‘Guest-imate’ of vet fees anyone?

holeymoley

holeymoley

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So unfortunately EMS pony has came down with laminitis. Very unusual for this time of year and entirely blaming myself as I took his muzzle off last week. Vet has been out so basically wondering if anyone has a rough idea of prices for these, I know they’ll vary depending on location and practise etc but even a rough idea would be handy. I’m not fussed about the money, would just like to have an idea what to expect and whether or not to go down insurance route.

Call out & Assessment approx 30minutes (possibly free as 4 others got seen too and this seems to be a policy that over 4 is a free call out)

2 shoes off (only had 2) clay and pads put on.

1 box of Bute (100 sachets)

Another call out & assessment in a week to a fortnight

X rays to front hooves

Blood test for cushings

Again just a rough idea would be helpful, never gone through anything like this. Normally Bute and box rest and right as rain!
 
Sorry he's got laminitis.

When you say you aren't sure whether to go down the insurance route, does this mean that he is insured? If he is, do put a claim in. You'd have to declare all the issues on renewal anyway, it's not like car insurance.

ETA It'll all be well into the £100s.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Sorry he's got laminitis.

When you say you aren't sure whether to go down the insurance route, does this mean that he is insured? If he is, do put a claim in. You'd have to declare all the issues on renewal anyway, it's not like car insurance.

ETA It'll all be well into the £100s.
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Yeah, I’m expecting a good couple of hundred. Not sure about insurance purely as the excess is £500. However never claimed it in 13 years and feel that he’s now getting older so he’ll be exempt from various things in the future due to age.
 
X-ray around £500 (think mine inc sedation and visit / exam fees). Bute is about £70 a box. Blood test should be <£100 & no idea on shoe removal.

Mounts up quickly - hope the pony improves soon.
 
holeymoley said:
Yeah, I’m expecting a good couple of hundred. Not sure about insurance purely as the excess is £500. However never claimed it in 13 years and feel that he’s now getting older so he’ll be exempt from various things in the future due to age.
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If he has had laminitis previously, whether you have declared it or not, you will not be covered for this so do not depend on being able to claim if it goes over £500, this call out should not be too high as it was shared, the next will depend on how many xrays, if he requires sedation to do, they don't all require sedating for feet, it does all add up so ensure the vet does everything required at each visit and try to collect any meds to avoid visits that are not essential.
 
I would say you will be looking at 550 /600. You may also need remedial trimming and if hes positive for cushings or ems he will be needing treatment for that. If you can claim on insurance you should because after a year it will be excluded anyway wheather you claim or not.

some insurance companies will also exclude ems and cushings if they've had laminitis.
 
Agre with watch what the vet is doing. I’ve often found they like to turn up, assess the horse is lame, then will need to comeback with X-ray/ultrasound etc. You’ve just then flushed £100 down the toilet for nothing
 
I’d guess around £600 and if he has been diagnosed with EMS or had lami in the previous policy year you won’t be covered anyway by insurance
 
^^^ as per ihw, my guess is aroumd the £600 mark. My vets are always happy to give me a running total and expected future costs (I no longer insure).

If you do put in a claim, expect to be asked to provide a print out of his full vet history. They'll dodge the claim if the EMS was diagnosed in a previous term of insurance even if you didn't claim for it. Any diagnosis of Cushing's/EMS IME means laminitis exclusion on renewal.
 
£550 plus... but don’t expect insurance to pay up without asking total vet history from when you got said horse...we went insurance way for arthritis in hocks, was a nightmare, horse had been to uni with daughter last 3 years before chain, saw 4 different vets for jabs etc, had to get vet history from each one, and one had died too😱 we gave up in the end as it was just under £300 excess, cancelled ins as well..that was with Scottish equestrian,
 
Be careful. Mine came down with laminitis at this time of year. Same treatment initally but no shoe removal. My bill by the end was over 3.5k! Most of that was the vet coming to look at him, sucking his teeth and saying carry on and we will see how it goes. I lost him in the end anyway but luckily insurance paid most of it, although I did get stuck with nearly 1k of PTS and disposal costs.

