gonna have a moan!!

[lilolil]

My daughter lives in Kent...I know not local to ED....

Yesterday she took her cat to the vets, it has kidney failure. The vet told her to bring it back today, treated as necessary,and sent her on her way.

Last night her cat collapsed. The emergency vet wanted to charge ?148 to put the cat to sleep. How humane is that? What if a poor animal was run over and the owner couldnt afford the vet bill? Would it have to suffer until the next day when the bill would be ?100 cheaper??? Before you ask she can afford it and isnt on a low income so doesnt qualify for free treatment. However,should this be questioned if an animal is dying?

Stepping down from soapbox now grrrrrrrrrrrr........

[spadetownboy]

?148 to put a cat down ,whatever happened to the old brick in a sack trick.

[lilolil]

well now we know what to do with you then LOL LOL merry Christmas!!!

[spadetownboy]

pet insurance?

[Shu.Kurimu.Sensei]

I'm really sorry to hear about your cat.

Have you tried looking for a local Blue Cross centre or something similar?

Losing a cat really is losing a member of the family so my heart goes out to you.

We had a wonderful cat who lived for 24 years who passed away peacefully under her favourite spot under the radiator on Christmas day a few years ago, terrible to lose a cat at this time of the year.

I'll chip in to buy a brick for spade, maybe we can take it in turns?

[spadetownboy]

i,ll supply my own brick shoo

[macroban]

Would a SNUB bag be good for a sack?

[lozzyloz]

Does ?148 include disposal?

[PeckhamRose]

Well you lot are just insensitive bastards.

This is such a sad story.

I am so sorry to read it.

I do not know why so much money was charged.

When our cat was dying we called in Mr Lomax (that place has "gone to the dogs" since he retired, for sure) who charged us just ?50 to come round to our flat and put my cat to sleep in my arms.

I absolutely can not understand why these vets can get away with charging so much money.

My heart goes out to you and specially your daughter.

[KalamityKel]

Lilolil I've had many similar experiences with normal vets and emergency ones in the past - last one being poor Gus, back in June. He was a young cat (only 3yrs old) and had a growth in his intestines. We took him to the vets, who took lots of tests including numerous x-rays. We colleted him the same day, they called us back the following day and advised he needed an operation to remove the growth which also meant he would have to stay at the vets the whole weekend. He came back in a really sorry state - the nurses hadnt really looked after him properly. Things were beginning to look positive and he was even beginning to run around like his usual loonytoon self but a few days later the vet called to say it was cancer and had spread so we had to have him put down.

[KalamityKel]

As well as is being incredibly heart breaking it was a very expensive time. At no point were we asked whether we could afford everything, whether we had insurance and whether it was wot we wanted (u assume the vet knows wot theyre talking about). It seemed that they were using Gus to try out new procedures and tests instead of being realistic - growths in the intestines r serious things!

[lozzyloz]

Aren't Veterinary Surgeons private set ups with overheads and salaries to pay like any other business or is it like the NHS but for animals? Whenever I find an animal or bird in distress I call out the local RSPCA and make a donation. They've always been very good.

[KalamityKel]

**testing, testing*** not having much luck posting the rest of my comment :|

[SeanMacGabhann]

Kel. You are trying to post a message with a word similar to spe c ialist in it. . . It contains a word which is blocked by many sites

[KalamityKel]

trying to post rest of my comment...

Now I'm not suggesting the vets were being mean money grabbing so and sos and I loved my Gus to bits but for the end result wot a waste of money in between.I think sometimes vets avoid making the "decision" for you and assume you are wanting to prolong ur pets life for as long as possible too - my mum knew a woman who had a cat who was very old, had no teeth, deaf, blind, incontinent, and couldnt walk.

She carried it around everywhere and had to bath it daily (for obvious reasons) but wouldnt do the kindest and decent thing (for the cat)and put it down.I could continue with my list of examples.. it's a shame some vets (not all) dont just tell it how it really is.

wots wiv that word man!

[lilolil]

Hello!

Thanks for your kind posts had a similar experience with Lomax years ago.When he first moved in back in the 1960's, we had the shop next door. He was always very kind, and when our moggie became very ill, he put her to sleep free of charge. Likewise with a kitten I found that was badly deformed.

I dont expect free treatment but to pay a fair price. ?148 is extreme and not justified.