Topic: Cats & Vet Bills (Read 24929 times)

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #95 on:** April 23, 2007, 22:09:38 PM »

My vets do a free flea/worm app, and things like weigh ins, follow ups are free, as they are done with the nurse. Pay consults for most things though, although they are currently classing Tiger's jabs as over the counter injection so only paying £6 a go. They have had nearly £400 from me this year already though!!

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #94 on:** April 23, 2007, 15:15:06 PM »

I don't usually take my cats when I get flea or worm meds. I either pick them up when I take them for vaccinations or something else or just call in for them, or buy them online (I tend to buy drontal from vetuk) so then I just pay the price of the meds. Of course if they hadn't been seen in the previous 6 months I might have to take them in and I would imagine that in theory I should be charged for that consultation but in practice since they are just following the law that requires the animal having been seen in the previous 6 months they may just give them a quick look over and not charge anything for that. I think the basic rule is that whenever you consult a vet you generally pay a consultation fee. If you are having a previously booked procedure carried out, eg an op, vaccinations... then the consultation fee tends to be included in the price of that procedure. Similarly follow up consulations are usually at a reduced price or may be free depending on circumstances and the individual vet. I've never been in a position when I've had to return for a 2nd consualtion, other than post op checks for Mosi's neutering and Jaffa's dental.

ccmacey · « **Reply #93 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:34:37 PM »

Yes thats right Millys mum

Lucky me!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #92 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:32:25 PM »

CC,
a consultation is when the vet looks at your pet and decides if it needs treatment
open surgery just means you dont need an appointment
appointment is the time you expect to be seen

Your practice has open surgery and for some reason decides not to charge you a fee for seeing a vet (a consultation)

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #91 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:31:44 PM »

the only times where you do not routinely pay for a "consultation" fee as such is at vaccine appoinmtents where the whole price is made up and will basically include a fee to cover the vets time (each and every vaccine jab should have a basic animal health check first !!). Also follow up post op appointments are often not charged as you really will have paid for that sort of in with the op price.

if you are seeing a vet for an ongoing medical problem IE chronic renal failure just for example NORMALLY you will pay a consult fee each and every time you visit. However where i used to work if you were being seen for the SAME condition within a very short period of time ie 1-2 wks etc you would pay subsequent consult fees at a reduce rate ie 2nd consult or 3 rd consult..that would depend entirely on vet/owner of practice though as to whether they worked that type of system.

Ela · « **Reply #90 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:26:34 PM »

Quote

assume an open surgery for most just means you have no specific appt and will be seen in order of arrival,

That is my understanding of open surgery, where you could just sit and have to wait hours to be seen as there are loads of people in front of you.

Quote

took Harry last week for his first jabs at open surgery time and only had to pay for them and a health check was done before hand.

That is dofferent I think at all vets the injection price is the price you pay and no consultation fee on top. After all you are not really having a consultation as you know what you want, although I expect many vets like mins do give an MOT at this time.

ccmacey · « **Reply #89 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:15:09 PM »

Sorry ladies posted that 1 before I read the replys.

The PDSA do charge a consultation fee but thats in with the donation. They only do apointments also.

Lynn people must of not been giving a donation at the 1 I go to because they have now closed the little post boxes and you give it to the receptionist. Shocking some people.

Right so am I or am I not getting charged a consultation fee? Do you only get charged for things medical like ongoing illness and not for regular things like jabs etc?

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #88 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:14:28 PM »

i forgot too add when u take them for there jabs u just pay for the jabs at my vets anyway lol

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #87 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:12:52 PM »

when i take mine for worm/flea treatment its free to see the vet yes its also free to see the vet when getting them chipped
and the obesity clinic is free where i get molly weighed but if u seethe vet for anything else u have to pay .

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #86 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:10:42 PM »

Normally when you take a cat for vaccinations/health check the consultation fee is included in the price. I pay about £25 or so (maybe a bit more) for booster vaccinations which includes the health check. There isn't an additional consultation fee. But for anything else there is. except ops. Like when I took Mosi to be neutered the vet checked him over first but there wasn't an additional fee for that as the price for neutering includes pre op check and post op check. Follow up consultations are usually cheaper than the first consutation.

Every time you see a vet you are having a consultation and the consultation fee is what you pay for their time and advice.

ccmacey · « **Reply #85 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:06:42 PM »

Right, when you take your cat for their jabs or wormers etc is that a consultation?

I took Harry last week for his first jabs at open surgery time and only had to pay for them and a health check was done before hand.

