Back to whinge again

We've had cats for over 40 years and always had them insured so must have paid thousands over that time. Daphne was the only one who had so many things wrong over her 12 years that she reached the limit of the £8k cover in the last month of her life - as we also had/have Alfie who is now 19 the premiums shot up to over £150 a month for him alone so we had to cancel. He's now on Pet Plan along with our 6 year old stray but it's still £38 a month for them both. I dread to think how much we might have to pay out if he gets really ill but I do buy his Thyronorm for his over active thyroid online which is a third of the price at the vets.

What with that and my monthly dental and contact lens costs we might all need to be put down at the same time

Have you tried using Stinky Stuff for ear/skin problems?

Nannylovesshopping

That’s absolutely shocking 😡 I’ve fallen out of love with vets. Give pup half an antihistamine twice a week and get some hydrocortisone cream online around £6/£7 🌷🌷🤗

We had thought about starting up a special account just for vet fees but decided against it. Thank goodness, because our previous dog had to have surgery on his leg which cost over £7,000 and we certainly didn't have enough time to have saved that sort of money.

Hopefully, now that more strict rules are being brought in about vets' fees, this may reduce the enormous charges. I don't blame my very lovely vet - that practice - and many others nearby - have been taken over by some sort of conglomerate, and all they are interested in is very high returns.

Ohnonotagain Spaniels often get yeast infections in warm wet places just like we do. I’ve had 3 spoiled all lived till over 16 and all home treated with Cannistan cream OTC

ViceVersa

When it comes to insurance, it's worth bearing in mind (for dogs especially) that most pet insurance will include third party cover - for instance, in the event that your dog injured someone, even accidentally, and they decided to claim against you. If you don't take out insurance, it may be worth looking at alternatives for that alone.

Or just make sure your dog never has chance to injure anybody. Accidentally or otherwise.

I've never insured any of our animals or regretted not having insurance.

Had one dog, no insurance, lived to 16. Developed cancer last 2 years. Didn't even add up the treatment costs but tgey were high. Even the vet said he felt sorry for us given the costs we were paying. Another dog at 13 developed an intestinal problem, vet couldn't treat so had to be hospitalised. Had to travel to capital city every day to see her. After 10 days reasonably improved so got her home. 3 days later back at hospital as massive deterioration. Had her put to sleep. Coukd have bought a new car with the cost of treatment but worth every penny.

butterandjam

ViceVersa

When it comes to insurance, it's worth bearing in mind (for dogs especially) that most pet insurance will include third party cover - for instance, in the event that your dog injured someone, even accidentally, and they decided to claim against you. If you don't take out insurance, it may be worth looking at alternatives for that alone.

Or just make sure your dog never has chance to injure anybody. Accidentally or otherwise.

I've never insured any of our animals or regretted not having insurance.

Good for you. Must be great to be so perfect.

butterandjam

ViceVersa

When it comes to insurance, it's worth bearing in mind (for dogs especially) that most pet insurance will include third party cover - for instance, in the event that your dog injured someone, even accidentally, and they decided to claim against you. If you don't take out insurance, it may be worth looking at alternatives for that alone.

Or just make sure your dog never has chance to injure anybody. Accidentally or otherwise.

I've never insured any of our animals or regretted not having insurance.

I was walking my spaniel many years ago and she met up with a friend. We were in a field down a lane. They ran in a circle and then both took off towards a main road ( which, before a by pass was very busy) next to school just as children were walking to school. My whole life flashed before me but, thankfully we managed to get them to turn back towards us. And I’m the most careful of dog owners (eg this was with a very obedient spaniel, I never let my current dog, a whippet, off lead anywhere remotely unsafe).Back then people didn’t insure their dogs but my first thought was the need to have accident cover as she could have caused a pile up. Decades later I still shudder at the memory of it; accidents can happen to anyone no matter how careful when it comes to animals.

Large Vet Practices now seem like real lucrative earners.

