The cost of vets

wuno

chartreuse wrote: »

2. It risks being a vector for moral hazard. In any group of people there will always be some who are weaker than others...

I'm probably being thick but I don't follow your logic. Surely, you can't think of a transaction at the vet's as being anything other than a contract subject to moral hazard, since, of necessity, one party has far much more information about the transaction than the other. Only the vet will know whether the expensive drugs/diagnostic tests/leg amputation are necessary or not, so of course the whole process is subject to the possibility of the morally weak preying on the vulnerable. That's why establishing trust plays such a big part in setting up a vet practice.

How much percentage profit the vet makes from each particular aspect of the services or goods they sell will not change the above. Clearly, if the unscrupulous vet makes more profit on drugs, there might be more temptation to dish out uneccesary drugs, but then if the vet changed their business model and made more profit on consults there would be a temptation to tell the client to "come back tomorrow for a check" when that is not strictly necessary.

I have accepted before that if we see a seachange in the way clients buy drugs and our profits from drug sales continually reduce because people are buying online, then eventually our current business model will break down and we'll have to start increasing the profitability of key services by raising professional fees. However, I refuse to accept that our business model is somehow morally corrupt and open to a greater degree of exploitation than the alternative proposed. Clients have to be given itemised bills so they know exactly how much the drugs cost versus the consult or the ops etc. Vets have to provide estimates of these costs in advance if asked, and we have to prominantly display the price of our top 10 selling drugs. All these regulations were introduced to stimulate competition. I'm very happy to compete on cost, service, skill, and care - the complete package, but the demographic of my clients means that most of my competition with other practices is on cost - even though the other three aspects are at least as good as theirs. It seems to me that you are frustrated by a lack of service. I would acknowlege that many vet practices fall down on service and client communication. We did, afterall, choose to spend our lives working with animals rather than people, and some of my university friends only realised at the last minute, and with considerable horror, that the job is almost as much about dealing with people than their pets.

wuno

orlao wrote: »

IMHO, the people who scream, shout and refuse to bring their pets to vet will do so if a consultation costs more than tuppence hapenny are already out there and always will be.......but I don't like to be compared to them:eek:

To be honest, the clients I really worry about are those that come in saying "Do whatever you can, I don't care about the cost!" since experience tells me what they often mean is "Charge me what you want, I've no intention of paying the bill!"

wuno

Ruffles wrote: »

I'm very lucky to have a fantastic vet (granted, its an 80 mile round trip every time I go) that's prices are very reasonable, that have gone above and beyond what I expect of them more than once and above all that I trust.

No word of a lie, but every morining when I get into my S-reg Toyota to drive to the practice (6 days a week at the moment) I do so hoping that my clients think about me in this way. Brings a tear to my eye.

Can we have a "hug a vet week" where if you really appreciate your vet, you give them a hug - or if that feels too awkward, maybe buy a box of Frontline from them......

Nomad25

That's why establishing trust plays such a big part in setting up a vet practice.

Couldnt agree more, I have 100% trust in and respect of my vet. However, some of his collleagues in the practice are very iffy.

He has gone 'the extra mile' for us on many occasions and knows that we will willingly pay for any consultations/treatments/tests/x-rays/ops as needs be. But, he also knows that I am not prepared to line the practice owners pockets with the revenue made from heavily marked up vet diets, frontline, etc.

My vote is for more realistic consultation, etc. fees.

To be honest, the clients I really worry about are those that come in saying "Do whatever you can, I don't care about the cost!" since experience tells me what they often mean is "Charge me what you want, I've no intention of paying the bill!"

How right you are.

snowman2_2

wuno wrote: »

Can we have a "hug a vet week" where if you really appreciate your vet, you give them a hug - or if that feels too awkward, maybe buy a box of Frontline from them......

Best idea I have heard all day!!! :kisses:

Edinburghlass_2

wuno wrote: »

No word of a lie, but every morining when I get into my S-reg Toyota to drive to the practice (6 days a week at the moment) I do so hoping that my clients think about me in this way. Brings a tear to my eye.

Can we have a "hug a vet week" where if you really appreciate your vet, you give them a hug - or if that feels too awkward, maybe buy a box of Frontline from them......

Not sure I'd go as far as buying my Frontline from the vet with 3 cats and living by fields full of rabbits but...

