Vets say they are under pressure to bring in more income per pet.

Nanato and Maybe, I am concerned about this too.

Dogs can't communicate how they are feeling, at least not reliably ,as you point out.

But there are visible or tangible signs when the the dog is suffering.
If a wheelchair dog has injured his feet by dragging them then he needs to stop the effects of drag, even when this involves not going for walks. He needs to have his injuries treated and to wear comfortable and strong covers for his feet in future.

Iam64, it seems to be a clear case for advice from a vet. I'd be very tempted to stop the owner and tell them so.

MayBee70

There are some pages that pop up on Facebook that show rescue centres that show paralysed dogs that drag themselves around and have to wear nappies. I must admit to finding them very upsetting. I did speak to someone the other week who has a terrier that uses a walking frame and was surprised to hear that although the dog was paralysed he wasn’t incontinent. However I can’t help but feel that such dogs must be in pain and that dogs are very good at hiding pain. Even my whippets, who are the biggest wimps ever in some ways eg if they stab their toe or have to go out in the rain, are unbelievably stoic when they are seriously ill.

I agree with you Maybee70
I too find the ads on dogs using wheels to get around very upsetting . Dogs hide their pain well .

I can't watch the ads on those poor donkeys that need treatment but the owners can't afford it and still make the donkeys work . If that happened in the UK people would be prosecuted, and rightly so .
Some people abroad shouldn't be allowed to keep an animal !

There are some pages that pop up on Facebook that show rescue centres that show paralysed dogs that drag themselves around and have to wear nappies. I must admit to finding them very upsetting. I did speak to someone the other week who has a terrier that uses a walking frame and was surprised to hear that although the dog was paralysed he wasn’t incontinent. However I can’t help but feel that such dogs must be in pain and that dogs are very good at hiding pain. Even my whippets, who are the biggest wimps ever in some ways eg if they stab their toe or have to go out in the rain, are unbelievably stoic when they are seriously ill.

Caleo, my concern is for this very old dog, without the wheels he wouldn’t be able to ‘walk’. He often stops. He’s clearly in pain, yesterday he was walked down to the village centre, where I saw his painful progress. Some time later he went slowly past mt house, legs trailing feet being pulled along the floor. I may be wrong I accept that but this very old dog really doesn’t need a 2 mile walk.

I am so angry about the way we are ripped off in this country over things we are held to ransom over, emotionally. By all means have vet practices who are owned by a large corporate, but legislate to allow only a propotion of them to become so. Between them, big pharma, who hold the monopoly of some vital drugs (Apoquel for one - a lifeline drug needed by many and whom my vets charge £6.55 per TABLET ( x 365 days per year, for ever - you do the maths...) It really is outrageous. I'm so fed up of the rich getting richer in this country and the rest of us are left to rot.

Allira, I think it may be that flea drops have a systemic effect unlike powders that will not be excreted in the dog's urine.

SueDonim

We had a lovely vet in our previous town, I always wished he was my doctor! We’ve moved now and go to what seems to be a local vet but it’s part of a group. They’re ok, though you don’t see the same vet so don’t get a chance to build a relationship with anyone except the receptionists.

I am a bit wary of what the vets tell me now, because of the concerns outlined in this thread. I get constant three-monthly reminders to get our young cats de-flea-ed and wormed even though they’re indoor cats and don’t go to catteries. Our previous vet recommended that annual treatments were sufficient for indoor cats who never met other animal.

I Have an indoor cat and apart from finishing the course when she was a kitten I've never used flea or worm treatment on her . She hasn't got fleas or worms , she never leaves my home , never mixes with other cats so why would I want to use medication on her ? It's for the vets benefit, big money in these so called treatments .

Oh, I suppose they are not flea-specific.

The powder was more likely to spread, I would have thought.

Allira, I used drops against dog fleas for years with complete success but recently I heard the drops are bad for wild insects I forget how.

We had a lovely vet in our previous town, I always wished he was my doctor! We’ve moved now and go to what seems to be a local vet but it’s part of a group. They’re ok, though you don’t see the same vet so don’t get a chance to build a relationship with anyone except the receptionists.

I am a bit wary of what the vets tell me now, because of the concerns outlined in this thread. I get constant three-monthly reminders to get our young cats de-flea-ed and wormed even though they’re indoor cats and don’t go to catteries. Our previous vet recommended that annual treatments were sufficient for indoor cats who never met other animal.

IAm64, I am concerned about the wheelchair dog you mention whose feet and legs drag on the ground surely the wheelchair is not big enough, or is not fitted properly, don't you think?

I thought drops were used instead of flea powder these days?

