Has anyone ever refused to pay a vets bill?

S

scarymare

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 October 2010
Messages
1,249
Visit site
OK, so my horrifically injured broodmare is with a new vet. Have just received vets bill from the first vets for £1500.

My argument is:

1. The attending vet phoned the surgery once she had seen the wound and said she felt it was beyond her experience and could someone else come out - she was told just to get on with it. This should have been referred

2. On four occasions she/another came out to dress the wound. Very heavy sedation used (nearly off her feet). In all cases the bandage had slipped below the wound/gapped within 24 hours, on one occasion within AN HOUR. Trapping **** etc and rubbing the wound.

Result of 1 & 2 is a really bad situation where the 'retro-fitting' which needs to be done as a result of this is huge. She has a much worse outcome and is in a worse place than she was 3 weeks ago.

We have no problem paying the bill but I would rather the money spent on treatment which will help not hinder her - do I have a case do you think? Not looking for something for nothing just wondering why I have to pay £800 for dressing changes which were frankly not good enough even though done under almost knockout sedation. Frank opinions not objected to as my head is all over the place.
 
I once had an insane bill sent to me by a similar substandard equine vet practice. After to-ing and fro-ing I did decide to pay the bill in the end but I switched vet practices immediately. I never bad mouthed the original vet practice to anyone but many people must have realised that I was badly treated since this practice is very very local to me, I have loads of horses but I don't use them! Speaks volumes. Incidentally this practice no longer serves the equine fraternity and has lost a lot of small animal clientelle too in the last few years. Now that is what I call karma.
 
Did you complain at the time about the bandages? Whereabouts are the bandages located? TBH if the vet had rung the practice and been told to get on with it despite it being beyond her experience, I woul dhave changed practices then... What would another vets have done differently?
 
I think I would speak to a senior vet and negotiate the bill down, in return for not making a formal complaint to BVS. However in future (I realise that you have changed vet already) I would comment on any substandard treatment as soon as possible after the event.
Having said that though, I know that when you are in the throes of dealing with a poorly horse, all your energy is going towards the horse.
In fact I lost a horse because of a vet's wrong advice but simply changed vets. I do tell people why if they ask.
 
OK - I think you should have put your concerns in writing at the time as this would have given you more leverage now the bill is in. Did you complain at all at the time? If so you probably have a stronger case.

I think as others have said you have to have a reasonable discussion with the vets. If I were you I would be negotiating around being willing to pay for outlays eg materials/dressing used but not costs for re-doing their poor dressings given horse was doped.

Hope your mare is getting better.
 
SusieT said:
Did you complain at the time about the bandages? Whereabouts are the bandages located? TBH if the vet had rung the practice and been told to get on with it despite it being beyond her experience, I woul dhave changed practices then... What would another vets have done differently?
Click to expand...

I was told that 'slippage was almost inevitable' and didn't complain until the last time. Even then I quiety ran reception and asked for saline etc so's I could do it myself. Don't really know why, I'm normally pretty assertive. TBH the injury was so huge I think I was in shock at the time but you are making a valid point - when I heard that I should have done better. I think that had it been correctly stitched then it wouldn't be the gaping mess it is now.
 
Did it get infected? Stitche s in a high tension/mobile area are very pron to breaking down anyway. Whereabouts is teh wound?
 
Our pony was was kicked whilst on loan and had a star fracture of her tibia. I was not happy with the treatment given by the loanees vet and as soon as possible brought her home and changed to our own vet. I received a ludicrously high bill from the first vet and wrote quite politely and pointed out that a lot of the charges were for things caused by their errors, they did then reduce the bill considerably.
I would either call or phone the first vet to discuss the charges, hopefully they will be reasonable. I hope things look up for your mare.
 
