Do I pay my vet bill - for their mistake

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missellie

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Approx 15 months ago, I took on a two year old cob that had been badly treated and was crawling with mites etc and had the thickest winter coat I had ever seen..he was also extemely underweight and in very poor condition.

The first I did was arrange for my vet to attend the yard and he had a health check and tetanus jab.

I asked to check him over and which she did but wasn't keen as he was "crawling" I asked if her he had been castrated and she checked and confirmed that he had and she even pointed our the scar..the area was also covered in creepies.

That day I clipped him out totally and he began his transformation into a happy healthy horse.

During the summer he was turned out with a mare and started looking so much better and his personality was developing too.

The months passed and coming into winter he started "playing up, and acting coltish" so being worried I rang the vet to confirm that he had been gelded as someone on our yard mentioned that his behaviour was "coltish", so I did and spoke to the vet about him and she confirmed that he had been gelded and not to worry because "he had found life" as she put it exactly in those words.

I accepted what she said and got on with it..then in March one Sunday morning I turned to look at him and staring back at me where is two testicles!!!!

I was mortified and didn't really know whether to laugh or cry!! as he had spent all those months with a mare..

I complained to the vet and he was gelded within a few days and the mare scanned..thankfully not in foal!!

The vet who checked him over had since left the practice and I have been billed for £198.00 for the castration which I don't really want to pay as it is not my fault she got it wrong..it the the vet.

I am liable to pay the £198.00??
 
erm... so if she had said 'no he's not been castrated' you'd have still had to pay out for the castration as you'd already got the horse.... so yes, you should still pay for the castration but I wouldn't be expecting to pay for the scan of the mare as it was down to their mistake that the mare was ever exposed to an entire...
 
This is just my view...

If your taking on the colt had been conditional upon him being a gelding, and the vet had told you he was gelded before you took him on, I would dispute the bill, as you had the option then of walking away from the horse.

However, you did take him on and clearly he needs to be a gelding so you are liable for that cost. If there had been any issues with the mare he was turned out with in the meantime I would certainly have disputed those costs, and any costs for scanning, etc as you put them together in the belief that he was gelded, as advised by the vet
 
Would you have had him cut if the vet had nto got it wrong and had told you he was not gelded? I suspect so otherwise you would not have had him cut when you found out. I would expect you to pay the bill but not the cost of scanning the mare as that was a result of the mis-information.
 
I am not sure to be honest.

If the vet had said he wasnt gelded at the begining you would have had to have paid to get him done then so I doubt you would have a case. Maybe if the colt had then put a mare in foal, the vet bills for the mare could have been disputed with the vets.

It would have needed to have been done and paid for either way. Still not great on the vets part though!
 
I'd pay for the castration as you would have had to do this anyway and had him before the vet came to see, so wasn't dependant on that however I would not be paying costs for scanning the mare. I'd also be letting the practice know in writing what had happened, regardless of them employing or not it's worth mentioning that you were not happy with the original vetting and would like that cost set against your final bill. It may or may not work, but worth a shot :)

Pan
 
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If the mare was in foal, and you wanted her 'not in foal' then I would not expect to pay for that.

I also would not expect to pay for all of the first visit where she said he was castrated.

But unless you got her out to check he was castrated before you took him on, and were explicit that you would not take him on if he was entire, then of course you have to pay for the castration! If she'd said he was entire at the time, would you still expect to get him gelded for free?

She made a mistake (a pretty big one), and I might be inclined to negotiate a discount if I could, but you can only expect the vets to knock off the cost of her attending and saying he was gelded, and any subsequent consequences such as the mare being in foal. Not the actual gelding, that's your responsibility I think.
 
As I see it, just a personal opinion, if she had noticed when first asked about it, that he hadn't been gelded you would have to have paid a bill for gelding then so it has only delayed the issue. You are no worse off. You could try getting a discount though because they were incompetant, causing anxciety & distress to you. You should not have to pay to have the mare scanned as the need for that was down to their negligence.
 
he had been "wintered out" in a herd of approx 6 and when I decided to buy him it was not any condition of vets etc he was to weak.

The vet was asked to health check him and that meant checking he had been castrated to which she confirmed yes..he had and she said he wasn't then I would of arranged for him to of been gelding as being entire is not what we wanted.

I feel that the vet misdiaganosed him and why should I pay for her mistake?
 
You really have no comeback for not paying for the horse to be gelded if you would have had it done anyway, its only been delayed. Like others have said, I think the only thing you could argue over is any costs incurred for having the mare scanned.
 
OMG what planet do you live on? Vet was useless not realising he wasn't gelded granted! Had there been a pregnancy then yes vet would be liable for costs... but really??? you don't want to pay your vet bill for something you would have had to pay for anyway?? Good try missy!
 
missellie said:
he had been "wintered out" in a herd of approx 6 and when I decided to buy him it was not any condition of vets etc he was to weak.

The vet was asked to health check him and that meant checking he had been castrated to which she confirmed yes..he had and she said he wasn't then I would of arranged for him to of been gelding as being entire is not what we wanted.

I feel that the vet misdiaganosed him and why should I pay for her mistake?
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Write to the vets and see if they will take off the first vetting cost, or take a discount for the fact that the initial vetting was not up to standard.

Regardless of time you would have gelded him anyway, so that isn't particularly the issue I would target if I were you. Note your last sentence, her mistake wasn't the cost of gelding, it was a poor vetting. I'd contest that first cost paid, not the gelding.

Pan
 
Also, how much do you value this vet.

If it was the one vet that was the problem and the surgery is somewhere you'd like to stay a client, use facts and don't push it or you could be dropped. If you are unhappy with the service full stop, move vets and then contest it.

