Vets (Not army types)

[Ani]

Our dog has ‘typical’ teeth for a Soaniel of her age. Needs one taking out, 13 years old but apparently healthy enough for the anaesthetic. 
 

£500- £700 !! Not covered by the £50 per month insurance policy ! 
 

Obviously will be paying it, kids do not need Xmas presents these days. But how do you know you are not being ripped off ? 

[Dimron]

If it's one of these chains of vets like Medivet you are probably paying over the odds. If it's a private practice then it's probably the going rate.

I swapped to a private vet and the cost of monthly meds was almost halved... his monthly arthritis jab went from over £100  to £60 

[Spider]

19 minutes ago, Ani said:

Our dog has ‘typical’ teeth for a Soaniel of her age. Needs one taking out, 13 years old but apparently healthy enough for the anaesthetic. 
 

£500- £700 !! Not covered by the £50 per month insurance policy ! 
 

Obviously will be paying it, kids do not need Xmas presents these days. But how do you know you are not being ripped off ? 

Just asked the missus what they charge at her place for this and it's about right.

Most of the invoice will be to cover the meds (which are now basically monopolised by American suppliers and therefore cost a fucking bomb), the pre/post theatre work and the after care. The actual operation is only a small part of it.

Is it a Medivet or a private practice do you know?

[Ani]

Cheers for replies it is a private practice. I am more pissed off that the insurance does not cover it. 

[Spider]

23 minutes ago, Ani said:

Cheers for replies it is a private practice. I am more pissed off that the insurance does not cover it. 

Dental isn’t usually covered, because pet insurance companies are right cunts.

missus did say it can actually be quite a big op depending on the tooth and location, and sometimes they’ve charge north of a grand (hers is a private practice).

Medivet are American owned and treat their staff like scum. They are basically trying to monopolise the industry.

only traitors and MAGA’s should be using them 😀

[Dimron]

4 hours ago, Ani said:

Cheers for replies it is a private practice. I am more pissed off that the insurance does not cover it. 

Hope it all goes well.

[Not in Crawley]

We pay more than my life insurance for our 13 year old three legged cat.

One more reason why i wouldnt have a dog - they cost a fortune.

 

[burnden]

6 hours ago, Ani said:

Our dog has ‘typical’ teeth for a Soaniel of her age. Needs one taking out, 13 years old but apparently healthy enough for the anaesthetic. 
 

£500- £700 !! Not covered by the £50 per month insurance policy ! 
 

Obviously will be paying it, kids do not need Xmas presents these days. But how do you know you are not being ripped off ? 

Dog scale and polish - £199 Extractions, Canine extractions and x-rays - £320 - £550 is what it says on our vet page

[wakey]

Vets in England are daylight robbery.

One of the things that really stands out in France is how businesses like vets and garages are seen as part of the community (and dependent on local business). Plenty of examples, e.g. bloke at a local garage spent half an hour shuffling cars about so he could check a problem with ours, told us what the problem was but couldn't fix it, and refused to take any payment (we went back with some cakes the day after), vets removing ticks and refusing payment etc.

Probably summed up well by a review we saw about a vet a while ago ... something along the lines of "don't use this vet, only cares about profit, not the animals or their owners".

Think it's just a very different culture. Either way, nice to not feel like you're getting ripped off at every opportunity.

[Spider]

6 minutes ago, wakey said:

Vets in England are daylight robbery.

One of the things that really stands out in France is how businesses like vets and garages are seen as part of the community (and dependent on local business). Plenty of examples, e.g. bloke at a local garage spent half an hour shuffling cars about so he could check a problem with ours, told us what the problem was but couldn't fix it, and refused to take any payment (we went back with some cakes the day after), vets removing ticks and refusing payment etc.

Probably summed up well by a review we saw about a vet a while ago ... something along the lines of "don't use this vet, only cares about profit, not the animals or their owners".

Think it's just a very different culture. Either way, nice to not feel like you're getting ripped off at every opportunity.

