ayjaybee

Top firework tip I learnt when you go out on bonfire night leave your television and radio on to create a reassuring sound and to block out the sound of the loud firework bangs.

The profession could and should be more transparent about prescription policies. Most pet owners are unaware of their legal rights with regard to prescription medicines for their pets and are losing out financially as a result. During a veterinary consultation, if a prescription medicine is recommended as a treatment, a prescription should be offered by the vet as an alternative to purchasing the medications from the surgery. By law this prescription can then be fulfilled by any vet, pharmacist or, usually more economically, by an online veterinary pharmacy. In many cases pet owners are being engineered into spending far more than is actually necessary by getting treatment for their pets from their local veterinary surgery. Veterinary prescriptions are charged at a "reasonable fee" which may be as much as £20 and certainly more than the real cost of the treatment. Many vets further exploit pet owners by insisting on one prescription per medication or refusing to allow repeats. Both these tactics are unprofessional and little short of extortion where one prescription could easily cover all medications required, with repeats marked for a maximum of six months. In the case of animals with a lifetime condition this can create a massive and unnecessary financial burden for the pet owner while the veterinary practice reaps the benefit. Very often it is the animals that suffer when owners cannot afford to continue with prescription medications or veterinary diets. If veterinary surgeries are encouraged to act in line with legal requirements to practise an open and fair prescription policy, then pet owners can explore alternative options for their fulfilment. By shopping around, particularly at online sites (such as www.vetuk.co.uk), owners can access significantly better value medications and special dietary foods for their pets, with the added advantage of delivery to home. The fact that this issue is not being addressed indicates a complete lack of owners' understanding of procedures in the veterinary profession which many practices are exploiting to the detriment of the very animals they purport to treat.