Why are Vets so Expensive?

[trt]

I phoned 2 local vets for the cost to have my pup have her first and 2nd injections, the first said it would cost £74.00 and the 2nd quoted me £54.00.

I appreciate that it it takes 6/7 years of training to be a vet but for just an injection which takes 5 minutes I find it very expensive, unless the anti distemper medication is costly!! .

[NOX]

If you look at the prices that the PDSA invoice people ( voluntary and cost price just to let you know) you will find that your average vet quadruples it- I fully appreciate that they aren't charities but my elderly neighbour was totally heartbroken when he was told that the operation on his companion was going to cost him in excess of £1500 and that no he couldn't pay for it in several installments but they would be happy to put his dog to sleep for £150!?! if he couldn't afford the treatment. I took him to the PDSA and got it all sorted out with his benefit forms and when they had finished her treatment their total costs were a little under £450- so it goes to show, a profit is one thing, profiteering is quite another- especially vulnerable pensioners.

[ELVIS68]

I know, they quoted me £120 for my dog to have the snip, in and out in 2 hours

[Buenchico]

Many vets either have to buy extremely expensive equipment or pay large amounts to have access to such equipment at other places. For example, our local veterinary practice has a medical scanner which cost over a million pounds.

[craft1948]

You can't. My daughter imports veterinary drugs and cannot sell them to individuals.

[trt]

Trimeresurus,

I wouldn't even try to inject my pup with a vaccine, that's cruel if you don't know what you are doing!

[jules77]

Well it costs me a lot less to pay health insurance on my dogs than it does for my own BUPA subscription. The cost for a consultation is comparable to a visit to the dentist, and £120 for the snip is far cheaper than it would cost to be seen privately for a human!

A veterinary practice have large overheads, staff wages, rent, equipment, staff training and wages, together with insurance.

The PDSA are a charitable organisation, and their charges are subsidised, so it isnt that the vet quadruples the fee.

[boxtops]

Shop around - I've just changed vets after 13 years, Rover's long term medications are cheaper, check-ups are cheaper. I've moved to a smaller vet practice which doesn't have the large overheads of the previous one, but has all the latest kit and two vets I trust.

[jules77]

It is more important to me to have a vet I trust than the cheapest. I know mine are one of the most expensive practices around this area, but I have been with them for years and have a good relationship with them. Plus they have a veterinary hospital with all the latest equipment. There are two other practices that are cheaper, but I wouldnt trust them with a goldfish.

[boxtops]

Jules, I feel like that about my dentist. He's not the cheapest, but my teeth are in better nick than they have been for years.

[Ratty2E]

Some vets do seem to charge rather a lot compared to others but then they can have different overheads and be keeping up with new and better equipment. i think the problem is that we are so used to getting everything we need as humans on the NHS so are'nt used to actually having to pay for medical care. Rather than just the charges I have more of a problem with them doing unecessary procedures or recommending the most expensive courses of treatment first. Sadly I have had experience of this in the past and changed my vet and I have a very good one now.

[ummmm]

It cost me £84 to get my cats gonads chopped, chipped, vaccinated, flea and worming treatment...

[heathfield]

Medicines and vaccines for humans have to be tested for approval. Many of these are also suitable for animals. But the EU requires that they go through a whole new round of tests before being granted approval. The result? The the same medicine as is used on humans costs four to five times as much when it is for use on animals.

[lankeela]

My vet is a small practice and his prices are very reasonable. He is a brilliant vet to deal with, he listens if you think you know what is wrong with your dog and doesn't take the attitude 'I'm the vet and I know best' as he deals with a lot of dog breeders and we do know our own dogs. Also he will discuss options and won't just go for all sorts of tests. As jules says often the bigger practices have all the latest equipment and lots of staff, so it does cost them more to run their surgeries. Try phoning round and as you found out you can get a better deal from some although but you need to know they will be there when you need them. Check that they do overnight cover for instance, as some use other vets for this and it can cost a lot more if you need emergency treatment out of hours.

[weecalf]

I thought it was Vat that went up to but it looks like vets have gone up .Spent nearly 400 quid on dog then it cost me 120 to have him put down Well he was heavy

[woofgang]

Jules and boxtops I agree. Our vet itemises costs on the bill so you can see exactly what they charge for their work and for consumables. Our vet always does a quick health check with the first and second vacs as well.

[wolf63]

If you google 'average vets charges' you will find a few sites where they list the average cost of vets treatments in the UK.

I use a small vets practice - I have been using it for 30 years and am satisfied with the service and level of expertise.

They admit that prices have had to rise due to them investing in new toys for them to play with. I would imagine that something like an x-ray machine costs mega bucks.

My only gripe is that the vets look very young and should still be at school. ;-)

[Lil'Lucy]

Unfortunately Vets are in trouble and it is only going to get worse. WIth the increase in people buying drugs online (both legally and illegally) this means that there is less revenue coming into the surgery. Therefore as the income from drug sales is going down, the fees for procedures (xrays/surgery etc) have to go up to compensate.

Historically the revenue from drug sales, keep the costs of the professional fees down. Therefore although people think they are getting a great deal from the online pharmacies, in the end you will end up paying more.

Before anyone lambasts the costs of vets drugs vs online - if you think an online pharmacy just needs a lot of shelves and a few fridges. A modern day vet surgery has a myriad of equipment as well as a team of highly paid staff - just not able to compete!

Believe it or not - in a consult that costs £25 - only £1 is profit, the rest covers the rest of the daily running costs etc.