I took Kobi (7 month old lab) to the vets last night because he had a tick over the weekend and I wanted to make sure the mouth was not still lodged in him. I came out having paid £82 for and ear infection I don't think he even has. The vet was extremely rude and treated me like an idiot from the start, he ignored what I actually came in for and proceeded to examine Kobi, he asked if he had itchy ears andI said that he does scratch but not alot or vigorously. The vet then took a swab and left the room without saying anything. He came back 5 mintues later and said that Kobi has a bad ear infection and that it was Malassezia (apparently a fungus), now I am a microbiologist but I specialise in bacteria so I hadn't heard of this, I asked how he diagnosed it and he got really snotty with me and asked whether I'd like to see the microscope, I looked and it did look like a yeast. Basically to cut a long story short he piled me up with all these medications and basically said I was an irresponisble owner for not spotting this.

I came out of there shocked and angry and have just checked on the database at work and Malassezia is normal flora for a dogs ear, I know this has been along rant but has anyone got any ideas what I should do now?

Sarah

my first thoughts there would be to have a word with the senior vet if it wasnt the one you saw .... get a second opinion, from what you said it sounds a bit iffy to me. if nothing else it would clarify if and why Malassezia is a problem :-)

If you take your dog to a vet then accept his diagnosis please.

He know his stuff (or her) and if you think you know better then don,t go.

After all they trained for 7 years or so so give then some due.

Ear infections are very hard for the untrained eye to pick up and it could have led to something more serious.
If we have dogs then we must accept bills!!!!!!!!!!!!

Um, I find the best vets are those that listen to owners concerns and take those into account. I find the best vets are those that are approachable and happy to discuss their diagnosis and be questioned. I find the worst ones who think they know everything because they have trained for 7 years - it does not make them infallible and nor does it place them above being questioned. The best vets are those that appreciate that and work with owners :) My vets are fantastic in all these ways - if I didn't trust them, I wouldn't use them. I left the last lot because they were wrong on a serious diagnosis of one of my horses - which they admitted.

Couldn't agree more. :-)  Interestingly enough I met one of those vets who thinks they know everything a couple of weekends ago when my dog had a reaction to an injection.  He blamed everything from the environment to genetics but no it definitely was nothing to do with the injection.  Turns out it was everything to do with the injection so when I spoke to my vet, apparently this vet asked if he had to eat humble pie?  I said a few bottles of free synoquin aught to do it.  And I got them too.

Smurggle, if you feel something is not quite right, get a second opinion.  I'd be more worried about giving my dog unnecessary drugs than the cost.

It seems a lot, I paid £20 less than this for 2 visits to the vet for an ear infection and a bite to the eye from another dog, with 2 lots of antibiotic injections, antibiotics and ear drops for his ears!

Thankyou for your replies, of course I am more concerned about the dog than the cost, I just don't like being taken for a ride and £80 is ALOT of money to me, I am a student. I did trust the vets we had but they left and this new person I had not even met before.

And Bella, just because he's trained for 7 years does not mean he is not just out to make money, he could NOT tell just fromlooking at a slide what infection (if any) my dog had, I know that for a fact. Kobi has not serious itching, no inflammation, no crusting or smell and no temperature, this does not sound like an infection to me.

What I really want to know is what I should do? Should I write a letter of complaint or go in and voice my concerns? I don't trust this man so I will not be going back to him. I know I should have done something at the time but I was a little shocked as to how he was speaking to me.

Sarah

I've recently changed my vet, couldn't stand being ripped off!  She charged me £50 to tell me my girl had finished whelping, when I knew she hadn't, she insisted she had, so I asked for an oxytocin injection - I told her one of the placentas hadn't been delivered - I paid the bill and before I got to the car a pair of back feet were presenting.....and this was after a full tummy squeeze AND INTERNAL EXAMINATION!!!!  Plus I took one poorly pup back 3 times, each time to be told he was fine, then at 7 weeks I FOUND he had cleft palate which she had missed but it was really obvious.  First vet charged £20.88 for synulox drops for pup, my new vet only charges £10.20.......how can that be?  both in the same area, both treating the same pup!

I have now changed my vet, yes we need to trust our vets, but we also don't need to be ripped off.

