From the vets

I got a card from my vets when I had cats PTS which I thought was kind but flowers and sympathy card is OTT as you say.

It does seem a little OTT, nina. Most practices send out a card immediately after an animal is PTS but I've never heard of a single flower delivery especially after three weeks.

Sorry about your cat.

I would agree with you, I guess they are trying to do the right thing, but a card would be enough. I received a card last time we had a dog PTS, but when we lost our cat a few weeks ago over night at home after paying vets a fortune for treatment and being told he was getting better, we received no acknowledgement even though I rang and asked what to do with the expensive medication he had come home with and not started.

Gosh - a card and a single white rose. I haven't received anything from my vet since my cat was PTS 4 months ago. Can anyone justify the cost of this final treatment - £81.50!!!!!!

Hilltopgran - may I suggest you contact a dog charity such as the Dogs Trust or a local animal shelter who would gratefully receive any medicines to lower their bills.

chocolatepudding you got off lightly. It cost us £145 !!!!

Oh dear that is definitely too much especially a while after the event. Think I would be having a word with the Vet.
So sorry you have lost your cat ninathenana but you did the right thing for her.

Sorry about your cat nina.

I agree, it is ott and, as for who is paying, nina I presume!

When we lost our dog several years ago someone I didn't know very well sent a sympathy on losing your pet card. Although it was kind of her I couldn't bear having it on display. I agree a single rose is totally OTT and no doubt you would have preferred a lower bill.

Chocolatepudding, I do support a Blue Cross Centre who are just opening a new Cat shelter so will give the drugs to them.

Hilltopgran - good idea - I cannot bear to throw perfectly good drugs away when animal charities can put them to good use.

Had our lab PTS year ago yesterday,and we recieved a card with a poem in it .I didn't realise it was common place to do that now.
We did think it was a lovely gesture and it helped to think that people other than us had known our girl and what a lovely girl she was

Never received anything from our vets. Only the bill!

After we had our much loved dog put to sleep a couple of years ago, we were upset to receive a card from the vet several weeks later to remind us that his booster jabs were due we changed vets

I had a lovely handmade card with nice words in when I had to have my 13 year old cat pts last August. Wouldn't want anything else though.
As she had only ever been to the vets once (spayed/jabs) when we first had her, I was most surprised. The bill was £57.

Our girl was well known as she had multiple health problems

Two years ago I had to have my lovely Staffie put down due to cancer of the spleen. I still can't get over the bill which was in excess of £2000, luckily I was insured for him, but how can a bill like that be justified? I did get a sympathy card soon after though.

I had a lovely card from the vet's practice after our beloved old dog was finally put to sleep. They had known her for a long time, and I appreciated it very much. I do agree that flowers are a bit OTT, though.

What did really upset me, when I was picking up my dog's ashes, was a new and very young receptionist who had never met me or the dog before, handing her ashes over with a bright and perky, 'There you go!' - as if she was handing over a tin of beans or something. I was in tears all the way home.

I really should have said something to the manager about more appropriate behaviour in future, since the girl evidently didn't have the sense to understand this for herself, but I never did get around to it.

nannypiano - did the vet know that you had pet insurance? I think if you hadn't the bill might have been a lot cheaper. I stopped the pet insurance when it rocketed up one year - I'm beginning to think it is a ripoff. I put the money I would have spent every month into Premium Bonds. I have had several small wins but, even after two fox attacks and annual vaccinations, I am still well in profit.
I love my little cat to bits and wouldn't begrudge her anything but I do wonder about some vets.

Maybe the flower was a little OTT but I think the card was a lovely touch. When my cat Jasper had to be PTS after being with me for 20 years,I was heartbroken - which was evident by my freeflowing tears when I took him in. The card I received from The vet, just a card with a pretty picture on it, reassured me that Jasper had had a long and happy life, given he had lived so long and that I had done the right thing. We took him home to bury in the garden and had I received a flower that would have gone on his little spot.Not everyone can be unemotional on the loss of a beloved pet, especially old folk who live on their own. They would probably appreciate the intended kind thoughts. Not everything is about money.

A few years ago I had to have my dog PTS as she had cancer. She had had a course of chemotherapy at a veterinary hospital but it didn't work. Our local vet who had known her since a puppy did the deed and wrote me a lovely letter afterwards saying how grateful he was to have had her as a client and how what a lovely nature she had had. This was personal, hand written and thoughtful. I still have the letter. And no, dogs don't lose their hair with chemotherapy. My initial reaction to hearing she had to have the course (one full day on a drip a week, for six weeks) was that she would go bald, but this doesn't happen! It did give her cystitis though and on the hour every hour, we were woken up by a polite woof to go out as she needed a wee.

I got the invoice with a hand-written "Sorry for your loss" across it, which I thought was fine!

Call me cynical but chances are anyone having a pet PTS is probably going to replace him/her sooner or later. The practices that send flowers are just trying to ensure you go back to them.

I had my daughters little hamster 'euthanised' when she became fatally ill and was suffering. The vet who looked after poor Miss Hammy was incredibly handsome, and seeing my sadness, he gave me a long lingering hug and kissed the top of my head!
Vastly inappropriate, I know, but it was a dam' sight better than a card or flowers!

We got a card from the vet which was thoughtful of them. Flowers are a tad OTT. All the cats we had over the years were part of the family with distinct personalities and we did miss them when they were gone.

Nannanoo I sure would have welcomed a hug from the hunky Australian vet at our practise. Cor!