IAm64, I got my present dog from a rescue that specialises in disabled dogs, The woman who runs the rescue is not in it to make money but to find suitable homes for wheelchair dogs. She is expert in the rehabilitation of wheelchair dogs, who has a personal interest in the dogs she treats and rehabilitates.
(My own dog is not paralysed, just aged but healthy enough.)

I hope this makes you feel better about wheelchair dogs.

I don’t think it is just vet care that we are being charged so much for. In UK we seem to be charged so much more for many things than other countries.
When travelling abroad I am frequently amazed at how much cheaper and often better things are , often food but also services too. I have come to the conclusion that we are being exploited here and getting poor service at high cost but what can we do ?

I would only treat my pets if I saw a flea or a worm .
I've never had to but all the puppies I've had have been treated before I brought them home .. I agree about puppies and pregnant dogs needing to be treated .

I've had dogs all my life and have done a lot of research into different breeds. There are some breeds I'd never have because they have lots of health issues. You'd always be at the vets with some breeds.

I gather that independent vets hire the facilities of the big vet
that has hospital accommodation and 24 hr care .

I bet there will be a Panorama programme about veterinary services and costs.

Nanato3

silverlining48

There was something on tv the other day, countryfile I think, about excessive use of pet flea powder which then comes off pet fur and is poisoning wildlife birds and other creatures when the fluff is used for nests,
It is recommended not to use flea powder unless the pet actually has fleas and then carefully

Why would you use flea powder or worming tablets if your pet hasn't got worms or fleas ? It's like a human taking paracetamol in case we get an headache.

I've never had to worm or flea my pets . It's just money making. If a vet gives you a painkiller for your dog it's twice the price you have to pay than if you buy it from an online pet pharmacy. Big profit for the vet .

Puppies are born with worms; a pregnant butch is part of their lifecycle. And dogs can pick up heart worm throughout their lifecycle. They can pick up fleas or ticks on a walk or even from their own garden and once you get an infestation in your house are difficult to eradicate. Ticks also carry Lyme disease. However, I no longer give my dog spot on flea and tick treatment, or the tablets, because I’ve heard of some dogs having bad reactions to them, but I do worry about her picking up a tick and tend to avoid letting her run through long grass so it limits the fun she can have on walks. I do think that such medication is over prescribed. I’m not sure how to get the balance right, to be honest.

Problem is vets are encouraged to give pet owners a lower upfront price by giving them cost for first 24 hours only. Then the cost increases, which bring more profits for the venture capitalists who own so many of these companies.
People should know how much the treatment will cost in total at the outset, not drip fed.

silverlining48

There was something on tv the other day, countryfile I think, about excessive use of pet flea powder which then comes off pet fur and is poisoning wildlife birds and other creatures when the fluff is used for nests,
It is recommended not to use flea powder unless the pet actually has fleas and then carefully

Why would you use flea powder or worming tablets if your pet hasn't got worms or fleas ? It's like a human taking paracetamol in case we get an headache.

I've never had to worm or flea my pets . It's just money making. If a vet gives you a painkiller for your dog it's twice the price you have to pay than if you buy it from an online pet pharmacy. Big profit for the vet .

Pensioners minding their pennies for pet care have been subjected to awfully high fees. Inflated as the market could do so in a monopoly. Not good.

I think, rather than us having to avoid them, it would be good if the goverment had more control over who owns what in the UK, ensuring that all business owners here pay there tax, on everything to do with that business, here

The UK veterinary sector has seen significant consolidation, with many independent practices being acquired by larger corporate entities, including conglomerates and private equity firms. These conglomerates, like Mars and Pets at Home, have been actively buying up practices, and private equity firms like Medivet (controlled by CVC Capital Partners) have also been heavily involved. This consolidation has raised concerns about competition and potential impacts on pricing and patient care.

- if it wasn’t highly lucrative the hedge funds & insurances wouldn’t touch this sector. A licence to print money it seems for the CEOs and shareholders/pension fund investors.

Be good if they could be avoided but they seem ubiquitous now with little choice in some towns.

www.galgonews.com/2024/04/vets-in-the-uk-taken-over-by-hedge-funds-and-insurance-companies-result-in-exorbitant-fees.html

PoliticsNerd

This is not surprising. I expect these companies are, in many cases, American owned. Every pet (like every person, medically, to the American mind) is a client. If you sell them a medication and it doesn't work, you just sell them another. The last thing you want (from their point of view) is to make a "patient" better. That way you loose a lucrative client.

The one I highlighted who owns many veterinary practices is a Norwegian billionaire!

This was being discussed on our local FB page and our three local practices are either independent or, in the case of one, in a very small group.
Still expensive, so I understand.