Are the cost of vets bills becoming a welfare issue?

[Fransurrey]

In my experience, it's often the case that people with money don't want to pay vet bills. I know somebody absolutely rolling in it. Has nearly 50 liveries on land they own and refuse to hire labourers for because it's 'expensive'. Was showing her pics of my new cats and commenting on how my bills would triple. Her response was that she refused to pay vet fees! She's a multi-millionaire! A livery on my yard earns a very handsome salary and left her horse in a terrible condition until she was 'pushed' to get a vet out. Again, she didn't want to pay vet fees.

That's how people get rich, I guess. as long as they can get their foie gras in Fortnum...

 

[Fransurrey]

I was discussing this with my OH at the last cat appointment. The cat has solensia to keep him comfortable but the cost has increased a lot over the last few months and at the last appointment was £122 for the vet nurse to administer it. Not that long ago it was £70ish pounds. I can’t help worrying that people are going to have to stop paying, or at least not have it as regularly. We pushed his next appointment to 5 weeks instead of 4 but more because he’s feeling well. We’re lucky enough to be able to afford it, although it is getting a bit uncomfortable at that price. It’s going to make it that people are going to have to make some tough choices about what vet care their animals get.

FP, the vet can teach you how to give the injection yourself. It's a simple sub cutaneous jab and very easy to learn. I only paid for the actual Solensia when my cat had it (about £90 a vial now, I think!). I only stopped because Onsior became available and I didn't see a benefit with Solensia. I used a 23 gauge needle and my cat barely felt it.

 

[dapple_grey]

People are weird. I've noticed a lot of horse owners seem to have this fear of calling the vet and I have no idea why. Denial maybe?

It's really depressing how many people will call the chiro (£40), physio (£60), animal communicator (£60) etc. when they have a lame horse, but god forbid they call a vet as it's too expensive!

 

[twiggy2]

She a bit of a hoarder and collects ponies ! which she 'rescues' and currently has 6 all small ones she has had up to 9 but fortunately hasn't replaced ones lost over the last few years.
Vets bill increases x 6 will have certainly impacted her costs she does do vaccinations etc as they are kept on her own property so other costs are minimal .

In light of this post and the fact the pony has been left long enough to lose enough weight to be in the consition you describe then no in this case its nothing to do with vets fees.
If she only had 1 or even 2 ponies then she could probably afford the vets fees.
If people chose to hoard more animlas than they can afford its no ones fault but their own but its the animals that suffer.
someone cannot class themselves as rescuing animals if they then neglect them, they are just moving them from one poor situation to another.

 

[Rowreach]

I think in this case it's more verging on being neglectful, especially in light of the hoarding of ponies, but in general terms I think a lot of people are struggling with the cost of everything, and vet bills are going to be making some people avoid going to the vet when in the past they might have been straight on the phone, and in some cases that will have welfare implications.

My animals will get what they need for now (and I will load that with a good dollop of common sense/QoL considerations) but for the first time ever I won't be replacing any of them when they eventually go. I'm thankful I have two very sensible vets looking after my large and small animals.

 

[SEL]

People are weird. I've noticed a lot of horse owners seem to have this fear of calling the vet and I have no idea why. Denial maybe?

It's really depressing how many people will call the chiro (£40), physio (£60), animal communicator (£60) etc. when they have a lame horse, but god forbid they call a vet as it's too expensive!

I have a friend like that - it's bizarre!

 

[Ratface]

Old Horse and Roderigo Catto will get the best care available for whatever they need. RC has top level Petplan Premium insurance cover and is registered with the Linneaus practice down the road near Old Horse's yard. Old Horse has aged-out of his NFU insurance and his excellent veterinary hospital practice has it on record that if they need to pts and can't get hold of me, they are to take YO's opinion and act on that. She's agreed to that. He has just had his flu and tet. immunisations (£60). Farrier every six weeks for barefoot trim (£30) Equine dentist £75 every year. I'm happy to go without as long as they're getting everything that they need.

 

[setterlover]

The 2 have left now will be the last.They are 24 and 19 and for various reasons I no longer ride.I love them both but have already made the decision that there will be no dynamic intervention should they suffer a colic or anything else requiring surgery .Quality of life is paramount for me and I can afford to manage their care including any routine vets bills farrier equine dentist worm counts etc that they may need .
They are kept at home and we make our own haylege so other costs are minimal.
Owing horses is becoming a very expensive hobby.