I think animals should be on the NHS like we can be! the amount vets charge really is rediculous in some cases! Dont we pay enough tax?? Or if not, like we pay out for insurance, whether it be 10 or 20 pound per month, that should cover all vet costs, i know if our animals need an op or something they can be quite expensive, but what if they dont need to go to the vet for treatment (appart from their boosters) for years?? I recently paid out 70 quid for blue when he had an illergic reaction and his eyes were swollen when ive been told piriton syrup does the exact same job! Not that i begrudge my little man what he needed if you know what i mean :)

The amount vets charge is comparable to what we'd all pay our doctor if there was no NHS. Basically, no we don't pay enough tax if we want free vet treatment! ;)
:)

No it all goes to asylum seekers insted! lol

Lol I know !
Which day did you go to the vets ? If it was Sat or sunday then it will be exspensive I paid £109 for my bitch because she had a bad sty .But I did get quoted a consultation fee of £80 in dirty vets then the costs on top  I walked in and out because it was so dirty ! then traveled 20 miles away to get my dog seen to. I think alot of vets are ripping us off the eye gel came to £11 +vat I know it was a sunday but we were only there for about 3 mins .

It was on a weekday but i suppose it was 4 in the morning! lol still alot of money tho

:(

Daisy

:( X 2

Vets fees are not just good compared to private doctors and all sorts of other professionals they even compare very well to tradesman such as plumbers etc. an emergency fee for one of these on a weekend would come to very much more than this.

The problem with vets is that you have no idea up front of how much something will cost and there is often a big variation. If there were standard published charges it might be a bit easier to budget and be less shocked when you actually get the bills!

I don't think you can have standard charges as the cost involved for different practices are always going to vary so very much.  I believe many practices do have notices regarding some of their standard costs and I am sure they would all be happy to quote as far as possible but of course some treatments will have unpredictable elements involved.  If budgeting is a problem the best solution is probably insurance.

Um, I certainly pay enough tax to pay for my vet and doctor use per month! I pay a fortune in tax and I have yet to discover where it goes to...

I can assure you none of it is going to your vet :)
If you are paying a fortune in tax you must be earning a fortune :) That is how the welfare state works, those of us that earn plenty pay more to assist in covering those who don't.  It's very hard to predict, though, whether in years to come you may be rather more on the receiving end of things in which case the welfare state becomes rather more attractive ;)

I do actually pay a lot to my vet.  Worming tablets, flee treatment, synoquin all is purchased from my vet.  My dogs also get a check-up 3 times a year.  I know my vet well and we have a good relationship based on trust and respect.  He's also very open and scientifically minded and takes time to explain things.

The way I see it is that if we don't pay for vet treatment then it won't be available.  When Spender had his spinal op, if it hadn't have been for all those people whose dogs went before us, then there wouldn't be the facilities or the expertise to perform such a delicate procedure in dogs because there wouldn't be a public need for it.

The practice we use is building a brand new surgery locally with up to date equipment, operating theatres, etc.  I like to see a recycling process because it means improvements and is a reflection of where those vets' fees are going. 

Of course, you do get those vets who try to rip people off and that is wrong.  But vets fees will vary throughout the country and peoples circumstances differ and then it comes down to affordability too.

I am well aware of how the welfare state works - however, what I would like to know is exactly where my money (because it is my money - I earn it!) is spent every month :)

With one in three of us now working in the public sector, I suspect a huge amount of it goes there - sadly, productivity in the public sector is way behind the private sector so it doesn't mean the service is any better, just that more money is being thrown at it and more people are being employed.

I work in the public sector, so there's a good chance that the money in my purse came from your taxes, ChloeH. I'm sure you're now reassured that it's being well spent ;) But I'm not saying what my actual job is or there'll need to be a thread dedicated to the 'debate' that would be generated....

Bella I am amazed that you should trust a vet on the pure and simple basis that there is 7 years training. there are good vets and bad vets and you are very naive to say that you should beleive them without thought. I am a physiotherapist of many years experience and I have known human doctors who have had 10 years training  and who are absolutely deadly. My dentist who trained for 5 years was sent to prison for fraud after filling everones teeth when they were perfectly healthy( mine included, and my teeth were ruined). My GP was sent to prison for sexual assault. He trained for 7 years.
There are frauds in every business and as paying customers we have every right to doubt and question. I bet you would be the first to queation your own doctor about things..

