Paying vet bills is part and parcel of owning a pet. But with finances tight for many people right now, every penny counts. As there is no NHS for pets, owners need to pay for their animals’ care themselves. But with different vet practices charging different amounts, it can be confusing and you may be unsure of what your money is being spent on. We’re going to explore why that is, as well as a few of the top ways that you can help manage your pet’s healthcare bills.
Table of contents
Breaking down your bill
In most traditional vet practices, when you walk out of the consultation room you will have to go and settle your bill with reception. The total for your bill may vary depending on what you and your pet have seen the vet for. The consultation price is fixed and will usually have been advertised to you, either on a display in the waiting room or when you booked the appointment. Some pet owners may even need to pay this part in advance, as a deposit.
This fixed consultation fee covers the costs involved for you to visit the practice and have an appointment with a qualified professional. As part of this appointment, your vet will take a history from you (discussing what’s wrong with your pet, what diet they eat, their parasite control and anything else that might be relevant), examine your pet, as well as suggest next steps, if required.
Fixed fees don’t usually cover everything
This does not include medication and any additional tests or treatments performed in the consult room. Procedures like nail trims, assessment for eye ulcers, anal gland expression or clipping and cleaning a wound may all be chargeable due to the extra time and skill needed to perform them. Medications like injections, flea and worm treatments and oral drugs to take home will also need to be paid for, on top of your consultation fee.
If you are visiting because your pet has a simple case of diarrhoea the total cost may be very different compared to a pet that has a serious, ongoing skin condition. In the first case, the pet may only require some probiotic paste and a worming tablet, in the second example they could need samples taken from their skin for analysis, prescription shampoos, antibiotics, anti-parasite treatments and/or allergy medications.
Many practices also have different levels of consultation fees
They may charge slightly less for a follow-up or repeat consultation. Also, things like post-op check-ups with a nurse may not be chargeable at all. This may help to explain why each time you visit the vet your total bill may end up different.
It is usually explained before you visit the practice that ‘you will need to pay for medication or further treatments’ on top of your consultation fee. Most vets are good at explaining the additional costs during the consultation. However, you must also not be afraid to speak up and let your vet know if you are cost-constrained. Vets would rather know what sort of budget they have, as they can tailor things accordingly, before drawing up their diagnostic and treatment plans.
But why do different vet practices charge different amounts?
We’ve explored why your vet bill may be different depending on your pet’s presenting issues. But why is there such a variation between different vet practices?
Vet practices are businesses run by different individuals or companies. As such, the fees set within each business will vary. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (the governing body for vets) states ‘The RCVS has no specific jurisdiction under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 over the level of fees charged by veterinary practices’. This means that practices are free to set their prices as they wish, but veterinary surgeons should be open and honest with clients about their charges.
The fees set by a practice may vary depending on multiple factors including –
The size of the building, rental costs and staff numbers
Most of the consultation fee goes towards paying for these things. A practice must be able to cover its running costs.
The type of equipment and facilities the practice has
If the practice invests in new equipment regularly it will need to be able to pay for this through the fees it charges.
Local competition
If your vet practice competes with another practice down the road, they may reflect this in some of their routine fees to attract new clients.
The local demographic
Many practices will tailor their fees according to the type of area they are in. More expensive areas are more expensive for staff to live in, and often have higher business rates and other expenses.
Normal practice vs an out-of-hours/emergency vet
Visiting a practice in the daytime will often be cheaper than visiting an out-of-hours vet in the evening or at weekends. This is because a dedicated out-of-hours practice will need to compensate their staff members for working antisocial shift patterns. Some practices that only do emergency work will not be able to rely on routine work like boosters and neutering to help keep their business afloat.
While it can be easy to make direct cost comparisons between practices based on their fixed price procedures, like a standard consultation fee, a dog castrate or a booster vaccination, this doesn’t necessarily give you the full picture.
