If your dog needed specialist treatment at a specialist centre would you expect to pay a referral fee? and if so - how much ? 

Never had to pay that -but the specialist consultation fees are usually well over £100, so a lot before you even get any treatment.

I was told to expect £250 when I was looking at a possible referral this month.

Thankfully we didn't need to go this route in the end.

Not for me - thank goodness!  ;)

Specialist fee is expected, but the referral fee seems to be 'milking it' and is near that amount!   Didn't want to say anything if it's normal practise ;)

Was the £250 for a referral by your own vet, or for the specialist consult? 

you shouldnt have to pay a referral fee... i have been referred many times, see past posts lol... although it costs a fortune when you do see a specialists

Never heard of anyone paying a referral fee! 
And when dogs have been referred to Royal Veterinary Colleges, then their Specialists' fees haven't been anymore expensive than the local Vet!

We were charged £190 for referral fee begining of this year.

Your own vet refers you but I'm guessing that the referral is the 'consult' fee
at the specialist centre but that it is described or commonly known as a 'referral fee'.

The £250 fee was payable at the specialist centre and not to my own vet.

just been referred to specialist vet for cat with broken hock did not pay a refferal fee. In fact the bill was lower than the specialist estimated

Yes ours was consult fee only,we were there 40minutes for £190.
The next visits were approx £100 each visit,max of 8 visits in that term...total to be £990.

We were insured but had to pay up front for each visit,so paid the £190 there and then and booked the future visits.
When we got outside my hubby said you can phone tomorrow and cancel it as its a rip off,and he was right....i know we were not paying as insured...but we thought why should they get all that money for something we could get done somewhere else for just as good.

After telling my vet all this...and she herself was surprised at the cost,she found us another just as good specialist at less than half the price.

I had a referral to Langford years ago.  They were expensive, and I wasn't particularly happy with their diagnosis, or care of my girl.  She was in outside kennels when I collected her, and starving hungry.  Nobody there during the night either.  I did not go down the line that they advised, and was glad that I didn't.  So I suppose, if referred again for another dog, I would be cautious.

My own vet was superb, and I didn't pay anything to him for his referral.

We were referred at my request to an oncologist, we didnt pay any fees for the referral but it is my understanding that the normal every day vet got a percentage of the oncologists fees, however once referred and registered you are their patient too and can go back to them without another referral.  In fact the oncologist later sent us to professer mcinnes at liverpool university as I phoned and asked her advice when my dog needed a cruciate ligament repair on her only back leg. Even though it wasnt her field and she was not getting any money for this.  One interesting thing in our case we had to go for xrays every three months to check for spread (it never happened thank goodness) and the xrays with the referral oncologist were much cheaper than my normal vet! But the treatment with the oncologist in the beginning was quite expensive but worth every penny to us.

I didn't pay a referral fee but as others have said the initial consultation was about £120 for an hour - which when pro rated down works out about the same rate as a 'normal' vet.