Not at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am actually a trained Vet. nurse and you should be upfront and ask how much treatments are going to be if at all you are worried and yes there are some vets that I would not visit, including having some of them out for horses because they have not got a clue!!
Yes there are some crooked people out there but it is up to you to check prices as they all differ as to what region you are in.

In rural communities the vets are a lot cheaper that the inner cities. e.g. a friend of mine had a vet in a large town and she was charged £20.00 consultation fee then I introduced her to my vet who practises in the country and she may have had to travel and extra 5 miles but the consultation fee was only £12.00.

Yes these fees double if they are on an emergency day or if it is an emergency appointment but it is up to you to get to know your vet personally and ask questions also.
There are some physios I would not visit also as they have not got a clue akso so it works in all aspects of life whatever profession.

So there are some good points and some bad points, if you do not like your vet then change practices.
A vet will always give you up front prices of APPROX costs, if you only ask!!

Also this shows you the importance of Pet Insurance as this then reduces the costs to your own pocket.  I would not be without it!
In my opinion it is money well spent each year.

Hi Bella
When people take their dogs to see a vet they may not think at first about the cost as making their pets better is at the foremost in their minds :) Any good vet will explain fully what they are going to do and how much it will cost. They will also ask questions to help with their diagnosis as animals can't talk and not all symptoms are immediately visible :)

As you said there are good vets and bads vets luckily I have an excellent vet :)

Lucy
xx

I supose I am lucky also having an understanding vet, but being vet trained myself I guess I can ask the right questions and not kept in the dark.
Yes as animal owner the cost never somes into it as I like to think I am doing the right thing, being trained it keeps the cost down also.

I do find locums a bit more condecending that regular vets and therefore I  choose not to see them.  I always keep to the same vet so they know the animal as it no good chopping and changing and you can always ask to see a specific vet (unless an emergency)

"In rural communities the vets are a lot cheaper that the inner cities."

Are they? not my vets they ain't and we live in as rural area as you can get, they tend to max it out as they know you can't go anywhere else!

Bella - We had a diagnosis (from a locum at our surgery) of a bone tumour when in fact it was a bee sting. So no, they don't know everything and are human like the rest of us. We were so shocked and upset, and we even asked whether it could be a sting! He was so condescending. I agree with Chloe, the good vet is one who takes the time to listen to (otherwise how can he know - the dog wont tell him!) and discuss things with the owner - not just talk at them. I once told a vet that was doing that to me to stop talking and listen to me!

BTW I have a GREAT relationship with my vet. Smurgle - change your vet.
K

The worst thing i find is when the vet talks to my husband instead of me, as if i'm just there for the ride?

Its me that feeds/walks/cares for them!! (He just pays the bills!)

But being rural i have to accept whats given we don't have ay choices.

I'd like to just add that for those of you whose pets are on  regular medication, it does pay to shop round and not just buy from your vets..   My horse has daily Synoquin and Bute and it is considerably cheaper for me to buy it from somewhere other than my vets...

Too right.  My old Lab bitch had swallowed rat poison and was put on Konakion tabs at ................£2.00 each and then I went into boots the chemist and got the same thing over the counter for about the 1/8th of the price.
There are some good mail order companies that do virtually everything by mail a order and can also work out alot cheaper for vitamins etc than the feed stores.
I picked up a very good catalogue at Crufts to get mail order stuff and it has saved me pounds with wormers etc and so efficient service at a fraction of the cost.
Will not name it on here probably not alowed but will be sticking with them in the future.

