Cat Broke His Leg, Vet Wants $10,000

Saul Goodman on 26/04/2022 - 09:33
Last edited 28/04/2022 - 09:46

My cat broke his leg (tibia) on Saturday morning. Since then there has a been a lot of misleading information said to us from the hospital we took him to the same day. We were quoted an orignal price over the phone but that has now blown up to minimum $10000. They said they could do the surgery straight away but then after us paying a $4k deposit, they said they don't have the correct pin size. I do have vet insurance which will cover 70% but it's still going to be out of pocket a lot.

I'm just wondering has anyone had a cat or dog break their leg and how much did you have to pay?

UPDATES

Since some people mistook the whole meaning of this post I will clarify that I got him into our local vet within half an hour of the accident who did xrays and confirmed the break. Then I took him to this particular hospital immediately after because it was the only hospital that said they could do the surgery that day or next - but after doing their own xrays they said they didn't have the exact size pins/needles they needed for such a small cat. Not once have I said I am holding off the surgery and the only question I asked in my post was out of curiosity what other people had paid.

Surgery was Tuesday which all went well and we took him home Wednesday afternoon. He has a massive bandage, 3 pins coming out of his leg and has to wear a collar for the next 6-8 weeks.

Pets

Comments

  • afah0447 on 27/04/2022 - 09:32
    +3

    $10k! And I thought human surgeons were greedy. Just get a new one.

    • gmozz on 27/04/2022 - 14:55
      +6

      Human medical industries have this thing called medicare subsidising the costs, whereas the Vet industry has no government subsidies. Yet the vet industry uses alot of the same medical equipment that the human teams use (MRI's, Xray's, etc), and so pays the same costs.
      If you took all the government subsidy out of a human surgery the end result would be eye watering! The anesthetist used for that cat surgery gets paid around $35/hr… how much do you think a human anesthetist gets paid…..

      • [Deactivated] on 27/04/2022 - 16:07
        +1

        Subsidise or not, medical stuff is still way too expensive. A friend of mine works in an eye hospital doing some injections and he says they charge more than 100x times the price it costs to manufacture the medicine and they administrator hundreds a day at the clinic. Well, for the people getting it, it's subsidised by the government so they don't care.

        • gmozz on 27/04/2022 - 16:30
          +1

          Agree 100%…. rorting always occurs whenever the total incurred cost isn't borne by the end user. Insurance falls very strongly into this category.

        • SydStrand on 27/04/2022 - 19:03

          The manufacturing cost of most medication is trivial. Drug companies spend billions of dollars on R&D and clinical trials, which they recoup over the lifetime of selling the drug. Even if they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, governments have the option to subsidise them with the PBS. Chemical patents also lapse, allowing the manufacturing of cheaper generics down the line. If drugs weren't profitable, no one invest in it, which is a net loss.

  • Ozpit on 27/04/2022 - 09:56
    -1

    We can only speculate on OP’s view of the cat’s future if two legs were broken, or perish the thought all four legs. When would a broken leg have been $10,000 too many?

  • GrueHunter on 27/04/2022 - 09:56
    +2

    Almost $2k for initial emergency costs, surgery for broken legs was subsequently another $7,500. Canberra, maybe five years ago. No insurance.

    It's microsurgery - those pins are tiny. Ask yourself what you'd charge to go to vet school, run a surgery (building, staff, equipment, supplies), cut open animals all day and get to tell people their pets have died or are better off dead.

  • Tvsupaguru on 27/04/2022 - 09:58
    +1

    Have the Salamanca twins pay the vet a visit. I'm sure they can persuade him to do the work pro bono. I hear Lalo is still kickin. He also has a natural ability to persuade people with his char grin

  • tommo0468 on 27/04/2022 - 10:09
    +13

    My partner in a vet nurse at a big animal hospital. Not uncommon for some bills to add up to 50k+. So sad. Also, Vets actually have an extremely low wage vs the amount of study needed for qualification. The only time a Vet makes money is if they own the practice or are a specialist in a very small field.

