I had to take one of my hens to the vet today, consultation plus Tylan antibiotics, came to the grand total of £16 ( bargain ! ) but having had Daisy in the previous week, I know they're consultation fee is £21 ( very reasonable I think ) so why the difference ?.
I've never had " small furries " so don't know if it's normal to charge less for little un's.

Cor that was a bargain don't know if small furries are cheaper but my vet is £37 consultation I payed £700 in November to have a small tumour removed on my pug and he needs another one removed next Friday so I expect it to be another £700

with my vets if you see a normal vet for small animals its the same price as a cat or dog, but if you see the specialist exotic vet more. But ive found its worth the extra cost, when I took my budgies into a normal vet I could tell they didn't have a clue what the basic terms I was saying (I only know very basic stuff myself) so im happy to pay the extra cost to see one who knows about what im bringing in. Im sure ive hurd vets only do a week training on exotics. Ill see a normal vet if I know what the problem is and what treatment I want for my mice though.
£25 for normal vet and £35 for exotic vet

I must ask the next time I'm in.
The practise is owned by a married couple, both vets, so I guess they can charge what ever they feel is appropriate , Angus started off doing farm work so he's knows hens well enough for me.

I'm just happy I have two very good vets, who both give you a long consultation making sure you have all the info and understand it, they're also the first vets I've had that make a real effort to get to know my pets, and always give them a fuss.
One things for sure, they'll never be rich with their charges !.

I have known a lot of vets to charge less for small animals, as they say they cannot logically charge a consultation fee higher than the cost of the animal -plus it may belong to a child.

That would certainly bare out with my hen, she only cost £3.50....wee soul.

I have known a lot of vets to charge less for small animals, as they say they cannot logically charge a consultation fee higher than the cost of the animal -plus it may belong to a child.

Oh that brought back memories!  When I was a veternary nurse almost 40 years ago, a child brought in a pet rat with a tumour on its chest.  The Vet removed it under GA but it returned.  The Vet repeated the op monthly for about 6 months from what I can remember, the rat recovering from the GA down my cleavage each time, and the lad was charged a couple of pennies because he was paying for his pet himself. 

But I have to say that Vets had a very different attitude to the animals and money then.....................................

My vet is an exotics vet with years of experience and I wouldn't see any other vet, even with my dogs. I have lots of small furry exotic mammals and am in there at least once a week as some of my rescues need regular dentals and have other issues. He charges £12 consultation for the babies but if they have to go in for a procedure as a result of something found during the consultation, he doesn't charge me the consultation fee. For the dogs I pay £25 for a consultation, so cheaper for my small ones. I also get procedures discounted as my monthly vet bill can vary from anything between £100 - £400!

He is an old fashioned vet with old fashioned values in a good way but with up to date, state of the art equipment. He has also taught me so much as he takes the time to explain everything, particularly with my rarer pets.

My vet used to charge much less for our hamsters when we had them years ago. And when one of the guinea pigs had a mystery illness he even went off on a seminar to find out more about them. :-)

When I took any of the rats to the vet it was always a cheaper consultation fee than the dogs, not sure about cats?? So glad you told me about Lomondhills Celli they are fantastic :D

They are aren't they :-)

When I took any of the rats to the vet it was always a cheaper consultation fee than the dogs, not sure about cats??

Cats tend to be the same as dogs. Sure sometimes people can still get moggies for free, but my most expensive cat cost almost twice as much to buy as my most expensive dog!

> When I took any of the rats to the vet it was always a cheaper consultation fee than the dogs

You were lucky, I had three figure bills in the past for my rats.
And my cats were about the same for dogs, maybe a little lower when it came to weight vs drug dosage.

I saw someone pay around £60 for treatment on a chicken and to spay a tortoise is £750!!!

The tortoise spay charge seems very reasonable for the amount of work and risk involved. It seems a very bizarre operation to do!

Can't imagine how you would go about spaying a tortoise!! No wonder it's expensive.

More or less how I thought
http://www.birchheathexoticvets.com/page28.htm

I think I was lucky with my rats or unlucky depending on your point of view. They mostly lived to a good age and were pretty healthy just ABs needed or the younger rats couldn't be treated.

We are very fortunate with our local private practice, around 9 vets, 3 of whom I'd willingly recommend. They cover their own out of hours & when I've had to use them in the early hours, ready and waiting by the time we arrive.
Last week Otto had a haematoma removed from his left ear, consultation to discuss & arrange a date, surgery, a new blow up buster collar & a check up 48 hours latter, total £183.00 & that will include removal of stitches. On the way out one of the vets he sees monthly for cartrophen came out to see me in the car park & to say if we had any problems or concerns that night we must phone her as she was on night cover Not sure if I will have been charged for taking him back again when I became anxious about the amount of swelling.

Lacy, that sounds similar amount of care that I get at my practice.  I once was concerned about a bitch that had been operated on, on the Monday afternoon.  I phoned Tuesday night and spoke to the out of hours vet on duty.  She told me to come in.  Had a look at the swelling and really just reassured me to be fair.  And I have never been given a bill for that visit.

Interesting and timely because my two are coming up for their boosters.   They are on a 3-yearly schedule with the one for Lepto being done annually.    My regular vet charges £35.45 for the full set, and the SAME for just the Lepto booster.   I knew this, so phoned to check another vet in town.   They charge £32.39 for the full set, and £17.82 for Lepto.   One of mine needs just the Lepto booster and the other, the full set this time.  

Given I'm currently not very happy about the surgery to remove a small tumour (which might or might not - fine needle aspiration 'inconclusive' - have been malignant), I'm quite prepared to get them their boosters for what will be £20.69 less at the other vet in town!   I know it may be better to use the devil you know but quite honestly, having paid around £350 for the surgery and needing to go back 4 times after the tumour surgery which was free apart from the 3 courses of antibiotics needed plus the fine needle aspiration which was messed up because the Lab said they'd not had enough to give a definite diagnosis, every £20 counts.

I suppose when times is hard, it pays to shop around, especially with 'minor' things like boosters?

It depends so much on the individual practice.

I've twice paid £70 for a c section for a guinea pig, mother and pups all fine, done by a vet who happens to be an expert on guineas. I've heard of people paying £300 for a similar OP at vets with no experience. I am hugely grateful that I have the vets I have.

My vet charge £47 for boosters. Because my pug has had so many tumours removed since his last booster I'm not doing it this year.