Its like Lynn said only you dont have to pay for what comes out of their mouths.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #84 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:04:56 PM »

AGREE

my goodness how can something so simple get made out to be so complicated

as far as i am aware only charity organisations ie pdsa would ever give FREE surgerys and even then you are MEANT to give donations.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #83 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:03:05 PM »

Yeh - that's what I meant. Open surgery doesn't mean free surgery, it just means a surgery where you can turn up without an appt. That's why a few people have said their vets have an open surgery but they still pay a consultation charge. Open surgery or appointment just refers to the system. Most people pay for their consultation whether they attend an open surgery or have an appointment for a specific time.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #82 on:** April 23, 2007, 14:00:13 PM »

cc "open surgery" to my mind (having worked in the industry for years lol) and obviously to susannes is merely a set time ie 2 pm - 4 pm where anyone can turn up with their animals and wait to be seen on a first come basis, you are however still having a proper consultation only you are going to have more of a wait than if you had been written in an appointments book for ie 2.30pm where you'd expect to be seen at precisly 2.30pm unless the previous appointment before you has over ran.

I do not understand what you mean by open surgery where you do not expect to pay. no private vet is going to give a consultation and not charge for his time, after all this is his bread and butter.

PS modified to say, there would be a BIG difference in "open surgery" to "free surgery" LOL
open does not mean free !

ccmacey · « **Reply #81 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:56:04 PM »

Private vets.

How can they say is open surgery if you have to pay for their time? Whats the difference between open surgery times and apointments? Someone please enlighten me Im getting a bit confused now.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #80 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:54:30 PM »

Quote from: ccmacey on April 23, 2007, 13:48:15 PM

How could there be open surgery if you had to pay a consultation fee? Surely then that would be an appointment?

I assume an open surgery for most just means you have no specific appt and will be seen in order of arrival, not that you don't pay. An appointment just means you will be seen at a specific time, subject to previous consultations over running, and are less likely to have to wait. Bit like at the doctors (mine is appt only there too but some hold open surgeries.

I think my main problem with this is that I'm sure the vets will be getting the money back in some other way. Maybe the consultation fee for those being seen outside of open surgeries is higher than it might otherwise be if everyone paid.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #79 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:53:01 PM »

well thats where i dont understand what you mean..ie take my vets on saturday mornings.. they open between hours of 9 - 10.30 am and you do not have to book an appointment. You go and get seen of a first come first serve basis. the vet takes you into their consulting room and does everyting exactly as they would during work week days with a specific appointment time.. you are still having a full consultation but only you dont have to pre book an exact time to come along.

does that make sense.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #78 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:51:26 PM »

wheather is an appointment or open surgery
the vet charges the client for there time

is it a private vet or is it an rspca funded one ?
because the rspca funded one we have is in southampton and u even have to pay a consultation fee there although its a little cheaper then the private vets .

ccmacey · « **Reply #77 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:48:15 PM »

I suppose its a little unfair for people who cant make open surgery times but I feel the vets give this option as some people cant afford to pay a consultation fee aswell as the treatment.

How could there be open surgery if you had to pay a consultation fee? Surely then that would be an appointment?

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #76 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:46:20 PM »

"in the old " days many if not most vets did open surgerys as the norm, gradually most have switched to appointments only as they can control their time and schedule their lives far easier and it is SUPPOSED to quit the stress (ha ha) and long waits.

However as far as i am aware you always pain the normal consultation fee what ever that was at the time as you were having a consultation regardless.

The vets i now HAVE to use (ie not ones i have worked in or know on a personal basis) use appointments as the norm but saturday mornings in on open basis from 9 - 10.30 am (not sure about evenings if they perhaps still do that then aswell)

city vets in aberdeen as far as i know all do appointments only systems.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #75 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:38:33 PM »

The vets in question here must b losing a lot of money though imo

lets face it u have to pay for everything these days

Dawn (DiddyDawn) · « **Reply #74 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:29:46 PM »

In both mine, you can either book an appointment or it's open surgery 3 times daily. If it's an emergency, then I usually phone and take them straight in but I know as a rule there is always a consultation fee. If they've seen the animal before for the same ailment then I think the consultation price is half.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #73 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:29:12 PM »

Quote from: ccmacey on April 23, 2007, 12:48:14 PM

They could go at open surgery times or make an appointment its their choice.

