Just taken libby to the vets for her annual booster, got some ear cleaner for her waxy lugs, and Drontal wormer, it cost a small fortune. I always knew they were expensive as vets go, but now it's getting silly :(

To make my mood even worse, (even though it doesn't affect me on this occasion) they have a notice up to say that they now charge a £6 admin fee for completing insurance claims. :( Well you can't complete them yourself, the vet has to do it, and no doubt the Insurance co won't pay as it's not part of the treatment.

Sorry, moan over. I feel better now.

liberty

I often wonder how much of a vets bill is overheads like premises, professional insurance, staff costs etc and how much actually reflects the cost of the vets expertise. Radio 4 has a programme following vet training and the student debt came to £13,000 just for the direct course costs over 5 years, so it dont come cheap. No consolation when your purse is empty I know.

I know what you mean Lorelei, this particular vet has been in the town for over 25yrs, and has bought up most of the other practices. I know it's an expensive business, but his prices do seem well above many others just outside town. i.e. he charges £64 for a home visit, having voted with my feet within the last hour, my new vets charge £35, (and have further to travel)and the bug bear, was charging to complete insurance forms on top of their over-inflated prices :( Which my new vet doesn't (as yet )

This new practice was recommended by two friends, so hopefully, the Dynamic Duo will be happy (vets, happy.......perhaps not ;) )

liberty

We're very lucky with our Vet practice, who charge very reasonable prices indeed. Ok, it's not fancy or high tech premises, but the quality of care is fantastic. As an example, our older boy decided to defy gravity and launched himself off a quarry side, realising in mid-air he wasn't going to make it, landing on his neck and rolling a further 20 odd feet head over paws. We phoned the vet who met us at the surgery (on a Sunday). The vet checked him over thoroughly, stitched up a cut, gave him a couple of injections, reassured us (very important as we were in a worse state than the dog!) and told us to phone if anything developed that we were worried about at any time, day or night. Then there was the follow up to get the stitches out. The grand total of the bill? £50!!!!!!!!! Now, we always knew they were great vets, but we had expected far in excess of this, especially with it being a Sunday!!

I'm just so grateful we have such a good practice, especially when I read on here about what others have to pay, or the less than great treatment they receive.

Lesley

I paid in excess of £1300 for an injury my dog had recently and was very angry when I saw that the vet had charged £5 for filling in the insurance form. No, you don't get it back from the insurance company. I am sure they charge more for treatment when they know you are insured as well.

Sandra

Exactly Sandra, my point in principle. They are the only ones who complete the insurance forms, they can put down whatever they like; but as the owner, you must pay, for the priveledge of them completeing the form!! Sorry! But that's all wrong :( If they want their owners to have dogs etc treated on Pet Insurance, the least they can do is fill in the B****y forms without charge!!

A very grumpy liberty

im very lucky with my vets they seem to be reasonable with their prices compared to other vets in the area, nearly two year ago i had to take one of my pups to the vets every week from the age of four weeks unfortunely at 16 weeks he was PTS, fergus had antibiotics, laser treatment, x-rays, biopsies, as well as wormers and vaccinations by the time he was put to sleep he had cost me over £1000, he wasnt insured, his mum was and she cost nearly £700 as she had mastitis after weaning the pups, my vet was very understanding and normally dont claim from the insurance company but as i was already paying more than i could afford on the pup they claimed direct of th e insurance for me.
more recently though i had to rush one of my goats to the vets with a suspected broken jaw, the vet when he saw her took he rstraight in sorted her mouth out which luckly wasnt a broken jaw and only cost me £100.
my first visit ti the vets this year was with jack when he had his vaccinations back in march, and the vet said lets hope you have a better year this year the next time i saw the vets was when we rushed the goat in, in july, and now i havent seen him since boosters in august so a much cheaper year for me
i am at present touching wood :)

Our vet is a not a very up to date practice and mainly deals in livestock, but when my daughter's Yorlshire terrier had pups and was in producing milk we called his out and he gave her an injection to help the cost for a night time visit and the injection when we asked how much he said forget it he only lived in the next village and it was only a 2 min job, so do not worry Another time we had a littler of Newfoundlands and we had one small bitch that we not suckling and had the runs, at 1.00a.m. she was very cold and not trying to suckly with the rest, we feared the worst, so we rang him, he asked it we could meet him at the surgery he gave her antibiotics and we warmed her with a hair dryer to get her going he charged us £20 as he had also arranged to meet a lady with a kitten down there at the same timenever have know his surname he has always been Jim.

our vet is excellent. after we lost hamble hubbs went to pick up insurance form after a couple of days and they had already posted it off. also scans ...examinations....ect are really cheap. :) :).