Advice re vet bills

krlyr

Shoshannah wrote: »

Telling everyone they can pay later is a good way to build up a nice list of bad debtors.

In an emergency situation, vets are required to provide first aid, pain relief and euthanasia without payment. Anything else is at their discretion.

I agree. And then go out of business and not be able to assist any animals!

yorkshire_terrier_owner

One of my dogs starting fitting a month ago. Cue 6 nights hospitalised, drugs, drip, cannula etc. I've paid £1200 so far and we're not done yet. I paid the bill without a second thought. I am paying for professional services - and they don't come cheap.

I don't insure my dogs as I am a breeder and she was one of my breeding b!tches (although I won't breed her now with a known condition - she is being speyed next week and will live out the rest of her days with me as a companion dog) but I always have money put away for these eventualities.

Btw, although I breed Chihuahuas, I also have a Papillon - they have a very fine bone structure so putting a break back together is no mean feat.

Whoop

I only asked about the corporate as there is only one vets I have heard of that charges before hand.

Anyway I think it is good to have an itemised bill. You can see exactly what you are paying for. Pets are expensive and to be honest if you can't afford the vet you can't afford the pet!

yorkshire_terrier_owner

Whoop wrote: »

if you can't afford the vet you can't afford the pet!

Genius! I'm going to start using that saying with potential owners who want my pups!

wannabe_credit_free

Our late collie had to have a foreleg amputated. He was treated at the glasgow veterinary hospital. We were told the cost of the amputation would be £500.
When we got the bill the total was £1,200. The £500 only covered the actual amputation, the rest of the bill was itemised right down to the amount of cotton buds used. Luckily we had taken out pet insurance only a few weeks before our dog had his accident. His op was 12 years ago. I shudder to think what the cost would be now.

We currently have 3 small dogs and 1 cat. We don't have pet insurance for them. We have a pet savings account and pay in £50 pcm. It currently stands at £3,000, we have'nt had to use much on vets so far, but have peace of mind knowing the money is there should any expensive conditions arise...

If your in receipt of benefits, your pet will be treated at any PDSA veterinary clinic, all you pay is a donation of what you can afford..

SeduLOUs

A glass cut to the paw cost £400 (insured) overall about 2 years ago, there's no way I'd go without insurance.

cherrykerry

My vets don't itemize everything down to cotton buds and gowns etc but I expect everything to be included in the overall cost. Our vet has a big sign in the waiting room informing owners that payment has to be made at time of treatment, after all, they are a business!!!. For any surgery they always offer an estimate up front so you don't get landed with a huge unexpected bill. One of my yorkies is about to have 2 ops on his luxating patellas (will involve pins in both legs) and each one will cost £800 - £900, on top of that he is having a stomach biopsy for another problem which will considerably bump up the price. Fortunately he is insured and the insurance company have been great in paying out so far. I pay £23 a month in total for my 2 yorkies which has been a godsend as I would otherwise have not been able to afford the surgery.

sheramber

wannabe_credit_free wrote: »

Our late collie had to have a foreleg amputated. He was treated at the glasgow veterinary hospital. We were told the cost of the amputation would be £500.
When we got the bill the total was £1,200. The £500 only covered the actual amputation, the rest of the bill was itemised right down to the amount of cotton buds used. Luckily we had taken out pet insurance only a few weeks before our dog had his accident. His op was 12 years ago. I shudder to think what the cost would be now.

We currently have 3 small dogs and 1 cat. We don't have pet insurance for them. We have a pet savings account and pay in £50 pcm. It currently stands at £3,000, we have'nt had to use much on vets so far, but have peace of mind knowing the money is there should any expensive conditions arise...

If your in receipt of benefits, your pet will be treated at any PDSA veterinary clinic, all you pay is a donation of what you can afford..

Ony housing benefit or Council tax benefit qualify and you animal must be already registered with them.


PDSA Vet Care services are available to pet owners who receive means tested help with their rent (Housing Benefit) or Council Tax (Council Tax Support/Reduction).

Your pet needs to be registered either at a PDSA clinic , if there is one covering your area, or a PDSA PetAid practice.

Only one pedigree dog can be registered - I think three crossbreeds- with PDSA.

Only one dog of any kind can be registered at a Pet Aid vet practice.

PDSA do not cover routine treatment such as vax, worming or neutering.

I think the RSPCA and Blue Cross also can help in certain circumstances.

sulphate

trolleyrun wrote: »

I think the highest priority should be to avoid any further pain and suffering for the animal. Any decent vet should be able to do a quick estimate and let the owner know how much the treatment should be. That way, the owner wouldn't have a huge surprise bill, but can also make an informed decision regarding treatment.

In regards to my friend, I paid the bill and she paid me back when she could. Her dog actually needed 2 further surgeries, and both times the vet only charged for the anaesthetist, as the first surgeries didn't quite work (it was a complicated injury). My vet is brilliant though, and I'm very lucky to have him looking after my dog. He's not interested in huge profits. He showed me how to deal with Pipsqueak's teeth instead of saying he had to do it. Saved me a fortune!

The only time a vet should be reluctant to do any treatment without pre-payment would be if there's a history of non-payment for treatment. However, if the treatment is critical, the animal should still be treated to avoid suffering.

But this isn't the NHS. If vets agreed to treat the animal anyway if the owners couldn't pay you'd have people taking the mick and then they'd never have anyone paying.

Our vet bills frequently run into the hundreds and whilst we have insurance, our vet demands upfront payment. It's annoying as hell but I frequently overhear the receptionists defending their position to other incensed owners and my understanding is that many insurance companies don't always pay out (plus there are things like excesses etc) and it becomes very difficult for them to get payment out of the owner.

That being said, I think it is ridiculous to be charged for things like cotton buds and would expect that to be covered in the cost of the surgery.

hmc

Never known a vet charge for bills upfront?
Mine are insured but blue cross and pdsa do a brill service though on enquiring recently for a friend was told only upto £250 which won't go far
Vets have a code of conduct( think that's what it's called) to look after any animal, to turn away an obvious broken limb is unethical isn't it?? My vet wouldn't dream of it. I'd be complaining