Cheap Vets?

angelwds

tankgirl1 wrote:

perhaps you could agree a payment plan with the practice manager? most of the practices ive worked in will agree to this- have known it to be as low as £10 per month, with no interest, for a bill that was well up into the hundreds! if you are a known and trusted client, im sure most vets would readily agree.
its also worth asking for a permenant discount to be put on your account- 5% or so is often given to regular clients - you could try asking the practice manager

also, if your pets are not insured, perhaps you could pay your vets a few pounds each month to keep your account in credit for emergencys? some vets ive known will even offer a discount if you do this... just a thought..

We offer payment plans over a max of four installments for genuine cases, we also have people who pay so much per month in advance. It IS worth contacting the practice manager and enquiring re such schemes. We also offer budget plans via direct debit for preventative treatment such as vaccs, flea, worm etc and I believe a lot of practices across the country do this... just ask!

tankgirl1

angelwds wrote:

Hi tankgirl,

I'm on mat leave too after having little girl (gorgeous too!), a bit of an epidemic at my place as I'm the fourth in a year!! A bit off topic I know... However... totally agree with all you say on all accounts - you get what you pay for. We lost a lot of clients recently when a 'Vets For Pets' opened in the area but they were soon all back for personal and consistent service. As for Petplan, i don't think they can be beaten for cover.

hi angelwds

congrats on your little girl :T

i think vets 4 pets, companion care etc are going to be the death of the small animal vet industry - they seem to be appearing everywhere, and nicking clients off vets who have been going for donkeys years!! grr!!
thanks for agreeing - i always worry on forums that ill upset someone! lol!!

angelwds

tankgirl1 wrote:

hi angelwds

congrats on your little girl :T

i think vets 4 pets, companion care etc are going to be the death of the small animal vet industry - they seem to be appearing everywhere, and nicking clients off vets who have been going for donkeys years!! grr!!
thanks for agreeing - i always worry on forums that ill upset someone! lol!!

They do nick clients in the short term but in my experience people do like that consistent personal service, they do come back. My practice has been going since 1896 - I haven't been there that long, honest.... although some would think otherwise due to my extracurricular activities :rotfl:

txu

Thanks Everyone.

I was actually asking as I am dog sitting whilst my sister is away travelling. I was concerned because the dogs legs just gave way slightly, she got up again and was fine but...
She just seems a bit stiff walking and has trouble with steps. I think it is probably just age (she is 10) or arthritis. Maybe she woould benefit from some cod liver oil or something?

Does anybody know if it is safe to give dogs the cod liver oil capsules you can buy for humans?
Or are there any other remedies that would help?

loopylass

when i bought my dog i was so worried about the best insurance that i asked my vets and they said pet protect or pet plan yes they may not be the cheapest but they both are lifetime insurance some of the insurances like the supermarket ones are cheap but they are not lifetime and wont insure animals over the age of 8 the 2 i mentioned insure the animals until the day they are no longer with us and in my opinion is the best and as my breed of dog has trouble with their hearts pet protect said if he had to have treatment until he died you will only pay the excess once i was on pet plan but the excess was £60 pet protect is £40

i hope this helps

bootman wrote:

What are the best plans to take out and who is the cheapest provider?
I will post this under the insurance section as well I think.

loopylass

you can buy cod liver oil suitable for animals as its an elderly dog his joints coud be a bit stiff did he have a long walk that could have stiffened his joints because sometimes when i take my dog for an extra long walk and once his had a long sleep and his got up his joints are stiff and his wobbly the vets just said it could be arthritis or just over tired from his walk

i hope this helps

=txu]Thanks Everyone.

I was actually asking as I am dog sitting whilst my sister is away travelling. I was concerned because the dogs legs just gave way slightly, she got up again and was fine but...
She just seems a bit stiff walking and has trouble with steps. I think it is probably just age (she is 10) or arthritis. Maybe she woould benefit from some cod liver oil or something?

Does anybody know if it is safe to give dogs the cod liver oil capsules you can buy for humans?
Or are there any other remedies that would help?[/QUOTE]

nuttyrockeress

My mum has been advised by the local vet to add sunflower oil to the dogs food - 15 ml he only eats fresh chicken and pedegree adult complete thingy.

This is to help his coat as he is fairly allergic to most things, his joints, and his "ahem" Hayfever..........

tankgirl1

txu wrote:

Thanks Everyone.

I was actually asking as I am dog sitting whilst my sister is away travelling. I was concerned because the dogs legs just gave way slightly, she got up again and was fine but...
She just seems a bit stiff walking and has trouble with steps. I think it is probably just age (she is 10) or arthritis. Maybe she woould benefit from some cod liver oil or something?

Does anybody know if it is safe to give dogs the cod liver oil capsules you can buy for humans?
Or are there any other remedies that would help?

hi there -

the other thing you could do would be to approach your vets- there are a number of supplements available which are only available from vets, which are glucosamine based. an orthopaedic surgeon i worked with recommended these over anything else. he also advised against getting human products, as they often contain other things ie sodium, which are not suitable for dogs, esp older pooches.
i use these glucosamine supplements for my elderley border collie- she has arthritis in her hips- and they def make a difference. they are however pretty pricey, but hers are covered by pet plan.

hope this helps

tankgirl

tankgirl1

bootman wrote:

What are the best plans to take out and who is the cheapest provider?
I will post this under the insurance section as well I think.

as mentioned before, i would def advise petplan :money:

loopylass

hi can you tell me if it is a lifetime insurance because pet plan and pet protect are it sounds like a fantastic insurance but i want to know if they cover until the day they are no longer with us because some dont
some insurance companies only cover until they reach a certain usually about 8 years

emujuice wrote:

Marks and Spencer's pet insurance is considered to be the best. There is no excess and the charges are as low as elsewhere. Also they cover treatment for the lenght on the illness (eg diabetes) not just 12 months.
My friend's pedigree cat died of a heart attack at 2 years old. M and S payed her the vets costs, cremation and the £250 she paid for the cat. all for around £5 a month!
Can't argue with that.
She now has a lovely silver tabby.