My old vets were very strict (and now I've realised not the best vets) on payment. Mainly this was because the prices seem to be 10x more expensive than the new vet. Wouldn't even let you away with 1p.

New vet is great and not near as expensive. They let you pay up if need be or just wait for the insurance to pay them. Staff are much friendlier and they do anything it takes to help your pet. Old one it was just a case of jumping in at the deep end and doing the most expensive option. Not what was best for the animal

For some families that would only add more stress....can you imagine taking your childrens pet from them and then when your working and all is going well just bringing home another to say - look kids its ok, we can afford it now - so heres a nice shiney new one (while your kids are still wondering who their dog is with, where their dogs is, what its doing, if its healthy....damn sure Id skip a fair few meals myself to avoid that, as I know my mother did)

Life isnt as simple as 'well Im really skint and dont have a spare penny like I used to, I only just manage to feed them and no more - a f*ck it, I'll get rid of the dog, that'l free up the cost of a bag of Dr Johns food at £8 a month' - hardly worth the emotional costs..... There are times when insurance isnt an option for some and neither are savings - everyone needs a bit of help sometimes and thats where the PDSA comes in.

I agree with all the above, but thats not what I was replying too, just your statement that people struggle to feed kids and dogs, let alone laying out more money.

All the what , ifs and buts of the following , is ofcause unavoidable, no one can foretell the future, and yes, the trauma of re homing dog would be felt be all in the family.

But again thats not what your post implied, it was a simple... cant afford to feed kids and dogs over insurance.

And my reply was aimed at that,

Like you say, life's not always so simple, and when things go wrong we adapt and survive, the best we can, if money becomes tight, and you have a houseful of kids , dogs , to feed you make do,

BUT, if it came down to a choice , children or the dogs, the kids would win .

.

if it came down to only just managing to feed the kids and dog but the dog had no insurance and I felt I could manage until I had improved my situation, there's no way I would just give up my dog. That would damage the dog and the family so much.

Personally, (I know not all dogs maybe) I feel my dog would go through worse hell with that than an illness as he is so close and attached.

Do they now? Have you done a cost benefit analysis on these clinics then? Do you know how much they have to pay in overhead, lab fees, salaries, equipment, continuing education, etc etc? Do you know how many people before you have stiffed them for thousands of dollars. It happens, ALOT. More people don't pay than do pay. Its a sad fact. Its doesn't make vets who demand money up front immoral, just practical. They have families and pets of their own to feed. Again, not sure what its like over there, but over here, you don't get rich being a vet. Vets make on average the same as a school teacher or a police officer. Paltry sums. Considering vet school is enormously expensive, plus the costs of starting up a practice, setting up accounts with drug companies, buying equipment, these costs add up big time. Now I'm sure there are some vets who do charge too much to line their own pockets, but this is not the vast majority as some would have you believe. The bar for "charging too much" should not be set at "more than you can afford" there are market rates and outgoing costs to consider.

Someone said that insurance makes vets charge more money. This is probably true (we don't have pet insurance here, but our human insurance works this way) Thats not the vets fault, but the insurance companies. A vet has to charge for what will get paid for to make up for the money lost on things insurance won't pay for. Also, charging more for insured patients ensures those that can't afford insurance can still afford treatment. Welcome to a market economy. This is business, its the way it works.

Hi,

As many have said, you manage the best you can, beg, and borrow!
When I got my bc pup in Sept, I decided it was time to get insurance, as she was the second dog. Searching on the internet on all of the insurance policies, here in Italy, not one would insure a pup under 6 months, 1 month later when she was 3 months, Maisie then started having neurological problems, vets visits, blood tests, specialist visits, not to mention the fact that each time we have a neurologist visit, it's a 250km round trip!
Now I certainly can't afford to get insurance for my other dog + Maisie is now going to be impossible to get cover, but you cut back on everything, live on the neccessities.
Over here no help exists, like the PDSA, but if you care, then you find away to pay for the treatment.

I dont know about Texas but here YES, THEY MOST DEFINATLEY on the whole and in general DO.

The best vet I ever went to charged a FRACTION of other vets, told me they still made money, told me what was needed and what wasnt and why. He also still afforded a nice home in a nice sought after expensive area - he just cared enough not to be ripping people off!!

As for Not when they reach the annual limit due to you adding on and then they cant get treatment when the dog really needs it later.
As for putting dogs through more proceedures than necessary, claiming more etc then the client running the risk of their insurance not paying out or reaching their annual limit too early as well as the fact that that poor dog is going through possibly more than it needs to, simply because disgusts me.

All other small businesses have to deal with profit and loss too. If they get a no-show it dosnt mean they go mental claiming insurance or claim astronomical amounts of profit on their prices. No one is saying vets should work for free, just that maybe more people could afford to use them without charity help if they cared a little less about their wallets and more about the animals.


you don't get rich being a vet.
Then don't be one if money is your motivator pick a job where youll make more OR as the 'best' vet I mentioned - treat more more often, not charge obscure amounts.. Vets make on average the same as a school teacher or a police officer having known someone in each profession, they make about double what many jobs earn you here, sometimes more.Which over here is a very good wage compared to many jobs i.e. the people we are referring to on this thread, who cant afford....

Edit; I highlighted the wrong way round there

Muttzrule - This is what you quoted me on before saying 'welcome to the world of business' or similar;
to tell someone to kill their dog for treatable injuries rather than take the risk of their client not keeping up with installments

what do you think people should do if they cant afford their unexpected thousands of pounds emergency vet treatment for their dog? Kill/PTS? let a rescue pay (if possible)? Dump them? or ask for credit from you?
Do you advise euthenasia?
Do you offer to ask charity if they will take the dog but it means they get treatment, if the charity pays you?

If someone cant' pay and the pet has a life threatening injury or illness or is suffering, yes, we offer euthanasia. We have rescue groups over here that are over run and over worked and under funded. So no, there aren't any rescue groups that would take a sick or injured pet off someone who couldnt' afford treatment, when there are dozens of healthy pets that can be helped with the same money.

In what must be a shocking revelation to you, the doctors I've worked with (dozens over the years) and myself (all but one of my pets was a rescue from a client situation) rescue pets off clients, fix them up and find them homes quite frequently, all at their own expense I might add. Far from heartless.

Euthanasia is a viable and humane option, and I don't balk at all at offering it to clients with no other alternatives. Better than sending the pet home to suffer and die without any paliative care.

When Monty needed an operation to remove dermoid cysts from his head our insurance company wouldn't pay as technically he'd had it since birth and was therefore an existing condition.

We had been told to expect the operation to cost around £3700 which is money we don't have readily available. The op wasn't essential but was highly recommended given his age and good health at the time so we went for it and paid for it on an 12 month interest free credit card and looking back I don't regret it for one second in fact I wish we'd done it sooner.

If the same or a similar situation arose then i'd do the same again but then i guess i'm lucky i can get loans and credit. I guess if you couldn't then it might be completely different.

Make me feel like s**t
I'm not a decent owner who cares cos I couldn't come up with ANOTHER £4K?
What if he needed another op after that? And another?
Where do you draw the line?
How much money spent makes you a decent owner who cares?