For those that board- taking boarders to the vets

[Sky-O]

I don't mind at all! I pay about £190 / year (but I pay monthly). I'd pay double for it, to be honest (but don't tell PetPlan that ), I really think it's what sets my boarding above the other local places.

Tracey

Wait, you pay ONLY £190 per year for all of that? I thought you were going to say like £500 or something!

 

[teejay]

This is a really interesting thread, I have a question for teejay about the size of the bills. Ted had a couple of stasis bouts in Feb / March this year and the bills came to just over £1700 :shock: (this included two hospitalisations, one which was at the emergency vet, 1 on 1 nursing and numerous drugs and tests). Clearly that's well over the £350 you mention so how would this kind of situation work? Would you have to pay the bill then get it back from the owner? It's a huge amount to risk not getting back - or are you insured for that? (sorry if I've missed that somewhere along the way)

Wow, that's a big bill! To be honest, I don't know what I'd do if I was faced with that kind of bill for a boarder. Obviously, if it was a life or death emergency, then I'd have to make a quick decision based on the facts presented by the vet, but my first course of action would be to try my best to contact the owner to ask their opinion and get a financial commitment from them.

In my experience, what normally happens is that the vet treats the urgent acute symptoms and has to leave any underlying more chronic problems to the owner to sort out. For example, I had a bun with a dental abscess causing him to dramatically go off his food. If he was my own rabbit, he would have had the tooth extracted and the abscess drained straight away, but in the circumstances, the vet treated him with painkillers, antibiotics and a gut stimulant to keep him comfortable and give his appetite a chance to recover. We also syringe fed him until he started to eat for himself again. The owner then took him to her own vet for the tooth extraction when she returned from her holiday.

Obviously, that wouldn't apply in a life or death situation, but thankfully, I've never had that kind of situation. I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it and deal with every case depending on the specific circumstances.

Tracey

 

[teejay]

We have an agreement with the vet where we just get an invoice to give to the owner ( but usually they post them a bill anyway) and owner settles directly with the vet on their return.

Wow, that's really good of your vets; I wish mine would offer that kind of flexibility (although they're brilliant, no complaints from me at all!)

Tracey

 

[teejay]

Personally I would authorise treatment up to the £350 the insurance company will pay. More than that and the owner would have to speak to the vet and authorise the rest of the treatment. I always need an emergency contact for this reason and most people are happy to keep in touch via text anyway. This is a serious case and I would want the owner to be in touch with the vet anyway because I would not be happy making decisions for them if it was so critical.

That's very sensible advice; I think, if I was faced with such a serious emergency, I'd adopt an approach very much like yours, Ali. I reckon I am able to contact about 2/3 of my customers while they're away, and, like you, I also ask for an emergency contact person at home/local to home as well as the contact details of the owner.

So, I should be able to contact someone, even if it's not the owner themselves. I certainly wouldn't want to be committing an owner to a £1700 bill without squaring it with them first!

Tracey

 

[teejay]

Wait, you pay ONLY £190 per year for all of that? I thought you were going to say like £500 or something!

It's a bargain, it really is! Actually, it's less than that.....I pay just over £19 a month, but that's over 8 months, so it's only about £155! And those 4 months payment free are lovely!

Tracey

 

[Alibunmum]

It's a bargain, it really is! Actually, it's less than that.....I pay just over £19 a month, but that's over 8 months, so it's only about £155! And those 4 months payment free are lovely!

Tracey

I need to get back in touch with them, it is such a good peace of mind policy. I had it in my head that there was a £50 excess for vet fees and so had decided against it. Now I know there is no excess I may well just go ahead.