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Am I Living in a Bubble - Re Vet Fees

J

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
Over the last few days I have read several posts about people being charge vast amounts for treatment for their Rabbits. Much of it in 'normal' sugery hours.

I know I am very lucky with the arrangements I have with my Vet, but I appear to have lost sight of 'reality' as to the true cost of Veterinary Treatment today.
Can it really be justified in all cases :?

If my Vet charged the amounts I have seen mentioned on here she'd be a very rich woman and I would not be able to afford to keep my Rabbits.

What is everyone elses experience ?
Are your Vet fees 'reasonable' ?
 
Well, if anyone is assuming a specialist rabbit vet will be more expensive... they would be wrong.

A comparison. Rudy had about of stasis/bloat on a Sunday afternoon (October). The local out of hours oncall vet's response was "he might have a twisted gut and the prognosis would be very poor anyway". I insisted I wanted him examined and at least a painkiller. He had examination, 2 injections. It cost £72.

With his recent bout of stasis took him to FHB's practice (open appointment system on Saturday afternoon so NOT out of hours, local vet would be emergency call at this time). He was admitted, xrayed, syringe fed, nursed overnight, medication. It cost £72.

Now I know the first was out of hours but she was on the premises when I called :?

Esme's recent illness. Again FHB practice has an emergency open appointment system for one hour on Sunday mornings. The consultation cost £17.

Definitely worth shopping around, lower prices doesn't mean lower service!
 
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Well I'm very happy with the fees my vets charge....I went in on a sunday a couple of months back(so out of hours obviously) and didnt get charged any more than a usual consultation...(ie £36 was the total cost including meds for stasis.)

Ive been backwards and forwards with Bugsy for the last 2 weeks and was only charged consulation fees for the first 2 visits after that I was only charged for meds.

I cringe at some of the amounts I see quoted on here for vets bills and if my vets charged as much I too wouldn't be able to keep my rabbits.
 
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vets costs and insurance is partly the reason why i dont have hundreds of animals, as well as cost theres space and the fact i work full time too that keeps me limited on what animals i can allow myself to take on..
 
I think mine are reasonable. An out of hours late evening appointment and a consultation for when Wesley had headtilt was £110.00. It might have been less but the out of hours was with a different veterinary practice.
 
My vet is normal charge wise. I remember I had to go to a vets once for Toby's mites and he gave him frontline because "there wasn't any treatment for small animals!!!" what a lie! And he charged me 30 pound!! I went to (my own vets now) and they gave him ivermectin for only 13£ or something like that! I never went back to that vets again!
 
I have 2 vets.
One who is not rabbit savvy for vaccs and the basics who dont charge that much and i get the occasional discount because i done work experience with them for example they charge £14 for a consultation during hours and their vaccs cost £16.
The other who is very rabbit savvy who i go to for the more complicated things they charge alot more for example they charge £22 for a consultation during open hours and their vaccs cost £18.50.

I do think some vets are in it for the money and i think we do get charged at a high rate but thats what we have to pay if we want to keep our pets.
 
Our vet bills have been around £300 per week for the past few weeks. I just spoke to my neighbour on the way to the vets and said if you see a for sale sign outside our house you know it has been repossessed! :shock:
 
When Graham was poorly it cost me £280 altogether. That included 2 visits visits (normal hours), a GA, an xray, an ultrasound, metaclop, metacam, and the cremation. I am not sure if this is expensive or not. I would guess so as when I asked about neutering there it was £120!

They are very good at not charging me for things like teeth checks though, even if it is done by a vet.
 
Hugo's There said:
Our vet bills have been around £300 per week for the past few weeks. I just spoke to my neighbour on the way to the vets and said if you see a for sale sign outside our house you know it has been repossessed! :shock:
Click to expand...

OMGosh Liz :shock:

Vibes for Moses today btw :)
 
our local vets give us quite a good discount on their normal prices..they are not the cheapest but I fully trust the vets there which is more important..the girls on reception are really helpful too so overall service is great.
Out of hours consult is £80..which is a lot for a rescue but we haven't had to use it very much at all

The other vet we use in Nottingham is much cheaper..and very good.. so the fosterers there use them but too far for me to take all the buns..just go up with all the dentals when needed

I agree with the costs I've seen..the one last night was shocking:shock:

(Our bills for last quarter of 08 was approx.£850-£900 per month:shock:)
 
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Hugo's There said:
They are normally between £400 and £900 per month :?
Click to expand...

:shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:
Do you pay for everyone that walks through the doors :lol: Thats alot of money.

rachie_j
When Graham was poorly it cost me £280 altogether. That included 2 visits visits (normal hours), a GA, an xray, an ultrasound, metaclop, metacam, and the cremation. I am not sure if this is expensive or not. I would guess so as when I asked about neutering there it was £120!

They are very good at not charging me for things like teeth checks though, even if it is done by a vet.
Click to expand...

When Blackie was ill the first vets didnt charge me half of what it should have been it was £60 for 5 days of consults, 5 days of Meta-something for the gut, Pain relief for one day, The liquid parafin (never used) a dental, and enema :? so im glad that wasnt bad.
At the other vet it cost £265 for his op, staying over night, X-rays, All the medication and that was with a 10% discount for him passing away and it was £107 ontop of that for his ashes back.

Oh and at the rabbit savvy vet it cost me £95 for a dental and some drugs at my old vet its £60 so it just goes to show the differences.
 
I think our vet's fees are very reasonable, Jane. I didn't see that high quote from some other vet, must look for the thread.
A vet has to pay the staff, utility bills, rent, council tax, equipment and medicine, somehow that money has to come back in. Some vets are greedy, but most of them are just trying to survive.
 
My old vets (the one I really rated) was very expensive. I didn't begrudge it too much though, as I got very long and thorough appointments. I used to resent paying the prices if I got one of the useless vets at the surgery though!!!
 
The vet that treated Hugo when he had myxi were (imo) a rip off. They knew that he'd be on a long course of baytril yet refused to let me buy a full bottle of the stuff, insisting instead to give me a few ml at a time, charging me about £10 a ml, online you can buy a whole bottle for about £30 :shock: It really annoyed me as they were making me bring him in to be seen before giving any more baytril, which was costing £25 a visit :shock: I had no choice if i wanted him to get better though. All in all it cost me a fortune & it took me months to pay it back (i had to borrow most of the money from my brother.) My new vet is more reasonable though so i can't complain too much :wave:
 
For the neuters of my fosters etc, I think my vet fees are very good. The ones that seem a tad high are for out of hours callouts (£70) or the ones with several consultations - my NZ recently had a blockage & I was at the vets everyday for a week, for gut stimulant, pain killers etc etc. That came to £230something. At the time you just pay it (or get an account:oops::lol:) but afterwards it hits you than you can only afford for one/two buns to be ill at a time. And no horses.:oops::lol:
 
Our vets are very reasonable. They give me a discount where possible. It cost me £70 for all 13 bunnies to have their VHD jabs inc home visit.
When Boots fell out with his bunny family and had an consult, overnight stay, GA and his wound cleaned out and a follow up antibiotic jab all that was £59 which I think is very reasonable.
All of my buns are being myxi jabbed on friday and while I think it will be more than the VHD cost they still do try to give me what discount they can which is very good of them.
I've also always been happy with their knowledge and the bunnies treatment.
I am very lucky.
As you say Jane, I couldnt afford to have my rabbits if I had to pay some of the prices that other people have to on here :?
 
Out of hours up here is £90 just to see then what ever on top. Think its £15 for general app. But we were going every 2 weeks to be weighed feet checked etc and vet never charges for that. At last vets it was £18 every 2 weeks for weigh. Just had vaccs at this vets and although myxi was £15 norm VHD which was 18 at last was £27 thought that was big diff!
I think its more the little things that add up really we have had ours 2 years nearly and have spent about £3-1/2,000 on Winnie and about £5,000 on Angel she has a denatl next month to.
I pay 10ml bottle of metacam was 18 but vet started seling giant size next down from horse for 56 so saving and she said the horse one shed get for next time! but found on internet can get giant bottle for £26 do you risk it though? Then on top of that I buy herbal medicine for them to which is doing great!So going to try and get them off vet med when can if possible obv with vets permisiion
 
The most expensive vets by us are the ones that I don't rate at all - they nearly killed my friends rabbit, and from my own experience with them I have no confidence in them whatsoever - money making practice IMO

I use the vet that Hopper Haven uses as I'm really happy with them (they saved the bunny that the other vet nearly killed) and they're better prices and service.
 
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