 

[Orangehorse]

Its certainly a factor in why I will not be replacing my old horse.

I can see that it could become a welfare problem if people genuinely can't afford treatment.

There was a talk given by a local vet, a well known personality, who said that mostly farmers paid their bills on time, but the horse people were by far the worst payers.

 

[SilverLinings]

When I worked at vet practices 20+ years ago there were a fairly large number of clients who either resented or couldn't afford vet treatment, and I think they have always existed. Sadly I think there are also people who think spending money on animals is a waste or not a priority for them, and/or that animals don't really feel pain or suffer anyway. My animals have a profound positive effect on my quality of life but I still think that we aren't entitled to own an animal if we can't afford any care they may need, whether this utilises insurance or the owner always pays in full.

Sometimes people are unfortunately caught out with awful life changes (e.g. ill health or being made redundant) but I don't think this applies to the majority. I do think this issue poses a welfare issue, and it will probably be much larger over the next few years as all the pandemic puppies (and other pets) start getting old. I think there should be help for people who are truly struggling, but also stricter punishment of those who chose not to spend money on vet attention when necessary.

I think many people (not necessarily on here) forget that the cost for an appointment/procedure has to cover the vet, any nursing staff involved, admin costs (including staff), disposables (e.g. cotton wool, surgical spirit, the soap the vet washes their hands with), the building, running costs (electricity etc), cleaning costs, insurance, staff training, pensions and taxes, the cost of the practice manager, maintenance of the car park (if applicable), medication, equipment (right down to thermometers and tweezers) and many more items.

I think that because the NHS is free and few of us have experienced paying full cost for private medical services we can become rather unrealistic about the actual costs of many things. The NHS gets good prices for most goods and services as it's buying power is huge, it has a large number of sites and millions of patients: vet practices or groups will never be able to match this, but even if they did procedures wouldn't be cheap. The NHS isn't having to generate profit for shareholders or partners either.

Below I have put the costs to the NHS (in 2024) of a variety of procedures that are the same as/similar to those that may be seen in animals (bear in mind that Drs have a head start as their patients can usually tell them what hurts, where the problem is, their medical history, etc). IME I have paid much less for several of these issues to be dealt with by a vet:

Inpatient per day £285-£491
GI infection £523-£9,556
Abdominal pain WITHOUT interventions £390 with intervention £2,754 (this doesn't include surgery, e.g. appendectomy)
Hernia procedure £1,403 - £7,144
Liver failure WITHOUT intervention £960 - £2,359 with interventions up to £6,523
Lower back pain WITHOUT intervention £672 - £1,707
Soft tissue disorder £451 - £2,015
Non-inflammatory bone or joint disorder £422 - £3,189
MSK signs or symptoms £791 - £3,816 (investigation costs)f
Knee fracture WITHOUT interventions £1,103 - £3,308
Minor shoulder procedure for non-trauma £1,221
Minor skin procedures £593 (adult patient) - £949 (paediatric patient)
Surgical tooth extraction (per tooth) £614 - £1,241
Poisoning/toxic ingestion WITHOUT intervention £620 - £1,473 WITH intervention £2,051 - £4,319
Unspecified pain £634 - £1,507
Follow-up examination £331 - £2,104

This information can be found at:

NHS England » 2023-25 NHS Payment Scheme (amended)

www.england.nhs.uk

The clearest information is in the attachment labelled 'Annex A'.

 

[Orangehorse]

You are definitely right about having the NHS shocks people when it comes to paying for their pet. But I don't think they resent it so far it has been accepted as part of having a pet.

But when it starts to become unaffordable, that is when neglect will come in. If they know that the pet is ill,but they dread the possible bill.

I think my horse vet telling the above story wasn't saying that the horses owners couldn't pay, it was that they didn't want to pay as they had the horsebox to fill with fuel to go to a show, competition fees, a new bridle, showing jacket, jacket, and let the vet wait for his money.

As for farmers, we get those disposables like the gloves, etc. added to our bill, anything that the vet uses while they are here.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

They are getting ridiculously expensive but if the pony needs the Vet it needs the Vet imo. My Vet will allow me to pay back in instalments if it’s an expensive visit so maybe this is an option for your friend?

 

[SilverLinings]

You are definitely right about having the NHS shocks people when it comes to paying for their pet. But I don't think they resent it so far it has been accepted as part of having a pet.

