Topic: Out of Hours Vet Fees (Read 3657 times)

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #24 on:** May 08, 2008, 08:10:06 AM »

i do have to say that my out of hours vets are good, Pebbles ended up there twice in one year, and even when she had come home, they were willing to give me advice over the phone (my normal vet was away that week, and I didn't rate the locum), and they were really good to us when we had to take Blossom in when she was struggling to give birth.

moiramassey · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2008, 23:18:20 PM »

I am very happy with the quality of the out-of-hours vet service linked to my vet's practice, but the contrast between the two prices is huge.

I consider my vet to be very reasonable indeed. He will provide overnight care if necessary, so I only use the out-of-hours vet service for emergencies. They are £70 to get over the threshold, which they always make very clear over the phone. Their prices are also much higher than his. However, their facilities are good.

Unfortunately, Mitzi my Siamese/Bengal cross is the type of kitten who has ended up in the vets on a number of occasions , often at weekends. She has now seen 3 different vets at the out-of-hours service and I thought all were highly profesional.

Roz · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2008, 16:19:58 PM »

Good Lord...such prices!!!

I have always had to pay an extra £100 for out of hours service on top of the normal charge. But I always choose, wherever possible to register my pets with a veterinary practice that has a 24 hour veterinary attendance for hospitalised animals with the accompanying veterinary nursing. I couldn't bear to leave any of my pets in a hospital which did not have an overnight veterinary attendance or one which was just looked in on now and then by a vet nurse (as many of them are...)

However, I have posted in the past how disappointed I have been on occasion to find that, having made the decision to take my pet in for emergency treatment, I discover that the only vet on duty is young and inexperienced. For the surcharge of £100 I think every veterinary practice has an obligation to ensure that a good, highly experienced vet is on duty. After all, why would anyone wish to pay an extra £100 unless their pet was giving real cause for concern?

This veterinary chain you are referring to sound horrendous. £500 for a call out to euthanase a cat??? That's a disgrace and makes me question why such people are in the veterinary profession. Obviously not for the sake of the animals!

Best wishes,

Roz

Ela · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2008, 16:07:01 PM »

Quote

Can I have his number Ela?

He would kill me.

Quote

ng on isn't that the vet who won vet of the year or something similar?

Yes he did last year, this year he was one of the judges.

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2008, 15:54:33 PM »

Can I have his number Ela?

Hang on isn't that the vet who won vet of the year or something similar?

Ela · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2008, 08:17:09 AM »

Unfortunately our vets uses Vets Now for out of hours, There are a couple of vets in our town who do their own out of hoursebut I would not take a dying flea to either of them. Fortunately our vet does allow us to ring him at any time, I have his and his wife's mobile numbers and also his home number. I did feel guilty though a few weeks ago when he was at a party, but fortunately he said he did not mind and was pleased for an excuse to leave.

Kirst · « **Reply #18 on:** May 06, 2008, 22:23:25 PM »

My vets normal fee is about £30.00 , and after hours is I think about £55.00 , tho i have never used taht as all our local vets get diverted to Medivets after hours.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #17 on:** May 06, 2008, 22:14:01 PM »

That sounds ridiculously expensive. I don't know what my vets charge now as I've only had to use their out of hours service once, and that was 2 years ago. It was £70 then for an out of hours consultation, but it was at their surgery so no moving in the morning or anything like that, and a standard of care I was very happy with.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2008, 22:03:38 PM »

Our e-vet charges £70.50 to see the cat, and if you have to go on a Saf after seeing normal vet, it is £35, which I think is wrong, as you have already had to pay the normal vet up to £20. IT is a 24 hour animal hospital that has its own clients though, so no moving about, and looking at other peoples comments, the cost isn't that bad.

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2008, 21:59:55 PM »

I have had to pay this sort of money at our out of hours vet. Thankfully its run from our vets surgery so Archie did not have to be moved when he was admitted.We would not manage without insurance.

Mark · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2008, 21:55:40 PM »

One of the reasons I changed vets recently is because my other vet uses ves now. The new one is 24/7 - they do charge an extra £70 for out of hours but at least they cats wouldn't have to be moved at 8am.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2008, 21:52:45 PM »

Most Vets Now are run from PDSA buildings and the charges are horidic for a very limited service.

I would rather pay my vet that price and then a sick cat would not have to moved again at 0800 and would have continuous care under a vet I knew and trusted.

