Zara at the vets - Cruciate Ligament - surgery 01/05/15

gettingready

Meritaten - exacly.. on the consent form the vet written £600.00 - £3000"

£600 was Xrays - if I decided to take her to have surgery somewhere else and £3000.00 was if I decided for them to go ahead with the op locally.

It was not £600.00 PLUS £3000.00 plus whatever else comes to mind.

It was between £600 and £3000. That is pretty simple.

The consent form stayed at the vet but I referred the Practice Manager to it.

gettingready

Froglet, yes I did tell them what I was quoted for all inclusive at FR.

FR Invoices were "the op cost (amount) and then the breakdown of what was in it", this vet invoices are "the op cost (amount) and then ADDITIONALLY every single little bit like "dressing","injection", "drill bit" (no kidding) like those were outside of the op.

gettingready

Waterfalls - regardless of what type of surgery it was, the quote was for THAT surgery not the other, type of surgery did not change between admission and the actual surgery so the quote/price should stay the same.

rileydog

Good to hear that the op went well for Zara, fingers crossed she has a speedy and uneventful recovery!

On the subject of the bill, I have been on the receiving end of a £7000+ vet bill - the invoice was 6 pages long and was itemised down to the £1 each for the surgical masks!

I don't think it's unusual to bill this way, the difference is I was given a guide/estimate/quote price whatever you want to call it of 6.5-7k and the total cost ended up there or thereabouts. If Zara's actual procedure didn't differ from what they quoted/estimated for then I can't see how they can justify charging so much more.

If you chose their surgery to have the op done based on costs (I know there were more factors involved in Zara's decision) but what's to stop them quoting low to secure the work then bumping the bill up massively at the end?

gettingready

Krlyr - would you know how do I find a good dog physiotherapist who could visit at TW postcode? Zara is in Feltham.

Vet never mentioned any post op therapy but careful research on the net clearly shows it is needed pretty much post op straight away.

Thanks a million

gettingready

Some of Zara's friends..

https://www.facebook.com/happydogs.eg?fref=ts

sheramber

My vet gives a detailed invoice for any op. All estimates state that the price is based on normal requirements and extras may be added.


Cleo had TPLO at a referral practice and again I got a detailed invoce showing everything used, including buster collar( 8.48) she was issued with.

Her final bill ( £2302 including VAT) was slightly higher than the estimate given- note estimate , not quote - but the estimate was for the final bill , not just the actual op.

referral exam £135.57
sedation £50.07
first xray and interpretation £58.21
subsequent and interpretation £39.24

The op itself was £895 and hospitalisation inc vet evaluations was £120.21.
anaestheitc £113.49
maintenace/monitoring anaesthetic < 3 hours £60.70
theatre charge £35.40
perioperarive analgesia/ anitbiotics£38.47
disposables/consumables £36.11
TPLO locking plate and screws£238.99
post op xrays £56.44
bandages and application£33.22
METACAM £43.24

Stitches removed by my own vet at no charge.

Follow up xray at my own vet after 11-12 weeks was charged by them but would also have been charged by the referral vet had I gone back there.

This xray showed no problems and Cleo gradually returned to agility from then, with the referral vet blessing.

I was given a rehab guide but also downloaded the one on this site which is very similar but a bit more detailed.
Cleo was using the leg the day after her op.

http://www.topdoghealth.com/home-rehab-guides/tplo-home-rehab-guide/

bugslet

gettingready wrote: »

Some of Zara's friends..

https://www.facebook.com/happydogs.eg?fref=ts

Some happy looking dogs there:D and good to hear Zara is recovering well.

At the vets I use, the one big-ish op that one of mine had, it was going to be between £1300.00 - £2500.00. Final bill came in at £1650ish, so I felt that was fine. I accept things can go change and I'd not expect a fixed cost for a (potentially) complicated op, but that is a huge increase. I don't have insurance though.

gettingready

http://www.topdoghealth.com/home-rehab-guides/tplo-home-rehab-guide/[/QUOTE]


wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww- this is brilliant ...thanks xx


Zara is clearly much better as was yapping like mad every time Ewa took other dogs out for a walk.. sighhhhhh

Need to get a bigger crate though, found one and will order on Friday - it is the same one that we had after her hip operations, big enough to stand up/move around and have bowls inside of the cage...

I sold the one I had now have to get the same one...

Video from past Zara's hip op

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3p12uYTUDM

krlyr

gettingready wrote: »

Krlyr - would you know how do I find a good dog physiotherapist who could visit at TW postcode? Zara is in Feltham.

Vet never mentioned any post op therapy but careful research on the net clearly shows it is needed pretty much post op straight away.

Thanks a million

Sorry, just saw this. I am in TW too (2 mins from Feltham) and used STAR Physiotherapy - Tara was great, and Kiki loved her too (and I'm sure you know what guarding breeds can be like with strangers - especially one who pokes and prods at them!). She was based in London but moved, but think she does still travel (and my insurance didn't quibble the additional mileage charges on my claims)