Been ripped off by a vet - help!!

MrsOn

Hi all,

We have been ripped off (in my opinion) by an out of hours vet. A couple of weeks ago my nusband came home from work to discover our aged dog Alfie had had a violent seizure. He then went on to have several more over the course of the evening. I called the out of hours vet (actually the PDSA) who provide a so called reduced fee service if you are on tax credits.
The lady spoke with the vet who said that if he had another fit we chould call them back. He did, so I called them back, really worried about Alfie. She spoke with the vet again and advised us to bring him in. So we waited for Alfie to come round a little before setting off. She called us back and said that she had forgotted to tell us the price - which was £119 before any treatment was given.
So, off my husband set with Alfie to the local PDSA. He said that the vet didn't even look at Alfie, but advised that he didn't know what was wrong with him and he would need tests.
He was then advised that he could stay with them overnight and this would cost an extra £101.00 and this was before he was examined the following morning.
My husband called me and we agreed to bring him home and make him comfortable. So my husband paid the £119.00 and came home.

So, my issue is that the vet would have known that he couldn't say what was causing the seizures immediately and therefore why did he advise us to bring him in? Surely morally he should have advised us to keep him comfortable and to bring him in the morning?? He didn't even examine him and we had to pay £119.

I have written a complaint to PDSA, I have received a letter of confirmation and they say they will investigate.

Does anyone know what our rights are please? Some advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Rosieandjim

Maybe they wanted to Monitor Alfie overnight on the premises so that if there were any complications from further fits they would be able to administer treatment to help.

fairymoneysaver

Rosieandjim wrote: »

Maybe they wanted to Monitor Alfie overnight on the premises so that if there were any complications from further fits they would be able to administer treatment to help.

This plus why did you pay if the vet didn't even look at your dog to make sure he was ok? Doesn't make sense?

KxMx

The £119 was the call out fee. For Out Of Hours Vets this is payable before anything is even done. Standard I'm afraid. A call out fee then a fee for any care.

Vets Now cover my area out of hours and this is how they charge.

Fire_Fox

Welcome to MSE.

Out-of-hours veterinarians may be using the PDSA premises, but not run by the PDSA itself. Check your registration documents.

Seizures can be fatal, hence being monitored as an in-patient.

Common causes of seizures include accidents/ head injuries, infections and overheating (eg. being left in a car on a sunny day). A brief physical examination is of limited use here. History as supplied by you and/ or in the notes is important however.

HTH.

Vet

MrsOn wrote: »

Hi all,

We have been ripped off (in my opinion) by an out of hours vet. A couple of weeks ago my nusband came home from work to discover our aged dog Alfie had had a violent seizure. He then went on to have several more over the course of the evening. I called the out of hours vet (actually the PDSA) who provide a so called reduced fee service if you are on tax credits.
The lady spoke with the vet who said that if he had another fit we chould call them back. He did, so I called them back, really worried about Alfie. She spoke with the vet again and advised us to bring him in. So we waited for Alfie to come round a little before setting off. She called us back and said that she had forgotted to tell us the price - which was £119 before any treatment was given.
So, off my husband set with Alfie to the local PDSA. He said that the vet didn't even look at Alfie, but advised that he didn't know what was wrong with him and he would need tests.
He was then advised that he could stay with them overnight and this would cost an extra £101.00 and this was before he was examined the following morning.
My husband called me and we agreed to bring him home and make him comfortable. So my husband paid the £119.00 and came home.

So, my issue is that the vet would have known that he couldn't say what was causing the seizures immediately and therefore why did he advise us to bring him in? Surely morally he should have advised us to keep him comfortable and to bring him in the morning?? He didn't even examine him and we had to pay £119.

I have written a complaint to PDSA, I have received a letter of confirmation and they say they will investigate.

Does anyone know what our rights are please? Some advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Unfortunately, these are the fees associated with having veterinary care provided 24hours a day. Seizures are complicated and the underlying cause is often difficult to find. As a vet, you may be able to find the cause of a seizure from the history, the clinical exam, or from further tests. If the history you provided and the clinical exam did not give an obvious cause for the seizures then further tests are warranted.
Being in a premises where treatment can be provided immediately for a seizing animal is often beneficial as this reduced the risk of brain damage secondary to long seizures.
Morally and ethically, your vet was right. You were worried, your OOH vet offered you an appointment for an examination to which you consented.
I don't think a complaint letter will do anything to help your animal, other than cause that vet stress by having to explain why they could not find a diagnosis from a single clinical exam.
By coming in, you've agreed to pay the fee's - even just for peace of mind.

The job is difficult and your vet only wants to find the underlying cause so they can help you.
I hope you understand.