    • Mistredo on 27/04/2022 - 13:06
      +1

      How can people afford 50k+ bills? Most pet insurances have limits of around 10k. The most expensive ones have a limit between 20k-30k.

      • tommo0468 on 27/04/2022 - 13:18

        Most borrow against their house or sell a car apparently.

    • leiiv on 27/04/2022 - 13:48

      So where does most of the money ended up then?

      • gmozz on 27/04/2022 - 14:57
        +1

        As i said above… remove medicare / government subsidies from human surgeries…. and the cat surgery will look very cheap!

      • SydStrand on 27/04/2022 - 18:42
        +12

        Overheads. It costs a lot of money to run hospital. In-house diagnostics cost a fortune, and unlike many human clinics, vet hospitals can only afford to lease equipment like blood analysers and X-rays. We also don't get a cent from the government, and no drugs are subsidised by the PBS.

        I wish I was paid as well as people thought. My salary is barely breaking the median wage in this country. A human GP with comparable experience would be double, more in the private sector.

        • bmerigan on 27/04/2022 - 22:15
          +2

          I wish this info could be pinned as a lot of ignorant people here would benefit from reading it.

    • dbui8743 on 29/04/2022 - 09:14

      Can i throw away the pet if the bill is too high?

  • cashless on 27/04/2022 - 10:13

    OP - aren't you a lawyer?

  • JelIyfish on 27/04/2022 - 10:42

    Did the quote happen to go up after the vet found out you had insurance?
    i.e. knowing that 70% would be covered they could double the quote knowing that you'd only have to pay 30% and most likely going to proceed

  • Vote for Pedro on 27/04/2022 - 10:47

    Speaking of insurance, all the ones I’ve seen are circa $800 a year. Any recommendations?

  • HangryCakeStore on 27/04/2022 - 11:24
    -3

    Imagine if farmers paid $10,000 for all farm animals with broken legs, aren't they part of the family too ? oh no are tree huggers going to protest at farms now..

  • htc on 27/04/2022 - 11:25
    +1

    I read it as, the cat broke vet's leg, the vet wanted $10000 to fix it? I was trying to find out how did the cat managed to break vet's leg. After reading comments, it now makes sense.

  • Drakesy on 27/04/2022 - 12:14
    +2

    Ahhh
    I now see how vets make their money.

    Basically take the American health system and replace the people with animals. Actually scratch that, it sounds exactly like the American health system.

    Imagine how much our bills would be if Medicare didn't exist. Thankyou Labor Government!
    Some people just don't know how much actual healthcare costs.

    • leiiv on 27/04/2022 - 13:53
      +1

      The cost is artificial and inflated. You only need follow the money and see who get most of it.

      • Drakesy on 27/04/2022 - 14:32

        The cost is supply and demand, when emotions are at play then you're really at the vet's mercy, what's the converse? you leave it and hope that it heals, if it doesn't you have a cat that limps for the rest of its life. Vets are just as accomplished as doctors and need to be reimbursed accordingly given the government isn't there to support them.

        Happens all the time in America, you take the greedy/capitalist drive out of it and all of a sudden healthcare isn't ridiculously priced.

        • bmerigan on 27/04/2022 - 22:17
          +4

          The money is not going into the vet's pay packet. It goes towards all their overheads. Medical equipment is eye-wateringly expensive. An easy $50,000 for an x-ray machine.

        • hayne on 28/04/2022 - 01:41

          Sorry Drakesy accidentally negged you

          • Drakesy on 28/04/2022 - 10:38

            @hayne: You can revoke

            But i understand

    • GrueHunter on 27/04/2022 - 18:34
      +3

      The vets who have staggering suicide rates (four times the general population) because they're clearly just in it for the money?

      Those vets?

      • Drakesy on 27/04/2022 - 18:36
        +1

        Probably because people like the OP are calling them swindlers when they're trying to make an honest living.

