When we get our pets, we know that at some point in their life they are likely to need medical care, and we know that the medical fees can be very expensive.

So before we make the decision to own an animal, we should consider whether or not we would be willing to pay a lot of money should something happen to them. In my case the answer is yes but if not, then I think the decision to have an animal may need to be reconsidered.

The option is there to buy the medications over the internet, but as you say in an emergency we need the treatment there and then which is quite correct, but we should be prepared for this.

That is where pet insurance is a wonderful thing

There needs to be a balance.

Well Said, but we could have made a bad choice in pet insurance or the premiums gone sky high, or not can be insured because of age ect. So no longer have the security we thought we have.

I just think pet owners get a bad deal.

I think you are a little blinkered here we don't all live within close distance of vets. My nearest is 10 miles away. I am lucky I like my vet and I also have my own transport. What about people who have no transport do you think the reason they don't change their vets is because they are lazy. I don't think so.

but so does my local chemist, they have same costs. There is help with training from local goverment.

We pay for cost of the equiptment through use of equiptment in the bills we pay.

I also wanted to add, would we feel the same if it was our money that was paying the vets and not the insurance.

which rather assumes that I do? LOL

I dont

Thanks for your remarks re my first vet.
The practise is a vets & referrall service. Its an ordinary practice for the locals but also a referrral sevice for eyes & orthopedics. If I have treatment whatever it is I pay rates as a client so when one of my dogs needed a test on his spine it was done. If I had had to be referred somewhere for this it would have cost more & it costs more for people who come as referrals because their vets aren't equipped to do the tests & operations they require. So its swings & roundabouts. Visits are slightly dearer than the other three vets in my area but when I need certain tests etc they would send me to the Willows as a referral & I'd pay more. To be honest I hadn't even thought about costs till I had Dax but of course at 11 he's too old for insurance,so I looked into it but decided faith in my vet mattered most so I still go there.

and theses inflated costs charged by vets in shown in our insurance premiums.

TBH, the question of money doesn't come into it if my dogs are ill. We take on our pets knowing that there are going to be vet bills. Some people have no choice but use thier local vet, (especially in rural areas) and yes, sometimes the costs are expensive.

I'm sorry Petstalk, but if my dogs needed emergency medical treatment, then sod the cost. If people aren't happy with the prices they're charged, then they should go elsewhere.