To say they don’t care about the animals is fucking ridiculous. You’ve clearly never known anyone who works in the industry.

My missus work her arse off to get the qualifications and she’d do the job for free if she could afford to. For most people it’s a passion that gets them there in the first place, so you are way off with what you say.

As for pricing, well if it could be made more competitive it would be. But like most businesses they have costs too. Drugs, mortgage, staff, pensions etc etc.. And they want to make a profit, as I’m sure your business/workplace does.

The truth is that costs have been creeping up due to (mainly American owned) drug companies increasing the price of medicines. They are astronomical but there are few or no alternatives sometimes.

By all means have a pop at the industry, but you’ll find most of the people working in vets are there to care for the animals. It’s definitely not for the wages. They’re shit.

[Dimron]

9 minutes ago, wakey said:

Vets in England are daylight robbery.

One of the things that really stands out in France is how businesses like vets and garages are seen as part of the community (and dependent on local business). Plenty of examples, e.g. bloke at a local garage spent half an hour shuffling cars about so he could check a problem with ours, told us what the problem was but couldn't fix it, and refused to take any payment (we went back with some cakes the day after), vets removing ticks and refusing payment etc.

Probably summed up well by a review we saw about a vet a while ago ... something along the lines of "don't use this vet, only cares about profit, not the animals or their owners".

Think it's just a very different culture. Either way, nice to not feel like you're getting ripped off at every opportunity.

I believe the Covid Pandemic was the final nail in the coffin... Hedge funds and investors saw the growth in pet ownership and insurance policies and made a killing.

That was the final death of the community vet.

Still one or two out there but they are a dying breed.

 

[Dimron]

4 minutes ago, Spider said:

To say they don’t care about the animals is fucking ridiculous. You’ve clearly never known anyone who works in the industry.

My missus work her arse off to get the qualifications and she’d do the job for free if she could afford to. For most people it’s a passion that gets them there in the first place, so you are way off with what you say.

As for pricing, well if it could be made more competitive it would be. But like most businesses they have costs too. Drugs, mortgage, staff, pensions etc etc.. And they want to make a profit, as I’m sure your business/workplace does.

The truth is that costs have been creeping up due to (mainly American owned) drug companies increasing the price of medicines. They are astronomical but there are few or no alternatives sometimes.

By all means have a pop at the industry, but you’ll find most of the people working in vets are there to care for the animals. It’s definitely not for the wages. They’re shit.

Agreed, the troops at the sharp end of the business are passionate but when your vet practice is ultimately owned by a Luxembourg finance house you can see the problem

[wakey]

19 minutes ago, Spider said:

To say they don’t care about the animals is fucking ridiculous. You’ve clearly never known anyone who works in the industry.

My missus work her arse off to get the qualifications and she’d do the job for free if she could afford to. For most people it’s a passion that gets them there in the first place, so you are way off with what you say.

As for pricing, well if it could be made more competitive it would be. But like most businesses they have costs too. Drugs, mortgage, staff, pensions etc etc.. And they want to make a profit, as I’m sure your business/workplace does.

The truth is that costs have been creeping up due to (mainly American owned) drug companies increasing the price of medicines. They are astronomical but there are few or no alternatives sometimes.

By all means have a pop at the industry, but you’ll find most of the people working in vets are there to care for the animals. It’s definitely not for the wages. They’re shit.

I didn't, you muppet. It was a review of a French vet.

 

[Tonge moor green jacket]

There is government action taking place at the moment, looking into practices and their pricing. 

Good on them, and not before time.

One of the ideas is to ensure their prices are listed in the practice.

Also looking into the exorbitant prices charged for some medicines.

Of course they have their costs, and an online store doesn't have the same overheads, but it doesn't mean that they aren't charging over the odds.

I moved vet's when ours was taken over (CVS) and the standards slipped, whilst prices went up.

Now use a private, local one (3 practices in the area), and the difference is palpable.

From the moment you walk in-the reception staff, to the nurses and vets themselves.

