Vet's fees

[Crackle]

I suspect there's a correlation between insurance and treatment options. It's great that pets have more options but I'm not always certain that some of the available treatments are always appropriate.

 

[Broadside]

I'm a fairly new pet owner having only owned a dog for a year, we've had our first bill of £100 for antibiotics and consultation fee for a cut under the jaw that we were a bit concerned about.

We also had a livestock small holding for a few years with 35 sheep, same vet practice and they were happy to prescribe antibiotics based on symptoms that we described, no consultation or fee and antibiotics for a 5 day course were £15. It doesn't add up and I can't understand it.

 

[slowmotion]

On second thoughts, you are both right. The determining factor is not having the interpersonal skills to be a doctor or dentist.
This may, of course, be a bit of a generalisation and/or not actually true.

Having observed the neuroses of pet owners at first hand in my father's surgery, advanced training in psychotherapy is de rigueur.

 

[Rapples]

On second thoughts, you are both right. The determining factor is not having the interpersonal skills to be a doctor or dentist.
This may, of course, be a bit of a generalisation and/or not actually true.

You got it right in the end.

 

[Rapples]

I suspect there's a correlation between insurance and treatment options. It's great that pets have more options but I'm not always certain that some of the available treatments are always appropriate.

I'm certain of it

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

A little unlikely. It's harder to get a place to study veterinary medicine than to study to be a doctor.

I may have made that up too.

At secondary school all I ever wanted to be was a vet. The teachers repeatedly tried to talk me out of it because it was way easier to get onto a medical or dental degree. The going rate for medicine or dentistry was two B's and an A. For veterinary is was straight A's.
And once qualified as a vet, there are few safe state paid jobs, you're out on your own, taking on all the financial risk of buying/leasing premises, acquiring and maintaining expensive kit, employing highly qualified staff, negotiating prices with drug companies etc, and of course paying for your own insurance and accountants.
I did in fact get the three A's and make it to vet school but gave up after a couple of years. I did another degree and got a job in the IT dept of a manufacturing company. A little while later a friend who had stayed the course showed me a salary survey in the vet's professional journal, it showed I was earning more as a dogsbody IT worker than I would have been after the same number of years as a vet.

 

[Drago]

My vet was keen to indicate his new Lamborghini parked outside the window when I took Gaylord in for his nuts off. That said, I think he's the head honcho and a proper Doctor, ie, has a PhD and is not merely an animal physician. Even without the Italian penis enhancer you know he's doing well cos he wears a bow tie.

 

[Sandra6]

Small animals don't go to the vets in this house, they are easily replaced if needs be.
We had a rabbit that became ill, it was pretty lifeless and glazed eyes. Mr6 said, bring it in and warm it up, but I took it to the vets who warmed it up and gave it some fluids, it still died and they charged me £135 for the privilige. Lesson learned.
When the hamster got wet tail, I googled the symptoms, gave him a bath and a salt brick to lick, and he got better. The vets would've charged atleast £35.

I saw someone collect a cat from the vet's once. Their bill was something like £1,500 and the thing was dead.

My parents were similarly suckered by a vet when their cat became ill. The vet told them whatever it was was fatal and the cat would need to be put down, but insisted on finding out what was wrong with it. Many many expensive tests later they decided it had feline aids and put the cat to sleep - which my parents also paid for.
There are some good vets out there, but there are some preying on your attachment to the animal.

 

[vickster]

I'm not sure most vets are in it for the money, dentists on the other hand...I don't know why else anyone would choose to do that job (other than maybe a failure to get into medical school and family pressure).

My cat has to have monthly B12 injections for EPI, these are done by the nurse, not least it saves me £35 for the vet consultation. He's also insured, but with £100 excess I don't bother claiming the £15 a month or whatever the jab costs. I did claim when he was getting diagnosed.

I spent a lot on my last cat when he got ill as I'd stopped insuring him, he had to be put down in the end, but I don't regret the money. Still costs much less than bringing up children and far less grief

 

[Sandra6]

Really? That is an unbelievably sad thing to believe. How big does an animal have to be before the kids are allowed to get at all attached to it?

The dog is family, the rabbit and hamster are just pets.
We've had several small animals come and go and the children are pretty unphased by their deaths. A few tears and then the question "are we getting another one?"
I think it will be different with the dog as he's been around a lot longer.

 

[Sandra6]

How does a Flemish giant rabbit fare against a chihuahua on this measure?

I'd rather have a giant rabbit than a chihuahua.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Thats terrible, really callous and cruel. He didnt have to do this he could have given them to a pet shop or put an advert in the local paper.
I think if someone treats animals badly then they will also treat people the same way.

Or he and mum could have supported me in my desire to learn how to look after my messy inconvenient animals, which all had names. But ... never underestimate the control-freakery of some parents.

Life was different then along with values, I wouldn't judge your parents to harshly

 

[AndyRM]

Judging parents of any description is a thread in itself.

Potentially a bigger can of worms than Brexit and Helmet debates combined!

 

[User6179]

Apparently years ago drowning unwanted pets was what some callous bastards did , my first dog came out the River Forth after being tossed in tied in a bag with 4 or 5 other puppies , my Grandfather told me of a guy who tied a weight around his dogs neck and chucked it in the river only to walk home and find the dog sitting on the doorstop, hopefully not as common nowadays .

 

[Sandra6]

Yeah but surely you wouldnt see an animal suffer and become more and more poorly because you didnt want to pay for the vet?
I dont think you can put a price on a life really, all animals can feel pain and as their guardians we have to do the best for them. I think that if people cant afford the responsibilities of pet care then they shouldnt get one.

In my experience small animals die from their illnesses more quickly - before you know they are sick, so there's not a lot that you can do. Buying a lot of expensive medicine is a waste of money.
I wouldn't knowingly let an animal suffer though, I'm not a monster. I just wouldn't spend money on a pointless exercise.
I think people keep animals alive longer than is good for them sometimes, and if our dog had cancer or kidney problems I would have no qualms having him put down.
I appreciate I am far less sentimental than most on this, but that is how it is.
Much as I like my dog he is not my "baby" fur or otherwise.
And when the guinea pigs died they went in the bin.