Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 17:53:06 PM

Title: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 17:53:06 PM
I just took clapton & willow in for flea & worm

2 x 6 packs stronghold + 2 x milbemax = £84.98
consultation fee £21.36

Total £106.34

He didn't charge me a consultation fee for Kylie the other week so I guess the £21.36 is for 3 cats.

Is that expensive?
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Gwen on June 06, 2007, 18:04:26 PM
Good grief,how long will all that last?
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 18:16:03 PM
6 months til they go for the yearly one which is a lot more expensive as they will need the same again + jabs & possibly bloodwork (they are all around 8 years old)
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Ela on June 06, 2007, 18:33:03 PM
Our vets do not charge for flea and worm consultations, only for the preparations.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Millys Mum on June 06, 2007, 18:35:20 PM
I dont get the consult  :Crazy: Whats he done?! If i were you i would ask for a prescription, you will pass out at the saving!

Why use stronghold if you use milbemax? Frontline is 15.49 for 6 on vet uk!
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 18:37:05 PM
He is a moneygrabber. He told me a scare story f one of his patients buying fake Stronghold on the internet.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Millys Mum on June 06, 2007, 18:42:05 PM
I think it was Helen who said frontline was better for crf cats than stronghold, or maybe it was the otherway around  :-: :-:

Vetuk are a very safe company to buy from all things are legit, there are some right dodgy sites iv seen tho, very cheap but they just look suspicious  :shify:
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on June 06, 2007, 18:47:52 PM
omg mark thats way too much  :Crazy: :Crazy: :Crazy: :Crazy: my vet doesnt charge a consult fee for worming and flea treaments ,
as mm said u can get a 6 pack of frontline for 15 quid on vetuk  ;)
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Millys Mum on June 06, 2007, 18:59:05 PM
£53.48 online price.  >:(
Also a cat upto 4kg only needs 1/2 a milbemax so think he got you there too  :o
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 19:08:17 PM
I think he gave them both a full pill - willow is 3.5kg but clapton is over 4kg
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Michelle (furbabystar) on June 06, 2007, 19:42:30 PM
One of my vets tried to tell me that buying frontline off the net wasnt safe as it was fake !!
Its just a way of making sure you buy from your vet !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also if you want to but Stronghold from the net then your vet has to give you a presciption and cant charge for it

Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on June 06, 2007, 20:11:41 PM
I think cats have to have been seen by a vet in the previous 6 months in order for the vet to give a prescription for flea treatment.  And the consultation charge is for their time, which seems reasonable enough to me.  No idea if mine charge though as I never have a consult just for that (I just get some advantage when I'm there for annual vaccinations  and buy drontal from vetuk).  That does sound a bit pricey, although that sounds like a normal consultation fee for one cat and if he didn't charge a consultation fee for Kylie the other week then I'm not sure I'd say he was a money grabber!  But you could do it cheaper by getting a prescription and buying online.  Don't believe that about fake stuff.  I'm sure there is fake stuff out there but you're safe going to somewhere like vetuk or bestpet pharmacy. 
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: ccmacey on June 06, 2007, 21:06:38 PM
It costs around £5 for 1 wormer tab at my vets and around £26 for the 6 pack of frontline, thats why I buy them from VetUK.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on June 06, 2007, 21:11:42 PM
It costs around £5 for 1 wormer tab at my vets and around £26 for the 6 pack of frontline, thats why I buy them from VetUK.

yea vet uk and also pdsa do it cheap my m8 buys a 3pk of stronghold for 9.99 and drontal for 1.59 per tablet , also u can buy just one stronghld for 3 quid if u have just one cat obviously  ;D excuse me if im not making sence ive just had a bottle of wine and ive not drank for ages n ages and i am a wee bit tipsy


Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: ccmacey on June 06, 2007, 21:14:08 PM
I can smell the alcohol from here.  :rofl:
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on June 06, 2007, 21:16:12 PM
I can smell the alcohol from here.  :rofl:



 :innocent: :innocent: :innocent: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Reynard on June 06, 2007, 22:04:36 PM
That's really ouchie!  :doh: My vet charges £17.90something for 6x pack frontline and £4.50ish for a whole tablet of Milbemax. Stronghold is around £17 for 3, but that's still POM.