Yes - I had a horse that went 1/10th lame in one front limb and 2/10ths lame in the other after a hard days' hunting ( horse made it hard, not me), and it felt like feet and navicular syndrome to me. Vet came out, told him what I thought, he had a look, said 'I would state categorically this horse does not have navicular' and refused me a referral to the vet hospital.
Came out a week later as I was really concerned, he decided to use his x-ray machine (mobile and poor) and saw something in one foot that wasn't clear enough so he finally referred, me, horse had slight changes in coffin bone on the less lame foot, and changes to the navicular bone on the other foot.
I refused to pay for his x-rays because he refused to refer me immediately to where I ended up anyway, and we settled the bill with me paying for his second visit, but not the x-rays.
 
I wish I had! When my girl was 10 months old she went through a fence (I was on holiday and came back to find her in a complete state) and ran around the field with a post attached. She was lame for 3 weeks and I kept calling them out and asked them to x ray. "Don't be silly,"/"Don't be ridiculous,"/"Stop fussing," were the comments from the 3 senior partners. Eventually when I hopped up and down and shouted they referred her to Western Counties. Lo and behold- a fracture!! I wrote to complain and got fobbed off. I changed vet immediately and looked into a formal complaint to the BVS but was so tied up in looking after my horse I didn't have the energy it would have taken.

I paid the bill but wish I hadn't.
 
Years ago I had a horse who I knew had Navicular disease but the young vet kept telling me no he had sprained a suspensory ligament . So every day I hosed the leg even though there was no heat nor swelling.!!! I was a novice then. After 4 months I rang the practice and got the boss!! who asked have nerve blocks been done I replied no but I had asked when the young vet came first.!!
The boss came out and comfirmed my fears!!! and when I showed him all the bills he refunded the lot.!!!
 
Not horse related but our very loved kuhne kuhne pet pig needed to be put down as we couldn't control his severe arthritis any longer last year. We made an appointment for a week later and explained Gordon was a loved pet and needed to be euthanised with respect by an experienced pig vet (apparently due to pigs going to abattoirs most vets aren't too knowledgable putting them down, although our previous wonderful farm vet, who sadly moved away had put our pigs down with no trouble).

Anyhow the vet arrived wearing a "class of 2010 vet school hoodie" so just qualified , anyhow not to ramble she f____ed up majorly, she didn't realise how big he would be even though he had been seen on several occasions for his arthritis by them previously. To cut this short she tried for 2 hours to euthanise him it was heart breaking and I had to go inside as it was so awful, Gordon was screaming and we were crying, but she had stuck so much in him we had to keep going. In the end she tearfully rang the surgery after our insistence and MANY calls made by me insisting a more senior vet came, after 2 hours a partner came and ended poor Gordon's misery, but what a bar steward he was, he realised they had f----ed up big time and tried to get all blokey and matey with my husband putting his arm round him and saying all ok now and laughing. We were both so upset and still feel guilty to this day.

I sent a letter first class the next day saying I would not be paying and they were lucky I wasn't taking further action against them. The partner rang me and tried to give me a load of crap about it being the usual way to treat a pig, anyhow, I never paid and would never let them set foot on our farm again, and I'm guilty of telling ALOT of people of our experience. Good luck.
 
Place where I worked a few years ago, we had a mare come in lame, hind leg was swollen just above and on her fetlock.
Vet was called as she was very sore. Vet checked her over, felt she had an abscess coming and told me to keep her in and poultice the foot. I didn't feel it was that, I was more thinking ligament strain, but he was a vet and I trusted his judgement.
Farrier was due out next day anyway which was lucky and he checked her over and told me it wasn't an abscess it was her tendon.
Called vets back and they sent out another vet, who also agreed on tendon, left me with bute for her, told me to keep her on box rest and he said he'd be back in a few days to scan her leg.
Anyway vets tried to charge the owner for the original visit, plus the 2nd visit after the 1st misdiagnosis so I told them we wouldn't be paying for anything regarding the 1st visit as it was a complete waste of time. We wouldn't have needed a 2nd visit if the 1st vet had gotten it right.
Vets didn't dispute any of it and only charged for 1 visit plus bute.
Certainly worth disputing with the vets if you feel they haven't done their jobs, which sounds like they haven't IMO.
 
