Vets bill

The vet who recommended the treatment I bought, in fact provided a prescription told me it’s the same as the one they’re to sell at a cost of £60

Mattsmum2

Thank you everyone for your words kind or otherwise. The final bill was around £1500, he’s already paid me £500, taken out pet insurance and asked for me to not give his birthday money, his choice. He said to me that he felt very stupid and embarrassed, that he thought pet insurance was ridiculously expensive, but it isn’t. Not compared to costs at vets. A huge lesson learned.

I'm glad you were all able to sort this out and your son has taken responsibility. As the old saying goes, "every day's a school day" and your son and his partner have learned another life lesson.

butterandjam

Iam64

In answer to the suggestion I’m making up the story of the dog with conjunctivitis. The vet gave me a prescription. The pharmacist said I don’t need that. She sold me the standard Optrex for infected eye drops. I have bought it for myself in the past.

Dog and human eye structures and sensitivities are significantly different; (for instance, your eyes don't have a third eyelid; dogs' do) Some common ingredients in OTC eye drops that are safe for humans, are toxic to dogs.

Your pharmacist may not know that.

I only give my dog medication that has, at one time, been prescribed by a vet eg piriton for allergies or chloramphenicol for eye infections so I know it’s dog safe and I can purchase it from a chemist in future.

Iam64

Yes true butterandjam. I understand if you describe your dog as a mongrel the company might not enquire further. Doodle dogs like Cockerpoos, cavapoos, labradoodles might be described as cross breeds but I imagine the breed background would be queried. My big labradoodle was working lab x standard poodle - she taught me a great deal about speed, agility and high prey urge. Her insurance worth every penny.

You don’t always get the best of both breeds, sensitive bright lively spaniel x bright, clever, sensitive mini poodle and you’ve a pup who often isn’t a first time dog 🐶

Our was a retired racing greyhound. No hiding the pedigree; racers are all ID'd by a registered tattoo on the inside of one ear, which leads online to their long breeding pedigree ( and racing history with wins, times and prizes). The pet insurers used his record for his valuation and a policy quotation higher than our house and car combined. (We did not insure him). Minimal vet costs until he developed a fast and painful osteosarcoma at age 10 ( high breed-specific risk) and was PTS.

He's the only pure breed dog we've ever had; all the other rescue dogs have been collie crosses. Crossed with a spaniel, a dalmation, a doberman, a german shepherd, a saluki and a staffie. The crosses all lived long active lives well into their mid teens, few vet expenses beyond vaccinations, neutering , worming and occasional stitching of small tears and repairs.

Iam64

In answer to the suggestion I’m making up the story of the dog with conjunctivitis. The vet gave me a prescription. The pharmacist said I don’t need that. She sold me the standard Optrex for infected eye drops. I have bought it for myself in the past.

Dog and human eye structures and sensitivities are significantly different; (for instance, your eyes don't have a third eyelid; dogs' do) Some common ingredients in OTC eye drops that are safe for humans, are toxic to dogs.

Your pharmacist may not know that.

How lovely for them to be treated like this, Mattsmum.
Lucky to have family able to help - both you, and the in-laws.

I do hope they managed at least a little rest and jolly time together.

Martav: Insurance is scary. I have just had a renewal quote for one of my dogs, for whom there have been no claims since inception. £648 last year. £1,219 this year. I can't afford that. Am shopping around but I think that a lot of it is to do with the conglomorates having taken over vet practices and hiking up the prices.

eddiecat78

Am I the only person who is very cross that this couple decided to have THREE cats without being able to afford to take care of them properly? Although, apparently they can afford to go on holiday.
I would have told the vet to bill them directly and leave them to sort out a payment plan with the vet

Thank you for your words. They went on holiday with their in laws and they paid for them, both NHS workers they were extremely burnt out.

They might have a fancy name but they re still cross breeds or mongrals and quite often the very best dog to have, but put fancy name on the animal and you can ask for hundreds of pounds It’s madness

Yes true butterandjam. I understand if you describe your dog as a mongrel the company might not enquire further. Doodle dogs like Cockerpoos, cavapoos, labradoodles might be described as cross breeds but I imagine the breed background would be queried. My big labradoodle was working lab x standard poodle - she taught me a great deal about speed, agility and high prey urge. Her insurance worth every penny.

You don’t always get the best of both breeds, sensitive bright lively spaniel x bright, clever, sensitive mini poodle and you’ve a pup who often isn’t a first time dog 🐶

MartavTaurus

Thank you, that's interesting. I hadn't given it much thought according to breed.

Not just breed. Within a breed, the dog's age, occupation fame and pedigree can all affect the insurance premium. Pretty much like cars, and property.

Also cheaper if a house cat rather than one you let out.

