Your Equine Vet

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Tia

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Just reading the previous post where someone highlighted the vet's input into this case. I find myself wondering whether the poster was actually told roughly how much this treatment may cost to help the horse to recovery or whether the £35,000 the poster paid in unsuccessful treatment was just thrown on her once she had been sucked in so far.

What is your vet like? Will he give you rough costs of treatment? Will he say that whatever is really not worth treating or does he let you just go along with paying whatever you choose to pay?

I have to say, I adore my vet! He is fantastic. Some people don't like him as he is very blunt and says it how it is, not what you want to hear; this is MY type of vet! I don't want to be duped into paying thousands and being given positive comments and then to find some time later, that all this money would have been better washed down the drain.

My vet once persuaded me to keep going with treatment when I felt the horse was ready to die and was planning to have him put her to sleep. He said to give her one more chance which I did and a few hours later she died; he never charged me for any of the bills for treatment of this horse. I asked him repeatedly to give me a bill because we had 3 emergency callouts for her and also the treatment, he said no because it was his choice to continue treatment...

I haven't a bad word to say about my vet apart from the fact that he lives a zillion miles away and often I have to wing-it.
 
I always remember talking to a horse vet at a drinks party once, and she told me their best customers were ones with little knowledge... my own vet is great if i call her half the time she advises me over the phone, no charge, and she would never beat around the bush, good honest realistic advice.
 
My vet is great, he is the sort that will come out and say well you could buy this that and the other cream but in actual fact you'd be better off putting some e45 on and it will have the same effect.
I couldn't be doing with these vets that think scanning at the very first instance is the way forward.

Saying that it's becoming increasingly difficult to actually get my vet out as even if you book him to come out the secretaries arrange for a junior vet instead.
So for that reason I'm looking for a new one!
 
Quite a few people round here don't like the vet I use - for the exact reason you describe Tia! He is very blunt, and has little time for what he deems to be overly sentimental or incompetant owners! However if he respects you as a horseowner, he will goout of his way to do whatever he can to help, he is very quick to offer alternatives and will always persevere until we get a diagnosis. He even wanted to send one of ours for stem cell treatment! (she didn't go, not a suitable case apparently)
He was also quick to refer OH's mare when he concluded that the injury needed an MRI to diagnose, but made it clear to us how much it would cost and explained the alternatives.
The only problem with him is he can be a bit slow doing paperwork!
 
my vet is fab and if she thinks the bill is going to be mahoosive she will write me my prescription so i can see if i can get the drugs cheaper myself... had to get gastrogaurd once vet charges about £50 for a syringe bought it online for just over £25. saved me a packet
 
I think you have to ask quite a few questions now about the proposed treatment of your horse. Vets seem to be in rather a hurry to scan almost anything. It seems that they've spent alot of money on the peice of equipment & really want to use it to recoup their outlay. Many insurance companies will not pay for scanning unless they have been spoken to first & even then only a prioportion.

Fortunately I haven't had any hefty vet bills recently but from what the vet says it seems expensive I would definately ask approximate costs.
 
My vet is great, a horseman himself too so he doesn't parcel things up prettily but tells it like it is and doesn't try to fob me off with the most expensive products either unlike others at his old practise. (that's not to say I won't use them if they are genuinely needed, of course I will but if it works, then he's more than happy for me to use the bargain basement stuff! His reasoning is that the ones who have insurance more than make up for me being a cheapskate!
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My vet is very open and honest about treatment, viability and cost.

However, I have been known to ask if treatment is viable, and can I afford it as well....
 
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My vet is very open and honest about treatment, viability and cost.

However, I have been known to ask if treatment is viable, and can I afford it as well....

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I have to agree. Personally, I think it's the sensible option and will always continue to do so.
 
My vet is fab!!

He's blunt and goes with what you want. Will be honest and won't pressurise you. He's not after lots of money, and has the animals best interest at heart.

My kind of vet.
 
My last vet asked "is he insured, or shall we put him to sleep now" when my old lad had a tendon injury.......... he was insured and did recover well enough to be used as a light hack... which at his age was all he ever was anyway... I wouldnt/couldnt have afforded his treatment had he not been insured, and would of gone along with the vet!!
 
Yes vets most definitely are far more open and honest I believe, if they know you have no vet insurance for your horses. The bills are always significantly cheaper! Dreadful really to think of all those insurance companies being totally ripped off.
 
My vet is an absolute superstar and I wouldn't change him for the world. He has been extremely kind to me and comes out of hours to see my old horse. My bills are half what they should be and he tells me exactly how it is. He knows that my horse is a hunter and that's all we want to do and we patch him up as best we can.
 
And surely that is the reason that the insurance premium's can be so high - because they know that vets are trying to cream them!!
 
Our vets used to be really good, there is one of the "original" vets still around but the rest are complete idiots who seem to be incapable of picking up a phone! I would change but the weekly routine visit is very useful and usually the only good vet out of the lot!
 
Yes for sure! I have never had such cheap vet bills in my life, since not having vet insurance for my horses.
 
My vet is brilliant- he'll give advise over the phone which i find really helpful with Solo's mudfever and he explains everything to me. When we bought Red, he came and gave him a quick check-up just because he was on the yard. He's also a qualified EDT-so can do teeth!
 
