A new veterinary practice has set up in our town, part it seems of an established chain. They have sent out flyers offering free vaccinations for life and free six monthly health checks on paying an extra £60 or £30 (depending on animal's age) when you attend for a vaccination or booster. It looks to be a good deal, and actually would be geographically easier for us....but it does seem rather to be good to be true....doesn't it?

I have heard of a few doing this, in particular the chain Vets 4 Pets but also some independent vets.

Sounds good but vaccine used to cost a very small amount!  And if they get you into the surgery twice a year, they're guaranteed £60 from you and can sell you wormers, flea protection etc perhaps can sell you a £200 dental or similar.  The less sceptical would say 'give your dog a thorough examination and spot anything that could be done to improve/maintain your dog's health'. :) :)

My Vet who is an excellent old fashioned Vet (who I only see socially rather than professionally these days) who cares more about the animals that getting rich, has noticed a sharp fall in numbers coming in for boosters in the past 12 months.  But he is quite happy for his clients to contact him when they need him. :)

I have to say one of my reservations about this is that I do have a loyalty to the vets where we have been going for about 25 years now, ever since they first opened in the town. Yes, I did wonder whether the six-monthly health checks might be a money spinner.....;-)

> offering free vaccinations for life

What happens if the practice closes ?

quite....

We have a Vets4Pets where we live, you get to see the same vet  and vetinary nurse all the time and they are really nice. The vaccinations are a good deal but they do charge slightly higher prices for everything else. At my old vets they used to give Synulux ready made up for not much cash...Vets4pets gave me a full bottle unmade and I had to pay nearly £30 for it.

Free vaccinations for life

Not much of a bargain for someone like me who chooses to Titre Test

FREE six monthly health checks on paying an extra £60 or £30

...IF....you have a vaccination/booster...?? Makes a bit of a nonsense of the word "FREE" then....and at 6 monthly intervals it sounds like they are gearing up to push the Lepto vaccine which DOESN'T provide "protection" for 12 months...BUT incidentally is the vaccine currently causing MORE side effects than any other vaccine.

And as some of these conglomerates are building or already have huge hospitals and research centres linked to them (where has the funding come for these I wonder...the drug companies themselves maybe...??) then the only conclusion I can come to.....is to keep my loved ones as far away as possible.

The word FREE has a much deeper meaning for me than being taken in by reading the word on a glossy promotion leaflet or TV advertising campaign. 

They are a good deal, especially if you have a young dog.  If it is Vets 4 Pets then the offer is transferrable to other branches.  They have so many locations that even if you move there is likely to be one nearby.

Actually it's White Cross Vets. I didn't think it was permissable to name them, but since everyone's mentioning Vets4Pets, I am assuming it's OK?

> Actually it's White Cross Vets. I didn't think it was permissable to name them, but since everyone's mentioning Vets4Pets, I am assuming it's OK?

I got the same deal with White Cross last year, I think it's a good deal. I switched all my dogs over to the new practice, always see one of two British vets. At my previous vets (which was further away) the main vet left and the only ones that were left were Europeans with not very good English and you never saw the same one twice so I had nothing to lose by switching.
As for them trying to push flea and wormer etc, there's nothing to say you have to buy, I use it as an opportunity to get them weighed and to visit the vet without anything nasty happening to them.

i used white cross vets, and have no problems with them at all, they where brilliant when we got our akita neutered, they have never ever pushed flea treatments wormers etc on me,
i go and way and overweight wsd every week to see how her diet and exercise is comming along
puppy got her vacs for 20.00 and then i paid the 60.00 for the other one to get her vacs every year
i am pleased with the service we received from them

> puppy got her vacs for 20.00 and then i paid the 60.00 for the other one to get her vacs every year
>

I paid £20 last year for puppy vaccs as well, and £10 each for the 2 adult dogs boosters (another special offer), then another £150 on top (2 x £60 and £30 for the one over 7) - so all vaccinations and 6 monthly health checks paid for, for the rest of their lives. Much happier with the staff than the previous practice as well.

Whether a good deal or not, it has taken us some time to find a realy good vet from one of the last small private practises and I wouldn't change.
Locally larger practises seem to be made up of a couple of senior partners who work part time with a yearly turn over of recent graduates in their first job, very pleasent and eager to help but as soon as you get to know them, move on. Our vet moved to his present position when one of the national firms bought his previous practise and he couldn't stand the increase in charges, I also worry when I hear that 'all' efforts must be made to keep dogs going if they have insurance. Think if you are unfortunate to have dogs that have more than their fair share of visits but fortunate to have a good vet, no inducement would make us change. 

> it has taken us some time to find a realy good vet from one of the last small private practises and I wouldn't change.
>

If you've already got a good vet then I wouldn't change, but I wasn't that impressed with my previous practice anyway once the main vet had left - the last time I went there I had to correct the (young and foreign) vet 3 times for calling my male dog a bitch!!