But when it starts to become unaffordable, that is when neglect will come in. If they know that the pet is ill,but they dread the possible bill.

I think my horse vet telling the above story wasn't saying that the horses owners couldn't pay, it was that they didn't want to pay as they had the horsebox to fill with fuel to go to a show, competition fees, a new bridle, showing jacket, jacket, and let the vet wait for his money.

As for farmers, we get those disposables like the gloves, etc. added to our bill, anything that the vet uses while they are here.

I worked in the past at small and large animal practices, and with the large animals you got a better idea of the owner's financial status, especially if they kept their horses at home. In the Equine practice I worked for I would say that bad payers and those reluctant to call the vet out in the first place were found evenly spread across all walks of life. There are callous and stingy people across the financial spectrum, but I did feel for those few who were struggling financially due to unforeseen circumstances and who wanted the best for their animals. It can be hard to separate those who can't afford it from those who don't want to pay though.

 

[Northern]

I must admit I get quite jaded by posts like these. Since when were vets expected to subsidise pet ownership? Vet bills are part of pet ownership, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

When inflation drives cost of living up, guess what? Supplier, diesel, insurance, maintenance costs for vet equipment, wages, whether privately or corporate owned, also increase. Are owner vets expected to just absorb the cost at the detriment of their own personal bills (mortgage, family) and continue on treating animals from the goodness of their heart, whilst losing money? And corporates need to make a profit as well, otherwise what is the point? Businesses would not exist if they are forecast to lose money or return no profit long term, this is true for any industry.

I manage the books for a mixed mobile equine/small animal hospital (built mid last year) practice. I watch the money haemorrhage weekly on wages, equipment maintenance and supplier invoices, I saw the bank loan amount, I saw the business plan which included the business losing money for 3 years, after which they should just about break even. The owner vet is not paying himself wages, he has three small children and they are making do on his partners (also a vet - not in practice) maternity leave wages to pay their mortgage. I have sat at the admin desk listening to botox filled, plastic surgery sculpted women complain about the cost of vet bills for their unspayed, unvaccinated dog who dared to get sick enough to need surgery. Then mention the 4 other dogs she has at home. I watch local Facebook posts about vet bills descend into chaos with ever more people crying out for vets to treat sob story cases for free. A particular current example, a large breed dog hit by a car who needs regular anaesthesia over the next 6 weeks for wound care. I know plenty of horse owners who choke up at paying vet bills, but happily drive 3 hours to their next One Day Event (average cost these days is more than a vet consult with treatment!) the next weekend.

We have some loyal clients with a robust history of paying, who are allowed to pay off their bills and my boss is often too lenient on others because he realises times are tough. However, many clients who owe money have disappeared and are not contactable. The losses run into the thousands, and that is coming out of the business pocket. This means paying admin staff like myself to follow up and perhaps prepare small claims cases to try and reclaim something.

So genuine question, why is the public perception that vets (and their staff) not allowed to earn money like everyone else? Would you go to your job on a Sunday and work for free? Plumbers and electricians have hefty call out fees as well (at least here in Aus!), why do they not get the public ridicule that vets do?

I get there are bad eggs in every industry. But by and large we all try and do the right thing. It's just never enough and that is why vets are leaving in droves.

 

[ycbm]

I do think vet and insurance costs are going to start to limit who keeps animals, but the main cause is the increased sophistication of diagnostics and treatments. There is so much more possible than there was even 20 years ago, and not to use it is unethical.
.

 

[Orangina]

Its certainly a factor in why I will not be replacing my old horse.

I can see that it could become a welfare problem if people genuinely can't afford treatment.

There was a talk given by a local vet, a well known personality, who said that mostly farmers paid their bills on time, but the horse people were by far the worst payers.

I find this interesting about paying bills. I am not a farmer but have a few pet sheep (also too many horses and cats as well). I find any costs related to treatments and call outs for my sheep significantly cheaper than the horses or the cats (and cats I never have call outs I would always take them to vet).
I can't see a reasonable explanation for why my vets fees for my sheep should be so much cheaper so it does lead me to believe there is artificial inflation of fees going on for other animals and perhaps that's why people are slower to pay? (I am not slow to pay and I'm noy saying it is justified , I'm just pondering I suppose- I don't know much about psychology either so probably completely wrong!)

