Do Vets play on people's emotions ? money, money, money

Ragnar Lothbrok · 03-10-2018 01:19PM

I had the exact opposite experience of the OP.

A couple of years ago, my cat Shadow was attacked by a dog, and left in a very poor condition: broken jaw, broken leg, gashes etc. To be honest, I didn't expect the vet to be able to save him, and fully expected the vet to put him to sleep.

The first thing the vet said was "No matter how much the treatment comes to, I will not charge you more than 300 euro." He didn't even know at the time how many nights Shadow would need to spend in the surgery.

After a couple of days, the vet rang me to say that Shadow could be collected. He gave me the itemised bill - antibiotics, x-rays, overnight stays, etc. The bill should have been over €700, but he would not take more than the €300.

I had only been to this vet a couple of times before, for minor things, and didn't know him well. In fact, I am amazed he gave me such an offer.

So, like most businesses I suppose, the answer to the original question is that some vets will overcharge, while others won't (although I don't necessarily think the vet in the OP was in fact overcharging).

freshpopcorn · 03-10-2018 03:43PM

Pet insurance is a good thing to have.
We have a handful of vets in our area. One tough is known for keeping people pets alive for a few days and then sending out a massive bill.
Even with pet insurance I wouldn't have much faith in her.

Airyfairy12 · 03-10-2018 05:23PM

Some do, my cat was hit by a car and broke his leg so I brought him straight into the vet, the vet told me he'd need to be operated on and the operation would cost over 1500 euro. I didnt have that money so he told me my only other option was to put my cat down, he said it will be cheaper and if I dont get the op he's going to die anyway so I should probably just pay to get him put to sleep.

I wasnt putting my cat to sleep, over a fixable broken leg so I rang around a few different vets and found this woman in another town who said she would do the operation for 90 euro. I went to her, she did a few scans and said he doesnt need an operation and that would be too stressful for him anyway since he'll heal by himself. She told me the vet was ripping me off and a small leg operation is a very basic and quick surgery.
He healed up quick and was running around again like nothing happened after 3 months.

Nijmegen · 03-10-2018 05:36PM

If you don't want to get stung for massive bills when the unexpected happens, pet insurance is your only man. Typically policies have an excess of a hundred quid and after that they'll cover most things.

The trick with it is to get a policy that maintains protection against conditions that develop - so, some policies will cover you if your pet gets a condition this year but when you go to renew the same condition will not be covered (as it's "new" insurance.)

The Tetrarch · 03-10-2018 05:48PM

o1s1n wrote: »

Pet insurance is worth looking into to try and avoid this kind of thing. Just had my two cats insured for 20 or so a month.

I tried.
They only insure 5 and under. My two 12 year olds rejected.

Mountainsandh · 03-10-2018 05:53PM

Yeah, I think it depends on the vet too.

OP I'm sure what you describe happens for the reasons you state, on occasion. My experience has been very positive but I've heard horror stories from others.

My vets operated on my cat on a Sunday once, he had been attacked and it wasn't a small thing as his guts were hanging out, he was kept in for several days after, and it cost me 450 euros at the time. That's the most I've ever paid.

I do pay hefty prices on vaccinations and other things throughout the year though, so I think in the case of my vets, they don't hesitate to charge well throughout the year on smaller things, but when something more serious is afoot, they try to save people's pet first, and put budgeting in second position.

I suppose for every one unscrupulous vet who sees your dying pet as a dollar tree, there must be a multiple of very ethical ones who are just trying to save pets and keep their business afloat.

One thing's for sure : medication costs too much in Ireland, for both humans and pets. It's shocking and really drives prices up.

Jimmy. · 03-10-2018 09:02PM

When you sleep with your pet that is when it becomes a problem.

Do Vets play on people's emotions ? money, money, money

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