I think that's pretty reasonable as it seems they've bowed to the pressure from the internet sales, especially of Frontline. Mind, VetUK is still cheaper enough to make it worthwhile buying Frontline from them.

On Monday I paid £18.19 for Madam's annual MOT which included her flu booster and half a Milbemax. In the scheme of things, that's pretty decent.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on June 06, 2007, 22:18:58 PM
I think it was Helen who said frontline was better for crf cats than stronghold, or maybe it was the otherway around  :-: :-:

Vetuk are a very safe company to buy from all things are legit, there are some right dodgy sites iv seen tho, very cheap but they just look suspicious  :shify:

Yep, that's right MM... Thinking of Clapton here,  Frontline doesn't get absorbed into the blood system so is suitable for CRF cats, when I got some for Tiggy they looked up Frontline Combo and that wasn't deemed suitable as when they looked it up in the textbook it doesn't appear to have been sufficiently tested on poorly cats to be declared 'safe' wheras the Frontline spot on has been. Stronghold definitey wasn't recommended for CRF cats according to the vets textbook that the nurse looked it up in.  Completely agree about vetuk, the guy that runs it is a vet and all the meds are 100% legit and identical tp those sold by the vet, not foreign imports or anything like that.  Same goes for bestpetpharmacy too, 100% trustworthy.

As for the cost, broken down you can see where it's gone but over £100 to worm and flea 3 cats  :Crazy:
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on June 06, 2007, 22:19:43 PM
Thats very cheap for Pearl  ;D
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 22:21:56 PM
I think it was Helen who said frontline was better for crf cats than stronghold, or maybe it was the otherway around  :-: :-:

Vetuk are a very safe company to buy from all things are legit, there are some right dodgy sites iv seen tho, very cheap but they just look suspicious  :shify:

Yep, that's right MM... Thinking of Clapton here,  Frontline doesn't get absorbed into the blood system so is suitable for CRF cats, when I got some for Tiggy they looked up Frontline Combo and that wasn't deemed suitable as when they looked it up in the textbook it doesn't appear to have been sufficiently tested on poorly cats to be declared 'safe' wheras the Frontline spot on has been. Stronghold definitey wasn't recommended for CRF cats according to the vets textbook that the nurse looked it up in.  Completely agree about vetuk, the guy that runs it is a vet and all the meds are 100% legit and identical tp those sold by the vet, not foreign imports or anything like that.  Same goes for bestpetpharmacy too, 100% trustworthy.

As for the cost, broken down you can see where it's gone but over £100 to worm and flea 3 cats  :Crazy:

The fortekor was extra £18.40 + £3.50 "professional fee"
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on June 06, 2007, 22:25:21 PM
The fortekor was extra £18.40 + £3.50 "professional fee"

 :Crazy: :Crazy: :Crazy:  Give me your vets number and I'll ring them for you and ask them to have a prescription ready for you next time  :rofl:  Have no idea what a 'professional fee' is for either  :shify:
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 22:30:12 PM
I understand they have to make a living, pay nurses , rent etc but there is a limit.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on June 06, 2007, 22:36:46 PM
I've cut and pasted this from my vets website, it gives you an insight into the costs involved...  I'd still be wincing at £100+ to flea and worm though  :evillaugh:


The majority of people consider that veterinary fees are expensive.  It is worth considering the costs involved in running a health service.

The National Health Service (NHS) provides medical treatment to most people in the UK.  This is a so-called “FREE” service to us all.  In reality, the costs involved in running the NHS are massive as we all appreciate when we hear of the investment made by the Government each year and how this vast sum of money is never enough to provide all the care we expect.

In reality, the NHS is NOT free.  We all pay taxes from which a large amount is used to fund our Health Care Service, (BILLIONS of pounds each year).  People who are ill and require medicines are often given a prescription to obtain from a chemist.  A nominal fee is charged at the chemist for the medicine.  On rare occasions this prescription fee may in reality be more than the drugs are worth but MANY of the drugs are actually worth tens, hundreds or even thousands of pounds more than the cost of the prescription charge.

Unlike the NHS, veterinary practices have to fund themselves from charges made to pet owners.  We are unable to gain finance from other sources and must be self-sufficient.  This means that pet owners see the REAL cost of health care services, (much like patients who seek private medical treatment).

