What a gip: vets bills

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Jesstickle

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So last Sunday afternoon I noticed my 2yr old TB had a swollen hock. Brought her in, little nick on it which I guess was a couple of days old. Some heat, sore to touch and she was lame on the turn but fine in a straight line. She does this all the time. She's a TB after all.

I looked at it and decided it needed hosing, a bute and some Trim. However, as she does this all the time I had used up my stash of Trim and had to call the vet. I relayed all this info down the phone, including that I just needed some Trim bringing out. Thought I had better not wait until the morning as this things tend to escalate with her if not sorted out and it was over a joint so didn't want to risk it.

The vet came, she was lovely, watched my horse trot up, felt the leg and said exactly what I'd told her already on the phone.Gave me some Trim and some bute and left. She was there all of ten minutes.

My bill turned up today. £101!!

£6 quid for the bute and £4 for the Trim and the rest is call out and £30 for a consultation. What blooming consultation?! I love my vets but jeez. Seems like a lot to me. I know it was Sunday but even so. How can I be charged for a consultation if I told her what was wrong?!

Sorry, long rant. Have some vino if you made it this far
 
Back when I lived in Vermont, I had a vet I could call for something like that and she'd pop the meds in my mailbox, charge me the cost of the meds and an extra $10 for gas and call us even. Now I get the same as you - a huge charge to basically drop of meds that I already deduced that I need.

And I can so relate to the accident-prone TB! My mare has some stupid issue about once a week. I've spent more time doctoring her in the past year than I think I have all my other horses throughout my life put together!
 
I would normally agree with you, but, to be fair, it was a Sunday!

I *hate* getting massive vet bills as much as the next person, but these are bright people who spend YEARS and no doubt vast sums of money on getting qualified. They are there when we need them, pretty much 24/7.....

I try, where possible, to save on bills by arranging call outs on 'free call out' days, or taking my horses to the vets, but the last time I called a vet out in an emergency was during one of England's world cup games!!! There was no way I could quibble with the bill!!!
 
They can take the pee can't they! I was charged over £70 for a routine vaccination & callout (which was meant to be split!!) after waiting 6 hours for a vet to turn up (couldn't find yard so b*ggered off somewhere else even though I had my phone on and told them exactly where it was)

I'm now changing practice (was also told a horse with an abcess had broken it's leg and one with a virus had RAO) to one that does discounted callouts on certain days :)
 
might be able to make you feel a bit better about your bill....
last month we had to call the vet out to pts our veteran. it was a weds morning, but not on one of the days which they usually travel to our area, big vets that cover a large area. Anyways a couple of weeks later bill arrives..... £90 just for the call out! £40 for consult?!?! there was no need for consult, he had seen him on the mon to diagnose, we were just been given an extra day or so to say goodbye as he wasnt in pain :( If they werent such good vets id have flipped!
 
tell me about it!! My horse had an accident in the horse walk 4 weeks ago and over reached and sliced her leg, £360. Expensive turn in the horse walk if you ask me lol. I have to say I am lucky as you could see her tendon and everything and we are lucky it wasn't severed and lucky the joint capsule thingey wasn't damaged.
 
The extra £50 for Sunday call out doesn't bother me so much as the cosultation. And I know you're right and I did feel bad for ruining her Sunday. I'm just grouchy because my friend, who keeps her horses on my yard and is also a vet at the same practise
(only a more qualified and important one :) ) gave me a telling off for not calling her instead. She said I was an idiot. But I didn't want to ruin her Sunday either. She doesn't go on call as she's too important! Oh well. At least my beasty is now a-ok so I won't grumble anymore.

It only annoys me because they always turn up and say something along the lines of 'you're totally right' or 'you obviously know what you're doing' and I think, yes, I do. Should have been a vet instead of a scientist I guess.

Anyone know how I convert? :)
 
Unfortunately, the laws regarding the prescription of drugs are tightening all the time, meaning that we are only supposed to prescribe POMs (prescription only medicines, which trimediazine is) to "animals under our care"- which means we need to have seen the animal for the condition that requires the medication. Even though your practice may have seen your horse for other wounds that required trimediazine, as this was a new wound it would have to be seen to be within the law. Especially given the location- if your vet had dropped some trim through the letterbox after you told her the wound was near a joint, and then your mare got a joint infection, your vet would be in big trouble.

I appreciate that paying a lot for someone's opinion, when you already know what's going on, is very frustrating, but we are honestly not trying to fleece you out of lots of money... just acting within the law.