[Dimron]

14 hours ago, Not in Crawley said:

We pay more than my life insurance for our 13 year old three legged cat.

One more reason why i wouldnt have a dog - they cost a fortune.

 

I help out at a rescue kennel when I can... the number that are abandoned because of the cost of treatment is overwhelming.

I'm approaching retirement and I'm not sure I can actually afford a dog on a fixed income, I might opt for fostering

[Spider]

4 hours ago, wakey said:

I didn't, you muppet. It was a review of a French vet.

 

Fair enough, I didn’t know you lived in France. They would probably rather eat your pet than treat it though.

Beautiful British vets aren’t like that.

Carry on ☺️

[FrancisFogarty]

1 hour ago, Dimron said:

I help out at a rescue kennel when I can... the number that are abandoned because of the cost of treatment is overwhelming.

I'm approaching retirement and I'm not sure I can actually afford a dog on a fixed income, I might opt for fostering

Our daughter has a ginger cockapoo, Wilf the Dog and he’s had loads of problems with his teeth. Had to take 7 out last year. It cost her more than I paid for a head gasket replacement for the old Corsa.

[wakey]

1 hour ago, Spider said:

Fair enough, I didn’t know you lived in France. They would probably rather eat your pet than treat it though.

Beautiful British vets aren’t like that.

Carry on ☺️

very dog friendly here, so alright on that front.

but spend a fortune on frog wheelchairs, so suppose it's not all sweetness and light.

[Dimron]

1 hour ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Our daughter has a ginger cockapoo, Wilf the Dog and he’s had loads of problems with his teeth. Had to take 7 out last year. It cost her more than I paid for a head gasket replacement for the old Corsa.

That's how you've got to look at it... like maintaining an old car.

The rescues are seeing more "fashionable" flat faced dogs where the previous owners can't afford the 3 grand for Boas surgery to the air passages and the kennels have to pick up the bills prior to rehoming.

PS spent four weeks fixing the chg on wife's car, then realised it was a twenty quid sensor 😊

[wakey]

On the topic of beautiful British vets ... other than pricing, we've only ever had one uncomfortable experience.

One of our cats took herself off after we'd moved house. Didn't see or hear of her for about 7 years until someone took her to the RSPCA as she was old and knackered by this stage. They scanned her and got in touch with us, so we were reunited for the end stages of her life.

She was pretty fucked by this point - blind, scrawny as fuck but with a big swollen belly, pretty sure some form of cancer.

We took her to the vets who suggested all sorts of scans and tests they could put her through (presumably to discover something they'd be able to do fuck all about anyway, at great cost and distress to the cat).

I suggested it all seemed a bit drastic for a cat who was clearly coming to the end of life.

Vet thought for a moment, agreed and suggested we move immediately to euthanasia. Not sure how she managed to pivot so quickly from 'spend-a-fortune-on-a-lost-cause' to 'let's kill her then', but she did.

We took the more sensible option of taking her home and caring for her for her last couple of months until the inevitable end.

[SatanGreavsie]

Last time I went to a vet was in Daisy Hill to have my old mam's Cavalier King Charles put down. Cracking dog and sad as fuck when she was put on the table, got injected, wagged her tail (opioids kicking in?) - then wallop. Was gone. I stiffled a sob as I took her collar for posterity - still got it. But then I blotted my copy book by looking at me mam who was in her 80s and asking "do you do a two for the price of one deal while we're here ?". The looks from the vet and my mum spoilt the moment somewhat....

[FrancisFogarty]

3 hours ago, Dimron said:

That's how you've got to look at it... like maintaining an old car.

The rescues are seeing more "fashionable" flat faced dogs where the previous owners can't afford the 3 grand for Boas surgery to the air passages and the kennels have to pick up the bills prior to rehoming.

PS spent four weeks fixing the chg on wife's car, then realised it was a twenty quid sensor 😊

When she got WtD I told her you don’t want a dog, we’ve never had one in the family.

Here we are almost 10 years later and he’s my best mate .

Still a little shit machine mind.