Animal lovers please note

[Whitespirit66]

Understand your upset whitespirit, also agree with the op view of rippoff vets/britain.

The thing with vets is they are expensive. At the end of the day, you are hiring a professional. When you hire the services of a professional, also think doctor, lawyer, it ain't going to be cheap.

In a way, Crank39 deserves some credit for giving a home to an animal and seeing that it gets medical treatment. Encouraging people to pull a fast one on a charity......................well, perhaps I'm out of date. I've pulled a few fast ones over the years, so I suppose some might say 'let he who is without sin.....................' - but some things are off limits. Or should be.

Sermon over.

 

[crank39]

I'd rather my money went to the charity, the pdsa in this case than give it to some greedy private vets practice. Never once did I leave the pdsa without leaving generous donation always always always more than the suggested donation on the receipt so put that way I'm actually supporting them by using them and not filling the bank account of the private vet

 

[AronSearle]

I'd rather my money went to the charity, the pdsa in this case than give it to some greedy private vets practice. Never once did I leave the pdsa without leaving generous donation always always always more than the suggested donation on the receipt so put that way I'm actually supporting them by using them and not filling the bank account of the private vet

Yes, you just convince yourself that the cost just "disappears" and someone else isn't paying for you.

 

[joinerjohn]

The PDSA let me and my partner down very badly, about two years ago. I had been made redundant from my last employers and about 5 wks after being made redundant (redundancy money had went on bills etc) Our dog at the time had gotten old and had cancer, etc. She was a sweet old thing and was obviously very unwell in her last week. The PDSA would not treat her simply because we didn't have the "magic" letter from the council saying that we were in receipt of housing benefit. (our council takes approximately 8-10 weeks to sort out HB for newly unemployed people) We even got in touch with the council and they said they would fax or send a statement to the PDSA that we would receive HB, and that the HB was being processed. PDSA would have none of it. Even an email to the PDSA headquarters met with a poor response, even suggesting we were trying to pull a fast one. We had the choice to either let the dog suffer , (for god knows how long) or go without ourselves to ease her suffering, by going to a local veterinary and having her put to sleep.
A no brainer really, so me and er indoors went to the local vets and got fleeced, out of a weeks UB.

 

[crank39]

I'd rather my money went to the charity, the pdsa in this case than give it to some greedy private vets practice. Never once did I leave the pdsa without leaving generous donation always always always more than the suggested donation on the receipt so put that way I'm actually supporting them by using them and not filling the bank account of the private vet

Yes, you just convince yourself that the cost just "disappears" and someone else isn't paying for you.

And there is that magic word COST, what does it actually cost to treat an animal, you can bet your mortgage its nowhere near what the final bill is to you at your private vets, so like i said, i'd prefer my money to go a charity where treatment is at a realistic price..........and as i've already said i donated very generously, more in most cases yet still cheaper than your private job.

@John, really suprised they did that, when i lost my job a few years ago, i believe you know when, i too registered my GSD with them, again as you've pointed out they needed proof of HB, yet in my case they told me while still at 'Vets now' opposite the Railway technical centre to ring my council i.e SDDC and get them to fax the confirmation, SDDC were very helpful and it was received while i was on the way home, vets now rang me to tell me, maybe they've changed their attitude due to some complaints

 

[joinerjohn]

Dunno what happened crank, but they were as inflexible as Bob Crow of the RMT during a railway strike. They wouldn't accept faxes or anything from DCC, insisting on original documents proving that HB had been awarded. (with DCC the proof came almost 4, 1/2 weeks later) Perhaps they've tightened up the procedures in the last 3 yrs or so.
I totally agree with you on the true COST of animal treatment. Some vet's take the proverbial urine , with their charges. My older brothers dog wasn't in the vet's for half an hour, getting sutured , at a cost of £500? Just wonder if the national catgut shortage had made the headlines yet (unless the vet used solid gold sutures??)

 

[crank39]

Consultation fees really do me in, my GSD suffers from ear infections, nothing a week on canural can't sort out, she goes off to the vet, yep shes got an ear infection again, £20 for the drops - £40 for telling you she needs drops

And then if you want a repeat prescription they insist on seeing her again before repeating..................guess what, 2 mins in the treatment room - £40 please.

 

[chapeau]

Our vet charges for dog about £35 for the first visit for any condition, £25 second visit, £15 subsequent.

Dog is on thyroid replacement tablets, he gets his annual check now when he gets his jab and they don't charge any extra over the cost of the injection. Repeat prescriptions throughout year are for the cost they charge for the drugs.

Undoubtably they charge more than it costs as they need to make a profit.

Have been in there and it's been free of charge, sometimes they charge a tenner for something that is trivial.

I'm sure not all are like that, they are a popular practice. They are so cheap that it's not worth claiming on the insurance as the excess is more than it costs us to pay the vet ourselves.

The only rip off is the insurance company to be honest.

 

[seco services]

End of the day if that animal means the world to you the cost is nothing.

 

[joinerjohn]

End of the day if that animal means the world to you the cost is nothing.

At the end of the day,,, vet's are robbing OAP's (who have no other company) out of their life savings. You know this is happening, We all know most vet's charge , what they think we'll pay, Not what we can actually afford.

 

[seco services]

End of the day if that animal means the world to you the cost is nothing.

At the end of the day,,, vet's are robbing OAP's (who have no other company) out of their life savings. You know this is happening, We all know most vet's charge , what they think we'll pay, Not what we can actually afford.

Same old story, so do plumbers, solicitors, sparks the list is endless.
Same old answer. we have overheads to cover.

 

[joinerjohn]

Dunno Seco,,,, I don't know any plumbers/sparks , etc , on £500 for half an hours work, with a materials supplied cost of , pence.

 

[AronSearle]

And there is that magic word COST, what does it actually cost to treat an animal, you can bet your mortgage its nowhere near what the final bill is to you at your private vets

Of course they charge more than it costs, it's called making a profit, it's what "pays wages".



If YOU pay less for your treatment, it just means the money is made up elsewhere, likely in higher fee's for everyone else.

This is after all how EVERY business operates.

There is no such thing as a free ride, all you are doing is stealing off others.

Dunno Seco,,,, I don't know any plumbers/sparks , etc , on £500 for half an hours work

How many plumbers/sparks study for 5-6 years for a degree, degrees which costs about 10-20k in fees?

How many of them have to operate a premises, with surgical equipment and rooms, and receptionists, no they just operate out of a van.

I challenge you to find any professional service, that operates out of a building, with multiple staff, and one that has to maintain expensive equipment (no, not hair dryers), and charges less than a vet.

The closest you will come to is a dentist, guess what, they charge just as much.

 

[Space cat]

We all know most vet's charge , what they think we'll pay, Not what we can actually afford.

Isn't that how all businesses work? If the demand is there, the price goes up until the supply increases to counter the trend, which is something that hasn't really happened with vets. The demand in this case comes from people who, on average, have a lot more money to spend on their pets.

That's also why the prices of cinema tickets, fairground rides and - especially - football tickets have rocketed way ahead of the rate of inflation. I don't think it's any accident that these are all the things you can't buy at Asda or Tesco - or Argos or Comet. Competition keeps the price of goods and services down to what they actually cost to produce - including all overheads. The day one of those major retail outlets opens its own veterinary clinic will be the day greedy and incompetent vets go out of business.

But let's not tar all vets with the same brush. There are good vets and bad vets; honest vets and greedy vets. Less clear cut are the increasing number of vets who will try their best to keep a sick animal alive when their professional judgement ought to tell them that it's suffering and should be put down. Is that greed or incompetence - or is it because it's what the customer wants?