I don't worry about the cost of treatment when I take my dogs in as they are insured and if it is ongoing then my vet claims direct. They regularly have locums in, often Australian and they have all been brilliant. The other thing that they will do is send people to Holland & Barrett with a list of what they can give to their dog. For example: My dog is on H & B chondroitin and glucosamine and it was the closest I could get to Synoquin, I spoke to my vet and she advised the dose. The insurance doesn't pay for prevention but I would rather not wait until he is arthritic to give him anything so this is the next best thing. If any of you think your vet is ripping you off then go elsewhere. Why should they give you everything cheaper? They are a business after all and they have to cover costs and make a profit or else what would be the point? If I leave my dog at the vets I know with absolute certainty that they are treated like their own, you can't put a price on that. My vet was almost in tears when she put my rescue dog to sleep last year and all my dogs drag me in there and get louder and louder in the waiting room until it is their turn and then I am dragged into the consulting room. They are not cheap, I paid £68 recently for boosters, 3 check ups and worming tablets for my pup but at the end of the day I trust them, if I didn't I wouldn't go there, simple as that. Having a poor bedside manner does not mean that a vet is a rip off merchant. Keeping dogs (or any animal) isn't cheap, the more you have the more it will cost, you can save money on a lot of things but sooner or later you will need a vet. :-)

Of course it can be cheaper to buy it elsewhere.  But I would rather pay more to ensure it goes to my vet because at least I know then that it'll be contributing to better facilities, better vet education, better equipment etc for vets to treat animals. 

OK so does anyone know of an insurance company that doesn't charge an excess? I am insured but have to pay a £60 excess and vets seem to have an uncanny knack of skimming just under it each time.

I have decided to start looking around for a better vet, I want to be able to trust him/her! And I do think that a vet should fully explain your options and the costs and why everything needs doing, surely that is part of their job?

Sarah

Hmmm...insurance

I have 5 horses insured. It costs me in the region of £1800 per year to insure them. Each policy has a £110 excess on it.

This month I have a £600 total vet bill. 2 horses had a cough and needed antibiotics, 1 call out to a rescue mare I took on to check she was fit to travel and a kicked pony who then went down with laminitis. Out of that bill 3 of the horses can't be claimed for because the bills are under the excess. Then the kicked pony excess is £110...so I am actually only able to claim about £250 for the kicked pony - which is less than I pay to insure her every year... HMMMM!!!!

If you add the premiums up year by year and then deduct what you've claimed for taking the excess into account, you'll find you've spent more in insurance premiums than what you've claimed for in most cases. 

But insurance is a safeguard against risk, i.e. vet bills for ongoing conditions can run into thousands.  The simple cases that require minor treatment is usually less than £40.00 - £70.00 depending on region which is normally what the excess is set around for pet/dog insurance. 

But insurance is insurance and we are paying for calculation of risk.    If I calculated the amount I've paid in house insurance over the years, it would probably buy me a new car.  :-D But it's money I've paid to safeguard against risk.

As has been stated above, keeping dogs or any animal is not cheap.  Vet fees are part of the course. I'm just thankful there are vets who can do amazing things these days regardless of what it costs. :-)

Yup. I pay it to cover me for 3rd Party Liability and to accomodate for the fact that if one of my horses (god forbid) was seriously ill, it would easily, adn quickly, run into thousands.

I am Insured But I still had to pay the £80 excess so take that from £109 it dosent give you much money back its the first time we have claimed as well she still has the problem with her eye but they couldent give her the injection because she was pregnant and stressed at the time because of the eye , still cant have it till the pups are weaned .but I hope because its the same problem im not going to have to pay out again :rolleyes:
£98 is alot of money for 3 mins work thats almost £33 a min thats how I look at it I dont know many jobs that pay that much a min (lol :P ) I understand that the ointment is £11 although thats probably charged at alot as well .I was paying for my cats tablets and one set ( months supply cost )  £50  I found them on the net for £25 . I think thats a con! the people who advertised them probably made money on that £25 as well lol :P
What I really feel sorry for is old people who are taken for a ride by some vets there pets might be the only thing they have in the world .

>£98 is alot of money for 3 mins work thats almost £33 a min thats how I look at it

Don't forget, what clients pay for is the entire service the vet provides, not just the cost of medicines. A vet who only charges the cost of the tablets (or whatever) will soon be in arrears for the mortgage on the premises, his nurses wil leave to find jobs that actually pay them a wage, and soon he'll be doing consultations at the side of the road because his premises and equipment have been repossessed! Not ideal. ;)

I do not think that there is an Insurance Co that does not charge an excess.  We all have to expect this.
Don't forget that the vets have to business rates on the property and massive electricity bills, and all the other overheads that we may overlook.
By all means shop around and do some ringing round.  It is always a good idea to ring round and ask for a price of a specific treeatment i.e. speying or something and stick to that and then compare prices or ask for consultation fees, but above all it is better to go by word and mouth!

