A small tale.

[easilyconfused]

Oct 2010 my poor dog was limping on her front paw.

 

Took her to my local vets who said it may be early onset arthitis ( dog was 6yrs old ) and prescribed her painkillers and told me if it didnt improve over the following 10 days they'd have to x-ray at a cost of £250 for the first slide and £50 per subsequent slide + sedative costs. (visit + painkillers = cost of £57)

 

I sat at home and gave the dog her meds hoping it would work, purely as hubby had only recently gone back to work and we hadnt restarted the pet insurance

 

It didnt work, so rather than pay that extortiant fee and wait for several days until they had time available to x-ray her i phoned several other local vets.

 

1 practice wouldnt even tell me the price of a consultation fee never mind the x-ray costs,

another stated that they'd have to see the dog before they could discuss treatment,

 

So finally i called a vet hospital (the only 1 in the area apparantly), the receptionist said they'd call me back once a vet was available to tell me the costs. 10 minutes later he was on the phone.

£22.50 for consultation, £165 for 2 x-rays INCLUDING sedation, and they could fit the dog in the following morning.

Unfortunatley my poor baby girl was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma of the front elbow and it had already spread. kindest thing was to have her put to sleep.

 

They gave the x-rays without me asking, and the bill........ £305 including the pts costs and a private cremation with engraved wooden casket.

 

An unhappy ending but 1 i had to share, While you sit there with your healthy pet, call around the local vets, get a list of their charges, see what facilities they offer.

Even if your insured, still call around as i found out that some vets use the PDSA hospitals to house their patients overnight and then charge YOU for the board.

 

I hope this small tale helps someone.

[C.Millington]

Hi, I work for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the regulator for veterinary surgeons. I was sorry to hear about the loss of your dog and, whilst unable to comment in a public forum on your particular experiences, I wondered if the following information might be of interest to you and a help to others when choosing a vet.

 

You draw attention to some factors - fees and facilities.

 

With the exception of charity practices, veterinary practices are businesses. This means their fees will vary, as do the services and facilities that they offer. The RCVS does however provide an advice note on fees, which can be read at rcvs.org.uk/advicenotes and I have pasted below our position statement on regulating veterinary fees which might be of interest.

 

Regarding facilities, it’s worth finding out whether a practice has been accredited by the RCVS under our Practice Standards Scheme (PSS); this is a voluntary quality-assurance scheme to encourage high standards in veterinary practices. All practices in the PSS are inspected at least once every four years and we also make spot-checks.

 

There’s more information about choosing a vet and the PSS on our website. You can find RCVS-accredited and other practices using our free, online FindaVet service.

 

 

 

Why doesn’t the RCVS regulate veterinary fees?

 

 

The RCVS has no specific jurisdiction under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 over the level of fees charged by veterinary practices unless they are so extreme as to constitute serious professional misconduct.

 

It is in the interests of the animal-owning public that this is the case, as any fee guidelines could affect competition between practices - competition that should be of benefit to clients. There are also likely to be regional differences in fees charged, reflecting differences in salaries, the cost of premises and other overheads. Furthermore, not all practices are the same. For example, veterinary hospitals are likely to offer a different range of services, quality controls and facilities than general practices, while some types of practice concentrate on particular species or disciplines and others may offer just vaccinations and worming or limited surgery. The fees charged by different types of practice therefore also relate to the facilities, equipment and staff available.

 

As part of its Guide to Professional Conduct, the RCVS does offer guidance to vets on some matters relating to fees. For example, veterinary surgeons must ensure that a range of reasonable treatment options is offered and explained sufficiently to ensure that the client can give informed consent. Realistic fee estimates must also be given, preferably in writing, and clients should be kept informed of any escalation in costs once treatment has started. There are also extensive requirements with regard to the supply of, and charging for, veterinary medicines. For example, it is mandatory for practices to display price-lists for common medicines and advise of prices for others in advance of supply.

 

The Guide also suggests that fee or charging structures be explained to all new clients joining a practice, as part of comprehensive written information that also includes details about out-of-hours emergency cover, complaints handling and surgery opening times, amongst other items. This enables clients to be well informed before choosing a practice and, particularly important, in advance of any emergency need for a vet.

 

The problem of meeting veterinary fees – particularly unexpected costs - can be alleviated through pet insurance. According to the Pet Health Council, approximately 15% of UK pets are covered by insurance. The RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct suggests that if an animal is covered by pet insurance, it is in the interests of both pet owner and veterinary surgeon for the extent of the cover under the policy to be confirmed. This would include any limitations on cost or any exclusion that would apply to the treatment proposed. There are also a number of animal charities that may be able to assist with the cost of veterinary treatment in some circumstances.

 

The full RCVS guidance on fees and related matters may be found on RCVSonline: rcvs.org.uk/guide; see also Advice Note 31 one Veterinary Surgeons and Insurance Matters: rcvs.org.uk/advicenotes.

[easilyconfused]

Thank you for posting that info from the RCVS site,

 

I only really bring this up from my own experience, and that of my brother who even though has pet insurance, still has to dip into his savings to pay £750 as the insurance terms stated client pays 10% of final bill, Plus the vets made a mistake on his bill, and charged him for transportation to a specialist centre when he in fact drove the dog there himself.

 

Like most things in life we have to pay for, Its always good to do a little bit of homework.

[jackieandwayne]

I've seen this post, and I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for your loss. I know it hurts just as much as losing a human, but only us animal types understand that don;t we?

 

If you are like me, when you are ready, you get yourself another dog, try a rescue. You may not be able to bear the thought right now, but I promise you, it will heal your heart, if you allow that. But remember, they can never live as long as us, and your heart will break all over again one day. Worth it though for the loyalty and friendship they give us, and think, aren't you missing all those doggy things? The minute you allow another dog into your life after a loss like this, the healing is half done.

 

Chin up x

[janmal2000]

very sad news,y heartfelt sympathy. it was very responsible and heart breaking for you to decide to have her PTS and not to pursue maintaining her on meds for longer. today is my Darcy's one year anniversary for losing her battle for liver disease, aged 8. i still think of her and miss her every single day.

 

thank you for putting your findings of vets prices up, i wish they were all given guidlines as to some regulate their prices in some way, but their not. a consultation in my area varies between £19 and £26!! exactly the same process. Heaven knows how much for complicated operatons etc. but it does make you aware that even here you have to shop around for the prices. if they cant even tell you the price of the consultation fee then that screams bad practice immediately - avoid like the plague!

 

hope you feel better soon about losing your girl, take time and i sincerely hope you have another dog in time.

[jackieandwayne]

Don't know why I looked at this bloody thread again - I've just had to get the tissues out. And now I've started thinking about all the pets that have gone over the years. Taz thinks mummy has gone mad cos I just caught hold of him and sobbed at him "i'm so glad I brought you home!" Oh glory be ay? Why do we do it to ourselves time after time.... cos we love them.