Wendbert Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 As those of you who RMF will know, Sir H had to go to the emergency vet on Friday evening after being attacked by another dog. My vets have their own emergency service where you call a dedicated phone number, the operator takes your details and rings the on call vet. The vet calls back, gets more details and will tell you to go to the Chippenham hospital branch if necessary. I called the service just after 8pm, the vet called back within 10 minutes and 20 minutes later, we were at the hospital. The vet did say that there would be an 'emergency' charge, including consultation of £70. I was just wondering how that compares elsewhere? Personally, I think thats very reasonable and my vets have always been brilliant, no matter the time of day or night, bank holiday etc. What kind of emeregency/out of hours service do your vets provide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) My emergency visits in recent times have been a one way trip so I've not really taken in the costs. I think it's normally £50 emergency charge on top of consultation and treatment given. I've changed vets now so I don't know what the new lot would charge. I'm a lot of help aren't I. Edited June 9, 2009 by Jacobean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mop Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 My vets is a hospital and does night vets as well, I think the last time I needed the Night Vets I paid £49. There is always a vet on duty with others on call if they are needed, and they have as many nurses in as are needed with others on call as well. As there are consultants at my vets they went rushing to Ellie when she couldn't breath and took action right away. Without this immediate action Ellie wouldn't be with me now. When I took Gracie for hydrotherapy today, there is a poster up in the waiting room, they are Pet Plan's Vet of the Year for 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackmagic Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think out of hours charges are much more reasonable when it is your own vet practice that does it. Reports from people who have to use the dedicated out of hours services such as Vets Now are that the charges are very high. Some have said that they have to hand over £200 before they can go in the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrackenMc Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) Emergency charge is £90.00 plus any medication. Edited June 9, 2009 by BrackenMc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendbert Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think out of hours charges are much more reasonable when it is your own vet practice that does it. Reports from people who have to use the dedicated out of hours services such as Vets Now are that the charges are very high. Some have said that they have to hand over £200 before they can go in the door. Blimey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redditchlady Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Southcrest Vets in Redditch which we use have a vet on call 24/7. If we need out of hours service we phone and meet the vet there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spins4me Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Our emergency service takes a message and gets the vet to ring back. If necessary we can then meet the vet at the surgery for the princely sum of £120!!!!!! Presumably that's before medication or treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happylittlegreensquirrel Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 my out of hours vet is a veterinary hospital , they are not cheap ( but neither is my own vet ) and they have staff roistered on so the vet and nurses you see have not worked in the day my own vet is open from 8am to 7pm Mon-Fri and 9am to 1pm Saturday so the time the out of hours service is covering is actually quite small last time we had to use the out of hours service was in 2006 when Winnie impaled himself on a branch on a tree on a late night walk, Mark rang the hospital and when he got there a vet and 2 nurses had scrubbed in and Winnie went straight to surgery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think out of hours charges are much more reasonable when it is your own vet practice that does it. I know when I had to call the vet after hours the week i got Archie the entire bill came to about £120, he had been in a scrap with a couple of beagles and his wounds were infected under his fur He was sedated, shaved, cleaned, stitched up, drains put in, antibiotics and stayed in overnight and this was new years eve so i thought this was extremenly reasonable.. give Sir H another from me please wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LurcherGirl Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 It's the same at my vets. They have their own out-of-hours service between 7 am and 11 pm, every day. Last time I checked there was a surcharge of £60 when using this service, which I think is reasonable. To cover the hours from 11 pm to 7 am, they use a local emergency clinic. This is a lot more expensive and last time cost just over £100 just to get through the door... Vera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Our out of hours service is a local vet hospital. Luckily I haven't had to use them for a long time, but it was a £90 surcharge plus treatments costs last time I went there. I suspect it will be more now. My normal vets are open 8:30 to 7:30 Mon-Sat and 9:30 - 2:30 on Sundays, so out-of-hours cover is really only for overnight emergencies and Sunday afternoons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziltha Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Vets Now informed me, as soon as I rang, that the consultation fee was £97 excluding any treatment or medication. I had to agree to pay it before I was allowed to make an appoinment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houndzrus Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Vets Now informed me, as soon as I rang, that the consultation fee was £97 excluding any treatment or medication. I had to agree to pay it before I was allowed to make an appoinment. That's just about what I paid each time for Spike, but I think the price went up after 10 or 11pm. he went there three night running and it mounted up quite quickly. Diddn't like the fact that every morning we had to take him from there to our normal vet as he didn't get any rest after having major surgery. I can't fault the vet who did the op, he did a fantastic job, pity he's not our vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziltha Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 That's just about what I paid each time for Spike, but I think the price went up after 10 or 11pm. he went there three night running and it mounted up quite quickly. Diddn't like the fact that every morning we had to take him from there to our normal vet as he didn't get any rest after having major surgery. I can't fault the vet who did the op, he did a fantastic job, pity he's not our vet. Ours was a Christmas day appointment and we had to leave Sam the cat for surgery - he had a urinary tract blockage and had a catheter fitted. We had to pick him up at 7.30 a.m. to take him to our vets on the day after Boxing day. He spent 3 days at our vets for £100ish including antibiotics and medication for a heart murmur that our vet discovered but the bill for Vets Now was £700+. Catheterising isn't a very big op so I thought it was a bit steep. Vets Now didn't pick up the heart murmur either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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