Its time for bvets to think again!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2008, 20:10:10 PM »

Quote from: Ela on May 06, 2008, 10:29:53 AM

Some 'Vets Now' are run in PDSA premises for out of hours work, so that could be another reason for such a charge for a consultation,

Id think that was the case too, our local vets now is £110. Luckily only paid that the once, touch wood.

Kate · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2008, 18:02:14 PM »

We made the difficult decision to have our cat Rosie put to sleep on Easter sunday, it could not wait. We wanted the Vets Now people to come to us to spare her a long journey on her last day. They quoted £500!!!!!! Or £200 if we came in. I can't believe they added to our stress and grief in thsi way. We found another vets who charged £40.

Angiew · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2008, 12:40:57 PM »

it was prbably the vets now service - as you know I've a petition set up for this.

our local pdsa runs vets now outside it's normal pdsa clinic here as well as in quite a few other places. I suppose the upside is, it gets extra pennies to the pdsa who do a good job.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/11453.html

Kirst · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:55:52 AM »

Quote from: Dawn F on May 06, 2008, 11:05:34 AM

my mil has a friend who came over for lunch last summer and told me all about her cat and the pdsa that she took it to - she has a 4 storey house off holland park avenue - I don't blame them for tightening up a bit on criteria

Sadly there are always those that abuse the system......................and it always impacts most on the ones who genuinely need it.

Maddiesmum · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:06:41 AM »

I think that's an outrageous amount. However I am pleased to know all ended well for Blade

Dawn F · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:05:34 AM »

my mil has a friend who came over for lunch last summer and told me all about her cat and the pdsa that she took it to - she has a 4 storey house off holland park avenue - I don't blame them for tightening up a bit on criteria

Kirst · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:02:28 AM »

My cousin has worked for them for years , I always thought their ethos was to help people who struggled to afford pet care.

Mark · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:47:17 AM »

Quote from: Kirst on May 06, 2008, 10:16:13 AM

Must admit I am surprised..................I thought the PDSA were meant to be the good guys.

Yes I remember when I was young and we were a "low income" family. Our local PDSA was a run down building. They just had a box to put "what you can afford" in - it was done so as not to embarrass anyone.

Ela · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:29:53 AM »

Some 'Vets Now' are run in PDSA premises for out of hours work, so that could be another reason for such a charge for a consultation,

Dawn F · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:19:04 AM »

was it an actual PDSA branch I know my vet (a normal one) does PDSA stuff for people on benefit

Kirst · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:16:13 AM »

Must admit I am surprised..................I thought the PDSA were meant to be the good guys.

Sam (Fussy_Furball) · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:08:05 AM »

As you know I spend a fair bit of time sending the hints and tips to owners who have lost furbabes and get lots of emails back with good news that they are back home etc.

I received this email today from a lady and I have to admit I was a bit shocked at the prices quoted:

Hi Sam,

Thanks for your message. Blade arrived home thinner, starving, nervous and in a state of emotional and physical neglect. It was the weekend and although I'd previously notified local vets of his absence - I decided to call the out of hours emergency team as a precaution too. They were helpful, friendly and put his absence on record.

Called them back on Sunday to say that he was home safe and sound - but would it be OK if we dropped Blade to them for a 'quick health check' - was told we would be welcomed to travel over 12 miles to get him checked - so long as we realised that this was an 'out of hours service' and initial consultation charge would be £108 plus and any treatment required would be expensive due to the day and time.

FORTUNATELY - after a few hours of TLC, good food, plently of water and lots of cuddles, Blade calmed down and some 48 hours later is now almost back to his old self.

We've kept him in with a litter box in the kitchen and once he regains confidence (as he's doing on an hourly basis) - he'll gradually be introduced back into his old way of life.

Our local 'Out of Hours' vet service is apparently run via the PDSA. Following my conversation with them on Sunday, it horrifies me that if you call them for an inital 'out of hours' appointment, you are immediately quoted a charge of £108 consulatation fee. No wonder so many lost/poorly cats are not referred and remain neglected and lost. The only other way around their high costs is to be personally means tested and 'PROVE' low income and submitt proof of low income. How demeaning and lowly is that?

I didn't tell the PDSA on Sunday that I'd recovered a lost cat - simply that I'd like them to check a lost cat for me. I simply didn't think - just wanted somebody to have a look at Blade and to ensure that he'd not suffered physical damange. PDSA - not for us and probably not for other well meaning caring animal lovers either. What a mega fee!

Best regards,

'Tina

Author Topic: Out of Hours Vet Fees (Read 3657 times)