Vets call out fees... Over priced or am I being tight??

C

Carrots&Mints

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 October 2011
Messages
1,832
Location
UK
Visit site
Rang the vets as my new pony needs his jabs (flu and tetanus) £35 I thought oh great quite reasonable and then receptionist says buts its £40 plus VAT for call out charge and I literally am about a mile n half away from the surgery. I know they have to make a living Etc but I thought WOW that's dear! Last yard we had monthly visits so never paid for call out before. Maybe I've lived a sheltered life haha!! What sort of call out fees does your vet charge?

:)
 
FulshawGirl said:
Rang the vets as my new pony needs his jabs (flu and tetanus) £35 I thought oh great quite reasonable and then receptionist says buts its £40 plus VAT for call out charge and I literally am about a mile n half away from the surgery. I know they have to make a living Etc but I thought WOW that's dear! Last yard we had monthly visits so never paid for call out before. Maybe I've lived a sheltered life haha!! What sort of call out fees does your vet charge?

:)
Click to expand...

I think my vet charges about the same, however, one day a week they have 'free call out' for routine visits, so I just make sure that is the day I book :)
 
Similar call out fee here, and about 2 1/2 miles from the vet. So a group of us got together, lucky for me a friend had just bought her pony (no vacs), another had lapsed jabs and another livery was just about due for the booster. If you have transport can you go there?
 
Mine are £45, so I think this is pretty standard. Have a call round other vets and see if any of them do deals in your local area. I have one that will do free call outs on a Monday (if you book Thursday before) so perfect for jabs.
There is also another one locally that does jabs in the trailer in their car park - so no call out - I used to do this before I found the free call out one, bit of a pain but it certainly didn't cost me £45 to take them in.
 
I think our is £35 plus vat. It's a flat fee so doesn't matter if you are right near the surgery or on the edge of the catchment area.

They do let you take your horse there though and avoid the charge otherwise I try to share with other people.
 
Mine is about £27 I think but we are free on a Wednesday so unless an emergency we do everything on a Wednesday :)
 
If they're that close ride your horse there. Used to do that when we lived nearer the vets and never had problems. Sound about right for call out fee though. Our vets have just started doing free visit zones on certain days. Think it's a great idea!
 
Our "free" call out day is a zone visit day with a £10 call out for routine things.

Can you hack/drive to your clinic as its so close?
 
I don't have any transport (I'm only 21 so no trailer licence no nothing) and he's not backed yet so can't even ride! Just my luck!!!

Seems the sameish rate all around then! X
 
Still worth calling round other practices, and see if anyone does free call outs.

The vets I used for free call out for vacs I wouldn't use in an injury/ illness situation - the much more expensive equine practice head has a much better reputation (other than for vettings as he as a repuation of being very very pickiy!), but any old vet can jab a vac in so cheapest possible for that for me. No reason why you have to use one practice for all your vet needs.
 
My call out fees are about the same and like you I am not far from vets. My new vet (just moved area) and they do special area visits once a month and call out is only £6 but you don't get a time so need to be available all day. Great for Vaccs etc
 
Mine is about the same I think...for non emergencies like vaccines etc they have a day where your 'zone' is free so long as you are up to date with your bills! and you can also take them to the surgery which is free. If you are only a mile away I would have been tempted to ask if I could fetch it in...worth bearing in mind for next time
 
Mine is £40 , if four horses on the yard need it free if less its split between the clients so pretty standard price, if your only 1.5 miles away take the pony to them I box mine and take them to the vets and they give there vaccinations whilst in the box turn round then go home costs me probably £5 in diesel rather than £49 call out ,could you not just lead the pony in hand to the vets ?
 
I used to lead my horse down to the vets for his jabs, and they were done in the street! Unfortunatly other horse hated needles and could smell a vet at 20 paces, so I either had to pay a call out fee, or get a free visit call out from another vet
 
I'd get some other quotes or I'd lead said pony there!- we are nearly £40 for a visit but we are 30 miles away- and we get free visits on a wednesday.
 
My vets call out fee is £35. The vets itself is about 20 miles away, but of the 10 or so vets I always get the same one so I assume she lives close to me.
 
Mines about £35 for call out and charlie has just had his first tet+flu and will need two more call outs.
good mind to take him there (about 6 miles) but would it be ok to? As he's only had one jab?
Another thing is he's only young and a bit nervy so may be best if vet comes to us anyway :p
 
We have a vets about 500 yards as the crow flies or 600 if you come by road they charge £54 call out plus a £30 consultation fee then any drugs or treatment on top so you start at 84 before they tell you what to do. They do have free zone days on a Tuesday. Needless to say I dont use them I put the horses in the lorry and take them to a very good vets hospital 60 miles away for treatment and a different local vet who doesnt charge a call out if he does more than two jabs so he is my first call
I may use the nearby one in a dire emergency as the dog is registered with them so we are clients
 
Ours charge £42 call out fees. I'm very jealous of people with vets that do free call out days, I've never met one of them, however, our other vet, who does the dogs, comes over for free on his way home from work, so I guess some you win, some you lose. He only does small animals, I've been begging him to do horses for years! We moved the dogs to the horse vets for a while, as we thought it would be more convenient to have them all at the same vet, but their prices were nearly double, so only used them once and went back to the dog vet!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top