Do you consider a typical vet bill expensive?

[Blackberry & Co]

:wave: Just having a little look here and wondered how far do people go with treatment at home when their buns are 'under the weather' before visiting the vet?

With Clo I know the symptoms of a gassy tummy (I have to be really careful with the food he has access to) and if I can't get him eating pretty soon I whip him off to the vets.

I think it very much depends on whether people have a bun with a recurring problem that they can treat at home under their vet's guidance.

Any new problems with my buns and I at least phone for advice on whether I need to go in or not.

 

[littleboots]

If I have a vet visit for under £50 I come away thinking... that was a cheap do!! (rarely happens)
I never hesitate with a vet visit.. whether its for my buns/dog.cat/horse...
My philosphy is worry about the cost after... the treatment is needed!!
I will never be rich

 

[susieb1]

I don't mind paying the vet's bills as long as they are looking after my pets.
What I do mind though is ignorance towards the feelings of bunny owners.
I had to have my last bunn, Jasper PTS after a long battle and lots of suffering for him and us. What I did find really upsetting and annoying though was when I received the bill from them it was just a basic print out and it just said Cat - Euthanasia!
I phoned and expalined that Jasper was rabbit not a cat but they said that is how they invoice you as rabbit and cat are exactly the same price to PTS!
Anyway I refused to pay the bill until i got a proper print out saying that it was for a bunnie.
I know I was pig headed and awkward but I found this really heartless and uncaring of them at the time.
Anyway they have since changed the policy about that now, and I have since changed vets!

I would have been mad - how insensitive and rude of them.

 

[parsnipbun]

yesterdays was £400 for Charlies op, a couple of days before we had the babies myxi vaccd so that was abut £150, the day before that Parsley had has ear flushed under GA so that was another £100 etc etc etc

 

[Pebblesetc]

I'm always shocked because the vets don't put their price list anywhere that anyone who isn't extremely long sighted can see it.
E.g.: the inside of the fridge door in the exam room. Behind the reception desk, on the back wall, below the level of the receptionist's seat.

So I never know how much I should expect to be paying.

 

[Tillybunny]

It does seem expensive, but I dare not leave buns long before taking them, Peter was ill this week, showing signs of stasis, took him to vets when he had not eaten all day, they gave him critical care formula, metacam injection and gut stimulant - cost £53 and thank goodness he does seem to be on the mend.

 

[William]

$80-$100 I expect and normally it is in that price range. Phantom's (cat) bill was over $400 though :shock: But that was because they had to do an xray, full bloodwork, stool test, antibiotics, worming injection etc and the vet consult is $50 and the bill the night before at the emergency vet was $88 (vet consult and some injection, kinda like an IV, to perk him up).

 

[Vegan_Bunny]

wow :shock: am I the only person who's never paid more than £40 in one go for a bun?

I'm beginning to worry that my vets aren't too good with them being so cheap

I would be fuming if i got a vet bill for £61 just for vacs! :shock:

 

[yvette]

If its over £60 its a bit of a gulp, but thats 3 buns.
I pay a tenner for Lilys teefs to be burred every month.Anything else is usually for just one bun and I take that as it comes.
Ian normally gives me a discount for something.One time (Valentines Day) I didnt pay at all!! His excuse was Lily needed not alot doing.I reckoned its cos Id sent him a card!!!:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Elena]

wow :shock: am I the only person who's never paid more than £40 in one go for a bun?

I'm beginning to worry that my vets aren't too good with them being so cheap

I would be fuming if i got a vet bill for £61 just for vacs! :shock:

My vac bill is over £60 but I do have four buns.

After Mini's op costing £250 tbh a £40 vets bill is normally a relief :lol:

 

[luvabun]

I don't mind paying the vet's bills as long as they are looking after my pets.
What I do mind though is ignorance towards the feelings of bunny owners.
I had to have my last bunn, Jasper PTS after a long battle and lots of suffering for him and us. What I did find really upsetting and annoying though was when I received the bill from them it was just a basic print out and it just said Cat - Euthanasia!
I phoned and expalined that Jasper was rabbit not a cat but they said that is how they invoice you as rabbit and cat are exactly the same price to PTS!
Anyway I refused to pay the bill until i got a proper print out saying that it was for a bunnie.
I know I was pig headed and awkward but I found this really heartless and uncaring of them at the time.
Anyway they have since changed the policy about that now, and I have since changed vets!

Sorry to hear of Jaspers demise and that is unforgivebly heartless regarding their adminstration. In no way was that pig-headed or awkward and they've obviously cottoned on to that now.