 

[Bonnie Allie]

I must admit I get quite jaded by posts like these. Since when were vets expected to subsidise pet ownership? Vet bills are part of pet ownership, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

When inflation drives cost of living up, guess what? Supplier, diesel, insurance, maintenance costs for vet equipment, wages, whether privately or corporate owned, also increase. Are owner vets expected to just absorb the cost at the detriment of their own personal bills (mortgage, family) and continue on treating animals from the goodness of their heart, whilst losing money? And corporates need to make a profit as well, otherwise what is the point? Businesses would not exist if they are forecast to lose money or return no profit long term, this is true for any industry.

So genuine question, why is the public perception that vets (and their staff) not allowed to earn money like everyone else? Would you go to your job on a Sunday and work for free? Plumbers and electricians have hefty call out fees as well (at least here in Aus!), why do they not get the public ridicule that vets do?

I’m with you on this. Like all professionals who consult, we/they exchange time and expertise for money. In veterinary services as clients we are looking for evidence based diagnostic and treatment which requires specialist tools and knowledge.

Everything is impacted by CoL - vet fees in my area have risen but less than CPI/COLA.

Where I get cranky is vet practices are not sophisticated consultants and can’t tell the difference between transactional work and custom complex, including the ability to have a conversation with profitable clients who are willing to pay. We all get lumped together which drives dissatisfaction with service delivery - hence reluctance to call vet as perception is we will get a transactional service at best. Most of them can’t even turn up close to appt time.

If you want to be paid and treated like a professional - act like one. I disagree that in AU vets are leaving in droves - attrition is no higher than in any consulting practice. The leaders of the practices need to focus on staff experience, career progression, digital skills and work life balance. Same as every corporate and govt dept is doing right now. I’m over the incessent whining coming from the Equine vet practices in AU. If they just had basic consulting skills they would be the centre of the ecosystem of providers not an alternative to allied professionals and we would see a lot more value in them.

To the original post - I would have been a massive softie and offered to pay for the vet visit. That aged pony is very sick and needs intervention. It’s tough and I hope the lady can get it resolved.

 

[Sandstone1]

I must admit I get quite jaded by posts like these. Since when were vets expected to subsidise pet ownership? Vet bills are part of pet ownership, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

When inflation drives cost of living up, guess what? Supplier, diesel, insurance, maintenance costs for vet equipment, wages, whether privately or corporate owned, also increase. Are owner vets expected to just absorb the cost at the detriment of their own personal bills (mortgage, family) and continue on treating animals from the goodness of their heart, whilst losing money? And corporates need to make a profit as well, otherwise what is the point? Businesses would not exist if they are forecast to lose money or return no profit long term, this is true for any industry.

I manage the books for a mixed mobile equine/small animal hospital (built mid last year) practice. I watch the money haemorrhage weekly on wages, equipment maintenance and supplier invoices, I saw the bank loan amount, I saw the business plan which included the business losing money for 3 years, after which they should just about break even. The owner vet is not paying himself wages, he has three small children and they are making do on his partners (also a vet - not in practice) maternity leave wages to pay their mortgage. I have sat at the admin desk listening to botox filled, plastic surgery sculpted women complain about the cost of vet bills for their unspayed, unvaccinated dog who dared to get sick enough to need surgery. Then mention the 4 other dogs she has at home. I watch local Facebook posts about vet bills descend into chaos with ever more people crying out for vets to treat sob story cases for free. A particular current example, a large breed dog hit by a car who needs regular anaesthesia over the next 6 weeks for wound care. I know plenty of horse owners who choke up at paying vet bills, but happily drive 3 hours to their next One Day Event (average cost these days is more than a vet consult with treatment!) the next weekend.

We have some loyal clients with a robust history of paying, who are allowed to pay off their bills and my boss is often too lenient on others because he realises times are tough. However, many clients who owe money have disappeared and are not contactable. The losses run into the thousands, and that is coming out of the business pocket. This means paying admin staff like myself to follow up and perhaps prepare small claims cases to try and reclaim something.

So genuine question, why is the public perception that vets (and their staff) not allowed to earn money like everyone else? Would you go to your job on a Sunday and work for free? Plumbers and electricians have hefty call out fees as well (at least here in Aus!), why do they not get the public ridicule that vets do?

I get there are bad eggs in every industry. But by and large we all try and do the right thing. It's just never enough and that is why vets are leaving in droves.