Am literally just off the phone to my lovely vet, after telling him I need a problem investigated more in-depth than he can do at his practice, and he has happily referred me to a specialist vet. In the past he has got me second opinions from this other vet free of charge, and is always happy to give advice over the phone. Occasionally he talks to me as if I am an idiot, but I just give him a Look
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and he remembers that I do know one end of a horse from the other (just about!).
 
we are very lucky to have an amazing vet.. my gelding had a fight with a gate 18 months ago and took a large area of his lower fore off, it was down to bone and there were bits of tendon hanging out. First thought was he would have to be pts, then we thought 9-12 months off, vet took it a day at a time and gradually he recovered and was ridden again a mere 10 weeks after the injury... on the 1st vist the vet asked me if we were insured and how much horse was insured? we replied not insured and he pointed out that the bill was probebly gonna cost more than the £1700 we had paid for the horse, we agreed this was ok and money wasnt mentioned again...

When the bills came in he hadnt billed us for some stuff, or had billed us for half the time he had been out, or whatever.. the bill ended up being a good £500 less than it should have and horse is 100% sound... I brought it up with him at a later date and he said he had done it cos we deserved a break (I had another horse PTS a few weeks before this one had hurt himself)...

Along with being a nice bloke he is fantstic with the horses and rather good looking too!!!
 
My old Vet I had with my first horse was also fab - he was a straight to the point bloke! I had only had Wals for a matter of weeks and he had a problem with his gutteral pouch and ended up in the Vet hospital (old insurance co wouldnt pay out so queue MIL to lend me the ££'s) but the aftercare was a nightmare he had to be sedated every day for a month for treatment - I was broke and so told the vet to put him to sleep as couldnt afford the daily call out let alone the treatment..... Vet was brill and just said "lets sort him out and get him better then we will worry about the bill" it was great - they didnt charge for lots of the call outs and then let me pay the bill bit by bit (took nearly 6 months!) so not all vets are out to rip you off!
 
Reading the other post, the amount is made up of all the different fees (physio/vet/farrier) not just vets fees. ultimately your vet can advise you on whther they think the horse has a reeasonable chance of recovery but not on your finance. In a similar situation mine asked if I was insured - and I'm not - but my decision not to proceed with treatment wasn't anything to do with cost but because of the poor chance of sucess. Surely the real question is how realistic was the prognosis and did the owner understand?
 

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Surely the real question is how realistic was the prognosis and did the owner understand?

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I guess the answer to that question is; a shot in the dark and possibly not.
 
All the equine vets at the practice I use are good but if its anything serious I always try to get one in particular. He breeds and races thoroughbreds so does know his horses but is very matter of fact. Some people don't like him as he doesn't suffer fools gladly but I always welcome his more blunt approach. He will tell you if treatment is going to be expensive and will recommend cheapest options. His only down side is he is absolutely useless at paperwork, heaven help you if you want an insurance form filling in, all the office staff at the practice despair of him I know.
 
My vets are ok, they are a bit keen to know if your horse is insured or not...and the accounts department is full of numpties who can mess up the most simple task, but the vets themselves are good.
I'm probably experienced enough to make educated guesses as to what's wrong with my horses and can usually tell the vets what's up....
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First thing our vets ask is 'are you insured?'.
I do trust our vets (there are 3/4 equine vets in practice)but they are worth the watching re charges and insurances.
Once had a full leg work up -dx bonespavin ok then vet wanted her in to do another full leg work up a month or so later.Couldn't see why a full as we now knew what problem was.Spoke to a senior partner and funnily enough didn't get the full leg workup just xray to hock.
When I queried treatment for one horse I was asked how much my vets fee limit was.'Oh we aren't anywhere near that '.Think thats a limit not a target!!!

Don't really have much choice up here with vets.Theres really only two practices that cover equines at our side of city.
 
Our equine vet is fantastic. He knows his stuff and doesn't beat about the bush. He won't prescribe something expensive if he can advise you on something cheaper and equally effective. He has never once asked if we have insurance. For routine stuff, such as jabs, we don't mind too much who comes, but for anything more serious,or when we can, we specifically ask for him.
 
Our vet is my bosses sister, so we certainly get a good deal.
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She is a real star as well, this time last year Robbie had choke on a Sunday evening, and she spend about 2 hours in his stable with me, pouring water down a tube in his nose to get the blockage cleared. All this whilst being 7months pregnant!
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And he had IV bute and Buscopan that night, and a course of antibiotics, which I've not seen a bill for yet
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In return I sometimes help her out with her horses, poo picking, mucking out, bathing, that kind of thing.
She's also very no nonsense and wouldn't recommend any treatment if she didn't think it had a very good chance of working, and if I need some antibiotics or bute etc. I can just call her and she'll leave the stuff at the yard for me when she comes past.
We very rarely pay call out, and usually get drugs at cost price as well.
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Is everyone jealous yet?
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*touches wood* I have only had the vet out to my horse once (apart from vaccinations) My practise has a few vets so you get whoever's available. I was lucky and got Phil who is a fantastic equine vet. He did a fantastic job and came back out when I was worried about one of the cuts healing. He always seems to come to our yard when we have a problem and everytime I have seem him he has been really proffessional and done a fantastic job. He tells it like it is and I trust him 100% to do the right thing.

I had one vet who would ask if your horse was insured, seemed a bit dodgy to me.
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I have always had amazing vets. My most recent one told me there was no point bothering with investigating any further as it probably wouldn't pick anything up and would just be a waste of money. Horse is sound, well and not in pain, so he had a valid point!
 
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