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Is my vet expensive?

C

CTWC

Adult Guinea Pig
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How do you know if your vet is overcharging for items? And are you ok to complain if you feel they haven't met your pets needs I have been waiting over a month for results for one of my boys 😡
 
I would chase them up and if they are still waiting for results ask for an explanation as to why it’s taking so long. Independent vets tend to be cheaper. There are several “vet groups” that tend to be more expensive but they do tend to have all the latest technology and medical equipment. It’s difficult to tell whether you have been overcharge because each pet has individual needs but if you want post how much procedures have cost you members might post what they have paid for similar/same procedures.

I go to a vets which is part of a “vet group” and I am very surprised and impressed at the costs of AB’s and anti-inflammatory meds. An operation to remove a suspicious lump cost just under £500 including all meds, a generous 15 ml bottle Metacam and gut stimulant and two post op check ups. They have two exotic vets and also have 24 hour emergency at the site manned by their own vets which is great. The practice is very modern and quite opulent, rather like a private hospital, wish I could go there 😊
 
Thank you for that yes I will get a list together and get some feedback from everyone. It's not that I mind paying at all just don't want to pay over the odds and insurance just seems an insane amount for all three of them so I've been putting the equivalent monthly amount away each month into the guinea fund 😊
 
It's important to keep in mind that pricing can vary quite significantly practice to practice for various reasons other than overcharging. Larger buildings cost more in rent and utilities, and usually have more expensive equipment to run, some practice offer bog standard ultrasounds and xrays, while some will be able to offer CT scans, MRI, and specialised dental xrays which cost more to buy, run and maintain. Larger practices can purchase and store stock in bulk, reducing the cost to them and the client, whereas smaller practices must have a smaller inventory of medications which will cost them more to buy and replace. Some prescription diets recently have increased in prices so much that practices cannot swallow the increase and have no choice but to pass it on to the client.

Some practices have excellent vets, but they're not trained or have undertaken additional education regarding our exotic little friends so do not charge as much as highly skilled, qualified exotics vets, nurses and other staff.

That's not to say that practices don't compete with eachother price wise, and some will have a larger profit margin than others, but its important to weigh up where the additional cost is going, rather than just assuming lower cost is good and higher cost is automatically overcharging 🙂

Take into consideration the area your vet is in (rent wise), and what equipment, services and staff skill level they offer compared to others and that should help you figure out if you're being over charged, or just using a more expensive service.

I would definitely call and ask them to follow up on those results though, a month seems an awfully long time to be waiting and it's possible a note to contact you has been missed!
 
I live in Surrey and get charged nearly £70 for a vet consult. My guinea pig has just had a whole body x-ray under sedation including a dental exam for malocclusion (all clear). Got prescribed 30mls metacam and 15mls emeprid...Grand total of nearly £700!
 
Prices do seem to vary from vets to vets. And it can be difficult to find out the prices of medicines and procedures. Best thing to do is ask for a written quote/estimate so you can find out the cost of a procedure so you know what you are committing to.
If you’re unhappy with service (waiting for results) I’d definitely call the vets to chase it up. I’m sure every practice will have a complaints procedure should you feel the need to make a formal complaint. But it’s like complaining about your GP - most of us don’t want to do it for fear of blighting future treatment.
 
A normal consult with one of the two exotic vets is £50 which is far cheaper than the local general vets nearby (who aren’t very GP savy). We do have to travel £15 to Falmouth but it’s worth it.

it even has an exotics waiting area away from cats and dogs. they even have a customer loo! I just wish I had found this vets long before, I can’t praise them enough so far.

Sorry can’t upload the photo 🙄
 
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A consult with my local exotics vet is now £70 and this is an independent practice. Milo had a complex surgery to remove a melonoma which involved two vets. This included two post-op checks and lots of meds (ABs, pain relief, gut stimulants). My bill was around £800.
 
Cookie's surgery for eye removal was £520 plus around £60 ish for meds and £80 for a swab culture a few months later.
 
CTWC said:
Cookie's surgery for eye removal was £520 plus around £60 ish for meds and £80 for a swab culture a few months later.
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I wouldn't say that was expensive now. Prices have gone up massively. If it's with a piggy savvy vet it's worth paying more than going to a vet that doesn't know much about pigs I've found. I'm certain that I would have lost my pigs without my vet if I had gone elsewhere.
 