If you feel so strongly about it (and who can blame you really), then dispute it. You never know, it may well be reduced. The worst they can do is issue you with a summons and you can argue all the way to Court. The trouble with wounds like that is that no one can say for sure what the wound would be like now, as even with the best care in the world, things can still go sideways
 
we once didnt pay the full bill (£2500) we paid £2000 instead - insurance paid out but our vet took the piss as he was bleeding to death through 4 severed arteries she was called at 4 on an emergency call out didnt turn up till 7:30 then charged us after hours call out when if she had actually turned up when she was called it wouldnt have been after hours - her excuse was "i had to finish my booked in people first" - she was fully aware of the fact that at 6 o'clock 5 people were holding him up because he had lost so much blood

i would complain if they are that bothered they will take you to court but they usually give up when you go well yeah ok i'll go to court but its always good to have pics and a secound opinion with another vet
 
Many times! LOL

Once when I was sure a young horse was lame in the stifle area and vet was saying foot. He did find a minuscule mark on the sole of the foot but nothing nasty under it.
I kept asking for an X-ray as the horse was still lame. Eventually took him and another livery that had a swollen back fetlock that I had been told by the vet that it was just a knock but my gut feeling was it was more serious. She wasn't lame on it but as she was in for breaking I did not want to strain it further.
Turns out that she had broken her sesamoid bones (luckily she had done it at her owners)
The radiologist had been told to take pictures of the young horse's hoof but I insisted on the stifle area and when the vet arrived he wanted pictures of his fetlock and hock and said the stifle was a waste of time.
I told him there and then and also went and told the chief vet that If the lower pictures were clear then I would not pay for them.
I didn't - he had a bone cysts in his stifle.

Recently I took my Border Terrier to the vet saying that he liver had packed in. The young vet insisted she had been poisoned but there is never any poison down. He had trouble drawing blood and when he did it was a dirty brown colour, a sure indication of liver problems.
She had a jab to stop her vomiting and some electrolites and I took her home. Next morning blood results showed liver failure and her kidney's were also going.
Took her back and had her PTS. Went to pay the bill.
Meds £5, PTS £30, Blood £35 and a further £65 for examination and diagnosis. I never paid the latter as the vet was so wrong. I had told him what was wrong!
She was a day off her 17th birthday so had a good life.
 
Yep I did and the vet struck me off - I had lots of letters back and forward with them over £40 probably sounds stupid but myself and a friend on yard had a shared callout, the callout being £40, we both got bills in for our relevant treatment and the vets time etc, plus we both had a £40 callout fee on the bill, my mate paid hers cause she thought she was the one paying and i'd give her half of it, when I told her i'd got the callout on mine, I phoned the surgery and explained, they denied that my friend had paid the callout despite her (through me) producing a copy of her invoice. anyhoo I refused to pay the callout fee but just sent them cheque for the treatment of the horse, vets time etc, they wrote back and said they had "struck me off" their records for non payment of bills. ho hum.
 
Many years ago, my horse had a kick injury the day before I was gue to go on holiday. A locum vet came out, said box rest, no turning out and poultice 3 times per day. As there was no break in the skin, I disputed the poultice as I'd only really called the vet so that I got some bute. As he was my horse, I could see he wasn't 100% sound but, to other liveries, he looked like he was.
Anyway, locum vet wouldn't give me bute, so I phoned the vets to ask for somebody else to come out and duly went abroad.
Fast forward 2 weeks, got home to find horse hadn't left the stable for the 2 weeks I was away, been poulticed for 3 days, still no bute and the vet that returned the following day was the same locum I'd disagreed with! By then the bill stood at just over £100 (although they hadn't sent it at that point). The locum had told YO 4 weeks box rest, and to call them for a check up at the end of it!
I went to see them with steam coming out of my ears, another vet came to see him (he was totally fine, bit mental from box rest, and no sign of original, small injury!). They didn't charge me for anything in the end, but tried to softsoap and say the locum wasn't experienced with horses and recommended pouticing in case of abcess!!
I must admit, I do try and stockpile a bit of bute these days! I've lost count of the amount of times a vet has been called to the yard to say boxrest and bute, will call again in 3 days!
 
scarymare said:
I was told that 'slippage was almost inevitable' and didn't complain until the last time. Even then I quiety ran reception and asked for saline etc so's I could do it myself. Don't really know why, I'm normally pretty assertive. TBH the injury was so huge I think I was in shock at the time but you are making a valid point - when I heard that I should have done better. I think that had it been correctly stitched then it wouldn't be the gaping mess it is now.
Click to expand...

