Would you pay the vet for this or not?

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fredflop

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Trying to keep this as “neutral” as possible.

Horse has an ongoing issue, and has already seen the horse for the problem.

Problem not improved as much as expected, vet comes back out. Wants to do x, y and z to horse, however doesn’t have the equipment with them so they have to come back.

So would you expect to have to pay the bill for the vet just coming and “having a look”, bearing in mind that the call out and examination fee is likely to be around £150
 
It is a tricky one, if the vet had been asked to come and do XYZ and had not brought the equipment then no, I would not pay for the visit.

However, this was a visit to see how other treatment had gone, and the horse was not as expected, so a new line of approach is needed. So, yes, I think you would have to pa for the visit.

TBH, unless it is for routine vaccinations etc I take my horse to the vet hosp for a workup by the lameness expert / eye expert or whatever I need so everything can be done at once. I have found it to be cheaper in the long run, plus you get the best expert as often the most experienced ones don't travel out from the surgery.
 
Yes but I would expect it to be logged as a reexam or brief exam which are cheaper options with our vets. However in that situation I might have called the vet first and discussed whether the next step would be a work up at hospital or if other equipment e.g. portable xrays needed to be brought out.
 
No, but I wouldn't have allowed a vet to come back out to assess something which I could assess perfectly well for myself.

If you can't assess it perfectly well for yourself, pay the bill. If you can, pay the bill and make a note to yourself to tell them next time you will discuss with them over the phone that it isn't improved and ask what they want to do next.
 
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ycbm said:
No, but I wouldn't have allowed a vet to come back out to assess something which I could assess perfectly well for myself.

If you can't access it perfectly well for yourself, pay the bill. If you can, pay the bill and make a note to yourself to tell them next time you will discuss with them over the phone that it isn't improved and ask what they want to do next.
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Let’s just say the vet was rung and told the issue wasn’t getting better, and given a description of what was happening with the issue
 
I have previously refused to pay a call out fee because I knew my pony had lammi and I specifically asked for them to bring out the xray machine to see if the pedal bones had rotated. Vet turns up minus xray machine, looks at pony, confirms lammi and puts on frog supports - which again I argued the cost of - he used a knitfirm cut in half as the support and a vet wrap on each foot. I am not paying £50 for less than £5's worth of kit! I paid the examination fee not a bother and the cost of the bandages but not the call out. The vets knew me from work so knew I wasn't some muppet inexperienced owner.
 
I think it all hinges on what was said in the phonecall. If I had spoken to the vet and the vet had not brought what was discussed in that conversation, I would not expect to pay for the visit but then I won't allow 'see how it's going' visits, just as I won't take my dogs into the surgery to see how a wound is healing, unless I know it's not going well.
 
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fredflop said:
Let’s just say the vet was rung and told the issue wasn’t getting better, and given a description of what was happening with the issue
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did you then ask the vet over the phone what happens now and what are the options? I would have asked that and then suggested to the vet I wanted him to do X and to bring the machine along with him. If he hadn't brought it I wouldn't pay as I had asked for it to be brought. If the call have proceeded along the basis that he would come, see the horse and we could decide what to do then no he wouldn't have had to bring the machine and I would have paid for the visit and the further visit which would be needed.
 
I had similar with mine. I explained problem to a vet, he came back out but didn't have time to scan/x-ray when it was discussed and booked. I questioned it with the vet at the time straight away and he said they wouldn't charge me a second call out fee or examination and they didn't.

If you just said over the phone prior 'it isn't getting better and this is happening xyx' I wouldn't expect vet to bring x-ray equipment and scanners. I would expect him to re examine and decide how to move forwards, then maybe re visit with x-ray machine.
 
EKW said:
I have previously refused to pay a call out fee because I knew my pony had lammi and I specifically asked for them to bring out the xray machine to see if the pedal bones had rotated. Vet turns up minus xray machine, looks at pony, confirms lammi and puts on frog supports - which again I argued the cost of - he used a knitfirm cut in half as the support and a vet wrap on each foot. I am not paying £50 for less than £5's worth of kit! I paid the examination fee not a bother and the cost of the bandages but not the call out. The vets knew me from work so knew I wasn't some muppet inexperienced owner.
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I think with that, some vets won't xray immediately with laminitis. They like to get the horse as comfortable as possible and x ray later. There's also the chance of it being inaccurate as in the acute stage it can still rotate further. When my guy had it I wouldn't have expected him to be able to stand on the blocks for an xray anyway, I think he got them done about a fortnight after the initial support and pads.

In regards to the OP's situation, it's a tricky situation. If via the phone call I had said that I thought it was possibly x,y, or z, then the vet should have came prepared with the suitable equipment to check x, y or z. I would pay as it's still a call out and vet's time, just maybe not the full amount they're requesting and explain why.
 
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