everything is being updated including the prices  :'(
Years (and years ago) when I had GSDs there was no such thing as pet insurance and I could always afford the vet bills.  There has been an advance in veterinary treatment which means more options are available to the pet owner but these come at a price which can only be met by insurance.  I feel as pet owners we are emotionally blackmailed into insurance and are then trapped.  My two girls are now 10 and therefore considered elderly so premiums have gone up drastically  >:(   but from this age they are more likely to need treatment so I can't get out of the trap for fear that I won't be able to afford treatment if they need it.  I never want to be in a position where one of them needs treatment which I can't afford, so I just keep on paying the premiums.  It has got to the stage where the premiums cost me more than their food  >:(
Max (GSP)  always in my heart

Offline PennyB

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #21 on: August 16, 2017, 09:06:58 PM »
Everyone tells me they have to charge a lot for meds..but no-one says why? 

they often cost more for vets to buy in the 1st place than you suspect - they have to pay more than the online suppliers - my vets uses a supplier that online suppliers use and there's a 2 tier system of costs whereby vet practices have to pay more (ie, take the vet food I get -
 it costs me about 40 a bag to buy online but it also costs my vet the same to buy at source) plus add on economies of scale
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Offline rubyduby

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #22 on: September 05, 2017, 08:38:30 PM »
Someone asked why I dont buy my meds online, well now I do, but that was after having to pay £16 for prescription from my vet, I do complain about the cost of meds , but my biggest gripe is that most dont work, trial and error, with conditions that have been around for decades, if veterinary training etc has improved, then all I can say is, it must have been bad before !!! i get tired of people saying you are paying for the training and expertise, ??? why then am I still having to tell the vets what they should look for and what to do to rectify it, and this is about common or garden ailments....

Offline Patp

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #23 on: September 06, 2017, 08:14:46 AM »
We have an Animal Trust Vets just opened in the next town which states not for profit.  It would be interesting to know how costs compare



Offline Jaysmumagain

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #24 on: September 06, 2017, 10:04:47 AM »
Animal Trust vets in Blackburn.........

We have a vets at an animal charity in our area, they have 2 vets and you pay a joining fee if you are not on low income, I do not use them, but alot of people I know do............my only quibble is they say 24 hour but out of hours is ccovered by another service and that is were the prices really shoot up.

Must adnit the £16 private prescription fee is high was £8 at my previous vet and £10 at this one, plus it can (for regular meds) have a repeat option of upto 5 mths and is held at the only pharmacy.
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Offline Ambler54

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2017, 08:16:50 PM »
Most of our vets are all owned by one business and the charges are ridiculous.A friend has an expectant bitch, the cost of the HIV jabs is £ 130 for the two injections.She was speaking to a breederup country exactly the same injections £90 .So annoyed She is going to question it.We now have a Pets at Home vet and their costs are less and a lot of people are signing up there.It doesnt matter what you go to the vets for it is always at least £50.Another friend has a 13 year olddog with ovarian cancer,  the vet wants to do a full op and then chemo.She decided to get a second opinion else where and was advisedthe cancer had spread so much that really the best thing was to give as much tlc as possible and let nature takes it course as it was very doubtful any treatment would make much difference...except to Her pocket of course.This is what Her instinct told Her but She was having so much pressure put on Her to do otherwise.Just feel a lot of it is more about money.

Offline PennyB

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #26 on: September 15, 2017, 10:05:53 PM »
Someone asked why I dont buy my meds online, well now I do, but that was after having to pay £16 for prescription from my vet, I do complain about the cost of meds , but my biggest gripe is that most dont work, trial and error, with conditions that have been around for decades, if veterinary training etc has improved, then all I can say is, it must have been bad before !!! i get tired of people saying you are paying for the training and expertise, ??? why then am I still having to tell the vets what they should look for and what to do to rectify it, and this is about common or garden ailments....

Problem is what may work for one pet may not work for another + vet/medicine aren't exact sciences either (my vets still do a lot of continuuing education but even they are sometimes stumped). Vet/medicine is a case of trial and error sometimes or having to work through to rule things out (just as you find in human medicine)
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Offline JeffD

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #27 on: September 20, 2017, 09:54:11 AM »
I wonder if vets' bills seem so high because we are not exposed to the true cost of healthcare for ourselves.

When I was ill a few years ago I did ask my consultant about costs, I had 27 plasma exchanges at £3500 each plus all the other drugs Miderene alone was £15 per tablet I was on 4 a day for 4 months, Op to remove my thymus gland approx. £15000, THANK GOD for our NH, this does not include the costs of 6 weeks hospital stay and on going drugs for the last 3 years. I am a member of a facebook group for those who also have AAG ( autonomic auto immune gangliopathy and have so much sympathy for the American sufferers who struggle for insurance to pay for the treatments
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Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #28 on: September 20, 2017, 10:35:23 AM »
I wonder if vets' bills seem so high because we are not exposed to the true cost of healthcare for ourselves.

When I was ill a few years ago I did ask my consultant about costs, I had 27 plasma exchanges at £3500 each plus all the other drugs Miderene alone was £15 per tablet I was on 4 a day for 4 months, Op to remove my thymus gland approx. £15000, THANK GOD for our NH, this does not include the costs of 6 weeks hospital stay and on going drugs for the last 3 years. I am a member of a facebook group for those who also have AAG ( autonomic auto immune gangliopathy and have so much sympathy for the American sufferers who struggle for insurance to pay for the treatments

Indeed, - we take so much for granted here in Europe, a gentle reminder now and again does us all good, I think! Glad the treatment's working for you Jeff!

Offline Jaysmumagain

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Re: Sick of being ripped off
« Reply #29 on: September 20, 2017, 10:50:20 AM »
I wonder if vets' bills seem so high because we are not exposed to the true cost of healthcare for ourselves.

When I was ill a few years ago I did ask my consultant about costs, I had 27 plasma exchanges at £3500 each plus all the other drugs Miderene alone was £15 per tablet I was on 4 a day for 4 months, Op to remove my thymus gland approx. £15000, THANK GOD for our NH, this does not include the costs of 6 weeks hospital stay and on going drugs for the last 3 years. I am a member of a facebook group for those who also have AAG ( autonomic auto immune gangliopathy and have so much sympathy for the American sufferers who struggle for insurance to pay for the treatments

Indeed, - we take so much for granted here in Europe, a gentle reminder now and again does us all good, I think! Glad the treatment's working for you Jeff!

But there are big gaps here in UK -biopsy early July as of today still no appt for results - friend from hospital lab has reassured me that if it was a bad result would have been brought back in fast- I shouldn't have to rely on who I know to reassure me.....
Cocker kisses and cuddles just make my day!


You are always with me darlings Jaypup and my precious Oliver you are so missed