Pan
 
Do you want to stay with these vets? If so I don't think £198 is worth falling out about. You could provide them with some useful feedback and say that you feel disappointed about the situation and see if they offer you a discount as compensation for their mistake.
 
POLLDARK said:
As I see it, just a personal opinion, if she had noticed when first asked about it, that he hadn't been gelded you would have to have paid a bill for gelding then so it has only delayed the issue. You are no worse off. You could try getting a discount though because they were incompetant, causing anxciety & distress to you. You should not have to pay to have the mare scanned as the need for that was down to their negligence.
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I agree with this. I think you need to pay for the gelding as you would have paid anyway for that but I would also ask for a 'good will gesture' off your bill as you have nothing to lose.
 
missellie said:
and she said he wasn't then I would of arranged for him to of been gelding as being entire is not what we wanted.

I feel that the vet misdiaganosed him and why should I pay for her mistake?
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You would have had him gelded anyway so I fail to see your point re: 'paying for her mistake':confused:
 
Of course you should pay. First call out you were paying for health check & jabs so it didn't cost you for her to say he was gelded. And either way if you buy a colt & want it gelding you have to pay, whether it was done straight away or later. Vets mistake didn't make him grow them! However if vets did bill you for anything to do with mare then imo you aren't liable.
 
the point to me is very simple..I asked a qualified equine vet if the animal had been castrated and she examined him replied..YES

when we bought him we were told he was a gelding and we asked the vet to check him over..because he was crawling in that area, I dont think she checked properly or thoroughly...what I mean by I would of gelded him anyway is the fact that it didn't matter that much to us whether his balls were there or not we just wanted him but we were on the understanding he had been cut...

Even months after when I rang the practice to speak to her..and the quote he has found life...no that she should arranged to visit and check him over..surely that would of been that right thing to do.
 
My word, what some people will try to avoid paying a bill. You are responsible for 100% of the cost of castration and pretty much 100% of the cost of initial exam. Did you specifically ask the receptionists when booking in for the skin issue to check for castration? If not then you are responsible for 100% of that bill too. Quit time wasting and pay your bill.
 
Did you see/feel anything when you checked? If he was behaving 'coltish' did you feel to see if he had anything? My forester was given to me as a gelding, the vet checked him and said yes he's a gelding, on his passport he's a gelding, a year after I got him I noticed something wasn't right so I had a feel and found a testicle, unfortunately only 1 so I'm having to wait till autumn to get him gelded as the other ones only just dropped. Am I going to complain at having to pay to have him gelded as my vet said he had been? No, they may be vets but they are also human and can sometimes get it wrong especially as some ponies 'suck' them up and some don't drop till they're 2 or older.
 
Pay your bill you are responsible for it . I would be a embrasssed if I was the vet and I would not expect you to pay for scanning the mare but you must pay for the castration.
 
OP, I'm not sure why you think the vet getting it wrong in this instance means you can waive your bill. You ended up with the same bill you would have had (give or take growth/anaesthesia costs) if she'd said he was entire. Quite baffling, tbh.
 
OP you really write the book on how to be the worst client for any vet unfortunate enough to treat your horse!
What planet are you on?! Pay your bill and hush up. Its not like she's cost you any money is it? Unless the mare was scanned, of which I would expect the vets to take this is on the chin.
Really, when my poor vet turns up looking strained after dealing with a nightmare owner I feel so sorry for them, remember they are human and do make mistakes. However sounds like his balls hasn't dropped what did you want her to have x-ray vision?, could be worse they could never of dropped and it would be costing £££ to have an extraction op. Then you would be moaning :rolleyes:
 
I really don't understand how you don't think you should pay for this bill!

You say she 'missdiagnosed' your horse... havcing testicles, contrary to popular belief isn't an illness!! At the time she examined him, he obviously didn't have any or YOU would have seen them too so it was therefore just a genuine mistake... I am assumning that the horse in question was of an age where he should have had testicles descended?? If so, it would have been a genuine assumption to make that he had been gelded if none could be felt!

Get over it OP you really did get off very lightly - turning an entire out with a mare and not getting a foal out of it! you should be able to laugh about it really...
 
CBFan said:
I really don't understand how you don't think you should pay for this bill!

You say she 'missdiagnosed' your horse... havcing testicles, contrary to popular belief isn't an illness!! At the time she examined him, he obviously didn't have any or YOU would have seen them too so it was therefore just a genuine mistake... I am assumning that the horse in question was of an age where he should have had testicles descended?? If so, it would have been a genuine assumption to make that he had been gelded if none could be felt!

Get over it OP you really did get off very lightly - turning an entire out with a mare and not getting a foal out of it! you should be able to laugh about it really...
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I can think of a few cases where having tesicles could be thought of as akin to an illness but they weren't horses.
 
pookie said:
OP, I'm not sure why you think the vet getting it wrong in this instance means you can waive your bill. You ended up with the same bill you would have had (give or take growth/anaesthesia costs) if she'd said he was entire. Quite baffling, tbh.
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this! you can only refuse to pay for anything which is a direct result of the error. Castration isnt, since you would have had to do it anyway.

the mare costs, yes that should be waived because it is a cost that wouldnt have occurred. And if the vet hadnt left you could reasonably say you wanted a different one (altho TBH the testicles might just have been hidden).

I dont quite understand your approach unless you have been watching too many daytime TV 'are you due compensation' ads or listening to too many sales calls from companies trying to persuade you you have whiplash......

It seems like you think they should pay you money just for the 'fact' of a mistake being made, even when the mistake doesnt have a direct consequence in respect of the castration since it would have to be done anyway.

Very odd?
 
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