Yeah M&S! :)

>In rural communities the vets are a lot cheaper that the inner cities

Yes, but their overheads, particularly rent and rates, are far greater too.  Whilst I agree that insurance is important if you do not have the necessary capital to pay a large unexpected vet bill, I am getting increasingly concerned that the first thing the vet asks is if you have insurance and then adds 'oh well lets do these tests then anyway'.

>I am getting increasingly concerned that the first thing the vet asks is if you have insurance and then adds 'oh well lets do these tests then anyway'.

Vets sometimes do ask people if they are insured.  I've found it more so in a difficult case where a large vet bill is expected.   In some cases, it can be for testing to rule out certain conditions to help diagnosis.  In others, it could be part of the protocols they have to follow and the costs involved to allow them to do so. 

For example, Pfizer who manufacture Rimadyl stipulate within their guidelines that any animal taking the drug long term should be blood tested to check kidney and liver function every three months.  And any animal commencing the drug treatment should be blood tested before doing so.  I don't know of many vets who do that or many clients who would pay for it. 

When I spoke to my vet regarding blood testing in older animals, he did say that it was something he recommended but he doesn't mention it to his clients because the majority would not pay for it and he didn't want to be seen as one of those vets who rip people off.

Most vets I know are well aware of the public's perception regarding the cost of veterinary treatment.  Unfortunately, it may mean that they take shortcuts in order to reduce costs but that will restrict them in how accurate they are in their diagnosis, how quickly they can reach a diagnosis, and the medical care they are capable of giving.

While I agree with what you say, I have actually had vets say to me - oh well you're insured so the cost doesn't matter - let's get xrays done anyway (my own vet who was away at the time said glass often doesn't show up well on xray), I've also had another vet in this practice say - oh it's a pity we can't add more on so you can get a bit more back - this time the bill came to just over the excess.  I understand the difficulties in diagnosis, but this was not the case here.

>I've also had another vet in this practice say - oh it's a pity we can't add more on so you can get a bit more back - this time the bill came to just over the excess.

Unfortunately, this can happen but any reasonable insurance company will identify it as insurance fraud.  If any vet said that to me, I'd question his motives for doing so.

don't know, not all vets know everything about what they need to.  I've had many rats over the last few years, and a few nasty cases of mycobaterial respiratory infections.  Only one vet of the 5 or 6 I've seen with this problem has been aware of the treatment necessary for it - that is, up to a month (or longer) of twice daily oral antibiotics (two types), as well as using no woddshavings.  All the others want me to trate the rat with 5 days of once daily antibac treatments diluted in the water, which will not only be far too short to even dent the problem, but will also be a far too low dosage to even dent the problem.

Just because they've studied for 7 years doesn't mean they know their stuff - also many vets specialise.  That one good vet specialises in rats and mice, luckily for me - and even luckier, all the vets are good people that will listen to my own experience and knowledge and not assume they know best.  If one of my vets had been like the OP's, I'd have asked for a second opinion and not paid till I got one, and I'd not have left until he'd checked the issue I went in with.

No ta!

I ended up overdosing my pup on a wormer, which caused him to be VERY sick, because my vet gave me the wrong dose.

I DOUBLE checked with him that it was the right dose for his age/weight. When he started puking his guts up, i looked and he had had the dose for a pup TWICE his weight.

Ive just read something on another forum about someone whose gsd is now suffering the consequences of an epidural gone wrong, vets are trying to wriggle out of the responsibility for that one.

My previous vet missed several lumps on my bitch who i took in to haev suspicious lumps examined -- these were lumps id pointed out myself. He then DIDNT get the lumps tested when id asked him to, and she had to undergo another op to remove more.

Im afraid with all that, and more i could tell you (vets who will happily chuffle on about diets when they are NOT nutritionists, vets who advise on breeding when they know naf all about specific breeds, vets who advise on behaviour when they know naf all about that either...) ill question things and carry on doing so!

Em