        We don't question it when dentists put $5-$10k of fillings and crowns in our mouth, why would we question vets?

        admittedly $10k does sound like a lot. $5k would be more expected for a surgery and a few nights stay.

        • May4th on 27/04/2022 - 22:14
          +5

          psychology is interesting. people always feel aggrieved at forced negative spending (ie. fix something they lost/broke, instead of spending money to pay for something they want)
          for example. pay for a new knee for 10k - god those life sucking leeches of a surgeon. pay 8k for a tummy tuck- bargain! 2k cheaper than my other quote!
          the same people who complain of paying $40 gap to see a GP are those dropping $500 on a night out or spend $100 at the hairdressers without blinking

          • Drakesy on 27/04/2022 - 22:23

            @May4th: You make a very good point
            Never thought of it that way

      • jv on 27/04/2022 - 23:00
        -2

        The vets who have staggering suicide rates (four times the general population)

        When they do have access to dangerous injectable drugs (compared to the general population)

        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18363981/

        • hayne on 28/04/2022 - 01:42
          +1

          @jv: are you not conflating correlation with causation?

          • jv on 28/04/2022 - 09:40
            +1

            @hayne: Not me, it was an expert in the field…

            The study ‘Suicide in Australian Veterinarians’ led by Dr. Helen Jones-Fairnie from Curtin University, WA, revealed that poisoning by injectable drugs was the most cause of suicide.

            • May4th on 28/04/2022 - 22:10
              +2

              @jv: I hope their study was more rigorous than their grammar

            • AquaDigger on 29/04/2022 - 23:43

              @jv: Just because they have access to injectable drugs doesn't mean they wouldn't have found another way.

              i.e. Having access to injectable drugs did not cause them to commit suicide (that was probably the terrible hours, pay, treatment by other humans, etc).

              • jv on 29/04/2022 - 23:44

                @AquaDigger:

                Just because they have access to injectable drugs doesn't mean they wouldn't have found another way.

                Maybe read the article…

                • AquaDigger on 30/04/2022 - 22:21
                  +1

                  @jv: I did. Just because it's the most frequent method doesn't mean it's the cause.

    • jv on 27/04/2022 - 22:56

      if Medicare didn't exist. Thankyou Labor Government!

      Interestingly, it was the incoming Fraser government that made sure it would work by introducing a 2.5% levy to fund it… Otherwise it would have collapsed.

  • lltravel on 27/04/2022 - 12:16
    +8

    I dont think the op is really upset about the cost

    Hes just asking how much everyone else paid

    The op was clearly prepared so he/she had insurance

    TBH 3k isn't a lot of money these days. It's a small price to pay to have your loved one in good hands. Would personally fork out 10k to save my pup but everyone is different

    Good luck op, hope your cat makes a speedy recovery.

    To those of you who think 10k is unreasonable you need to factor in the following
    - staff costs
    - building rent/electricity/water etc
    - overnight care
    - the years of experience from the vet doing the surgery ( this is priceless and you cannot put a price on it)
    - tax

    All of these things are factored in when running a business. I would say 95% of the people here haven't a clue on how to run a successful business

  • bauser99 on 27/04/2022 - 12:28
    +2

    According to the Fred Hollows Foundation it costs $25 to restore someone’s sight in developing countries and significantly change their future - https://www.hollows.org/au/home

    $10,000 / 25 = 400 people regaining eyesight for the cost of one cat's surgery. Obviously the same goes for the latest TV / overseas trip / designer's dress but it makes you think when it comes to inequality in accessing medical care.

    • Mistredo on 27/04/2022 - 12:41
      +1

      Medical staff is extremely expensive in developed countries. That's the main reason why it costs so much here.

