First of all I am not a vet,
but I have been working for Intervet for almost 15 years.
In this Forum I read a comment like: Do not bother about the veterinarian just get the stuff at the chemistry for x pounds.
Is that alright?
The bill we pay at the veterinarian surgery is not only for the product we have to give to our animal at home, it is also for the examination, laboratory etc. which took place at the vet. – surgery. Also are several drugs not allowed in the vet. – surgery (EU-regulations). We do expect that the vets are available for us 24 hours a day, sometimes we even expect that they have knowledge about the most exotic animal. Do we expect this from a “Human Doctor?”, no, we go to an eye-, ear-, heart-, skin- whatever specialist.
But our vet has to be there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And has to know and do everything when we bring him our beloved pet in an emergency.
And how on earth can he charge us for his work……………….

Hi Fiddle

Yes, I agree with you re taking an animal to a vet in an emergency. Whilst I also appreciate the years of studying/vet college etc. also how much more difficult it must be to find out what is wrong with a non talking animal. But for small ailments, like eye infections etc, rather than pay minimum charge of £60 the antibiotic eye drops are available for £4 in a chemist and they seem to work better than the ones from a vet.
Last week I paid £17 for 3 worming tablets from the vets, after looking on the internet I could have paid less than £7, a lesson learnt.

The charges are very high and put people off going to a vet, hence some dogs/cats etc are left untreated.
Houndy, I have given an aspirin to a dog before with no ill effect.

I paid £40 for Ben's vaccinations and a health check, that didn't seem bad at all.

I had to take him once after a lout punched him in the eye after their Labrador attacked him, all he did was stand on it and shout at it in response. That cost me £80 and the vet only looked at his eye and gave me some eyedrops to administer. That treatment seemed like daylight robbery. I should add that both cases were at different vets.

I always look on my vet as my GP then when they need specialist treatment they get referred to the appropriate surgeon/consultant.
I often wonder why there is such a huge difference between Scotland and England as far as charges go,a friend of mine was telling me how much fees were in her area and i was astounded,surely if they have the same veterinary degree and use the same drugs why is it so much more......or is it obvious and staring me in the face.
Run of the mill items like wormers, flea treatments etc are cheaper on the internet and i always get them there.
At the risk of sickening anyone a consultation fee at my vets is £12,scan for pregnancy £15 I think i must be very lucky ,my vet was even out at 4 in the morning feeding puppies with me.....no charge!
Saying all this i have managed to spend just over £11,000 in the last 2 years albeit some on insurance and no i didnt add too many 0's

Well Willow, down here, near London a consultation is £48, boosters are £44, 3 worming tablets £17. Murphy once had a run in with a muntjac who ripped his throat open. He needed stitches, £460. Thank heavens for pet insurance. He had a bug once and 'needed' anti sickness injections, £60. The prices here are daylight robbery.
Not sure about scans etc, haven't had to have them.
Did Harray find a new home? My son is still talking about him!

I worked 8months as a vets receptionist.prior to that,I would take my dog to the vets for the least thing,but I became wise.Now I only use a vet in an emergency,for example a stitch up.
minor injuries I'd now treat myself,it's amazing what salt water and time will heal.
My puppy vaccinations I have had done by the greyhound track vet at half the cost,£12.50 a shot,and haggled liver-shunt test to £17.00 a pup,from £20.
Wormers,Hypervet sell Drontal + £13 for 8 on-line free delivery.Y pay £3+ at the vets?
My 2 d/h gave blood recently to the pet bloodbank.From that you get a full health screening.One of my bitches has shown an abnormality from that,which may result in further tests from my vet.
I also use human medicines where appropriate,but am aware of dangers of paracetomal and other potentially lethal medications.
I certainly would not advise self-diagnosis and medication if you are a novice,always consult your vet.

No Lurch,Harray is still here, we are still in discussions, aparently he loves everyone I took him to vet to get him checked over (and vet did it with no charge just to keep it on thresd!!!)and he mobbed a little old lady , with a cat in a box in reception .......fortunately she just laughed.