I would like to give my vet and the staff a huge hug today for the care shown to my old boy who does insist on fighting with a neighbours cat and now has lost a big chunk out of his nose

oh and I paid their bill quite happily :j

Nomad25

Hugs all round then chaps.

Ruffles_2

wuno wrote: »

Can we have a "hug a vet week" where if you really appreciate your vet, you give them a hug - or if that feels too awkward, maybe buy a box of Frontline from them......

I've hugged one of the vets at the practice. We were both in tears as she put my retriever pup that had kidney failure to sleep. Between us, we'd worked hard to give her a quality of life for as long as she'd got. I'd taken her a box of chocs and bunch of flowers down too as a thankyou... it made her cry even more. Bless her.

I also took a box of chocs down when I was fostering a litter of pups and we lost all bar one to an unknown virus. They really pulled out all the stops that week to try and get them through but it wasn't meant to be. Knowing that the rescue didn't have the money there to foot the bill and knowing that they'd have trouble getting them to pay I didn't want to put my vets in that position and payed the £1500 bill. Shock, horror, several months later and I've not seen a penny but at least I can look my vets in the eye:rotfl:

Reebox_2

I would say I am a good pet owner, I love my cats, and lets face it, there are many more animals out there who need love and care than people prepared to give it. My cats would have been put to sleep if I hadn't taken them in, and I have always given them everything I can afford. However, I am currently being priced out of being able to give my pet the treatment she needs. At present, my bill for the past three months is £1300, and all of it has gone onto an overdraft. No vet has ever asked me whether I can afford this. Because my cat has renal failure, it is an ongoing condition, and will require special food, pills, and regular testing. In terms of the food, I tried to buy it from another veterinary surgery when my own ran out of the flavour she likes. It took ten minutes for them to ring through and get permission. This gave me the impression I could only buy it with permission from my surgery. In fact, I have discovered I can buy it for less than half the price on the internet. Similarly, the pills are less than half the price. As I have regular consulations and testing, surely I should be able to get a prescription to cover the time in between, so that I can buy her medicine at a cost affordable to me. And, as the surgery knows I am struggling, surely they could have told me this. What really irritates me is the moral high ground the vets and nurses seem to take. There was a clear tut-tut when she was initially diagnosed and I said I didn't have insurance. However, they are quite happy to take £4-500 by not telling me that I can buy food and medicine elsewhere, that would otherwise go on her treatment. I stopped the insurance when I literally didn't have enough money to pay the rent. I accept responsibility for this, and sadly, my cat may not be able to have the treatment she needs in the future as a result of it. However, I think the vets have been very unhelpful. I think it is somewhere in between greed and making a living. Business and animal welfare is a difficult mix. I can see this, but I still think they should have told me about the cheaper alternative. They would still get the money, just through regular testing and treatment, rather than the money on the pills and food.

Reebox_2

I would say I am a good pet owner, I love my cats, and lets face it, there are many more animals out there who need love and care than people prepared to give it. My cats would have been put to sleep if I hadn't taken them in, and I have always given them everything I can afford. However, I am currently being priced out of being able to give my pet the treatment she needs. At present, my bill for the past three months is £1300, and all of it has gone onto an overdraft. No vet has ever asked me whether I can afford this. Because my cat has renal failure, it is an ongoing condition, and will require special food, pills, and regular testing. In terms of the food, I tried to buy it from another veterinary surgery when my own ran out of the flavour she likes. It took ten minutes for them to ring through and get permission. This gave me the impression I could only buy it with permission from my surgery. In fact, I have discovered I can buy it for less than half the price on the internet. Similarly, the pills are less than half the price. As I have regular consulations and testing, surely I should be able to get a prescription to cover the time in between, so that I can buy her medicine at a cost affordable to me. And, as the surgery knows I am struggling, surely they could have told me this. What really irritates me is the moral high ground the vets and nurses seem to take. There was a clear tut-tut when she was initially diagnosed and I said I didn't have insurance. However, they are quite happy to take £4-500 by not telling me that I can buy food and medicine elsewhere, that would otherwise go on her treatment. I stopped the insurance when I literally didn't have enough money to pay the rent. I accept responsibility for this, and sadly, my cat may not be able to have the treatment she needs in the future as a result of it. However, I think the vets have been very unhelpful. I think it is somewhere in between greed and making a living. Business and animal welfare is a difficult mix. I can see this, but I still think they should have told me about the cheaper alternative. They would still get the money, just through regular testing and treatment, rather than the money on the pills and food.