I had to provide a full vet history even though he'd been insured for 3yrs and never claimed or even actually seen a vet other than jabs. He was only 6 as well, so not like there was years worth to look at!
 
Just got the bill for a EMs blood test
Call out varies from £40- £60 depending on the practice
Test, I presume taking the blood £28.92
P&P 9.54
1 blood sample. Bottles and needles??? £11.14
Consultation fee varies, 0.5, I think is 30 mins, £21.41
These all include vat.
The lab bill will be separate.

So I guess, call out £50
Sedation cost £30
Syringes £30
Blood test 40
Examination fee £50 with hourly rate on top of that, they might include taking the shoes off in that and putting the pads on
X-rays £300
Bute £70
Dressings £30
It will probably just under you excess.
 
Leo Walker said:
Be careful. Mine came down with laminitis at this time of year. Same treatment initally but no shoe removal. My bill by the end was over 3.5k! Most of that was the vet coming to look at him, sucking his teeth and saying carry on and we will see how it goes. I lost him in the end anyway but luckily insurance paid most of it, although I did get stuck with nearly 1k of PTS and disposal costs.

I had to provide a full vet history even though he'd been insured for 3yrs and never claimed or even actually seen a vet other than jabs. He was only 6 as well, so not like there was years worth to look at!
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That’s awful. Really sorry you lost your boy. This is a specific equine vet so hopefully there won’t be any of that. Luckily I’m at a large enough yard that normally there’s always someone else requiring something so normally can split the bill somehow.
 
Call out £45ish

& Assessment approx 30minutes £50ish

2 shoes off (only had 2) clay and pads put on. I'd expect FOC

1 box of Bute (100 sachets) £80ish

Another call out & assessment in a week to a fortnight £ as before for £95ish

X rays to front hooves £250 without sedation, £400 with

Blood test for cushings £50ish

= 500-600 Is my guess!
 
My pony went down with lami in April this year. I waited a while before we x rayed. Started just on Bute with box rest and pads on her. Then her recovery was a bit up and down so we decided to X-ray.
Set of xrays on her front feet were £250
Then through all the vets visits and examinations probs cost me £175.
We also blood tested for cushings, but there was a free blood test going round so I only paid the postage to send the bloods off.
 
So just as a small update before xrays tomorrow. My balance is currently sitting at £215 and that was for;

Call out & Assessment approx 30minutes (possibly free as 4 others got seen too and this seems to be a policy that over 4 is a free call out)

2 shoes off (only had 2) clay and pads put on.

1 box of Bute (100 sachets)

May query as seems a lot especially when it was a shared call out.

Had to have another call out in between last week as he fell over in the stable so bloods were taken then.

Thankfully on the laminitis front he’s looking better, definitely more ‘back to himself’ in terms of character. Looking forward to the x rays to see where we go from here 🤞🏻
 
holeymoley said:
So just as a small update before xrays tomorrow. My balance is currently sitting at £215 and that was for;

Call out & Assessment approx 30minutes (possibly free as 4 others got seen too and this seems to be a policy that over 4 is a free call out)

2 shoes off (only had 2) clay and pads put on.

1 box of Bute (100 sachets)

May query as seems a lot especially when it was a shared call out.

Had to have another call out in between last week as he fell over in the stable so bloods were taken then.

Thankfully on the laminitis front he’s looking better, definitely more ‘back to himself’ in terms of character. Looking forward to the x rays to see where we go from here 🤞🏻
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I don’t think it’s excessive.
Even if the call out is free the assessment won’t be.
30 mins clinical assessment, padding feet, big box of Bute then I think it’s in the right ballpark
 
That’s fine, not fussed about it, just in comparison to the ‘guestimations’ on here I thought it was a bit much. But like I say, not fussed would just rather be got back to being better. I’ll update with the X-ray results
 
If you ask the vet they are obliged to give you an estimate of costs. If it changes significantly they have to advise you fo that too.
 
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