Vet Charges

[ArleyMoss]

Like any other business I wont to know how and what I get charge for and looka round to see if anyone is cheaper!!

I have more chance of the pope coming to my yard and mucking out than getting a vet to tell me how they charge!!

Surely they must have a price list to work out their charges!!!

Sorry, just wanted to moan aloud
Thanks

 

[Tierra]

Arent they obliged to do this now?

I guess I must be lucky anyway... my bills come completly itemised with all the drug costs, call out costs and treatment / diagnosis costs listed.

 

[Sags_Deer]

mine come listed etc but just about to query the price of mine.

 

[samp]

They should be able to tell you the cost of most things (or call their angels at the office). Our vets know the price of everything, though if you start going into lameness investigations etc then they have to start guessing as never no how much drugs, blocks, xrays etc and required for a diagnosis

 

[ArleyMoss]

Mine comes listed, but the fee to look at your horse can be different depending on what's wrong with the horse!!

Why is this, surely they should work from a set hourly rate like everyone else in this world!

 

[ArleyMoss]

[ QUOTE ]
They should be able to tell you the cost of most things (or call their angels at the office). Our vets know the price of everything, though if you start going into lameness investigations etc then they have to start guessing as never no how much drugs, blocks, xrays etc and required for a diagnosis

[/ QUOTE ]

I asked how much it would cost to see a horse that is lame, and the people at the desk couldn't tell me!

 

[ihatework]

But surely that would depend on why the horse is lame and how long the vet has to spend while he is there and what he has to do!
Have you asked them for the following
Call out fee/travel fee
Examination fee
Injection fee
Price per xray
price per scan
Estimate for nerve blocks
IV sedation
etc.

 

[Bossanova]

[ QUOTE ]
Mine comes listed, but the fee to look at your horse can be different depending on what's wrong with the horse!!

Why is this, surely they should work from a set hourly rate like everyone else in this world!

[/ QUOTE ]

It should- there should be call out fee, possible mileage and then time spent assessing the horse. Seeing as every lameness requires a different amount of investigation, I'm not suprised they couldnt tell you how much beforehand. Perhaps they could tell you their time charges? Just dont talk to the vet for too long and definitely dont offer tea!!

 

[ArleyMoss]

[ QUOTE ]
But surely that would depend on why the horse is lame and how long the vet has to spend while he is there and what he has to do!
Have you asked them for the following
Call out fee/travel fee
Examination fee
Injection fee
Price per xray
price per scan
Estimate for nerve blocks
IV sedation
etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

but that's half my point, the examination fee is what changes!
I would expect it to be based on time, so if they say they spent 45 mins looking the lameness and gave no drugs, it would £45 because our rates are £60 phr or something like that

 

[samp]

We used to charge several different fees - £8.00 quick look, £16 for more detail, £38.50 for full examination and then £27.50 for repeat examination

 

[ArleyMoss]

[ QUOTE ]
We used to charge several different fees - £8.00 quick look, £16 for more detail, £38.50 for full examination and then £27.50 for repeat examination

[/ QUOTE ]

At least this is sort of clear, I've just been charge visit mileage, visit time and an examination fee of £48 to be done he is lame!

ern.. thanks, but I knew that!

 

[SusieJane]

I would go into your vets surgery, and either speak to the office manager, head receptionist or head nurse. Explain that you would like a break down of mileage ( they usually work on a catchment area pricing), common ailment pricing (colic, lameness exam, vaccination, cough/cold symptoms) OOH pricing (Out Of Hours) ~ then explain that a similar equine vets up the road has given you all this info ~ and you'd like to compare.
Then you have it in writing, and can give yourself & your liveries a more ball park figure before the bill drops on the mat!
PS, as an ex vet nurse ~ I would always make your visiting vet a cuppa ~

 

[ArleyMoss]

[ QUOTE ]
I would always make your visiting vet a cuppa ~

[/ QUOTE ]

You're kidding aren't you, they would charge me to drink it, they charge for everything else!

 

[SusieJane]

an Expresso then?

lol x

 

[esports]

ours charged £98 for two boosters and took them 2minutes!
*looking back, think i should have trained to be a vet lol

 

[perenzo]

hopefully with the influx of migrant workers from the European Union, we may soon see vets working for a lot less money in the uk would polish vets be able to practice in this country ?. Vets are expensive, we have no choice as animal owners when a vet is needed the vet is called, we need their service so really they can dictate to us what we need to pay them- my vet does very well his life style reminds me of something out of the "hello" magazine....if only i was a vet

 

[Tia]

My vet itemises everything. It is always the same every time for call outs; the price for him to come here never changes with the amount of time he is here for - he just charges a set price for the visit regardless of how long it is.

My vet usually stays for about 2 hours each visit and has a couple of cups of tea and biscuits (or has lunch with us if it is lunch-time) when he is here. He will also check anything I am concerned about with any of the other horses - and he does not charge me for this ever.

He's great my vet and I really really appreciate him. He's coming round with his wife for dinner next week.

 

[Chex]

When I had the vet out to see Chex for his lameness/arthritis he charged £25 for an examination, which was trotting up, flexion, hoof testing, as well as looking at mud fever, frogs etc. I guess this is a standard charge for the original consult. I use the same vet for my cat, the consult is £22 and I'm only in there for 2 minutes usually. The bill is usually itemised.

 

[sqippa]

Have to say I can't understand why so many people are so anti their vets.

Sure vets are not cheap but their overheads are huge. They need to keep their clinic equipped and that cannot be cheap, their drug cupboards full, cars serviced and fueled not to mention the staff both veterinary and admin.

Most vets do not live a life of luxury and in reality get a very modest wage for their 5 to 6 years of university training and exceptionally long hours in quite dangerous working conditions.

We expect them to be their when we need them whatever the time and to do a good job irrespective of how arsey our horses are being.

A visit from my vet will come to somewhere around £60 before drugs and special procedures but I pay it willingly.

And... always offer my vet or nurse a cuppa...they rarely have time however as they are too busy.

Nuff said.

Sqip

 

[Dougie]

sorry but some horse owners have an extremem cheek!!!

vets bend over backwards to help but get dogs abuse when the bill comes in. over heads have to be covered, drugs arent cheap, fuel isnt cheap, they are highly skilled...why shouldnt they charge large amounts? if people had to pay for their own health care they wouldnt complain about vets!!

 

[sqippa]

Couldn't agree more!

Sqip

 

[Stella]

I also think that Vets charges are fine (obviously I don't like having to pay bills, who does?). My practice is the North East's large Specialist Equine Veterinary practice, so it has all of the latest Equipment, a huge amount of experience and can do most things. Consequently, their overheads will be huge and bigger than the small equine practices in the region. Yet, so many people bitch about them and say they won't use them because the others are cheaper - well of course they are, you pays your money and you takes your choice! At least one of these smaller practices is known to regularly refuse to come out if its not an emergency (life and death type and then could you be confident they would?). So yes, its cheap, but unreliable and poorly equiped, so it can afford to be!

Also Solicitors and Psychologists in the North cost about £130 per hour Consultant Medics charge a hefty £150/£190 per hour!

I would have thought Vetinary training must be a good 6 years, so a little more than a Solicitor and a little less than the Psychologists and medics and, like the latter two, they are, as far as I know obliged to keep themselves up to date by attending more expensive training and conferences on an ongoing basis (My lot certainly do).

So all in all, I think their fees are very fair

but I suggest they put them up of course

 

[ArleyMoss]

This thread has gone off my point, never once did I moan about the fee's themselves. Only on I can't find out how they work out their prices.

They hide them with magic!!