      Just compare India surgeon salary with Australia one.
      https://in.indeed.com/career/surgeon/salaries ₹35,989x12 ~ AU$7869
      https://au.indeed.com/career/surgeon/salaries AU$157,252

      • bauser99 on 27/04/2022 - 12:46

        Yes of course I'm not arguing about the price but the ethical perspective being the "value" attached to a cat in Australia vs a kid in Africa…

        • leiiv on 27/04/2022 - 13:55

          Ethical or not, that is our reality..

        • GrueHunter on 27/04/2022 - 18:35
          +8

          You're off selling your PC right now to donate the money to AIDS orphans in Namibia, yeah?

          No? What are you, some sort of monster?

          • hayne on 28/04/2022 - 01:46
            +1

            @GrueHunter: I presume what bauser99 is saying is that next time someone in his family is sick or dying, he'll just explain to them that by foregoing their care, he's helped a ton of people in Africa.

      • Save Medicare on 27/04/2022 - 23:02
        +1

        Not fully qualified surgeon in this country is working full time making $150k. I'd believe it for a full time registrar or a specialist working 1-2 days a week, but certainly not full time.

        Having said that, the costs that go into care at a public hospital mostly go into things like consumables and equipment, overheads, upkeep, non-clinical staff, rather than medical or nursing staff salaries.

        It costs $4k/day to look after someone in the intensive care unit. Of that, the ICU registrar gets $80. The ICU resident gets $60. The ICU consultant gets $120. The ICU nurse gets $1000 (these numbers are after breakdown per patient - nurse looks after 1 patient at a time, the doctors look after 10-15). The other 2.5k go into the nebulous other costs.

      • greatlamp on 29/04/2022 - 07:40

        Don't trust indeed. A surgeon in Australia wouldn't get out of bed for 160k.

        That's their income reported to the ATO, after offsets. When you are wealthy there are many ways to reduce your taxable income. Or it could be the aggregate of job postings, but most jobs in that industry would be part time roles. Surgeons work in multiple locations typically

        Their actual wage would be at least double that.

  • Mistredo on 27/04/2022 - 12:36

    Jeez, that's a lot. Are there pet insurances with smaller excess? How much do they cost?

    edit: Found the answer https://top10petinsurance.com.au/compare-pet-insurance/ :)

  • Name on 27/04/2022 - 13:27

    Why don't you call around and see how much other vets charge?

    I think you're paying a premium as you've gone to a pet hospital rather than a normal vet. We've gone to emergency vet before and they did first aid and we then transferred her to our normal vet to continue care as they were heaps cheaper.

  • ihbh on 27/04/2022 - 14:27

    In some countries they probably just eat the cat and be done with it.

    Kidding.

    Ask your insurer if they have recommendations (e.g. affiliations that might cost less). Then ring around.

  • THICKnSLOW on 27/04/2022 - 14:48
    +1

    Pets are an industry

    • c64 on 27/04/2022 - 15:17
      +1

      a very lucrative industry

      the vet's door chime is cha ching rather than ding dong

      • Ozpit on 27/04/2022 - 17:39

        I believe the dog and cat boutique industry is quite lucrative too.

        • michaelTito on 28/04/2022 - 11:20

          Bloody rip off. monthly wash = $100 per dog.

  • Herbse on 27/04/2022 - 15:04

    Vets are loving the new fur baby mentality of pets.

    Between expensive surgeries which people used to not go ahead with and the new mental therapy that vets offer these days. It's a good time to get into the business.

  • Cookiescream on 27/04/2022 - 15:48

    Op, i hope your cat is doing fine.

    My catsbare both indoor, and my rescue has teeth problems.

    I have been quoted between $1400-$2200 for it.

    I don't have insurance. He is not suffering.

    But maybe I should get insurance for both my cats, as my non rescue is the devil and jumps everywhere!

    What insurance do you recommend?

  • Some Guy on 27/04/2022 - 16:00

    10 large does sound on the high side but that could be a function of where you are. In Canberra, my dog had to undergo a big surgery at a pet hospital (sedation, two-night stay, stitches) and two little ops at our local vet after being attacked by a pitbull. The bill all up was less than $5k.