 

[Alibunmum]

Yup!
Charlie was in stasis and one visit was £70 odd.
Cat put to sleep was £90 something
Hamster was just under £50 to be pts.

Hamster, £50??? I am £23 for a rabbit!

Starfish was £118 for her tumour removal, meds and visits. Floppy was £128 for his broken leg including xrays on a sat afternoon, meds and a weekend of inpatient treatment finding a splint that would stay on.

I love my vets. They run free rabbit clinics with the nurses for advice and nail clipping. They also have a big wall of rabbit info about teeth, diet and housing.

So, I am always pleasantly surprised at my vet bills, especially knowing what some of you have to pay. I don't have insurance because it wouldn't cost out.

 

[Vegan_Bunny]

the £40 i paid was for a dental on Ellie. It's only about £14 for a consultation for a bunny and they normally only charge that even if i bring my 2 buns in for a consultation. When Ellie was really ill the £40 was the most i paid in one go even when i had a consultation, pain relief and also the liquid food that i needed to get Ellie's system going :shock: £60 seems alot to me but i would never think of the money if one of my bunnies needed a vet asap.

 

[Leelu]

To get the girls health checked and their first myxi was £16 each
From reading some posts I think I'm going to get the buns an emergency credit card as we have the insurance now and we can pay the card off

 

[Boudicca]

Yeah, I'm the same. If I'm at the dentist I cringe waiting to hear the bill, but if I'm at the vets I just expect it to be high and don't react. Having said that, my current vet is about half the price of my old one!

Yes exactly, I know both of these are expensive but when it comes to the furries bill it doesn't bother me in the same way other bills like the dentist does! I presume it's all because D&D have become my babies and mean the world to me I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get them something they need and because of that somewhere along the line my ability to register the cost and shock of vet prices seem to have gone out the window!

 

[Janey]

Hamster, £50??? I am £23 for a rabbit!

Starfish was £118 for her tumour removal, meds and visits. Floppy was £128 for his broken leg including xrays on a sat afternoon, meds and a weekend of inpatient treatment finding a splint that would stay on.

I love my vets. They run free rabbit clinics with the nurses for advice and nail clipping. They also have a big wall of rabbit info about teeth, diet and housing.

So, I am always pleasantly surprised at my vet bills, especially knowing what some of you have to pay. I don't have insurance because it wouldn't cost out.

Your vets do have amazing prices. Poppy had to have a mass removal (wasnt a tumour in the end but I imagine same process) and it came to over £700, she didn't even stay over night!!

It is funny how you become accustomed to the huge costs. If i had to spend a quarter of the amount on my teeth as I have on Poppy's I would have just had all mine taken out :lol:

 

[steveg]

When Peter was poorly I was £42 for an examination, gut stimulant injection and some liquid food.

Veterinary surgery is one of the hardest university courses to get into. It takes a lot of study and you have to be very bright to do it. I genuinely think vets don't do it for the money as they could all easily become GP's and earn a lot more.

Average UK GP's earnings, circa £110,000, average UK vet salary about £50,000 -£80,000. There are different stats on this depending on where you look but I don't think vets are quite so well paid as GP's yet they have a lot more out of hours work I believe than doctors. They also have to buy into a practice to become a partner in order to share the profits. Not something an NHS GP has to do.

it would be interesting to get a vets perspective on this.

 

[steveg]

As a new owner I think I panicked after Peter's VHD reaction. I certainly could have saved myself £42 had I been more informed about the likely reaction. I don't think it was a big bill but was unnecessary had I been prepared for the reaction, and to be honest I'm not sure the gut stimulant injection had any effect, I think he was so poorly that only time and some tlc was going to help.

I'm amazed how some of the younger members on here can afford the vets bills and it says a lot about you, the sacrifices you must make and the things you must do without to look after your buns. :wave:

 

[marie_kubiak]

Average UK GP's earnings, circa £110,000, average UK vet salary about £50,000 -£80,000. .

That's quite an optimistic salary for a vet in general practice!

 

[Becki xX]

the £40 i paid was for a dental on Ellie. It's only about £14 for a consultation for a bunny and they normally only charge that even if i bring my 2 buns in for a consultation. When Ellie was really ill the £40 was the most i paid in one go even when i had a consultation, pain relief and also the liquid food that i needed to get Ellie's system going :shock: £60 seems alot to me but i would never think of the money if one of my bunnies needed a vet asap.

£40 for a dental? Thats amazing. I paid £131 y/day for a couple of small spurs X