Hope your filly's leg resolves quickly :)
 
Vets are trying to save one of my horses for me at the moment - she has a 25% chance of survival.
They work long hours, are unfailingly polite and willing to talk, phone me regularly for updates...I can't fault them.
Yes, I will have a large vet bill (trust me, it is much larger than £100), but I know I am paying for drugs, care, their time, equipment, the facilities, and above all the vets' knowledge.
As people pay me for my knowledge, I think it's only fair.
S :D

PS My post was a bit ranty wasn't it? :D :p
 
Minnies_Mum said:
Unfortunately, the laws regarding the prescription of drugs are tightening all the time, meaning that we are only supposed to prescribe POMs (prescription only medicines, which trimediazine is) to "animals under our care"- which means we need to have seen the animal for the condition that requires the medication. Even though your practice may have seen your horse for other wounds that required trimediazine, as this was a new wound it would have to be seen to be within the law. Especially given the location- if your vet had dropped some trim through the letterbox after you told her the wound was near a joint, and then your mare got a joint infection, your vet would be in big trouble.

I appreciate that paying a lot for someone's opinion, when you already know what's going on, is very frustrating, but we are honestly not trying to fleece you out of lots of money... just acting within the law.

Hope your filly's leg resolves quickly :)
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Fantastic. A vet whos brains I can pick! Where do vets stand on prescribing ABs without taking a culture etc? It seems I can get them more or less whenever I want them and that often they probably aren't really required. ie the situation would resolve without them. Is there an official stance on over use and resistance? My doctor would absolutely not be giving me antibiotics as often as my vet will give them to my horse. As someone involved in the issue in people it does worry me somewhat that we are heading for something like an MRSA issue in animals. If that makes sense? Probably not. You'd never know I'm a scientist who knows what they're talking about. Your explanation of the laws around POMs was much more eloquent than mine!

And Shilasdair I'm really sorry about your girl. I hope she makes it. And I promise no more complaining as I know I am very lucky it was nothing worse!
 
Ignorance.....I know what Bute is (often a life saver....) but what is TRIM? And this Q is from a person who has far too many years of battling with vets bills.......but our Vets are great and don't take the Mickey....but still want to know what TRIM is please....xx
 
It is trimediazine. Broad spectrum antibiotic. I get mine in a big white sachet with loads of white powder in. And then I have to try and hide it in miss Nitty's grub and she trys really hard not to eat it!
 
Culture takes a minimum of 24hrs - which is more than enough time for an infection to take hold - hence vets tend to prescribe a broad spectrum AB to cover the horse for potential infection. Much research has been done on the types of bacteria most likely to be found in wounds etc and therefore the most suited antibiotic.(eg trimethoprim for skin infections) Many equine clinics do not have ther own facilities for incubating/running cultures so need to send them off to labs which - if you are called to a wound on Saturday night isnt very helpful! In many cases, vets will use the most suitable broad spectrum antibiotic unless there is wound breakdown or prolonged healing in which case they will usually swab at that point. Of course in an ideal world we would all swab every wound we see - and maybe in the future we will. Prudent use of ABs is the goal afterall. However I have never had a doctor swab my wounds before either - and the ones I have been to have been more than forward with ABs/steroids!
MRSA IS already a fair problem in large hospitals including university hospitals (i know at least 3 unis had staff take enforced sick leave due to swabbing positive for MRSA last year).
I do think antibiotics are over-used however. When I first started work I could not understand why every wound no matter how small was being given long courses of ABs - however in my experience now - if you have a TB who gets a couple of minor limb wounds ABs are vital. Due to the "type" their legs invariably swell after the most innocent of wounds - and this swelling is in the majority of cases responsive to antibiotics. the other rational for AB use is the classification of wounds as clean/clean contaminated/contaminated etc and it is based upon this assessment that most vets will decide as to whether they will prescribe ABs. If i get called out to a fresh head wound I will rarely if ever give ABs however a limb wound obtained in the field will most likely require them.
 
jesstickle said:
It is trimediazine. Broad spectrum antibiotic. I get mine in a big white sachet with loads of white powder in. And then I have to try and hide it in miss Nitty's grub and she trys really hard not to eat it!
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Many thanks, got you now - we are lucky because we have cows / bullocks who often need antibiotics for foot problems etc we usually have some on tap and find little problem getting new supplies - I use for my horses when I need to, but it is by injection, and I need to ensure I always have a clean needle. Fortunately we are proficient enough to injext into the muscle - but I do call a Vet if I need it to go in a vein....husband happy with bovine veins - but equine ones trickier!
Have got a colt (who was gelded two days ago) on powders, rushing off now to look at the brand name on them! He is gobbling them down - but 2 months ago when we got him he was skinnier than skinny - so loves to eat anything! Looks good now though, as does his companion who is supposed to foal next month....help!!
 