    • Ozpit on 27/04/2022 - 17:42

      Let me guess, the owner of the pit bull didn't pay the bill.

      • Some Guy on 27/04/2022 - 18:03

        Paid the first $3,400 in bits, then ghosted us. We felt lucky as there is no way of enforcing them to pay without courts. And you need a lot of information about them to do that.

  • wozz on 27/04/2022 - 17:37
    -4

    I just checked on google and i think you can get a new one for a few hundred bucks. Based on cash value alone id say its a write off

    • GrueHunter on 27/04/2022 - 18:37
      +1

      oh hey it's that guy who nobody ever asks to a barbecue but somehow they're always there walking around and forcing their way into other people's conversations and making everybody around them uncomfortable and everybody wishes they'd just f*&^ off

      • wozz on 27/04/2022 - 19:03
        -3

        Oh hey its one of those self confessed animal lovers, that actually eats animals at barbecues then assumes moral superiority on ozb. Brilliant.

  • SydStrand on 27/04/2022 - 18:26

    Most fracture repairs $4-5k mark. ICU cost is $500-1000 a day if needs to stay prior. I'd shop around, most major cities have a handful of orthopaedic surgeons capable of handling that.

  • whatgift on 27/04/2022 - 19:41

    I’m impressed you’re getting some value out of your insurance, my understanding is that there are so many exceptions it rarely makes having it worthwhile for the cost!

  • 00000000 on 27/04/2022 - 19:45
    +1

    Ahhh I see we have the American health system for our pets. This is a democracy manifest!

  • xlimit on 27/04/2022 - 22:57
    +4

    $10k sounds in the upper ball park for Surgery, Anaesthetic and ICU. My dog got mauled by another and I spent $15k to get his trachea fixed, only got $7K back from insurance. Before that I would have never image I'd spend that much on a pet. But realised he's MY dog and over time his companionship had become priceless.

    Importantly, if the veterinary surgeon you've seen is reputable and has good reviews I'd say just do it. I had a friend who went with a cheaper place and her cat ended up needing 2 additional joint surgeries on top of the first to finally get it all right. She always says she should have gone with the higher end hospital.

  • Logical on 27/04/2022 - 23:38
    +2

    My car got hit by a cat, it cost around $500 to buff out the scratches. The cat was alright and continued on his merry way.

  • meong on 28/04/2022 - 08:21

    Reading this makes me wonder… What is OzBargainers' choice of pet insurance especially for a cat?

    I'm not sure what to look for in a pet insurance to see whether what i'm paying is good value or not…

    • Saul Goodman on 28/04/2022 - 10:02
      +1

      I'm with Knose. They're one of the best rated on Product Review but no vet has heard of them so far lol so I dunno.

  • mysterytal on 28/04/2022 - 09:05

    I paid $1,200 to fix my cats broken leg 5 years ago without insurance including vet consultation, x-ray, 2 night stay and meloxicam medication.

    I did not choose pins as that would have been extraordinarily expensive.

    Instead I had it set it in plaster and did the physiotherapy myself. My cat was much older but lived on for another 4 years.

  • Saul Goodman on 28/04/2022 - 10:01
    +7

    UPDATE

    We took him home yesterday afternoon. He has a massive bandage, 3 pins coming out of his leg, has to wear a collar for the next 6-8 weeks (I think) and is currently on 4 kinds of meds. The break was right by his ankle so could have been a lot worse. I now know that the large bill was a lot because of all the nights he had to spend in hospital before the surgery. We got a discount and it ended up around $9400 which includes any ongoing visits which I am fine with.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2022 - 10:53

      has to wear a collar for the next 6-8 weeks

      That's a long time.

      How has he adjusted mood-wise? My MiL's cat broke her tail & didn't take too kindly to the collar. She hissed at everyone for the whole time the collar was on (even if you dared look at her) & then was fine after the collar was removed.

