As someone said earlier, I had cause only to use the out of hours service during a Sunday afternoon in late March 2013 after Jake our dog had been struck by a car, still alive but with only one eye blinking we telephoned the surgery.
From the first point of calling I was warned that a flat fee would apply
at around £87 and that this so I thought was std practice and would
cover a consultation for Jake our little Maltese Terrier.
Upon minutes of entering my dog was taken out back and I was asked for a
£150 CC Swipe and not the £87 mentioned on the telephone, strange, but
not really when with her next breath the receptionist then told me the
likely cost would be around £400 !!!
I drew breath and asked how she would or could possibly know the cost of
treating my dog when no one had even reported what the treatment was
going to be, or what was wrong with him, I told her that this was not
some cash cow?
The Lady then apologised and went to get the vet, he then explained that he had taken a look at Jake and said there was nothing he could do,
that Jake was on oxygen and had a drip inserted to give him a pain
killer, he went on to explain that Jake should be put to sleep after
which we were then asked to pay another £265
We were distraught at losing our little boy and again handed over the Credit Card, feeling a little abused.
2days latter and upon reflection, did I feel cheated or do vets in the
Uk really cost this sum of money, should my son Alex now train to become a
wealthy vet instead of mathematician. But when all summed up, for what little treatment
our little dog had, pain killer, some oxygen and a needle to put him to
sleep, was this a reasonable sum to pay?
Please, please make sure you have a good insurance policy, it's to late
thinking about money and being charged large chunks of change when your baby needs help and you are so distrought.
Hindsight, oh what a lovely thing. But vets seem to have it
built within their training / makup, to want to put to sleep anything
that looks time consuming or complicated; I once watched a BBC Program
where a bird with a broken wing, was then taken to the vets who simply
recommended that he be put out of it's misery, what misery? but the
program went on to show how such birds can be healed with the time and
love of devoted people and released back to the wild.
Our poor Jake may have been nurtured back to health had we personally
taken his care and needs on-board and not passed the task onto others.
So when you think that some vet has a magic wand, think twice.
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