While one vet may charge less for their consultation fee, you could find they charge more for their follow-up consultations, diagnostic tests or dispensing fees. So, it can sometimes be tricky for owners to shop around for the cheapest vet.
However, if you are ever in the unfortunate position where your pet becomes unwell and needs more than just routine work, your vet is obliged to provide you with a detailed estimate for these costs. This will help to see where your money is being spent.
My pet needs to see a specialist, why does it cost so much more?
If your pet becomes unwell and your normal vet needs to refer them to see a specialist, this will usually incur a greater bill. There are again many reasons why a specialist vet needs to charge more for their consultations than a regular vet in general practice. These reasons include –
- Longer consultation time – Many specialists provide longer than the 10-15 minutes you are usually allocated at your normal GP vet. This helps them explore the case more fully and gives them time to discuss all the options at length.
- Specialist training – Vets at a referral centre will have spent many years training and studying to gain additional qualifications. They also need to keep this knowledge up to date. You are helping to pay towards this through your consultation fee.
- Lower client numbers – Most specialist vets see fewer patients in a day than a vet in general practice. This is usually due to the nature of the cases.
- Top-end equipment and facilities – Referral centres have equipment that general practices can’t afford or don’t have room for. This includes advanced imaging facilities like MRI and CT scanners. These all need to be maintained and regularly upgraded which all lead to higher running costs.
The referral centre can give you the cost of your consultation up front, as well as an estimate for the costs of any diagnostics and treatment that may be required. This may help you to decide whether a referral is feasible for you and your pet.
Helping cover the costs
There are several different ways you can help to manage the cost of your vet bills.
Pet healthcare plans
Many vet practices have healthcare plans. These can help you to spread the cost of routine things like booster vaccinations and anti-parasite treatment, usually via monthly direct debit. Lots of these plans contain perks though which may include free consultations, as well as discounts on certain procedures or money off diagnostic tests. Some practices are even offering unlimited consultations as part of their plan. They can be an excellent way of managing your finances and help you to make a few savings along the way.
Pet insurance
For many owners, pet insurance can make the difference between accessing treatment for your pet or not. There is an array of different policies available, with different companies, and all at varying price points. Bear in mind when choosing your policy that the going rate for surgery, such as a ruptured cruciate ligament or fractured limb could be around £4-£5000. Some insurance providers also offer telemedicine services, which may mean you can get your pet triaged before deciding whether a face-to-face consultation is needed with your vet.
Payment plans
Some vet practices now do offer payment plans. These are usually via an external finance company, which can help you to spread the cost of your payments. Your bill usually needs to be over a certain amount, and there will still be a deposit to pay, so it tends to be more helpful for the times your pet requires surgery or hospitalisation, rather than for a one-off consultation.
Savings accounts
Rather than paying out to a pet insurance provider each month, some pet owners pay into a separate savings account. This may work well for some, but bear in mind that if your pet runs into issues at a young age or requires a lifetime of ongoing treatment for their condition, then you may not have had a chance to build up a decent sum in your bank account to cover this yet.
Charitable help
Some owners may be eligible for charity help. This may mean visiting a charity practice or receiving charitable contributions towards certain treatments. However, this should not be relied upon in an emergency, as owners will need to meet certain requirements for this.
Being proactive about your pet’s healthcare
Although it can be tempting to put off a trip to the vet, attending routine appointments and seeing your vet at the earliest opportunity for a health concern, could save you money in the long run. Regularly treating your pet with routine anti-parasite treatment and keeping their vaccinations up to date is also important.
Summary
Vet practices can choose how to set their consultation fees. This is usually based on several factors, including location, facilities, overheads and the type of consultation (out-of-hours, specialist etc). As such, there will be variation between different vet practices, as well as perhaps within the practice itself. Vets are obligated to be open about their pricing though, so if you are ever unsure about how much you will be charged or it hasn’t been made clear to you, then please ask. Remember that you can help protect yourself against unexpected bills by insuring your pet, signing up for your practice pet health care plans and being proactive about your pet’s care.
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