If people can't make the open surgery times they dont' have a choice so it seems a bit unfair to me that if someone can make it at 9am in the morning they dont' pay but if they can't (and either cant' make the later surgery or consider it too urgent to wait that long) they end up paying. I can't help feeling everyone should pay the same.

ccmacey · « **Reply #72 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:10:55 PM »

I think the most I've ever waited is about 25- 35 mins, a sat morning. Other times its not so busy so get seen quite quick.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #71 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:02:13 PM »

the 50 minutes i waited with molly in my vets open clinic
she wasnt ill just had to be weighed
but i said i wouldnt be happy waiting all that time if one of mine was ill

i wasnt on about wat des said about the dr

ccmacey · « **Reply #70 on:** April 23, 2007, 13:00:10 PM »

Waiting all what time Lisa? Des said she was at docs for 3 hours nothing about vets.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #69 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:56:22 PM »

they do an open surgery at my vets for an hour in morning and hour in the evening
but obviously u do still have to pay the consultation fee , ive been to the open clinics before and the most ive had to wait is 50mins which was ok as i was just waiting for molly to be weighed for her spot on wormer , but i wouldnt be happy waiting all that time if one of mine was ill .

ccmacey · « **Reply #68 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:51:17 PM »

Well its the persons choice, maybe they dont get many appointments so thats why they have open surgery? I dont know Im not the owner lol.

Des they have set times so will see you a little before hand and a little after you dont wait hours. And its not massively busy when I go.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #67 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:50:53 PM »

I personally wouldnt' want an open surgery for the cats - my docs do this in the morning (Apps in the afternoon) and I have sat around for 3 hours waiting to be seen, it wasn't too bad for me, as I can sit there with a book, but I wouldnt want to do that in the vets with a cat - we had to wait nearly an hour last Mon as they had had an emergency and were behind, and that was hard enough on Tiger.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #66 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:48:39 PM »

Surely everyone would go during the free time
and they would have a whole waiting room full of cats n dogs and then the times u had to pay there would be only 1 or 2

ccmacey · « **Reply #65 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:48:14 PM »

They could go at open surgery times or make an appointment its their choice.

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #64 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:44:35 PM »

Seems a bit unfair to me that some people have to pay and some don't, tbh.

ccmacey · « **Reply #63 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:41:25 PM »

There is a first time for everything Ela.

Its never overflowing with people when I go except for a sat morning. Obviuosly most peeps will have to make appointments with getting out of work etc.

When I go people are in the room as long as they need to be and although there could be a few people waiting they always get seen. The vets dont make any less of a judgement because its free time.

MBll · « **Reply #62 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:37:18 PM »

OMG 60 replys thats the most iv ever had on something iv posted pmsl

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #61 on:** April 23, 2007, 12:20:23 PM »

I'm not sure about this open surgery thing tbh. I wouldn't be convinced my cat was getting the same treatment. If they are just half hour or one hour slots what happens if a lot of people turn up? Do they squeeze everyone in (and make paying customers wait? or give less time to everyone?) or do they tell some people they have to come back another time? I really don't see how a vet can do that everyday unless they are making up the money elsewhere. If treatment is needed do they charge more to make up for the lack of consultation fees? As much as I'd like to not pay I think it reasonable to pay a vet for his/her time. At my vets the initial consultation fee is around £20 (a bit more I think) but follow up consultations are cheaper, and pre/post op checks are included in the cost of the op.

Quote from: Mark on April 23, 2007, 10:33:59 AM

£10 for probiotic is a bit steep.

Depends on the probiotic. I use lacto B which ie especially for pets and costs me around £15 for a tub bought online. It works very well so I'm happy to pay it (well, you know what I mean!)

Christine (Blip) · « **Reply #60 on:** April 23, 2007, 11:22:40 AM »

Our vets charge a consultation fee for each visit but when Blip was stung by a bee, I rushed her round and they removed the sting free of charge. I would have been happy to pay, so I thought that was a nice gesture on their part.

forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) · « **Reply #59 on:** April 23, 2007, 11:10:15 AM »

Quote from: Ela on April 23, 2007, 10:23:06 AM

Quote
Yes it is really good and if there is nothing wrong with the animal you have paid nothing.

To be honest t is the first time I have every heard of anything like that.

Yea me 2 at my vets u have to pay 27.50 consultation during the week
and if u go to the emergencey clinic on a saturday morning its double

Mark · « **Reply #58 on:** April 23, 2007, 10:33:59 AM »

£10 for probiotic is a bit steep. I bought 100 tabs in holland & barrett last week for £8.00. bearing in mind a cat has a much smaler dose, it should be pennies. I will look into dosages and see if I can find an unflavoured one for clapton. I understand that antibiotics kill good as well as bad bacteria - probably explains why I needed to buy some as I was on them 2 weeks ago for my tooth

Ela · « **Reply #57 on:** April 23, 2007, 10:23:06 AM »

Quote

Yes it is really good and if there is nothing wrong with the animal you have paid nothing.

To be honest t is the first time I have every heard of anything like that.

ccmacey · « **Reply #56 on:** April 23, 2007, 10:20:08 AM »

Yes it is really good and if there is nothing wrong with the animal you have paid nothing.

Author Topic: Cats & Vet Bills (Read 24929 times)

ccmacey

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ccmacey

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MBll

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