Am I paying too much??

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birdof1977

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I have My vet booked to come and do a mobile gastroscopy on one of my ponies this week, but I am not sure if they are charging way over the going rate?
They have told me it will cost about £440 + extra for sedation and call out.
If I took him in to their clinic it would be about £100 cheaper, but wouldn't include overnight stay.
As the pony is particularly stressed out at the moment, I have opted to have it done at home.
I know the treatment is expensive, but he is insured, so that isn't a major problem. The excess on his insurance though is £500, so that is pretty much just the scope.
It does seem quite pricey to me.
What do you think?
 
I've had two horses gastroscoped at home, one twice, and cost was about £200 plus call out plus sedation and that was two vets doing it. Do you have your own transport? if yes you could take pony to clinic on the day to be scoped if its cheaper.
 
My horse was taken into clinic and stayed over night she was gastroscoped the next day, rethink it was £300, if she has ulcers the treatment is expensive xxxxx
 
I do have transport, but the pony is not the best traveller, the back of the lorry is plastered when he gets off. His stress levels are rather high at the moment due to yard move 8 weeks a go as it is, he is usually a laid back soul, but has changed into a raging bull the last few weeks. So paying a little extra and having it done at home is in his best interests really. That and the fact that by the time i have added on nearly £60 in fuel for two round trips, (surgery is 35 miles away) and another £40 for overnight stay, it doesnt work out much different in cost to have him scoped at home.
All that said, I did think it was a fair bit more than other vets around the country charged.
They are good vets though, and know the pony, also one of the only ones local that do mobile scopes.
 
Well too much or not, I am glad I had the scope done.
The poor pony has grade 4 stomach ulcers, which would explain his rapid change in attitude.
He is now being treated, and will have another scope in 4 weeks.
 
That's good news that you've got a diagnosis and hope hes soon mended. What made you think he had ulcers?
I had a fall on my pony a month ago ( he put his leg down a hole while cantering across moorland ) and he had to spend a few days at my friends house as id injured myself but had to collect him as he wasn't settling there. Since then its like he's had a personality transplant, hes soo wound up and stressed its unreal, hes box walking himself into a lather when in, hes lost weight despite having had a full month off, hes not completely sound and his bloods taken 2 weeks post fall are showing hes anaemic and has raised muscle enzymes with minimal improvement on repeat bloods this week ( taken 2 wks after 1st lot ).

He was put on a major diet when i got him as he was soo fat it was cruel, hes lost 140kg on weightape and was very fit prior to the fall, hes now exercise intolerant and although was a bit noisy cantering before hes now much worse ( he landed with his head tucked in and poll first I think as he had soil in his ears and on the head piece on his bridle when he got up ) and his throat is swollen where his throat lash goes. My vet has referred him to horsepital for a lameness evaluation and a scope to examine his upper airway next Thursday. My friend thinks he may have ulcers.

Ive had to bring my yearling in for winter this week and when turned him out with her ( they were turned out together at beginning of summer ) and he instantly turned on her and attacked her, she only managed to escape serious injury because she managed to outrun him as his breathing restricted him and escaped with nothing more than a ripped rug. Yet when she's out and he's in his doing his nut because he cant see her. Hes been stabled alone all summer with different horses coming and going and hasn't given 2 hoots whether hes had company or not. I'm really stumped!!
 
It was money well spent, poor pony ulcers are terrible painful things and many horses suffer so much, when there owners thinks its naughty behaviour problems. Your pony is lucky to have someone like you at least now you know and he can get the treatment and hopefully will get better soon, keep us posted how you get on xxxxxx
 
Flaxen - So sorry to hear about your pony. I do hope he recovers quickly.
With mine, we moved yards 8 weeks a go. He went from living out most of the time, with just a few hours in if the weather was very bad, to being out for 7-8 hours a day, then in again. He had been quite unsettled since the move, but nothing major, he is normally a very laid back chap, I then sent my other pony 3 weeks a go for schooling, and within 24.hours he turned in to a raging bull.
He became dangerous to lead about, wouldn't eat, wouldn't walk out to his field, would plant and then rear spin and bolt, he then tried to jump out of his stable!! It was as though. Someone flicked a switch in him. Under saddle, he went from forward going and responsive, to nappy spooky and bucking when asked to canter. He then stopped cantering all together.
I have owned him for about 16 months now, and have broken and schooled him myself. He has never been a problem. So easy to deal with, until recently. So I knew there was more to it than bad behaviour.
Needless to say, I may be moving him back to my old yard. He was happy there, and the vet recommended 24/7 turnout for him to stop the ulcers reoccurring and aid healing, which I can't have at my present yard. Shame as the new yard has much better facilities.
but I have to do what is right for his health.

Talk to your vet, explain the symptoms and see if it is a possibility. If they are scoping the airways anyway, they may as well do both while they are there.
 
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Birdof1977, pony went to see vet yesterday, hes sound on flexion and trot up which he did fine with no misbehaving other than ears pinned back, lunging him how ever was a different story, he either wouldn't go or pi**ed off, previously he lunged fine even on grass. He objected violently to his head being examined and dragged 2 vets about as if they didn't exist and pi**ed off repeatedly. Getting a twitch on him awake wasn't going to happen so eventually managed to get a sniff of xylazine in him to get a twitch on him. His scoped showed a loose soft palate ( can address that at a later date before insurance excludes head if it affects him being ridden) but his sinuses looked fine and so was his larynx. He was constantly throwing his head around and this is where they suspect the issue is. Ive been told to give him danilon bid for 2 weeks, put him back into work and see if the head throwing continues under saddle and make sure everything is the same it was 2mths ago, eg back in starvation paddock with hay, very minimal grass and back to being alone on a night.
This is to try and see if he still behaves the way he is now while they try to eliminate what it could be. Hes having a gastroscope in 2 weeks to rule out any ulcers and while hes seriously sedated they will have a proper check in his mouth and see if can see anything in his ears ( they suspect he will need a ga for this ) if nothing shows up then, then they are talking about nerve blocking his head and ct scanning him.
 
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