Advice re vet bills

krlyr

Vets can't refuse treatment, but they don't have to offer every possible option. Euthanasia to ease the dog's suffering could be one option they may choose to offer.

Shoshannah

hmc wrote: »

Never known a vet charge for bills upfront?

Then you have been very lucky, because it's the norm. More and more practices will be forced to do this as more and more people default on payment agreements. Unfortunately the economic climate affects us all.

A lot of veterinary practices are getting fed up with people taking the pee and building up lists of bad debtors because they've been a soft touch.

hmc wrote:

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??

Not to provide pain relief and first aid while the owner gets funds together, or not to offer euthanasia, would be unethical. To refuse to treat an expensive fracture repair for free is not unethical.

Yes, there is a code and it's called the Code of Professional Conduct. And I quote:

3.10 A veterinary surgeon on call should not unreasonably refuse to provide first aid and pain relief for any animal of a species treated by the practice during normal working hours.

3.11 Likely costs and arrangements for payment should be discussed at an early stage, but immediate first aid and pain relief should not be delayed while financial arrangements are agreed.

9.8 A veterinary surgeon is entitled to charge a fee for the provision of services and, where the fee remains unpaid, to place the matter in the hands of a debt collection agency or to institute civil proceedings.

hmc wrote:

My vet wouldn't dream of it. I'd be complaining

True, a lot of vets wouldn't 'dream of it'. Because they're a soft touch, and contrary to the opinions of some, they tend to love animals. If they are lucky, they get paid for their time, expertise and consumables. If they're not, they get another bad debt.

What would be the grounds of your complaint?

krlyr

At the end of the day, they're a business. People are very quick to complain about the price of a consultation with their vet, or the cost of medication from the vet vs. from an online pharmacy. What those people should consider is that costs incurred from customers who don't pay their bills need to be absorbed elsewhere in the business - this is one of the reason why consult fees may be raised over time, or why a vet can't be so competitive with their medication pricing.

Shoshannah

krlyr wrote: »

At the end of the day, they're a business. People are very quick to complain about the price of a consultation with their vet, or the cost of medication from the vet vs. from an online pharmacy. What those people should consider is that costs incurred from customers who don't pay their bills need to be absorbed elsewhere in the business - this is one of the reason why consult fees may be raised over time, or why a vet can't be so competitive with their medication pricing.

In an ideal world, we'd all treat sick pets for free. Unfortunately vets, like everyone else, have mortgages/rent to pay, a car to run, council tax, household bills etc. And they even have to eat.

That's the part where 'working for free' falls down.

yorkshire_terrier_owner

My vet charges me when he has treated my dogs - but I have been going to him for 35 years and never had an unpaid bill.

My emergency vet charges up front.

I don't have a problem with either system. All I care about is that my dogs get the treatment they need. I expect to pay for that. How and when I pay is irrelevant.

I recently took one of mine to the emergency vets. They told me upfront how much it would be and I told them to get on with it. I then told them while she was with them, if she needed treatment, not to waste time ringing me to ask - just do it and I will pay.

sheramber

hmc wrote: »

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

The vet didnlt turn the animal away.

quote

She couldn't afford this and obviously upset went home with the dog and with some pain relief.

the owner declined the offered treatment on the grounds of not being able to afford it . She was given pain relief.

How a vet behaves with a known client who always paid their bills and someone they have not seen before who openly admits they cannot pay will be very different.

My old vet didn't want payment at the time when my dog was pts. He said we know you wont run away. I had been a cliet for over 20 years.

Another vet was a super vet who went out of his way to help his clients and thier animals. He practiced in a poor area and allowed thise who needed it to pay up bills but I did overhear one of the vet nurses expaining to somone that the vet could not treat their cat anymore as they had not paid any of the last bill.

A vet is not a charity. Hos mney only comes from the fees he charges. He cannot continue to work wthout payment.

dandelionclock30

It sounds right, vet care is very expensive, why didnt the woman take the dog to the PDSA? If she was on qualifying benefits she would have got the treatment free or at a reduced rate.
She now needs to be registering with them or getting pet insurance.
Regarding the existing outstanding bill, she just needs to reiterate that she can only pay £100 per week. In my opinion they will jsut take the money and wont pass the debt on.

Dazedandconfused

I think that sounds a reasonable price for the dog being in for 5 days

ElusiveLucy

Having spent in excess of £8000 on vet/specialist bills for my cat in the last 6 months, it makes me wonder how some people could afford that if they weren't insured. I was lucky as my cat was insured, but she's exhausted the cover limit of £6000 for the year, so I have had to pay the rest from my savings.

I don't think some people realise how expensive treatment can be - you can't predict what will happen to your pet, be it an accident or an illness. I must admit I had thought about putting "insurance money" away each month in the future if I got any more cats, but I think I will continue to use insurance. I have to say Petplan were fantastic at paying promptly, but I still had to find the money to pay the bills for the specialist at the time.

Energize

Sounds like she shouldn't have a dog. Vets can't really say £100 a week isn't enough though, a court would not award a level of weekly payment that high.