Anyone paying a fortune for veterinary medicine?

[paulm]

I found much cheaper tablets on line but needed the prescription which cost me £18 (I still save on the tablets though). When I asked why it was so expensive I was told it was their standard charge. I asked again why it was so expensive and was told it was their standard charge (can you see where this is going? ). I asked again and I could tell the vet was getting a bit impatient with me and at that stage my darling wife gently steered me out but I managed to ask over my shoulder if he'd answer the question that I asked and not just BS me!

Apparently I'm not allowed to go and bet the repeat prescription for some reason!

Yes, - I find vet charges a bit on the steep side!

I would have thought that a prescription charge covers the years of training and experience the vet has had in order to diagnose the animal and know what to prescribe, not to mention their time and practice costs ? They're a business after all, not a charity !

Having said that, we do get routine meds online where possible to save some costs, and we decided to "self insure" our whippet, Lottie, as now she is a bit older the premiums were getting silly. If we need to spend out ourselves on treatment for her then we will and the premiums saved will be substantial if not.

 

[Grawschbags]

We have our Boxer insured with Pet Plan, and find them fantastic to deal with.

He's had skin allergies for the past 3 years. His medication costs just under £100 a month from the vet, yet our policy has been consistently around the £50 a month mark since I started claiming.... I'm under no illusions that this will go up the older he gets, however.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The insurance on our boxer just went up and up and up without any claim ever until we had to cancel it.

 

[Grawschbags]

Who where you insured with?

My understanding is that Pet Plan spread their costs over all their customers, rather than just those that claim, thus keeping it relatively consistent.

Could be wrong though. That was my vet telling me that.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I don't know - swmbo is my bank manager, she does the paperwork.

 

[stuartpaul]

I found much cheaper tablets on line but needed the prescription which cost me £18 (I still save on the tablets though). When I asked why it was so expensive I was told it was their standard charge. I asked again why it was so expensive and was told it was their standard charge (can you see where this is going? ). I asked again and I could tell the vet was getting a bit impatient with me and at that stage my darling wife gently steered me out but I managed to ask over my shoulder if he'd answer the question that I asked and not just BS me!

Apparently I'm not allowed to go and bet the repeat prescription for some reason!

Yes, - I find vet charges a bit on the steep side!

I would have thought that a prescription charge covers the years of training and experience the vet has had in order to diagnose the animal and know what to prescribe, not to mention their time and practice costs ? They're a business after all, not a charity !

I agree with you completely but I think you'll find the years of training, experience and overhead costs were all contained in the whopping great examination fee! The prescription was extra.

 

[transatlantic]

That maybe the case with the initial prescription. But to charge it for repeat prescriptions (which are indefinite) it's wrong.

 

[paulm]

I found much cheaper tablets on line but needed the prescription which cost me £18 (I still save on the tablets though). When I asked why it was so expensive I was told it was their standard charge. I asked again why it was so expensive and was told it was their standard charge (can you see where this is going? ). I asked again and I could tell the vet was getting a bit impatient with me and at that stage my darling wife gently steered me out but I managed to ask over my shoulder if he'd answer the question that I asked and not just BS me!

Apparently I'm not allowed to go and bet the repeat prescription for some reason!

Yes, - I find vet charges a bit on the steep side!

I would have thought that a prescription charge covers the years of training and experience the vet has had in order to diagnose the animal and know what to prescribe, not to mention their time and practice costs ? They're a business after all, not a charity !

I agree with you completely but I think you'll find the years of training, experience and overhead costs were all contained in the whopping great examination fee! The prescription was extra.

Fair point

 

[paulm]

That maybe the case with the initial prescription. But to charge it for repeat prescriptions (which are indefinite) it's wrong.

I don't really get this right or wrong, fair or unfair, thing to be honest.

They are businesses and will charge what they can get away with, same as any other business.

If I didn't want to pay it I'd try and negotiate and/or go somewhere else, but I don't begrudge them trying to charge what they think most folk will swallow, that's just the way of the world surely ?

