Vet Bill

Sorry for your loss. Lost our dog about 10 years ago and we had him put to sleep and cremated was under £100 from what I remember. Have always had pets a cat now and can say from my own personal experience the cost of care Vet pricing is now so expensive and pet insurance can be such a rip off. Much respect to the charities like PDSA and Blue Cross doing their best.

Condolences on the loss of your dog, midgey.

You and Yours, BBC Radio 4, are doing a phone-in on vet bills tomorrow.

So sorry for your loss midgey ; we lost our beloved little poodle in April.

It's the cost of cremation and having your pets ashes returned which accounts for such a large bill which is why not all owners request this service.

You can still bury a dog cat or small pet in the garden, plant a tree on top as a memorial £350 is scandalous for a small pet, a friend had a horse cremated last year, it only cost £250.

That's very cheap for a horse cremation and obviously there's the cost of the euthanasia on top of that, which is usually around £400. Obviously the size of the horse also has to be considered. Unfortunately I don't think the fee paid by the OP is unusual.

We were covered by our pet insurance but she was quite young. I am not sure if you would get the cover for an older dog.

Sorry for your loss - from experience I know it’s not easy, Personally, I don’t think that’s too bad. A home visit 20 years ago to euthanize our old cat was £175.
As others have pointed out, the cremation (and presentation of the ashes) is probably the biggest half of the bill.
However, if your dog was 10 years old, that works out at just 67p a week for your last duties to her.

Sorry to hear your lovely dog had died midgey it is heart-breaking, one of our little girls was put to sleep last week too. She was naughty and lovable and we will miss her so much
Our bill was 280 euros including single cremation and return of her ashes.
Thinking of you

So sorry you have lost your beloved dog midgey. 💐💐
We have had to part with our dogs and cats in the past and it is very traumatic. Vets’ bills are extremely high, and I had heard that this was being looked into by those on high, with the probability of reducing them. We have paid for euthanasia and cremation and it was no cheaper some years ago.

My vet practice is independent and not only are their fees lower but I know they will not do unnecessary tests and treatment, which the big corporate vet businesses routinely do.
Unfortunately our vet has no out of hours cover so when my little dog was seriously ill at a weekend we had to go to a vet hospital where every drug and procedure was charged at twice our vet’s fees.
My three year old dog’s bill came to over £4000 and she died. These big business vets take your bank card details before they even look at your pet.

A few months ago we paid £320 for euthanasia, a single cremation and return of the ashes in a biodegradable tube . They also gave us nose and paw prints which was a nice touch .

New laws for vets coming in now re fees. Not before time.

The only real benefit I can see is capping the amount that can be charged for writing a prescription.

Transparency regarding all charges is needed but that wont bring down the price. If your pet needs to see a vet, you have to pay.

After a death - human or animal - my attitude to the remains is a simple ‘how do we get rid of that?’ They’ve gone, I’m not sentimental over the dust. But others differ, and vets are expert at charging for several levels of ‘dignity’. Crematoriums have got greedy, hence the trend for ‘direct cremation’. The equivalent for pets should be available if you insist.
Sorry about your pet though.

My condolences.
Ten years ago I was charged £360
to remove one of my dog's claws which he had accidentally pulled.

Yes, some local authority should audit the ballooning of Vets' bills - which must be responsible for the putting down of many more animals than they save... I adopted a stray kitten and took him to the Vet for a once-over and injections. Can't remember exactly the cost, I was so shocked - and when I bent down to get my wallet from my bag the receptionist (from her high counter) asked 'Are you alright - have you fainted?'

Not particularly high. Last dog was cremated all ithers buried in the gardens, 3 different ones. Last one died in a national vet teaching hospital, and we just didn't relish transporting her home for a burial. The ashes were delivered to our local vet and we buried these in the garden.

I didn’t ask for my last dog’s ashes to be returned to me. It’s not as if it made any difference to him, he’d gone, and I didn’t need his ashes to remind me. The dog before him was put down after a very sudden trauma and I hadn’t thought it through when the vet was asking me if I wanted individual cremation. His ashes came back in a wooden box with a brass plaque and it stayed on the windowsill for years (behind a big photo of him) until eventually I decided where to bury it.

Friends have warmly recommended Suffolk Pet Crematorium, they have a very informative website, including prices. Note I have no personal experience of them but they have excellent reviews.

It’s never easy to lose a beloved pet, it’s easier perhaps to have a clear idea of expectations at the end.

It never used to happen, my father had 4 dogs let them die naturally and buried them in the garden, vets have become huge money making machines for the fickle minded who treat them like children

Bit harsh monami for many of us our pets are a very important part of our lives. They provide love and companionship and a reason to get up in the morning.
I would not bury a pet in the garden as I would worry about him/her being dug up.

Today my dog had a dental under general anaesthetic. 3 teeth removed and scale and polish. The bill shows several injections and she came home with Metacam for a few days. No unnecessary blood tests beforehand.
Total cost £320, which I thought reasonable. My vets are independent.

It won't be long before someone offers a funeral plan for pets, would probably be quite lucrative at those prices.

watermeadow That is half what it would have cost with my current vet practice, which is not independent. I am on the waiting list to join our newly opened independent vet practice but sadly I think I will need to get my dog's teeth done before I can transfer.

PS my dogs’ nails were cut too while she was asleep. No charge for that.