I fully understand that vets are a business and need to pay overheads and make a profit but recently with the large chains taking over fees have gone up massively and in my opinion unreasonably so.
For example charging £60 for a pack of paracetamol that can be be bought for under a £1 is not on. Out of hours fees? £300 to see a vet at 6pm on a friday ....before the dog is even examined. Thats the sort of thing that needs looking at.
There will always be people that do not take animals to the vet because they do not want to pay but increasingly people will not be able to afford to keep pets.

 

[Kaylum]

Yes probably a few years ago when they first got their pet they could easily afford it. But with increase in everything it's now unaffordable. Something nobody could have predicted such a steep increase in prices for everything.

 

[setterlover]

With regard to vet costs I have always been really sad that VAT is paid on veterinary bills this was a tax on luxury items and services but veterinary care is not a luxury and is essential for the well being of our animals be that domestic pets or privately owned horses this automatically adds 20% to every vets bill and this is nothing to do with the vet practices themselves. Farms and equestrian business can claim this back but the average owner can't.

 

[meleeka]

I find this interesting about paying bills. I am not a farmer but have a few pet sheep (also too many horses and cats as well). I find any costs related to treatments and call outs for my sheep significantly cheaper than the horses or the cats (and cats I never have call outs I would always take them to vet).
I can't see a reasonable explanation for why my vets fees for my sheep should be so much cheaper so it does lead me to believe there is artificial inflation of fees going on for other animals and perhaps that's why people are slower to pay? (I am not slow to pay and I'm noy saying it is justified , I'm just pondering I suppose- I don't know much about psychology either so probably completely wrong!)

I agree. My farm animal vet is significantly cheaper than my equine vet. There does seem to be an uplift in everything as soon as the word “equine” is added! It also seems the same with things like wormers.

 

[SantaVera]

I must admit I get quite jaded by posts like these. Since when were vets expected to subsidise pet ownership? Vet bills are part of pet ownership, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

When inflation drives cost of living up, guess what? Supplier, diesel, insurance, maintenance costs for vet equipment, wages, whether privately or corporate owned, also increase. Are owner vets expected to just absorb the cost at the detriment of their own personal bills (mortgage, family) and continue on treating animals from the goodness of their heart, whilst losing money? And corporates need to make a profit as well, otherwise what is the point? Businesses would not exist if they are forecast to lose money or return no profit long term, this is true for any industry.

I manage the books for a mixed mobile equine/small animal hospital (built mid last year) practice. I watch the money haemorrhage weekly on wages, equipment maintenance and supplier invoices, I saw the bank loan amount, I saw the business plan which included the business losing money for 3 years, after which they should just about break even. The owner vet is not paying himself wages, he has three small children and they are making do on his partners (also a vet - not in practice) maternity leave wages to pay their mortgage. I have sat at the admin desk listening to botox filled, plastic surgery sculpted women complain about the cost of vet bills for their unspayed, unvaccinated dog who dared to get sick enough to need surgery. Then mention the 4 other dogs she has at home. I watch local Facebook posts about vet bills descend into chaos with ever more people crying out for vets to treat sob story cases for free. A particular current example, a large breed dog hit by a car who needs regular anaesthesia over the next 6 weeks for wound care. I know plenty of horse owners who choke up at paying vet bills, but happily drive 3 hours to their next One Day Event (average cost these days is more than a vet consult with treatment!) the next weekend.

We have some loyal clients with a robust history of paying, who are allowed to pay off their bills and my boss is often too lenient on others because he realises times are tough. However, many clients who owe money have disappeared and are not contactable. The losses run into the thousands, and that is coming out of the business pocket. This means paying admin staff like myself to follow up and perhaps prepare small claims cases to try and reclaim something.

So genuine question, why is the public perception that vets (and their staff) not allowed to earn money like everyone else? Would you go to your job on a Sunday and work for free? Plumbers and electricians have hefty call out fees as well (at least here in Aus!), why do they not get the public ridicule that vets do?

I get there are bad eggs in every industry. But by and large we all try and do the right thing. It's just never enough and that is why vets are leaving in droves.

Same for livery yard owners,horse owners often think they should have palacial facilities for £10a week type of mentality and that they shouldn't make a profit.