I dont agree, slippage is not inevitable, if the bandage is applied properly it should be secure, if it cant be secured then its dangerous and another form of dressing should have been looked into. I think youve every right to challenge this, but id do it by asking for a meeting with the practice manager or senior vet
 
I wished!!! Three years ago, the vet practice I was with then (very big one) sent a darn locum vet to see my injured mare. Locum vet was useless, couldn't believe she attended vet college!!! This ended up in a whole year of misdiagnosis, until they realized her LDET was torn at an odd place... many thousand pounds and an arthroscopy later. I should have made them refund me all the bills from the locum vet, etc.

Mare is still not completely sound!

Unfortunately, she is my first horse, I put my trust in vets back then. Not so anymore now. I must be a vets nightmare as I'm a complete sceptic.
 
A girl who came to view a horse of mine for sale, got an outside vet from the area to do a vetting. Most incompetent woman out, plus the fact she was more interested in chatting to the trainee she had bought along rather than concentrating on my highly stressed mare who hates the vet! If it was me that was paying I'd have told them where to go.
My first horse was wrongly diagnosed, first off saying he had worms, which I knew he didnt, then after much badgering to my mother he did bloods to find accute liver faliure
 
I would write down all the issues and fax/email your vets. Let them know her current status. They may still want to be paid something but you should be in a good position to negotiate the amount down.

I have done this when there was a problem with a horses operation. I did end up paying something mostly because they had been good for the last 7 years and it was one mistake, but I did not pay all - I did end up going to a new vets though as they were unhappy (and so was I)
 
TallulahBright said:
I wish I had! and down and shouted they referred her to Western Counties. Lo and behold- a fracture!! I wrote to complain and got fobbed off. I changed vet immediately and looked into a formal complaint to the BVS but was so tied up in looking after my horse I didn't have the energy it would have taken.

I paid the bill but wish I hadn't.
Click to expand...
^^^^^^^^ this, when the client is stressed they just want the problem assessed and treatment carried out efficiently, you have an excellent case in that the first vet asked for assistance, that was her professional opinion and as the vet on the spot she should have had it.
I don#t think bandage slippage is acceptable,
You have a good case, but that does not mean you would win it, so a negotiation for the amount you want to pay is the best outcome if that is the main thing, otherwise ask the BVS to sort it out for you, in the meantime you have to stop extra charges die to outstanding bill.
 
Last edited:
Yes,told them I wasn't paying call out, vets fees as I didn't feel I received this service and I only needed to call them out again after the appauling job they did first time bit said id pay for items received such as anti-bs etc . They just rolled over x
 
Happy Hunter said:
Sounds tricky.
I would call the vets, and have a calm open honest discussion.
Click to expand...

I completely agree.

And no, slippage is not almost gauranteed - if the dressing is put on correctly, there should be very little slippage. You could probably have done a better job yourself, if the horse hadn't needed sedating.....
 
Goodness me:eek:Having read all that I am very gratefull to my domestic and equine vets. Never had any issues and trust them totally.
I wouldnt pay the whole amount and would be putting the complaints in writing and see what they come back with
 
Right - have taken everyone's advice and written to senior vet stating (very nicely) my case. Interestingly enough my new vet dressed the wound and it didn't slip after 4 days, me losing her and her prancing round the yard (huge mover too) and a 35 mile trip to the vets where she is now..... In actual fact I'm just fighting her corner really - that £1500 is a big chunk out of the £5K limit I have agreed with OH and so why should they get yet another chance to hinder her recovery. I just can't believe I was so compliant at the time - really out of character. I think I was in shock initially and then really traumatised by having to go down and look over her door to see a) s*** rubbing around the wound and b) having to search for a miscarriage which thankfully hasn't appeared yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top