Any vets here? Cost of sedation - Ridiculous

martin1959

We had to have our old boxer PTS last week, and asked the vet to give him a sedative before hand to make his passing less stressful. When we rang the following day to pay, we were told the cost was £154 for the euthanasia and………….£290 for the sedative. I went ballistic and made a formal complaint about the ridiculous cost. They have since removed the charge under protest, but I want to take it further as it is a National chain, and I am sure many people, including pensioners with little money, would have just paid it. I have since found out what the sedative consisted of, and I am hoping there is a vet here who may be so kind as to tell me what this is likely have actually cost the vet….
Unfortunately Vet fees seem to be a ‘closed shop’ and there is no ombudsman covering them. I believe this should change and vet fees should be far more transparent.

I would like to know what a single injection of 220ug medetomidine and 6.6mg butorphanol would likely cost the practice, and what would be a reasonable price to pay. 

sheramber

I think  you will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to get a vet to speak against against another vet unless it is a case of professional neglect.

Veterinary costs are not universal. Running costs very from one practice to another depending on where they are.

My vet charges in rural north of Scotland were very different from those in the central belt towns.

The costs for medicine depend on how much they can buy and use before the use by date. The more you can buy , the cheaper it is- just like Tesco compared to the corner shop.


Where do you intend to 'take it further' ?

Like any business vets are entitled to set their own charges and you are entitled to go elsewhere if you don't like these charges.

SensibleSarah

That does seem like a high charge, but my vets always make sure I'm aware of the cost before going ahead with any procedure - did they not get you to sign a form to consent for the euthanasia that had the quote on? I had my elderly dalmatian put to sleep in 2021, with a sedative, and that came to under £200, which also included a communal cremation. She was petite for her breed though, so would have weighed less than a boxer, with a smaller amount of meds needed than in OP's case. I also had two elderly cats put to sleep in 2021 (it was very bad year!) by the same practice, again using a sedative, different costs for each, but somewhere between £115 - £150 each time, again including cremation costs. 

As sheramber says, you're welcome to take your business elsewhere when it comes to vets - and they do range in costs significantly, even franchise to franchise with some of the large chains. My vet charges different prices to the other branch in the same chain across the other side of the city. They have some fixed cost things that are the same, like the various schemes you can sign up to, which I assume are set by HQ, but even their consultation fees are different. 

martin1959

I agree I could ‘shop around’, but vets know, in this circumstance, most people would just pay it. I have rung round 6-8 vets locally, and also those we use for our rescue. The dearest quote was £400 from another ‘National’ chain, but most were in the region of £150 - £250 including a sedative. I have spoken to many pensioners I know, and they would all have paid the £450 without questioning it.

I am going to take it up with my MP as I feel there should be a regulatory Ombudsman body covering vets, and they should not be self regulating as they are now. If you complain about a vet, the complaint is investigated by other vets!

For many people now, pet ownership is a luxury that many cannot afford, yet for many, a pet is their only companion.

I am hoping a vet, who somewhat agrees with me, will give me an idea of the cost of these drugs, even anonymously. The fact I cannot easily find out the cost, is an example of the total lack of transparency.

KxMx

My cat was PTS in 2019, no my consent form did not list all the costs involved.

Vet agreed it was time for my cat's suffering to end, I asked for her to be sedated beforehand, was given a sheet with some urns on (with prices), signed the consent form, then they brought her back sedated and gave the final injection. That was it until I went to collect the ashes and pay the bill.

I agree with OP really I went back and just paid the bill. And I'm in my 30's.

sheramber

martin1959 said:

I agree I could ‘shop around’, but vets know, in this circumstance, most people would just pay it. I have rung round 6-8 vets locally, and also those we use for our rescue. The dearest quote was £400 from another ‘National’ chain, but most were in the region of £150 - £250 including a sedative. I have spoken to many pensioners I know, and they would all have paid the £450 without questioning it.

I am going to take it up with my MP as I feel there should be a regulatory Ombudsman body covering vets, and they should not be self regulating as they are now. If you complain about a vet, the complaint is investigated by other vets!

For many people now, pet ownership is a luxury that many cannot afford, yet for many, a pet is their only companion.

I am hoping a vet, who somewhat agrees with me, will give me an idea of the cost of these drugs, even anonymously. The fact I cannot easily find out the cost, is an example of the total lack of transparency.

Good luck with your MP and do come back and tell us how you get on.

Murphybear

Firstly I’m sorry to hear of your loss.  I can’t comment on the sedative but the bill seems quite high.   We lost our cat last year and the total cost of her euthanasia and the cremation was just over £100.  Ours is a local vet with one other branch in a neighbouring town.  

Lavendyr

Very sorry to read of your loss. 

Most pet insurance covers the cost of euthanasia (though not cremation etc). Have you checked yours, if you are insured?

I think they should have told you the price beforehand.

I can't find the second drug, but the first: https://hyperdrug.co.uk/domitor-1-mg-ml-solution-for-injection-10ml/ 

KxMx

I had insurance but as my cat was over a certain age, nothing associated with her death was covered. 
It is always worth checking though, as you say. 

Undervalued

martin1959 said:

We had to have our old boxer PTS last week, and asked the vet to give him a sedative before hand to make his passing less stressful. When we rang the following day to pay, we were told the cost was £154 for the euthanasia and………….£290 for the sedative. I went ballistic and made a formal complaint about the ridiculous cost. They have since removed the charge under protest, but I want to take it further as it is a National chain, and I am sure many people, including pensioners with little money, would have just paid it. I have since found out what the sedative consisted of, and I am hoping there is a vet here who may be so kind as to tell me what this is likely have actually cost the vet….
Unfortunately Vet fees seem to be a ‘closed shop’ and there is no ombudsman covering them. I believe this should change and vet fees should be far more transparent.

I would like to know what a single injection of 220ug medetomidine and 6.6mg butorphanol would likely cost the practice, and what would be a reasonable price to pay. 

There is no ombudsman regulating the price charged for the vast majority of goods and services that we buy. Generally businesses can charge what they like and any regulation is about the quality of the service and matters such as transparency etc.

I realise the circumstances are difficult but you should certainly have been made aware of the charges so that you could make informed consent. I would assume that is why they agreed to waive part of the total cost in response to your complaint.

The highest price found in you informal survey was only around 10% less than you were asked to pay. I have no idea if you were comparing like for like or if a more extensive survey would have found some charging as much or more than you were charged.

The ingredients for a cup of coffee probably cost well under 50p. Many coffee shops charge £3.50, although some are a bit cheaper but no doubt if you go into a five star hotel in Mayfair you will pay nearer £10.

Lavendyr

KxMx said:

I had insurance but as my cat was over a certain age, nothing associated with her death was covered. 
It is always worth checking though, as you say. 

I would check, because typically euthanasia is covered separately so while treating her illnesses might not be covered, the cost of putting her to sleep could be? xx