Thank you all I think it's just thrown me with these results taking so long! And I just started questioning how bothered they are but thank you 👍
 
CTWC said:
Thank you all I think it's just thrown me with these results taking so long! And I just started questioning how bothered they are but thank you 👍
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I would definitely chase it. They may think they've fed them back to you or they've been lost
 
Yes, there may have been an admin mistake or crossed wires where results have not been sent over or something
 
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Managed to download that photo from my phone onto my ipad, what a carry on 🙄

But here is the exotic waiting area, rather smart. Poor Kiki waiting to be called in for her operation last month. There is a huge photo of a Guinea pig behind the receptionists. We sat with a lady with two parrots 🦜 they were waiting to have their nails clipped by the exotics nurse, one was 40 years old!
 
andisafc said:
Doesn't feel like it when you've been in there nearly every week for the last 3 months ha ha! But yes they are very reasonable - Gilmoor Vets in Durham
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Similar experience here for the last year. Dropped my pigs off at the day hospital 9 times, 7 of those for a general anaesthetic. And been at the vets more times than I can count, Sometimes multiple times in a week.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Similar experience here for the last year. Dropped my pigs off at the day hospital 9 times, 7 of those for a general anaesthetic. And been at the vets more times than I can count, Sometimes multiple times in a week.
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Aww I’m so sorry! Yeah I got to the point where I thought I was getting an invite to the Christmas party. I have never had this many problems in 25 years of guinea pig ownership! Hope you’re having better times at the minute?
 
andisafc said:
Aww I’m so sorry! Yeah I got to the point where I thought I was getting an invite to the Christmas party. I have never had this many problems in 25 years of guinea pig ownership! Hope you’re having better times at the minute?
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I got a Christmas card. I'm very fortunate with my vet.

Nancy had surgery last week to remove an ovary. She's been bleeding in her urine since last Wednesday but it seems to be slowing down. Nancy is still on 3 medications twice a day and Pumpkin is on one twice a day.

I would love us to stop needing to go to the vets!

How about yourself?
 
Piggies2023 said:
I got a Christmas card. I'm very fortunate with my vet.

Nancy had surgery last week to remove an ovary. She's been bleeding in her urine since last Wednesday but it seems to be slowing down. Nancy is still on 3 medications twice a day and Pumpkin is on one twice a day.

I would love us to stop needing to go to the vets!

How about yourself?
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They sound lovely!

Poor baby, hope it clears up soon? You’ve got quite a lot on your hands!

Me too!

Not having the best of times, we lost our 8.5 month old last month after 5 months of uti & uri issues! He didn’t recover properly from anaesthetic so after a few days we made the decision to put him out of pain & discomfort which very nearly destroyed me! Then after 3.5 weeks his cage mate of the same age started with discharge in his nose so he got put on strong antibiotics & it’s killed his appetite completely! So that’s where we’re at with round the clock feeding! 😿
 
andisafc said:
They sound lovely!

Poor baby, hope it clears up soon? You’ve got quite a lot on your hands!

Me too!

Not having the best of times, we lost our 8.5 month old last month after 5 months of uti & uri issues! He didn’t recover properly from anaesthetic so after a few days we made the decision to put him out of pain & discomfort which very nearly destroyed me! Then after 3.5 weeks his cage mate of the same age started with discharge in his nose so he got put on strong antibiotics & it’s killed his appetite completely! So that’s where we’re at with round the clock feeding! 😿
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Oh no! That sounds awful. I'm so sorry for your loss. And syringe feeding is absolutely exhausting. Lack of sleep while you are looking after a poorly pet too. Is the antibiotics working?
 
Ouch that is expensive! I’m not sure how close it is but I go to Goddard vet group in Ewell and see Chrissy (I think she also does some days at their chessington branch) she has pigs herself and although not an exotic she is brilliant with pigs, they are not the cheapest but I don’t think they are mega expensive either a consult is around £36.
 
rp1993 said:
Ouch that is expensive! I’m not sure how close it is but I go to Goddard vet group in Ewell and see Chrissy (I think she also does some days at their chessington branch) she has pigs herself and although not an exotic she is brilliant with pigs, they are not the cheapest but I don’t think they are mega expensive either a consult is around £36.
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£36 is a bargain now. It's £57 at my vets
 
Piggies2023 said:
Oh no! That sounds awful. I'm so sorry for your loss. And syringe feeding is absolutely exhausting. Lack of sleep while you are looking after a poorly pet too. Is the antibiotics working?
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Thank you so much, it still hurts so much. He was the best little boy, feel bad for him that he was so ill for half of his life!
It really is, the exhaustion makes the little things feel so bad! The antibiotics have worked I think, haven’t seen any discharge but it has completely messed him up! He is doing a weird head bob at times like he can’t quite make his mind up what to do (vid in my health post) so off to the vets again tomorrow. The nurse suggested stopping the meds tonight.

I hope that your babies are well soon! ❤️
 
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