The fees we charge, be it for consultations, vaccinations, operations, medicines, etc, are not all used to pay the veterinary surgeons as most people appear to think.  In reality, approximately 24 % of your bill at the veterinary surgery is used to pay the veterinary surgeons, (including the Partners, Consultants and Assistant Veterinary Surgeons).  The majority of the veterinary bill is made-up of expenses including 17.5% added to ALL bills for VAT.  Other expenses include paying Veterinary Nurses, Receptionists, Administration, Renting Buildings, Building Running Costs, Cleaning fees, Legal Fees, Insurance and Further Education Courses.

Profits at the end of the year are often re-invested into the practice to fund new equipment to enable us to improve the service we offer.

So when you next look at your veterinary bill, we hope that you are able to have a better understanding of why we must charge our fees to enable us to provide you with a high quality Health Service for your pet(s).

With the rapid advance in treatments available to animals over the previous years, many more conditions are now treatable than were previously.  Long stays in hospital along with advanced medical tests and possible surgery means veterinary medical expenses can reach levels that some people may find difficult to afford.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND OWNERS PURCHASE PET INSURANCE  FOR THEIR PET(S)

IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THIS WHILST THEY ARE YOUNG & HEALTHY TO PREVENT PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS FROM BEING EXCLUDED BY INSURANCE COMPANIES AT A LATER DATE.

The pie-chart below gives an accurate representation of how the money we received in 2006 was spent (based on 2006 accounts).


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Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 22:51:47 PM
I can sort of understand. He only charged £26 consultation and I was in there a good 15 minutes. I'm realistic enough to know that doesn't mean the vet is personally making £120.00 an hour. I fact I'm surprised its not double that. If they don't make a profit on meds, they would end up closing down. I don't begrudge a professional a living.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on June 06, 2007, 23:06:59 PM
Agree there is a limit and the variation in vet fees for the same service is enormous as is the standard or care and knowledge!
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on June 06, 2007, 23:53:18 PM
Are there any other vets in your area (apart from next door) that you could ring just to ask how much it costs to buy the same stuff?  That way you'd get an idea of whether your vet is charging about the same as other vets in the area or whether they are on the pricey side.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Mark on June 06, 2007, 23:58:16 PM
Not many vets in the area. I know next door are cheaper as my friend lives across the road from my new vet but uses the one next door to me as they are cheaper.

I think I will go back to next door at some point but I think my vet is very good. He does Sharon's CP cats for next to nothing.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Desley (booktigger) on June 07, 2007, 07:51:08 AM
IT does seem quite pricey - my consults are £20.50 I think, it depends what you have taken them for whether you get charged - i.e. I booked Kizzy in for a weigh to see what wormer she needed, so that was free, whereas Molly went in for a check-up so I paid it. I bought my vets a box of choccies last week as they do their best to get me a good price, esp with the fosters and they have done really well this past month. I still get wormers through the vet, as I dont like Drontal - but it does cost me nearly £10 for 2 tablets (one is under 4kg, one isn't!! Althoguh Tiger only just isn't, so I might be able to get away with her, as they dont catch anything and are flead regularly)
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: coastalkitty on June 07, 2007, 09:36:23 AM
I buy frontline and wormers from vetmedic online. A tube of panacur £4.00 free delivery the vet would charge me £10.65  - frontline spot on for cats 6 pipette £16.50 again free delivery because ordered alongside wormers. drontal single for cats £1.77 per tab  again free delivery.  I can fully understand Vets consultation fees, but I simply cannot understand the markup made on routine meds like wormers and flea treatments, they buy in bulk as well so it must be even cheaper per unit for them in reality.    So thats almost £50 mark up on meds Mark!

  Milbemax from bestpetpharmacy is £1.46 per tab, I havent used this company but can recommend Vet medic its next day delivery too.  You can also phone in orders.
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: Ela on June 07, 2007, 09:48:20 AM
Quote
Milbemax from bestpetpharmacy is £1.46 per tab,

That is only for the kitten and small cat  it is £3.67 for 2 - 8 kg
Title: Re: Vet charges.
Post by: coastalkitty on June 07, 2007, 10:06:01 AM
lol  opps my mistake  ;D okay that about £41 mark  up   ;D