Someone is taking the p….

I cannot comment on vets' bills in the UK as I do not live there, but I do know that the prices of antibiotics and other medicines for animals, whether domestic or farm animals, is generally higher than the cost of medicine for humans.

This is due to various factors - state funding of human medicine and none or less on animal medicine being the only one I am sure about, but I know there are others.

I think you do need to remember vets have huge costs to cover, premises for a start, facilities to keep animals overnight, costs of surgery, animals meds are expensive and vets train for many years. Shop around and this is why most of us have pet insurance when dogs arrive with us

I know people who work in this sector and I would just point out that there are a lot of suicides amongst vets, some because they are struggling to make their businesses financially viable - paying for premises, staff, insurance etc. Others from the abuse they suffer when, having got used to healthcare free at the point of need therefore no idea what it actually costs, people are outraged at having to pay these bills. Don't forget vets have a long and expensive training, vetinery nurses and others too.

Vets are medical doctors that are not subsidized by the governments

They need to use expensive medical equipment and medications

May they take advantage of cost? Yes
Are the charges reflecting existing setup (facilities, training, education, etc)? Inmho, yes

Having a pet is optional

...well, if they are making a fortune...it's not making them very happy....

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/11/nearly-70-of-veterinarians-have-lost-a-colleague-or-peer-to-suicide-study-finds

I have found get fees vary depending on where you live and whether they are independent or part of a much larger chain. Nearly 30 years ago when we lived in Hertfordshire we had what I considered a very expensive vet bill for a simple appointment. A few weeks later when we were up home in SW Scotland we had to take same dog to local vet and he was horrified when we told him about the previous charge - he wanted to report the Herts vet to the veterinary council(?) My old dog is on very expensive heart meds. He used to be insured but that was cancelled about six years ago when the premiums rocketed following a claim. Probably what I have saved in insurance over the years is equal to the current charges. At the end of the day my old dog is my companion and the last of the four dogs I had with my late husband so I don't grudge a penny and would happily go with to keep him alive. Vets are highly qualified and deserve to be well paid. I am lucky as my local vet is not part of a big chain, the staff are outstanding and we have been with the practice for over 50 years as my Dad also used them.

Was at the vets yesterday with the beloved spaniel who is still poorly, I was amazed that the place was empty, normally standing room only, vet nurse explained to me in the last month had been bought out by large national company, they had instantly added 50% to all their prices! resulting in empty waiting room, nurse explained they had no enquiries from other surgery’s wanting notes on pets who had joined them, therefore she was concerned that those pets were now not seeing vets. Management said they could still make enough money for the shareholders charging more and less patients,
Utter bloody greed!

I agree pet insurance is a must but I have set the excess high, and do not claim for anything less than £300 because the insurance company will just put the premiums up even higher when it's time for renewal.

Our previous dear dog had surgery which cost £7,000 plus, for which we fortunately had insurance, and it is those sorts of amounts that I need to cover the most.

Our current dog visited the vet for ear irritation. Swabs were taken and analysed on site, which ruled out mites, and ear medication was administered by the vet, plus I bought worming tablets. That totalled £240.00, plus I have to take her back next week to check progress, and that will cost a further amount. I don't blame the vet personally - the surgery is part of a chain - he is lovely and caring, but the cost is eye-watering. She has recently been spayed - that was £392.

It is no wonder there are many people who just can't afford these sorts of prices.

I imagine most vets choose the profession because they love animals. They perhaps don't always realise that a lot of their time and expertise will be used to put animals to sleep. It must be very painful, day in, day out, to have to do this - and to see how upset owners are.

I do sympathise with that and agree that the training and resources needed to practise must be covered, but I do think that the prices are very high. If it was that economically risky, there wouldn't be so many vets around. There are loads near us.

Vets have lengthy, extensive, expensive training. Our vet is a skilled surgeon as well as skilled in diagnosis and treatment. 7 years ago, she looked after my 6 year old dog who had sudden mobility problems. Huge expense as we had X-rays, bloods, referral to orthopaedic surgeon, mri scans over 18 days during which my dog became increasingly I’ll. mri scan showed inoperable tumour. The level of compassion and care our dog and his people were given won’t be forgotten. Our vet came to the house to help our dog leave this world gently. I know 5 neighbours who still talk about this vets kindness and skill in helping their dogs at end of life.
Vets are being asked to put healthy young dogs to sleep because their owners can’t cope. Rescue charities are overwhelmed by the numbers being relinquished.

I feel for you.
Recently had a holiday in Scotland and we forgot one of the dog's medication. Rang a vet who wanted an out of hours fee of £200 just for an appointment to see the dog, any drugs prescribed would have been extra.
The next vet I called had a call centre based in Manchester and wanted £350 for a consultation, plus drugs.
The third offered to ring oir own vet in Northampton and issue a supply of tablets. They charged just for the tablets - £60. I don't think I've ever been more grateful!
They got a huge box of chocolates for their trouble.

Our vets will issue a prescription at, I think, £12 a time, which is essential if you want to purchase cheaper medication online. It does keep the costs down. Might be worth checking out?

It does seem excessive. My daughter took her dog in recently. The vet wanted to do blood tests to check for infection when clearly there was an infection. The insurance company wouldn’t pay out because it was emergency treatment! Why else would you have insurance?

DH and I had spaniels for years - dozens of them. It was really out of the question to have individual insurance, so we just bit the bullet as and when. As others have said, so many practices were taken over by multi-nationals, prices doubled overnight and often unnecessary treatments foisted on owners at the most vulnerable of times. At one stage, our elderly cat was diagnosed with a heart problem. The tests were £500, and monthly meds of £90 a month prescribed - but when it was also suggested they repeated the tests six months later we refused, saying he was six months older, so obviously he would be worse, as we had already been told he wouldn’t improve.
In the end, we preferred to move to a Vet further away - a small private practice, used to dealing with working animals as well as pets and they were more than happy to supply prescriptions to buy meds online - especially routine painkillers/joint meds (Loxicom) often needed for working dogs. Flea and worming meds also came in at less than £2 a pop online. I feel sorry for a couple of friends, inexperienced dog owners, who hang onto their Vet’s every word and pay whatever’s asked.
I’ve begged them to get their routine meds online, but they won’t and pay 5 or 10 times the actual cost.

If you don’t have insurance for your dog then please join The Dog’s Trust as this membership gives you £1,000,000 public liability insurance all for £25 or £12 for over 60s

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nanie

Try someone knocking your dog over with their car. Yes they stopped said asked me if I was ok but did not enquire about my dog??? Got back in their car and drove off. Yes I know it was my responsibility to not let dog run in road but it happened so quick. I cannot believe there are people like this. All I can say is shame on them. Luckily my dog will be ok but had to have stitches. I just cannot believe the woman that did it had no remorse whatsoever. The worlds gone mad! The bill was huge too! I feel your pain.

Yes I know it was my responsibility to not let dog run in road but it happened so quick
And if the dog had damaged her car you would have been responsible for that too now.

A very large unattended dog ran across the road in front of my car years ago; I couldn't have stopped and hit him. He limped home, I walked over and asked if he was ok - nowadays I could have sent a bill to the owner for a new radiator.

You let your dog run in the road and blame the driver of the car?

You realise your carelessness could have killed someone. Maybe more than one person as well as your dog?

Obviously not. Is this a wind up🤔

Obviously not. Is this a wind up 🤔
I did wonder!

Would Nanie have blamed the driver if the dog had been killed? And the car badly damaged?