With my vets i am quite lucky, they know i treat at home most minor alments,
and there quite happy with that,and will give me advice over the phone if i need it, if its something i cant sort myself or an emergency, i will take them to the vets no problems, my vets try there hardest to save people money with out cutting corners, my first aid kit is extencive - i have almost everything - and with some problems or things like cuts - its better to get treatment done as soon as, insted of waiting for an appointment.

elvee the track vets are great - at ours you can get most things a lot cheaper then at the normal vets, i also use the bone man who used to work at the track,
our penny has problems with her back, for quite a while i was taking her to the vets for accupuncher (sp) it would last a month and she would be stiff again, i didnt want her to have to keep taking the plt as long term they cause liver damage, the lasts time she had treatment at the vets it was the vet who said it would be a wate of money to keep comeing,
one treatment from the bone man and she was a different dog, running and playing,
that was over a year ago, even though she still gets stiff at times, shes not as bad as she used to be - a fiver well spent.

Fingers crossed he finds his hom soon.

No charge, wow what a vet. Ours drive Porches and other flash cars, now I know why! But saying that, they are very nice and adore Murphy, he's a bit of a celeb in our village (well he was until somebody else got a DH too!!) he loves people too.

chook wrote:


What track do you go to Chook? we used to race at Henlow, but not having greyhounds anymore we don't go, it is also a good hour or so away so what you would have saved in vets fees, you'd spend on diesel. But I know what you mean about the bone man, we called him something else, can't remember, but he was good on lame dogs etc.

my vet is called 'value vet' and he certainly is,doesn't charge a consult fee,only medecines used,even then,will advise cheapest alternative.

Ours is just a flapping track (westhoughton, bolton) although its not reg, its a good track and they are there for the dogs first and formost, we quite often attend the afghan racing there, although they dont have a vet in attendence when the afgains are racing, there is one there when the whippet racing is on.

Thought flapping tracks were almost gone?
when I was with an ex of 8 years,we started a charity,northumberland grehound rescue,taking and re-homing dogs from the flapping tracks up here,Cambois,Wheetley hill,etc,at times,we'd have 10 emergencies in our house!
But there was always a 'grehound man' who'd look at your dogs every month for a tenner!
Better than any vet!!

Theres still quite a few flapping tracks around, most are now used by the whippet and lurcher clubs,
our local one when we have been to watch the afghan racing - lets you race how you want - solong as the dogs safe, its a good day out, no betting - the dogs dont have to do it, and we get to use the middle grassy area of the track to let the dogs have a play, once the racings over - its been good for dogs that dont get to get off lead when out walking.

Hi Fiddle!
Of course you are right in what you say, but in the last time I have to say that I have been wondered if our nearest animal hospital is out of making so much money they can. In most case it dosen't matter I have my dogs insured. But for about a month ago my daugthers saluki brake a toe (winger) and have to go to the wet. We find that he have no insure, it is another story which I can tell lather. Anyway they go to wet. and they take 6 x-rays, how can you possible need 6 pictures of a little toe, and then they sent her to a animal hospital for meeting an orthopedist more money, and she goes and the orthopedist didn't do anyhing at all. But they say to her that she have to come back for x-ray once a week in 5 weeks. I didn't think I heard right:angry: they can't be serious I sad. Yes they was. In the first time she have 90 km one way to go. I said to her to go to the local vetclinic instead.

She did and they take 1 x-ray the first week, second week they just chande his bandage, and third week they do 1 x-ray, and next week they will only take the bandage off and he is ok.

I have heard more stories like this about the animal hospital and I think it is insolent to do like this specially when my daughter tell them about what happening to the insure.

That is incredible Keijke, there is no real treatement for a broken toe, only rest, or remove the toe, and your experience sounds like a way to make money. We don't insure any of our dogs (14) and on balance, it is much cheaper this way as vets will ask if the dog is insured. I wonder why?

Ive never insured any of mine - 3 years ago my cat got ill, struvie blockage,
we tried everything we could at the vets, before seeing the specalist,
we did get him sorted, but it cost nealy 4 grand,
if it hadnt have been for my vets letting me off with things like the boarding,
as he was in every week for days for over a month and emergency fees, i am sure it would have cost well over the 4 grand, vets do pray on people who have insurance.

I'm afraid Chook,that we of limited means have to be realistic and would only ,in very special cicumstances, consider spending that sort of money, insured or not. That sort of money equates to a huge ammount of feed and care for a large number of animals for a very long time.
I did look out for you at Crufts but couldn't spot you, photo's are hopeless for recognising people from. Anyway, as you can guess, I'm rather backwards at coming forwards.

alan wrote:


Except when you want Sally to make you a coffee!!!!!

Bit bellow the belt that one, but what can you expect from a southerner!