Dog vet bill help

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Liljo24
Liljo24 Posts: 1 Newbie
in Pets & pet care
Was wondering if anyone could give advice on whether there is any help out there to contribute towards huge vet bills without pet insurance? Our 5 year old dog needs a hip replacement costing £5000 and we need help.

Thankyou
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  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
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    Have you checked if you're entitled to help from the PDSA or RSPCA?

    If not, have you got a credit card with a decent limit or can you apply for one? Will the vet consider payment in instalments?
  • Ilona
    Ilona Posts: 2,449 Forumite
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    Blue Cross is a charity which may be able to help if you are on benefits and/or a limited income. Check if you are eligible.

    https://www.bluecross.org.uk/my-pet-eligible-veterinary-treatment

    Ilona
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  • gettingready
    gettingready Posts: 11,330 Forumite
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    Would a charity vet like PDSA or Blue Cross fund a hip replacement? I really doubt it to be honest
  • MallyGirl
    MallyGirl Posts: 6,617 Senior Ambassador
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    sadly not. That is why we pay so much each month on insurance. I know others 'self insure' but whichever method you choose there has to be a plan.
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  • SparkieTheCat
    SparkieTheCat Posts: 5 Forumite
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    Liljo24 wrote: »
    Was wondering if anyone could give advice on whether there is any help out there to contribute towards huge vet bills without pet insurance? Our 5 year old dog needs a hip replacement costing £5000 and we need help.

    Thankyou

    Don't have a pet if you cannot afford insurance. Perhaps the kindest thing would be to put to sleep.
  • Peter333
    Peter333 Posts: 2,035 Forumite
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    Person_one wrote: »
    Have you checked if you're entitled to help from the PDSA or RSPCA?

    If not, have you got a credit card with a decent limit or can you apply for one? Will the vet consider payment in instalments?


    :eek::eek::eek: That's terrible advice! Take the £5000 vet bill on a credit card? No way should the OP do that?!
    Liljo24 wrote: »
    Was wondering if anyone could give advice on whether there is any help out there to contribute towards huge vet bills without pet insurance? Our 5 year old dog needs a hip replacement costing £5000 and we need help.

    Thank you

    Is there any special reason why you never took pet insurance?

    You really do need it with a dog.

    If a dog is needing a hip replacement at such a young age, there is a very good chance that he will always need veterinary care, and now he is clearly not healthy, you will really struggle to get pet insurance.

    I'm afraid there is no easy answer here. You can only contact the PDSA to see if they will help - or the Blue Cross. Unless you are on benefits though, I don't fancy your chances. Even if you ARE on benefits, getting a five grand grant for a dog to have a hip replacement is unlikely.

    Not much help sorry. Do contact PDSA and Blue Cross though.

    Never quite understood why vets charge so much. Can anyone throw any light in why they charge such exorbitant prices?!
    You didn't, did you? :rotfl::rotfl:
  • MrsTinks
    MrsTinks Posts: 15,241 Forumite
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    Peter333 wrote: »
    Never quite understood why vets charge so much. Can anyone throw any light in why they charge such exorbitant prices?!

    Gee let's see...
    -years and years of education
    -staff including multiple vets, receptionists, vet nurses
    -premises
    -medical equipment including ultra sounds, full theaters, x-rays, various equipment for diagnosis (blood work etc)
    -insurance
    -usually loan repayment because setting up a vet surgery costs easily £250000-£500000 depending on the amount of building conversion needed.

    Unlike your GP the NHS doesn't contribute towards any of this and there are no bonuses.

    Some treatments will partially subsidize others - like CT scans and xrays would be prohibitive if they weren't partly subsidized by minor treatments.

    Very few vets actually make much money until they have been in business for a long time - they have huge debts to pay and staff to deal with. A large surgery I know takes home a couple of grand a month profit because until their loans are paid off in 10 year that is the reality of it. Couple of grand might sound good to you, but this is a 24/7 hospital and the hourly rate would work out at about minimum wage because of the 50-70 hour weeks that are worked.



    OP - Speak to your vet - if they know you well they might be able to set up a payment plan for your dog. Alternatively try seeing if there is a Vets4Pets near you - they can work out cheaper in some cases and some (not all) even do credit solutions. It's all well and good me saying "you should have had insurance..." but clearly that's too late now. Whatever you do either ask your vet if they know a rescue that will take in the dog, find the money and pay or have the dog put down. If it needs a hip replacement then make sure its dealt with soon...

    And be aware that there is a good chance that it will need a second hip replacement in the next few years - rarely will it be only one hip that is problematic.
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  • suki1964
    suki1964 Posts: 14,313 Forumite
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    Peter333 wrote: »

    Never quite understood why vets charge so much. Can anyone throw any light in why they charge such exorbitant prices?!


    You are so going to be in shock if the NHS goes
  • krlyr
    krlyr Posts: 5,993 Forumite
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    Peter333 wrote: »
    :eek::eek::eek: That's terrible advice! Take the £5000 vet bill on a credit card? No way should the OP do that?!

    To pay for the medical procedure their dog (which they chose to take on) requires? Who else do you expect to pay for it?
  • Mupette
    Mupette Posts: 4,599 Forumite
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    GoFundMe or Just Giving and post it on Facebook?
    GNU
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