 

[Gamebird]

I find this interesting about paying bills. I am not a farmer but have a few pet sheep (also too many horses and cats as well). I find any costs related to treatments and call outs for my sheep significantly cheaper than the horses or the cats (and cats I never have call outs I would always take them to vet).
I can't see a reasonable explanation for why my vets fees for my sheep should be so much cheaper so it does lead me to believe there is artificial inflation of fees going on for other animals and perhaps that's why people are slower to pay? (I am not slow to pay and I'm noy saying it is justified , I'm just pondering I suppose- I don't know much about psychology either so probably completely wrong!)

Have you considered the possibility that it is the converse, and it is artificial deflation of your farm vet fees? I'm afraid that it is generally that way round, and the equine fees are the more realistic ones.

 

[rabatsa]

I find this interesting about paying bills. I am not a farmer but have a few pet sheep (also too many horses and cats as well). I find any costs related to treatments and call outs for my sheep significantly cheaper than the horses or the cats (and cats I never have call outs I would always take them to vet).
I can't see a reasonable explanation for why my vets fees for my sheep should be so much cheaper so it does lead me to believe there is artificial inflation of fees going on for other animals and perhaps that's why people are slower to pay? (I am not slow to pay and I'm noy saying it is justified , I'm just pondering I suppose- I don't know much about psychology either so probably completely wrong!)

Both local farm animal practices run out of small premises with just the vets and office staff, no nursing staff or consult rooms to fund. Anything taken to them is treated in the trailer and is always an emergency. This does reduce their overheads but all nursing care is delivered by owners at home.

 

[moorhillhorses]

Approached by someone who lives local to me ( not particularly a friend just know her,)Would I look at one of her elderly ponies as it is very skinny (you can see spine and ribs points of hips clearly she says) as she is concerned about how skinny it is.
I asked how old 26 small pony shettie type.apparently eating high calorie mash but leaving half and not gaining weight after the winter.
I didn't particularly want to look at it as
It is so easy to get pulled in but said I would do a worm count and worm as appropriate get the teeth checked and reduce the amount of feed fed in one bucket if not eating it but add something like linseed to it and split into 3 feeds through the day.If all that doesn't improve the situation then involve the vet.
She doesn't want to involve the vet as that would be far too costly.
I then said if she doesn't want to involve the vet and the pony doesn't improve then make the decision to PTS 26 is not a bad age.
She said the mother lived to ,31 so was expecting this one to do the same.
I said that I felt ages of parents has only minimal influence on how long anything will live .
I just begin to worry that the cost of vets bills is start to have an effect on peoples willingness to involve the vet in this sort of none emergency situation.
Found out that I am not the only one approached it seems we all gave similar recommendations.

Probably has Cushings too

 

[Orangina]

Have you considered the possibility that it is the converse, and it is artificial deflation of your farm vet fees? I'm afraid that it is generally that way round, and the equine fees are the more realistic ones.

Hmm but then how would my farm vet stay afloat if they were charging deflated costs all the time?

 

[Orangina]

Both local farm animal practices run out of small premises with just the vets and office staff, no nursing staff or consult rooms to fund. Anything taken to them is treated in the trailer and is always an emergency. This does reduce their overheads but all nursing care is delivered by owners at home.

Interesting point and could certainly contribute but then I would expect nursing care to be added to individual bills for other pets if needed if you see what I mean so I am sure that is funded that way. I wouldn't expect to be billed for nursing care where my horse or cat didn't receive any.
Could definitely be contributing though if they amortised those costs across all bills rather than those that actually use the nursing.

 

[Gamebird]

Interesting point and could certainly contribute but then I would expect nursing care to be added to individual bills for other pets if needed if you see what I mean so I am sure that is funded that way. I wouldn't expect to be billed for nursing care where my horse or cat didn't receive any.
Could definitely be contributing though if they amortised those costs across all bills rather than those that actually use the nursing.

They have to - we have to pay our nurses 24/7, whether there are 8 in-patients or none.

 

[ycbm]

.

Have you considered the possibility that it is the converse, and it is artificial deflation of your farm vet fees? I'm afraid that it is generally that way round, and the equine fees are the more realistic ones.

When the Corporate bought a local practice it was already split into 3 separate businesses and has remained that way. The farm business is stand alone, both in fees and in location. The hierarchy in fees is still farm, equine, small.
.

 

[Orangina]

They have to - we have to pay our nurses 24/7, whether there are 8 in-patients or none.

I think I just assumed that it would be amortised over those that use the nursing rather than those that don't. You will know roughly how much nursing is used in a year so can calculate the amortisation across those that use the facilities. Would seem a fairer way to do it