Western Morning News (Saturday)
Since when did vets become so expensive?
I’M feeling sore, probably not half as sore as my dog is feeling. A recent trip to the vet made her shake her head. “She needs a scale and polish,” she said. I was slightly surprised. The dog has a good diet and no human food or treats.
The prospect of the much loved pet getting toothache or worse made me agree. I gulped at the fee – £300. Checking the small print on the pet insurance with a magnifying glass I realised dentistry wasn’t covered. I promptly rang up and cancelled the policy, having spent over £2,000 in seven years. I’ve never claimed but they refused to drop the fee so I dropped them.
I reluctantly signed the consent form and was told it was unlikely any other treatment would be needed but once anaesthetized they would be able to tell.
Driving in my car I’m called from the operating theatre and told our dog needs a few teeth out, is that ok? Well I’m on the A38 (handsfree) and the dog is sparko on the table, so what do I say?
When I come to pick up my old girl, I’m told she’s had nine teeth out. NINE! I’m told that x-rays show bone degeneration in her jaw. At eight years old. I’m not surprised. I’m told she could get gum disease if the teeth go rotten because they’re wobbly. Nothing that chewing a stick wouldn’t sort out but hey, I’m not a vet. I feel more like a mug, and I pay a bill way over the original estimate that would have given Hubs and I a fortnight away in the sunshine.
It’s not the money. I feel I’ve let my dog down because I think the work was unnecessary and vastly overpriced. The handout I was given said that canine dentistry is as expensive as human dentistry. I’ve yet to meet anyone who has paid for their dogs to have dentistry and I’m feeling very disgruntled.
I watched Ben Fogle recently interview Matt Watkinson, a vet who decided to leave the profession and live off grid. He ruffled many feathers when he spoke out about the changing face of veterinary practice, reckoning that unnecessary procedures were carried out on animals that should have been euthanased, that the emotional ties of owners to their pets were exploited and even that some owners were charged more because of their postcode. Watkinson reckons that the spate of vet programmes that save animals at all costs are sending the wrong message and people should stop humanising their animals and put the animal’s welfare first.
When I moved to Devon I met a local vet, Nigel Taylor. A more pragmatic, sensible vet would be hard to find. I valued his views, trusted him, and was moved beyond words at the way he handled the euthanasia of various family pets. He just got it. Sadly he’s no longer working in a small animal practice and is giving the benefit of his expertise to a wider veterinary world.
Vets are a bit like GP’s. Gone are the family GP’s that knew your family, took time to understand the situations. Vets are the same. Most of them now belong to practices that are owned by multinational consortiums because it’s now legal for nonvets to run practices. They answer to shareholders, not vets or pet owners. They, not the vets, are the ones that control the prices and more and more small vets are being taken over by such organisations.
Vet fees are rising. Will it get to the stage where people can’t afford to visit the surgery? That animals’ health may suffer because of it? Insurance isn’t the answer. Companies often refuse to pay out. Recent information showed vet’s fees are rising by as much as 20% a year, which of course pushes up insurance premiums. PDSA, the animal charity says over half a million of the pets treated were owned by people on benefits. Will pets only belong to the privileged few?
I get that equipment is now more sophisticated. I understand that we now have expectations of a cure for everything, just as we do when we see our doctor. We don’t want to face the fact that our loyal friend is incurable and often won’t accept that euthanasia is the kindest option. Even that’s expensive. I was charged £55 to put a hamster down years ago, and told that I would have to pay £40 to have my chicken looked at. Sorry but I only paid £10 for her and she was old. Her time had come and she died quickly in our garden.
VAT at 20% is a cruel addition for pet owners. Often a pet is the only solace, the only friend a person may have. The government need to rethink their costings.
And I’m re-thinking my vet visits. I’m not convinced about the necessity for my dog to lose so many teeth and I’ve lost trust in the vet. Nor am I going to become one of the worried well where my pets are concerned. Vaccinations yes, but I’m going to think twice about anything else.
I’ve yet to meet anyone who has paid for their dogs to have dentistry and I’m feeling very disgruntled