      • MorriJ on 28/04/2022 - 16:23

        That's a long time.

        That's not too bad for bone healing time. The pins will be in the leg and protruding out until they are removed surgically once it has healed. Cat will want to invariably lick the pins and even try and pull them out; so the cone of shame is kind of needed.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2022 - 16:30

          Totally understand why the cone is required but it is still a long time especially for those cats that react quite aggressively and are stressed when wearing a collar

  • Wasabi Ninja on 28/04/2022 - 10:31
    +1

    I won’t spend more than the pet is worth. While you can down vote and be furious. That’s a fact and my legal right.
    I’d pay to have to euthanised and that’s the end.

  • nfr on 28/04/2022 - 10:54

    How did your cat break his leg? My cat once kind of got his leg stuck on a shoe rack, he panicked and screamed straight away, luckily I was right next to him so I just lifted him up and he looked embarassed, haha I so miss my little buddy.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2022 - 11:43

    Cat hospitals are a scam!

    They wanted 2k to cut my cats tail, other vets were $800

    They basically play on emergencies.

    Funny fact, my cats tail grew over! He basically just tore the skin! The skin gre back 1cm and covered the bone, but they didn't give me that option! They said he'd get bone infection maybe.

    The vet hospitals are the worse, they read the options like a menu!

    It sucks they take advantage of pet owners!

    Hope your cat is okay.

  • pacman21 on 28/04/2022 - 13:13

    Sounds like quite the freak accident OP - have heard of cats falling from massive heights without dramas but will now know to watch out for the infamous bedsheets!

    My only experience with large vet bills is with our dog and cost about $3000 to completely open the dog up (consumed something she should not have). $10,000 seems like a very large amount but I have no comparison and it's now giving me food for thought about insurance with our cat (we only have insurance for the dog).

    Glad to hear the surgery went well and all the best for the little one's recovery.

  • AuQld on 28/04/2022 - 13:38

    Realistically, you may need that money for something way more important. I would either wrap it up in a cast and let it set itself if that's possible, amputate or just put it down.

    What happens next year if it breaks again.

    Something more important, cancer, losing your job and need to keep the mortgage going.

  • SpaceNinja on 28/04/2022 - 14:14
    +1

    I thought your cat broke the Vet's leg.

    • LeftArmOff on 28/04/2022 - 16:37

      Lol same. Hope Vet’s leg is feeling better

  • LeftArmOff on 28/04/2022 - 16:36

    How did the cat break the VET’s Leg?

    • zombie hunter on 30/04/2022 - 07:40

      tripped over the cat when it bolted

  • umoddbro on 28/04/2022 - 20:03
    -1

    Can confirm pets are expensive, my dog had a slight ear infection. Went to the vet, they had a quick look and prescribed some ear drops and charged $250. They charge more for a checkup than my dentist…..

  • CalmLemons on 28/04/2022 - 20:06

    I'm sorry but this is highway robbery. $10k for a broken leg.

    I'm very sure surgery for humans isnt even that much.

    $800 per day for hospital stay
    Operatin theatre $1500 for 30 mins.
    Surgeon fee $4000

    How do you get to $10k from here?

    I'm assuming Total cost is only $4k, with $6k the vet knows can be charged to insurance.

    • zonra on 28/04/2022 - 20:20

      I dont have pets but I doubt an ortho surgery can be done within 30 mins. I’ve seen (human) ortho cases spanning 2-3 hours. Also there’s other costs such as nurses (not sure if required for pets), anesthetist, metal works (ortho screws and rods can cost a pretty penny) etc.

    • AngryAlfred on 28/04/2022 - 21:27

      This is almost bang on the figure I was quoted when my cat broke his leg. About $1800 to pin it (but it was broken the wrong way) or $3800 for a plate. He ended up with an amputation and 2 overnights for $1200. No idea how they got a $10k figure either but time to find a better vet.

