Vet bills

[asterix]

They are also not as well trained, less well equipped and therefore have smaller overheads than we do.

With regard to drug costs unfortunately in the uk we are bound by the cascade system which means that by law we often have to prescribe more expensive "animal" versions of cheaper human drugs if a pharmaceutical company has bothered to (make) rebrand it. We also have to buy our drugs in small quantities which make them more expensive. Also in the 10 years you mentioned it is quite possible the patent ran out on the eye drops so they became cheaper to buy.

To put things in perspective, Aviva train drivers are striking over earning 39k, most of us vets earn a fair bit less than that for a much longer week with overnight and weekend on call duties

Dunno about Spanish vets but I can say our French vet has a very well equipped practice equal to the ones we have used in the UK, speaks good English and seem to know their business. Since we are in cattle country - the Limousin - I don't think the local farmers would put up with a badly trained vet for long. Despite the weakness of the £ they are still cheaper than UK vets bills. This may well be due to lower overheads.

(Incidentally I can assure you with great confidence that Aviva does not employ anyone to drive trains.)

 

[Paulus]

(Incidentally I can assure you with great confidence that Aviva does not employ anyone to drive trains.)
[/quote]


Could that Arriva?

 

[slowmotion]

For people like us who neither qualify for free treatment nor are so well off that vet bills are insignificant, the cost of treatments for a cat or dog can be a disincentive to having a pet. Our cat - adopted - is on long-term medication and though we love it to bits, we won't be having another pet after he's gone, part of which is due to the vet's bills.

Bertie is our first dog and we had no idea how much he was going to cost in terms of vets' bills, insurance, food, hair cuts, kennels etc etc. The point is that we chose to have a dog and now that we have him we have an obligation to look after his health even if that involves financial sacrifice.

 

[Becs]

anyone[/i] to drive trains.)

Whatever the train company is called who's welsh drivers are pissed off they don't get the 39k the English ones get.

 

[Crackle]

Dunno about Spanish vets but I can say our French vet has a very well equipped practice equal to the ones we have used in the UK, speaks good English and seem to know their business. Since we are in cattle country - the Limousin - I don't think the local farmers would put up with a badly trained vet for long. Despite the weakness of the £ they are still cheaper than UK vets bills. This may well be due to lower overheads.

I'd be reasonably surprised to find French vets less well trained, as the French are normally hot on the correct qualifications and accreditation. I'd also bet that no English vet could just roll up and start practising in France with English qualifications.

 

[Paulus]

I'd be reasonably surprised to find French vets less well trained, as the French are normally hot on the correct qualifications and accreditation. I'd also bet that no English vet could just roll up and start practising in France with English qualifications.

Probably yes they could. Veterinary qualifications from any of the vet schools in this country, London, Cambridge, Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool and Edinburgh are recognised the world over.

 

[Crackle]

Probably yes they could. Veterinary qualifications from any of the vet schools in this country, London, Cambridge, Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool and Edinburgh are recognised the world over.

You're right: A quick scan seems to indicate that provided it's an accredited qualification from a member state you can practise as a vet in France but only if you have 3 years prior experience practising as a vet. The french training is also 7 years long and looks pretty stringent.

 

[Becs]

Generally the quality of the vets in a country correlates with the attitude of that country towards animals. Britain has the most stringent animal welfare laws in the world and therefore demands a lot from its veterinary profession. People also want complex diagnostics and treatments for their ailing pets rather than just euthanising them. France, the USA, Canada, urban Australia etc are similar but many other countries, Spain included hold animals in a lower regard, and hence requires less from its vets (generally speaking).

 

[Crackle]

EAEVE seems to set out a common consensus for vet training and practise in Europe, according to a European Directive.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Absolutely the right thing to do. My mother is currently suffering the indignity and pain of dying at the hands of the NHS and I am certain that if some of her doctors were vets they would have been struck off by now for malpractice.

We (or most of us at least) try to do our job as honestly and compassionately as possible but we have a right to earn a living. We charge less per hour than plumbers, electricians etc so I think it's time some people get a little perspective, or if nothing else, some insurance.

That's the main thing. I think we paid about sixty quid a year to insure our cat. In the year we had him before he was killed by a car, we paid around £600 in vet bills, once for a cut to be stitched and once for injuries related to a car strike. The insurance covered all but about fifty quid of that. There's no need to pay vet bills yourself if you don't want to.
Becs is right, vets are good value for money. Although animal physio is a step too far ...

 

[Simba]

If you have a pet you should be prepared to shell out for vets bills. I agree they are expensive, but people know this when they take on an animal.

 

[porteous]

Absolutely the right thing to do. My mother is currently suffering the indignity and pain of dying at the hands of the NHS and I am certain that if some of her doctors were vets they would have been struck off by now for malpractice.

We (or most of us at least) try to do our job as honestly and compassionately as possible but we have a right to earn a living. We charge less per hour than plumbers, electricians etc so I think it's time some people get a little perspective, or if nothing else, some insurance.

 

[porteous]

Did you know that, legally, a vet can treat a human being, but a doctor of medecine cannot treat an animal?

My father was a vet and my daughter is a vet now. In my fathers day vets were about animal production for food and many would not treat "pets" at all. Now the profession, in the UK largely revolves around treating animals like humans, new hips, eye surgery, etc. simply because it CAN be done and pet owners WANT it done.

Reference Spain and Spanish vets, I suspect that in Spain the ethos is more as it was in my father's day here. I can't comment on their training, but it would have to go some to surpass the time vets train for here.

(I joined the Army, far rather get shot at than put my arm up cow's bottoms to make a living!)