Rumour has as it that Bupa and Spire Healthcare are now considering entering the Pet Health Care Market!

karmlady posts that she forked out around £9,000 for an operation for her dog. How Sweet.

I had a full knee replacement at a local Spire hospital around 18 months ago at a mere £15,000.

Private room and the food was great. Luckily the NHS paid for it

Maybe Vets should have cheaper prices for the Elderly who live on limited means.

Hope all your pets stay well.

Good Luck Ladies.
🤞🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐈‍⬛🐇🦜🦔
😻X

Flakesdayout

We paid £800 for tooth extraction and scale and polish for our cat. Insurance would not cover it as we put the claim in too late from the original diagnosis. (just over six months) Our other cat needs the same although may get away with scale and polish. Its so expensive. I remember when I was a child and my parents had various animals, there never seemed to be such expensive treatments so is it all down to money ?

Partly but not mainly.
Human medicine has changed a lot in that time & human treatments are so much more expensive and sophisticated. People expect the same for their pets.

When I was young, farmers did their own neutering on tomcats & the females just had loads of kittens. Vet practice was based around horses and farm animals, they were the main earners and where the most research & innovation was done.Most vets were totally untrained on the needs of small pets like gerbils & tortoises, some wouldn't even deign to treat them.

Now small animal practice is by far the most important and there are specialists within the field (like the spaniel's elbow dysplasia - most practices can't do those ops). Rather than having second hand 2nd WW Xray machines & attempting to take a decent photo of a concious, restrained animal, there are state of the art veterinary scanners & Xray machines, & anaesthetics are safer so animals can be put under for diagnostic imaging.

All this is much more expensive than just a shot of penicillin, vitamins, or milophylline tablets for the heart, insulin for diabetic dogs.

Over the

Many vets have been bought out by large corporations, Mars being one of several and there have been complaints by some vets that its all ‘sales figure’ driven now and each add—on obviously brings in more £££. Our pets are very emotive for us and so its an easy sales drive in most cases. Independent vets seem more popular now and the prices are often less. We recently had our female rescue spayed using keyhole surgery which enables a faster recovery and that was £550. Our dog, the next day was as right as rain.

Paying for insurance is a personal choice. I’m fortunate in being just able to afford to insure my two. As I stated earlier, several years ago vet bills for my then two dogs exceeded what I’d paid PetPlan over sixteen years.

Our town, like many, has a not for profit practice. Even so, my neighbours dogs three night stay after being hit by a car, breaking a leg, cost £3000. The RSPCA runs a clinic in Salford where animals are treated at minimal cost, if owners can show they’re on benefits.

Pet ownership is expensive, potentially ruinous. I don’t expect to pay less because I’m on pension,

Two years’ ago, our cat caught clinical toxoplasmosis. However, despite going to a specialised vets hospital, it didn’t reach the list of differential diagnoses (it’s very rare and almost exclusively seen in cats already ill with FIV and FLv etc). She had a number of operations including a spinal tap. In the end, my daughter in law who is a vet but lives 125 miles away suggested toxoplasmosis and she was treated with the only antibiotic that cures it (clindamycin). The bill was £13,500.
She is right as rain now!

Have you tried “Thornit” in your spaniels ears? We had a Cavalier King Charles spaniel who had constant ear infections until the groomer recommended Thornit which is absolutely brilliant. I put a pinch in the ear maybe once a month and it not only keeps the ear dry but seems to stay of infections. I do hope your dog is a lot better.

One of my cats has recently developed arthritis. My vet advised Metacam, which she will probably be on for the rest of her life. It’s £50 per month, which I can’t afford so I did lots of sums to save £50 from elsewhere.
I live frugally but currently feed my pets on half raw meat and half junk food (Gourmet pouches) I’ve decided to stop the real meat and know my fussy boy will hate me but most cats live off supermarket junk.
The cost of keeping our beloved pets is soaring.