French Vet

The vet biz in UK runs not dissimilar to the Mafia. In Aylesbury, 25 years ago we had about half a sozen independant vets and prices were reasonable. Then one of them started buying them up until eventually we only really have a choice a one group or the RSPCA. Needless to say with the monoply prices are outragous.

I spent nearly £1500 to sort out an infection on Henry by best mate who was a very large and fit Ginger Tom. He was the king of our estate and took no crap for any other animal but the price to pay was injuries sustained whilst maintaining his patch and this infection was one of them.

It would have been cheaper if I'd gone to BUPA and he would have had his own room and ensuite factilites, TV and all the things he had at home.

Again another professsinal body who have found a way to rip off joe public by using their sick animals as blackmail.

I will never have any more animals after Henry as I simply will not pay a further penny to these greedy, incompetent sods.

Same with the dentists. Last year 20 Euro for a filling 30 Euro for an extraction roughly. Can't remember what I posted at the time. It's £60 here just to walk through their sodding door.

Thanks for that Mashy. I think it Arras where one of my ancestor's is buried and we plan to visit this summer :lol:

Pusser- we had the same happen to our vet here in Norfolk. I worked for the practice when it was an independent small group. The trouble is that vets are not business men. Try as they might our partners could not make a decent living. The bad debts that clients leave with the practice have to be seen to be believed. Many too small to be chased up but some run into thousands of pounds. There seems to be this assumption among the general public that vets, being animal lovers, will not mind working for nothing.

Well that thinking has bitten them in the bum because now they have thrown in the towel and they have sold out to the big boys who have trebled the prices. Might be cheaper to travel to Arras for our routine stuff eh? :lol:

Thanks for the info Mashy, that is certainly a good deal. We have paid different prices every time we have gone to France. The cheapest was a few years ago at Eymoutiers, Limousin where the Vet charged us 15 euros including worming injection, we had supplied the Frontline. However prices have risen but there are still a few Vets over there that haven’t cashed in on the pet passport scheme and no doubt we have all found our favourites.

We’ve always stayed clear of the ‘Port’ Vets assuming them to have the highest costs having a captive audience, however, having been ‘done’ in Chateaudun, 2006 where the vet charged us 113,30 euros for TWO dogs, exam, Drontal and Advantix we now take our own Drontal and Frontline and pay for the consultation/passport scheme only.

A bit of research before we left the UK we found a Vet in Rue, who only charged 21 euros for TWO dogs and we used them in Nov 2006 and Dec2007. April 2007 and returning from Caen we used a vet in Angers, 56 euros (TWO dogs). Nov 2008, Sully sur Loire, 30 euros (ONE dog,) and finally April 2009, 26 euros (ONE dog), Pont de L’Arche, S of Rouen, (Very handy Municipal Campsite by the River, across the road from the Vet). Our ‘bestest ever’ price was to be had in Spain, May 2008, El Colorado, Nr Conil. - 12,50 euros consultation for TWO Dogs. Conveniently timed for the Santander Ferry. We are gradually building a network of reasonably priced Vets but always telephone ahead to check their prices. We stay clear of Chateaudun, have a happy healthy pet and happy and not too skint owners.

“You can’t get lost if you don’t know where you are going”