MartavTaurus

So, do pet insurance companies charge more for cover if you have an expensive animal, rather than run of the mill pet? I would have thought that age and location were the determining factors.

Yes.
An ordinary cat is much less expensive to insure than a fancy breed.

FranP

I would get him to find another vet - that is a rip off.

Get an itemised bill and ask for pensioner rates, not insurance rates.

My dear doggie got a seed in her ear (common with Spaniels) £60; a neighbour's cost £400. Someone local on fb paid £1,200. Seems they can charge what they like.

You only know the cat required "emergency care" , not what diagnostics, care or treatments that entailed, so impossible to say "it was a rip off".

There are complex reasons, diagnoses and treatments for ear problems in dogs, which is why time and costs vary between patients. Just like if three humans go to the DR with a sore stomach , one may be easily solved and the others require more tests and treatment.

<https://www.webvet.com/dog-ear-infection/>

They also have the cost of replacement in the event of loss or death.
I had that very unfortunate experience only recently. I cried buckets when the insurance company paid out a four figure amount towards a replacement of my young pet. No one could replace him. I physically couldn't put that money towards a new animal, nor book a holiday, nor anything. It will sit in my bank until I decide which charity to give it to.

Thank you, that's interesting. I hadn't given it much thought according to breed.

Insurance is bassed on evidence about common health problems in the breed. My four year old show type lab costs over twice the annual fee for my eight year old show type cocker spaniel

Both dogs from good breeders, with no concerns over their five generation pedigrees about common breed problems . I challenged the cost increase when my lab was three. The company explained while mine had good health scores, wasn’t overweight or chasing tennis balls all day, their research showed labs prone to eg cruciate ligament problems over age three. I know this can cost over £5000 so kept up the policy.

MartavTaurus

So, do pet insurance companies charge more for cover if you have an expensive animal, rather than run of the mill pet? I would have thought that age and location were the determining factors.

Very often pedigree cats have issues through irresponsible breeding. They also have the cost of replacement in the event of loss or death. Pedigrees are more likely to be stolen too if they are allowed to free roam.

So, do pet insurance companies charge more for cover if you have an expensive animal, rather than run of the mill pet? I would have thought that age and location were the determining factors.

Cabowich

What an awful society we live in when people can't afford to keep pets and are urged not to unless they're well-off enough.

Pets as luxury items - it makes me want to cry.

I think governments should be paying people to keep them, especially given the health/anxiety benefits pets can bring.

This issue highlights the growing differences between rich and poor and the 'big company' vets are not helping the situation at all.

Pragmatism. If you’re struggling to keep a roof over your head and feed your family, why would you add to those problems with the huge costs that responsibly keeping pets entails?

The pharmacist who told me she didn’t need the vet prescription turned it over, looked at me and said, I didn’t see that. We conspired I suppose but no harm done

petra

Private equity companies own 60% of our vet practices.
That tells you everything. These people are vultures where money is concerned.
It’s another subject that just being ignored 🤬

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/30/pet-owners-private-equity-firms-vet-ownership-rules-change

I can believe this, our lovely vet retired because of ill health and sold the practice but he sold to Animal Trust who do not charge for consultations and their charges for treatment are very reasonable, we just paid £52 for our dog’s annual booster. We have reluctantly had to cancel his insurance as the monthly cost rose from £105 to £158, he is 13 so we couldn’t go to another insurer but because Animal Trust are so good we know we won’t be ripped off.

Good news Mattsmum2.
My son's family has a cat and no insurance. I think he's mad. He said it was really expensive as he has a stupidly expensive cat.

Now his wife has brought home two (ordinary) kittens - coinciding with this thread. I suggested now is the time to bite the bullet...
He said "yes, I think it is".

So thank you for raising this and I'm really pleased your son has stepped up like this.
😸
Excellent.

Got you by the short and curlies haven’t they Boing
I haven’t had pets since a mongrel was a mongrel and it didn’t need a fancy made up name and a cat found you and moved in without bells and whistles. All my cats were strays who just adopted me and had a very good home for life , my last little dog would have been a span-lab-ollie and was given to me for a big bag of sweets for the owners children so we re going back about twenty plus years, they never had injections and never needed a vet, wasnt life simple then.

Yes eye drops and cystitis medication won’t be sold in a pharmacy over the counter if you are over a certain age (not sure exactly) but maybe 70

Mattsmum2

Thank you everyone for your words kind or otherwise. The final bill was around £1500, he’s already paid me £500, taken out pet insurance and asked for me to not give his birthday money, his choice. He said to me that he felt very stupid and embarrassed, that he thought pet insurance was ridiculously expensive, but it isn’t. Not compared to costs at vets. A huge lesson learned.

Nice to read and good news Mattsmum like my ds, your son has taken ownership and learned from the experience.