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Location: Virtual Showground
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,518
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I`m getting rather annoyed at the number of vets I`m hearing and reading about who seem to be trying to charge what I would consider over the odds for titre testing.
Its the lab, [ mine uses Glasgow ], who set the actual costs, its not at the vets discretion.
The form is designed for each element requiring testing to be ticked and costs are done accordingly.
Are some vets just giving the price for everything on the form being tested, including elements which are nothing to do with titre at all ?
Do some just not bother to actually read the form ?
Are some more bothered about losing booster fee`s to try to deliberately put people off titre testing by inflating the costs over the *actual* lab costs ?
Are some adding an additional fee for their own pockets on top of the lab fee`s but giving the impression that its what the tests really cost ?
Whichever reaon for any individual vet doing it, its just not on, it annoy me to see people be duped or misinformed whether its deliberate or because a vet just has`nt got an understanding of the procedure and its purpose.
For the record, I got out my statement from my vet with the costs for Gremlin and Defa`s titre. Their tests are to check Distemper and Parvo immunity specifically, [ these are the ones my vet feels are the most important - so many people are not having boosters done but not with a titre to confirm they are not needed and thats how areas get hit badly by outbreaks ].
The cost for these two things to be tested for each of my two dogs :
£11.74 including vat [ for each dog ], plus standard consultation fee, [ they had full checkovers as well as the samples being taken ].
If a vet is giving what seems a greatly inflated price, be it for partial test or full titre panel, may I suggest ringing Glasgow, [ or whichever titre service lab is prefered - the client can choose where samples are tested ], and ask them to send you a form direct with the individual elements` prices clearly marked, then take it to the vet, fold arms, tap foot slightly, await reaction - then go to a different vet who is far more titre savvy and less money motivated
Edited to add, my vet just phoned to say the results are in, [ as mentioned previously we were waiting for the results to come in any time ].
Grem needs boosting, Defa does`nt. He is giving me the written results when Grem goes in on Monday so I can post details then, and I got the cost wrong, the lab fee`s were £18 each, [ shock horror - not ! ], I read the wrong bit lol
I quickly read him out what I put above, [ I have a very patient vet lol ], and some of the other comments posted re costs.
He is in total agreement that its right to advise people to check with the lab directly for costs as he is aware of some vets making what he diplomatically
called `errors in calculations` when quoting prices for titre testing.
He particularly liked and agreed totally with the portion I have now marked in bold text
HTH