glenruby you need our new wonderful technology for in the field diagnostics! Or you will, when we finish developing it :)

I must just have a militant doctor as I just get told to go away if I have cuts and scrapes! I totally agree about swollen limbs on TBs needing ABs. Hence me biting the bullet and getting the vet on Sunday night. They're a nightmare. But so pretty! My vanity rules my head unfortunately. I should get a nice chunky native.
 
sorry but you called them out on a sunday-if the charges weren't particularly high they would get called out for everything and anything...
And consultation is just to see the horse-adn would be the same for a 1hr consultation or a 30sec one.
 
dressedkez said:
Many thanks, got you now - we are lucky because we have cows / bullocks who often need antibiotics for foot problems etc we usually have some on tap and find little problem getting new supplies - I use for my horses when I need to, but it is by injection, and I need to ensure I always have a clean needle. Fortunately we are proficient enough to injext into the muscle - but I do call a Vet if I need it to go in a vein....husband happy with bovine veins - but equine ones trickier!
Have got a colt (who was gelded two days ago) on powders, rushing off now to look at the brand name on them! He is gobbling them down - but 2 months ago when we got him he was skinnier than skinny - so loves to eat anything! Looks good now though, as does his companion who is supposed to foal next month....help!!
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Just looked.....Noradine for the colt, who is now a gelding........
 
O. And I'm not suprised you had people swab positive for MRSA. Studies seem to show about 2% of the population are carriers so it isn't too hard to find some one with it!
 
i know Ive just recently bought a coloured 15/16ths TB from Ireland. When my boss heard I was bringing one over he said "So you're going to give her a few days engemycin when she arrives are you?" - I was surprised as certainly wasnt planning on it - but i believe its shipping fever he was suggesting might be a problem. So I didnt give her anything prophylactically and sure enough 2 days later she had a dirty nose and high temp (40c) but still had a good appetite. she had a 5 day course of ABs but has taken her the best part of 3wks to get over it - which she clearly is today as spent an hr and a half galloping around her field and refusing to be caught when every other day she has come straight upto me! :(
 
I am so lucky to have had a very long term and fantastic relationship with my local vets. I can ring them up, tell them the problem, explain what I want and they leave it in the box for me to collect - this incudes AB's, back referrals, whatever and their call out fee is just £15 and they never charge me a consulation!!

I really do count myself lucky to still have a really good, old fashioned, traditional vets here.

Would it be worth you giving them a ring and querying the bill?
 
All surgeons in hopitals(human) and university vet hospitals regularly get swabbed for it now and they did random selection of all final year students when i was in college - if positive you were exempt from rotations for 2wks. One of the dogs then tested positve and everyone in contact including owner had to be swabbed - lucky for the college it was the owner who swabbed positve!!
 
glenruby said:
- if positive you were exempt from rotations for 2wks.
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Why only two weeks? A couple of the guys at work are carriers and they've been swabbing positive for years ?! I thought if you had it you had it and that was the end of it. Other wise this blooming test of ours is rubbish and all my hard work has been wasted. It's possible!

Piccy of your pone for me to look at?
 
Well my vets are 3miles down the road and charge £42 call out!
£48 for a consultion, even if its the case of just "looking" over the stable door, and not even picking up the injured leg, let alone touch it, the vet actually said to me "we should of just given you the bute and trim, as i didnt need to come out, you were right" but they wouldnt just do that will they, they have to come out.
total vet bill £122
of the bute and trim £15 appox
costlng me over £100 for no reason, I understand that they have to look and see if everythings ok, but for trusted long time cileints why not give us the benifit of the dought?
I have since changed vets to one that is 40 miles away, call out £22.50, consualtion £34
A full health package once a year- injections, worm counts, teeth done, full health check, lameness check and bloods £65 including call out, thats more like it
 
Ravenwood you are indeed very lucky. I used to have something more like this back in Norfolk and I didn't know how lucky I was.

I can't really query it as she really did watch the horse run up so she did technically consult. I don't really have a complaint. I'm just being a moaning minny :)
 
Shes lovely. I want a coloured one now! Mine is ordinary grey. Those legs look dangerously thoroughbredy though. Lots of ABs going down her gullet in the coming years!
 
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