How do they justify their costs? Should I dispute?

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Billie

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I got a bill from the vets today.

My horse had a foot abcess and typically it was on a Saturday "out of hours". I called the local vets and then waited nearly 3 hours as the one vet on duty had other horses to see before me so I was left with a three legged horse. The vet finally arrived and removed the shoe. He then spent maybe 20 mins poking around trying to decide where the source of the pain was but as he was in so much pain and he reacted wherever his foot was pressed he decided he wouldn't start making holes and told me to tub and poultice and get back to him Monday if there was no sign of any puss.

That was it, didn't even give me a poultice, total cost:










<font color="red"> £140!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! </font>
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Is it me or is that obscene?
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I just had the same and it was £81.86 but my last vet would have charged double.How is it broken down is there a call out fee ,an examination fee and a shoe removal fee.Mine is £37.99 /£28.26 and £15.61
 
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I just had the same and it was £81.86 but my last vet would have charged double.How is it broken down is there a call out fee ,an examination fee and a shoe removal fee.Mine is £37.99 /£28.26 and £15.61

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I've not got the bill yet, I've moved house recently and they sent it to my old address! They called to see why I hadn't paid! She is sending me a new bill.

Thanks for your break down. I'll compare it with mine.
 
You what!
I had the vet come, ok not out of hours, to remove a twisted shoe that had gone into his white line (couldn't get hold of farrier). £25 call out, £8 to remove shoe. He told me to poltice to see if anything came out. That was it so he didn't charge a examination fee as he didn't do anything but poke him a bit.
Amazing how vets vary in their prices.
 
depends what their call-out fee etc is. my old vet was £50 plus VAT during the day, so hate to think what they'd have charged me out of hours and would quite expect £140 from them for that.

i only do small animals, but our call-out fee is £65 before 10pm and £75 after 10pm and that is just for me to drive into the surgery and meet the client there. if they wanted a home visit it would be another £70 on top and then the consultation charge is additional (£26.50), plus extras for anything we actually did and any drugs given. horse vets are a bargain compared to us!
 
Having just paid a 3grand bill I can really sympathise with you - the vets were charging me £117 for an inhalor that lasted 6days, which i could get from the doctors if i had asthma on prescription for £6.85 (but unfortunately dont have asthma so couldn't do the latter option hmph)
 
Obscene! they make it up as they go along.
I took my cat in out of hours - they looked at his took temp. gave him 10ml diazpepam and billed me £147!!!!!
 
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Obscene! they make it up as they go along.
I took my cat in out of hours - they looked at his took temp. gave him 10ml diazpepam and billed me £147!!!!!

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yes, but no doubt you got someone either out of bed or at least in from home so you have to expect to pay a call out fee (like i said above ours is £65 before 10pm and £75 afterwards). You then have to expect to pay a normal consult fee (of around £25-30) and for the medication. Diazepam is a really expensive drug, so that accounts for the remainder of your bill. Dont forget what you're paying for - your surgery to be manned by a qualified vet and nurse available at your beck and call in no doubt a modern, well-equipped expensive building which costs a lot to run, maintain and staff. try calling a plumber or locksmith out of hours and see how they compare and they dont have the premises to maintain or go to uni for 5yrs on the most difficult course in the country!
 
If you compare it to the breakdown of the bill I got from my vet, it's extortionate.
I had lots of visits, very expensive drugs, a port in the foal's neck plus at least five trips here to administer drugs via IV until we got the hang of that. Then the damned thing got blocked and I had to call him out to clear it.

here's a sample;
Visit including vat £27.47 equine work (seting up port stitched into neck) £104.87

Equine set up drip incl mila cath/bung £37.64
3 x ivex isolec hartmanns 3 ltr£24.82
Now that is all justifiable in my mind, what you've been charged isn't.
I would write (don't ring) and say you feel it's abit steep, I complained to another vet last year when they said a scan would be £80.. it was £140!! They knocked £40 off. It taught me to stick with my own vet even though this one was based at the equine spa place on site..
I'll swap you my vet bill for yours if you like....
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3 x ivex isolec hartmanns 3 ltr£24.82


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lol - we charge £25 for one 1litre bag of Hartmann's for dogs and cats! No wonder horse vets dont make any money!
 
hmmm i suppose, I was just a bit shocked at the time!
I was very appreciative of the vet who was lovely but just a little shocked lol
 
I am generally caught out both ways. When I think low it's high and vice versa. Was stunned when a visit to Leahurst and some pretty comprehensive treatment came to less than some x-rays and a failed scoping at my regular vets.
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Ponio lived to fight another day
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However, I like my vets. A lot. They are friendly, supportive, helpful and somehow always manage to turn out promptly when needed. On the whole I think their charges are very fair. I always pay there and then, too.
 
anything to do with feet I call my lovely farrier dosn't charge me and sorts out abcesses if realy bad he would suggest the vet if needed.
 
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Was stunned when a visit to Leahurst and some pretty comprehensive treatment came to less than some x-rays and a failed scoping at my regular vets.
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[/ QUOTE ] I've found that too - usually works out cheaper to get the horse boxed over to a specialist centre and get the problem sorted, than have the local vet deal with it.
 
I only paid £250 for 2 x geldings (knocked out 2), 1 extra visit to pony as needed sedating &amp; cleaning out (apparently i was being paranoid) and another visit to vacc 1 horse, thats 3 visits, 1 flu n tet, 2 geldings, and 1 sedate and clean wound!! I love my vet! Wouldn't bother arguing though, i used to work in a vets that charged over the odds n you have no chance!
 
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I would A) Change vets, and B) Ring the farrier next time.
My vet would laugh if I asked him to look at a foot abcess, and my farrier wouldnt charge me anything.

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It isn't my usual vets, I have an excellent vet but they are much further away so I called these ones as I thought it would be quicker.....nearly 3 hours later!
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I called the vet and not the farrier because there waas a lot of heat and it was tracking into his pastern so I thought he may need antibiotics. The farrier was my first thought and another time (god forbid) I would call the farrier first, at least then he could advise if the vet is needed, then I would call my own vet out!
 
I would query the bill as it does seem expensive for a horse vet. I suppose if they were small animal vets it might be different.

Ive just had a £50 bill but vet was here for an hour. Ok it wasnt out of hours but even if you doubled it for out of hours it would only be £100. And I live in an expensive part of the country!!
 
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I would A) Change vets, and B) Ring the farrier next time.
My vet would laugh if I asked him to look at a foot abcess, and my farrier wouldnt charge me anything.

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Me too.
 
I've just had a similar situation with my highland. He had one abcess which the vet found, then two days later he was hopping on three legs again. The vet came out again and still couldn't find anything. We called the farrier who found another abcess in about 3 minutes. My boy is now coming sound and I shall NOT call the vet for foot or leg problems in future. Our farrier only needs a bottle of Bells to do a "passing by" visit and he keeps us laughing too.
 
errm I don't know how they work it out, I had the vet out to do teeth on my mare and gelding, and to check my mare because she had been lame for some weeks. They watched her trot up but didn't even touch her and didn't give us anything...we had a bill of nearly £200!!
 
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