    • Saul Goodman on 29/04/2022 - 09:06

      The actual total costs on surgery day was $6700. Looks like diagnostic imaging was more than the actual surgery.
      Other major costs were xrays on the first day we took him in $1076 - In comparison xrays were $774 at my local vet.
      The rest is hospital stay for 3 days but he was on a drip a lot of that time.

      • CalmLemons on 01/05/2022 - 11:57

        Fair enough. Sounds like a 30% premium, but given that VET places cannot get medicare reimbursement it is what it is though.

  • amazonaddict on 28/04/2022 - 20:44

    Jimmy, just wanted to tell you. Lalo isn’t dead. And ignacio.. 😥

  • shadowangel on 28/04/2022 - 21:47

    someone is making a mint on those pins.

  • Deals For Days on 28/04/2022 - 21:52

    Hope that he’s doing okay and sorry to hear about the scare.

    Could we see a photo of him?

    • Yola on 29/04/2022 - 07:55
      +1

      There was photo posted above.

  • mrdevil on 29/04/2022 - 00:13
    -3

    I feel for you - I loathe "emergency vets" in situations like this… who exploit caring pet owners at some of their most vulnerable moments, charging ridiculous fees for "emergency" service. Before I had to put my pup to sleep due to old age / medical issues, I tried everything I could to see if she could be helped - one vet recommended a cat-scan be performed to fully understand what they were dealing with, and "referred" me to one of these emergency places who had the equipment to do this - rang them to enquire, soonest it could be done was about a week, and then they started rattling off the fees they were going to charge… into the thousands just to give her an anesthetic and to do the scan. Was utterly disgusted at the fees they wanted to charge for the service… even more so once I started ringing around local vets in desperation, and found one locally which not only had the equipment, but could do it within a couple of days, for a tiny fraction of the cost I was quoted. Ultimately didn't matter though as that vet thoroughly checked her over, explained a lot more than any other vet had previously done, and we agreed she's likely not awake from the anesthetic if we went down that avenue.

    I hope whichever avenue you go down things work out… and am glad you've got insurance which'll hopefully take most of the sting out of the cost!

    • Yola on 29/04/2022 - 07:56
      +1

      You were very lucky to find that vet.

    • AquaDigger on 29/04/2022 - 23:38
      +2

      You do understand that clinic you were "referred" to and most of the other clinics you called are probably full of specialists who have conducted years or decades of extra training/study to get there. So the vet was probably just recommending the best clinic they knew of to help your pet.

      Also, remember unlike human medicine, there are no medicare subsidies.

      So no, vets are not exploiting owners in the majority of situations (sure there are some terrible ones out there, but all industries have them). Most likely they're trying to do what is best for your pet, using their spare time to do extra research, waking up at all hours stressing about cases, etc etc.

      Remember they are humans too and care enough about their job to do 4-5 years of study to get paid average wages and put up with terrible clients claiming that they are exploiting them.

  • jchowx on 29/04/2022 - 10:09
    +1

    My dog (approx 3.5 yrs old) broke his leg 6 months ago and had to undergo an operation. All up the cost was approx $8K including meds and follow up appointments. I went to my local vet which also happened to be a specialist vet and teaching vet hospital, so they had arguably the best vets in Sydney.

    Still because it was so expensive I called my old vet to get a second opinion and also asked the the current vet what my options are if I couldn't afford the $8K. I was told there is no other option.

    As it turns out the surgery required a specialist vet as confirmed by my old vet, and I went ahead with the surgery. My dog is now is better than ever and I have no regrets.

    Speaking from experience I would encourage you to ask your current vet what other options there are and call another vet for a second opinion - if just for peace of mind. Depending on the injury it can be quite pricey. Good luck and hope your cat gets better soon!

  • f23lda on 29/04/2022 - 10:58

    Wow, I did my head gasket and it'll cost around 5k to fix and it was the end of the world to me.

    No pets for me.

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