Bank Holiday Vet Charges..

[masma]

< Coco was being violently sick on Monday, so much so that she seemed on the point of collapse. I rang the vets who said to take her straight in and that a fee of £100 would apply as it was bank holiday. Is this normal practice? We've taken her on a Sunday before without being charged so much, final bill was £150. We'd give anything to help her but thought this a bit cheeky.

[jasmin26]

Reeva was kept in overnight at our vets on Good Friday, I got a breakdown of the bill once the insurance has paid them, the whole bill was £177 and only £22.48 was for being there overnight the rest was for the blood tests etc they did on her while there. I was pretty surprised as I thought it would have been a lot more.

[Buenchico]

Looking at it from the vet's point of view for the moment, it's worth remembering that a bank holiday is a day when they try to get a break themselves but they can't go anywhere or even have a drink (because they've got to be able to drive to the surgery) and they've no guarantee of any income whatsoever if there are no emergencies.

So, while £100 for 10 or 15 minutes might seem a lot of money, it could well be the only pay that the vet gets from being 'on call' all day, with the risk of earning nothing at all.

[masma]

Peter - I'm not complaining about having to pay for Coco's treatment, only too glad to do it to help her, if you read my question carefully I asked if it was normal practice to charge £100+ on a bank holiday. It was a simple question, no need for you to be rude.

[Prudie]

Vets are surely salaried. The practice make have less income on the high days but the individual vets won't have any difference in their pay (except possibly double time for working them)

[naomi24]

Someone had to come out on their day off especially to treat your pet. If you have pets, you have to accept the bills they incur. We pet owners just have to bite the bullet.

[sunny-dave]

I could (just about) stomach the actual charges for consultations - it's the calculated rip-off on all the ancillary stuff.

Just compare the prices a Vet charges for drugs with those charged by Internet Pharmacies. The prices should be (more or less) identical - the Vet has already covered all the extra costs of the physical location & staff in its other charges. But they charge a mark up of at least 100% and more usually 200% or more. There is no justification for it.

Then if you have the nerve to ask for a prescription so that you can buy the drugs online, they charge you an ever increasing 'facility fee' - it used to be illegal to do so - but they have friends in high places and got that changed. Now it's at least £10 and often more ... per item that is.

Greed, just greed.

[pixie373]

It's not just the vet's salary - the vet.nurses and receptionists will be on double. I do think they charge enough normally, not to need the extra, but it's a business and most services are the same on bank holidays. In fact, GPs don't bother to even open!

[Buenchico]

>>>Vets are surely salaried

All the vets I know are self-employed.

[pixie373]

Yes, me too, buenchico.

[Prudie]

My only experience of vets is large practices - mine has 6 vets 1 of whom is the practice owner, about 5 nurses, 2 receptionists and a homeopathic specialist. They must all be salaried, even the owner may be classed as self-employed but will still take a fixed income I'm sure.

[naomi24]

All the vets I know aren't self-employed, In one instance two own a business between them - and they employ several more.

[Peter Pedant]

BC - that is because youo know the partners

They will have a few salaried lower beings....

Trudie - the tee vee vet not a dog or a cat - who was a hit a few years ago on said teevee and then became a tropical vet....I think after 6 y at uni she was on the national average wage - £24k. It may have been less.

[Peter Pedant]

jasmin26 // Reeva was kept in overnight at our vets on Good Friday,


well Reeva is damned lucky to be alive in my opinion - presumably you didnt allow here to go to the lav without an escort.....

[anneasquith]

peter don't be so rude to masma,

[Jeza]

In 2005 my 3 cats out doing their morning ablutions were attacked by 2 dogs. I rang the vet Sunday 7am. Two cats were put to sleep one lost his tail. The vet called out a nurse to assist him. The bill was about £80 I was expecting about £400. The dogs that did this were not on a leash, the owners were taking them rabbiting. I rang the police, the RSPCA and the local council. No one was interested. When no tail died of old age I vowed never again would I put me through that heartache.

[masma]

Vets wasn't open (vet lives down the road) We were grateful for the care and attention she gave Coco who is almost back to abnormal!
Anne - once again, thank you for the support you give me in more ways than one xx

[anneasquith]

im pleased coco is well again, I always keep my fingers crossed for you as you know. take care. anne.

[weecalf]

are vets vetted if you will excuse the pun

[jubieanna]

When we had to take SIL dog to vet recently early hours of a Sunday morning, it was £150 just for call out fee. It's a necessity that unfortunately pet lovers pay without question because of their love for their pets.