help with vet bill please?

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Jericho

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Hi there. I recently took my two horses to the vets for their annual jabs and teeth rasp etc.

The bill has just come in and I wanted to double check what people think / what is the norm before I ring up and query it with them.

My mare had a lameness check/ foot examine and had her teeth rasped with gag on etc and this came to £50 - no breakdown of what the foot examine and what the rasp was. Thats fine. However my little Welsh A had his teeth felt with the gag on but the vet said he didnt need doing but on the bill it says "rasp teeth £38" which I wasnt expecting and wanted to question with them. Last year he came out and checked my mares teeth but didnt do anything and didnt charge anything. Do you think I am right?

The jabs (flu/tet) were £34 each so the whole visit was £156 (no call out fee as I took them!)
 
My horses jabs this year were £36 including half a call out fee (this is for one as they are done at different times)
I know my vet also charges £30 something for an examination but have never had my vet do teeth, only a equine dentist.
But if you were charged £38 for teeth for one then the examination would have only been £12 for the other which to me doesn't sound right.
Thats just my personal opinion though.
 
AmyMay - well yes in the old days before HHO became my equestrian guru I would have probably just got on with it and rung them up and said it doesnt sound right but I thought it would be worth asking on here to see what happens with other people and that I am justified in saying £38 to just look at a horses teeth (5min job) and not do anything is unreasonable (I hate complaining :-( ) I shouldnt be such a wimp really. I have just rung them but only got the secretary and she said she would check with vet)
 
Jericho said:
AmyMay - well yes in the old days before HHO became my equestrian guru I would have probably just got on with it and rung them up and said it doesnt sound right but I thought it would be worth asking on here to see what happens with other people and that I am justified in saying £38 to just look at a horses teeth (5min job) and not do anything is unreasonable (I hate complaining :-( ) I shouldnt be such a wimp really. I have just rung them but only got the secretary and she said she would check with vet)
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In that case - yes it is totally unreasonable, and I would not pay it. I would ring Accounts and tell them prior to settling the rest of the bill (which would have a letter attached explaining the shortfall) - unless agreed previously and verbally on the phone :D
 
At my practice we charge £15 to examine the mouth if no other work done so I think you should expect to pay something but £38 is a bit steep. Although you are lucky they didn't charge you last time.
 
Well, as i read £50 for lameness check and teeth i thought "Whoaa thats very cheap!" So I think Id agree with Spaniel that the teeth were probably put under the wrong horse and the £50 covered lameness and teeth check.
 
thanks for all your replies. The vets called me back and apologised and said the £38 teeth check for little pony (no actual work/rasping done) was a mistake and I guess it was exactly as Clipcloppop suggests.

For my mare, the £50 was itemised on the invoice for teeth rasp (where work was done) and the trot up for lameness check (i.e no nerve blocking, flexions just a trot in straight line and on lunge on hard ground) so I thought that was pretty good value i.e if a teeth rasp was £38 then he only charged £12 for the lameness check.

So all in all, happy ending!
 
Glad you got it sorted. My EDT charges £45 but the last time she came it was for a new pony, she said the pony's teeth were fine, didn't need done, and didn't even charge for the visit! (Doesn't live down the road, either, had an hour's drive!)
 
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