 

[transatlantic]

That maybe the case with the initial prescription. But to charge it for repeat prescriptions (which are indefinite) it's wrong.

I don't really get this right or wrong, fair or unfair, thing to be honest.

They are businesses and will charge what they can get away with, same as any other business.

If I didn't want to pay it I'd try and negotiate and/or go somewhere else, but I don't begrudge them trying to charge what they think most folk will swallow, that's just the way of the world surely ?

Wrong in the sense that they can rip you off and you have no choice but to pay it. Your pet needs the medication, so you either pay their extortionate prices to buy it from them, or you pay an extortionate price for them to sign something and buy it elsewhere. And as I mentioned, if it's an long term repeat prescription, they essentially get to make money for doing jack all. They don't even have to cover the costs of the stock they keep.

Also, Keep in mind that we're talking about medication here, not something you can just do without. It's especially criminal for the OAPs or people that don't have transport to easily go out to a cheaper vet. Not to mention those living on a very tight budget. I know of a few people who have reduced the number of pets they have for this very reason. It's out of hand and it's quite likely only going to get worse.

 

[owsnap]

£90 a month for a pet insurance, jeez... never thought they are that bad.
I guess if my dog would ever need some £10k operation I would just youtube it and do it myself and hope for the best.
cats- I would not insure cats, they are one tough *******s, if there is something seriously wrong with them nothing much can be really helped

 

[transatlantic]

£90 a month for a pet insurance, jeez... never thought they are that bad.
I guess if my dog would ever need some £10k operation I would just youtube it and do it myself and hope for the best.
cats- I would not insure cats, they are one tough sprouts, if there is something seriously wrong with them nothing much can be really helped

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[owsnap]

Aye its expensive BUT our home and car insurance is VERY cheap because there is no crime here, the last time there was a car stolen or damaged was 25yrs ago and that was just a farmers son messing about and basically "stole" his mates car and drove it 2 miles away for a laugh there hasn't been ANY house broken into since early 80's and we don't have any police here (nearest is 25 miles away so the insurance companies list the area as 0% crime rate which makes our payments cheap.
The dogs insurance is high because of his early health probs and we expect it to be higher also like I said before its only me and my wife here and we don't drink/smoke so Hamish's insurance isn't a problem nor the horses (the insurance for the horse also includes injury and or damage to people and their property caused by the horses again if you want them then you have to be prepared to pay for them) I do feel sorry for the pensioners if they can't afford the vets bills etc, but they should consider that before they buy a dog/cat etc...
We have also looked after some injured wildlife over the years in our outbuildings (Deer/Buzzard/Otter etc) which is lovely when we get to release them back to the wild.. at times its like a sodding zoo lol

Just out of interest how much is a typical horse insurance?

 

[Claymore]

.........

 

[lurker]

£90 a month for a pet insurance, jeez... never thought they are that bad.
I guess if my dog would ever need some £10k operation I would just youtube it and do it myself and hope for the best.
cats- I would not insure cats, they are one tough sprouts, if there is something seriously wrong with them nothing much can be really helped

Apparently you can become expert at anything after watching a few u tubes :shock:

The Dunning-Kruger effect is becoming epidemic

 

[Claymore]

.....

 

[owsnap]

approx £100 for 4 of them which is pretty good for here, it would be higher if they were used for competitions etc not just hacks etc

not too bad.

 

[owsnap]

They keep telling all the young uns on TV they can do and be ANYTHING but most don't realise to be someone/something you have to work hard to achieve it if you want to be around longer than 12 months but who can blame them when Jedwood or Joey Essex end up being millionaires who's the daft ones?

I'm fairly positive I couldn't do a heart surgery or a limb transplant on a dog just by watching a few YT videos...I have grown up doing some stuff which just needed to be done whatever you like it or not on some farm animals,used to live in sticks when i was young..Dog isn't really that much different. It was either you try doing it or the animal is a goner,if you don't succeed oh well at least you tried.
in this ''modern'' world no1 is able to do anything on his own anymore out of a sudden.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Civilisation, it's called ... bit of a bummer, really.