£12.50 Charge For Perscription From Vet

Milford_Cubicle

I'll be interested to see how people feel about vet prices when the NHS folds and we're all forced to pay for private healthcare...

missbargain

Thanks, Snowman

I also believe that prevention is better than the cure, and my new vet seems great, I am sure we will have a great relationship.

And you are very lucky to have 3 great receptionist. Here in London, I think that in their job description says "must be surly, short and, ideally, should never smile. Lack of people skills highly desirable". Not all of them are like that, of course, but far too many of them. I agree they are THE face of the surgery/business/office and it is terrible to walk in somewhere and see the moody person behind the desk.

You never know, we may be moving north or anywhere else one day. I have just checked, my new vet is 3.6 mile away, but it takes about 40-45 minutes just sitting in the traffic. Should take 11 minutes in normal conditions.
My local vet is literally 2 minutes down the road, but I am not going there, I simply don't like the attitude, the receptionist and the prices.

As for the NHS post, I am already paying for the private care, otherwise I would have to wait ages for the treatment. Good health insurance is the key here, but again, that's another topic. I guess if it happens, many people won't be able to afford pets, so they won't need vets, but I don't think that will happen. But who knows...

lowis

i mentioned it another post but i live in islington and my vet recently quoted me 450 for ONE tooth to be extracted on my newly adopted cat. i spoke to the rescue place i got the cat from about this and they were shocked at the quote, so i decided to call all the vets in my area and was quoted from £300 right through to £575.

although they are one of the most expensive practices in the area, they are also very up-to-date and have modern equipment and procedures on offer. i adore my vet and everyone there is lovely, i've been a customer there for 12 years, but i had to be honest with them and told them that i would have to use another cheaper practice for this procedure in case my pet insurance didn't pay out for the procedure. it's a no-brainer - i face a bill of £300 with new vet or £450 with vet of 12 years? new vet wins. however, having been honest with my vet about the quotes i received he has agreed that should the insurance not pay out for the tooth extraction then he will credit my account with £100 so in effect the procedure will cost close to the nearest quote i got. this suits me, reducing my financial risk and i really don't want to use another vet.

however, this exercise has shocked me...how can 7 practices all within a couple of miles radius charge such different prices for the same procedure? they are all comparable in terms of size and facilities.

missbargain

lowis,

That is fabulous that they did that for you, they obviously want to keep your business and can afford to do that. You are very lucky, although, it still is a lot. Perhaps it would pay for you to drive/hop on the tube and go slightly further away and half the cost, like I have done.

But I live in Kensington and, because there are so many loaded people here, the vets just don't do what your vet has done. Even though I am comfortable (but not rich) and could afford them, I don't like to feel ripped off, so looking for the alternative is the only option.

How can they all charge differently? I already wrote about it that I think that it is the part of London thing, they just can. But if they have new and modern equipment, it is probably the part of it. But I find that you don't neccesserily need the cutting edge of technology to have a cat's tooth out, I mean, that procedure has been done for years with no problems and without some hooty tooty equipment. Still, your vet's gesture is very, very nice, I guess your 12 years of loyalty had to be rewarded.

MrsE_2

They do charge a lot.

We rushed our cat to the vets recently just before 9pm.

He was dead when we got there, he had died in our house.

We were charged £120 to be told that.

What I'm still upset about is while my husband was at the front desk paying the vet & I was still in the examination room sobbing my heart out over his body, the cleaner actually came in & asked if I minded him cleaning the room. He could have waited 5 minutes.

I'm still very very upset about that.

Added to that, as he was a Persian & went outdoors fleas were a constant battle & when we went to collect him the next morning the nurse explained that as he was cold, the fleas were leaving & you could see them on him.

We had a cremation service & all through it, I could see the odd flea moving about.

Seeing as he was already dead & we had paid them £120 for 5 minutes of their time, would it have been too much to have sprayed him with some flea spray to have given him some dignity.

missbargain

That is terrible, really terrible. Some people are really insensitive, how can some of them be in the so called caring profession such is the veterinary practice. I know it was the cleaner, but still, he/she worked for the vet.

And they didn't even have to tell you about the fleas, what were they trying to achieve by that, why tell such a thing, it was so unneccessary. It is not like he had dinosaurs on his body, fleas are a common thing, so why not just leave it alone.
God, people can really be terrible, very, very sorry.

lowis

missbargain - they have been wonderful lately. i recently had a cat with lymphoma and my vet was superb at keeping up with the latest developments in care and medicine for that illness. sadly my cat died 18 months after diagnosis (she was only meant to live for 6-9 months!), my vet came to my home and put her to sleep and didn't even charge me, he was really fond of my cat and cried when he gave her the injection...and then he sent me the most beautiful bunch of flowers the day after.

mind you, he did claim about £11,000 over the 18months for treating the lymphoma (and that figure includes some discounts he gave me!), so i guess i am viewed as a good customer. they have also allowed me to pay off the 20% (£2200) excess in installments, I am about to make the last payment. can't fault my vet for being good with his human customers as well as his animal customers, i just wish they were a tad cheaper, those 20% excesses sure do add up

MrsE_2

missbargain wrote: »

That is terrible, really terrible. Some people are really insensitive, how can some of them be in the so called caring profession such is the veterinary practice. I know it was the cleaner, but still, he/she worked for the vet.

And they didn't even have to tell you about the fleas, what were they trying to achieve by that, why tell such a thing, it was so unneccessary. It is not like he had dinosaurs on his body, fleas are a common thing, so why not just leave it alone.
God, people can really be terrible, very, very sorry.

I was howling, I don't know how the cleaner got my attention, if I had been him, i would have gone & cleaned elsewhere.

I flea-ed him every month, I used frontline & 4fleas alternately.
I didn't even know he had any, he wasn't scratching & he went to the groomers every two months & she checks him, I always did him when he came back from there too, because of other animals.

The money was damn expensive, but thats their rates, but for £120 I think I could have been given 10 minutes peace with him.

They were his vets too, they have had regular custom out of me.

missbargain

lowis,

Your vet sounds really wonderful and kind. Cancer treatments cost lots of money, but sometimes, we pet owners appreciate the kindness, care and interest they show more often than the money we have to pay. The worst thing is when you pay them lots of money and they treat you and your pet with aloofness or just like another £ in their pay packet, that is what gets to me the most.

However, it is better to pay a bit more and be with someone who appreciates you and your business, than find someone cheaper but not be happy. I have found cheaper and good, but it was pure luck, and I am still to see what they will be like in situations that are not straightforward.
Your vet definitely sounds like a keeper, but it certainly is a lots of money. It is a very hard choice, hopefully the insurance will pay up for some costs, so you can keep your wonderful vet.

missbargain

MrsE,

I completelly agree. I would have probably jumped on the cleaner's (and vet's, for that matter) throat if I was you!

I know you cared about your Ted beautifully, I read your posts and saw the GORGEOUS picks. But one or two fleas may have survived the defleeing treatment for a day or two and appeared after he passed away, it was totally unneccessary for them to even mentioned the fleas. So what if a couple of fleas have appeared, why didn't they just treat him and not mention them. No sensitivity and emphaty, just horrible!
And you would think that they would have given you your 10 minutes of peace after pocketing your money, but sometimes people are just very uncaring and cold.
And what a different story it is from lowis in the post above, just to show how different people are.

What happenned to you is totally outrageous, that's all I can say. I hope that you manage to find more caring vet for your future kitty (I am somehow sure that you will get a new friend in time).