Emergency vets - a cautionary tale

[Booktigger]

As some of you know, Pebbles has been at the emergency vets most of the weekend (as it turned out, for something I could deal with myself!!). I was surprised when they told me the balance this morning - £515.08, but paid it as I didn't know the pin no for my credit card, and couldn't afford to have that amount taken out of my current account - I did ask for a breakdown though, and while waiting for them to see me, studied it. I ended up querying one item - for a full fecal exam plus TLI/folate/B12 (which they said was what they were testing for), the charge was £193.88, making it the highest thing on the bill. When I queried this to the vet nurse, I was asked if I had had things explained to me, which I hadn't, so they ended up cancelling the test and refunding me the money. So if any of you have animals at the emergency vets, and are asked about treatment that doesn't have to be made in a split second, do ask for the cost first. They were going off the fact that she is insured so cost wasn't an issue, but still a lot of money for a fecal test me thinks!! And I was lucky to have had an empty credit card and insurance, I know not everyone is lucky enough to be able to hand one card over for a £500+ vet bill, and while money shouldn't be an issue, it might be worth getting breakdowns before you get the final bill, I wish I had queried her pin removal now, looking at some of the things I have been charged for on this invoice, and also have to ask my vet a couple of questions. Sadly, due to them having had over £600 for her being there 2 weekends, I will only be taking them if it is a true emergency, and if my vets suggest her being there for something that could either wait a day or be treated at home (as both these have been), I will be refusing to send her there. And to make the bill even better, the rescues vet have charged us nearly double for a test I have paid for!!

[Moli]

Thats the problem, how many people ask for a break down of a bill, my vets itemise everything, so I can see what cost what...But I had to take one of my cats to the emergency vet twice, and was charges £45 consultation each time...

[Booktigger]

We dont, but after this, I would certainly recommend it - and before they do it, rather than after. Their consultation fee out of hours is £70.50, but I Was charged £35.25 cos she had been referred from a vet - something I will be querying with my vet tomorrow as I wasn't warned about that!!

[Donna]

Ooh just hope I dont need an emergency vet at those prices!! Must get my pet insurance sorted too!!

[alexgirl73]

That's outrageous! These people profess to be animal lovers, but I think they are really taking advantage of the fact that most people will do anything for their pets and charge basically whatever they feel like!

[Booktigger]

I know - it might be worth finding out who your emergency vets are and what kind of things they will charge - my out of hours fee is £70.50!! Nearly 4 times what my normal vets charge.
Donna - do get your insurance sorted before you have to take any of them to the vets for something, as if they have been treated before you get it, it will be a pre existing condition and excluded for the whole term of the insurance. I estimated last night that Pebbles has cost around £1k this year, she might be insured, but I have still had to pay excesses on that, although I would prefer to pay 15% of that than the whole lot. ITs no wonder I stick at 2 permanent cats!!

[sandy]

Thanks for posting this, Booktigger. This is scandalous indeed!

It would be advisable not to mention that one has health insurance for one's animals.

Our vet's coop have their own emergency service and the fees are a bit higher, but not outrageous.

That is an incredible amount of money.

[Booktigger]

I always thought it was a good idea to be honest, but after them trying to charge £193.88 just for a fecal exam, I dont think so anymore - will be ringing my vets at lunch time to see how much it will cost if I do it through them, as it is the one thing I would have really wanted done!! Somebody on another forum has just pointed out that vets might not do everything possible if they dont know the animal is insured, so might be a bit of an iffy one.

[Booktigger]

I spoke to my normal vet, and for what they wanted to test her poo for, it would have been £133 through them - still an expensive test, and am waiting for a call back to confirm that it was needed, but still £60 cheaper - and they could have left that, treated the dehydration and sent her back to my vets for all the tests, as she was fine in herself and not suffering with diarrhea while there. Felt a bit guilty for having such a go at the e-vets though. Downside being the new receptionist who has only been there for a month or so now knows me by voice!!

[Fran]

Wow that is a lot of money

We are lucky that our vets do their own out of hours and don't charge any extra for weekends and all that is charged extra during the night is a call out charge, the rest of the costs remain the same....