Hi Walter, I am a practising veterinary surgeon in the UK, and I have only just discovered your website. Just clicking through some of the threads, I am absolutely horrified that people find their local vets so unapproachable, that they feel they cannot broach the subjects of medication costs, blood tests, prescriptions and the like. Are our communication skills at an all time low? What can we do to restore our client's trust? Regards, Sarahhttps://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7781#msg-7781Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:22:58 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7788#msg-7788 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7788#msg-7788
You are right of course, which is the main reason I have resisted buying in to a practice. I cannot bring myself to put financial considerations over and above the welfare of my patients and their owners. I would urge anyone who is experiencing communication problems with their vet to voice their concerns to help ensure a more satisfactory and beneficial outcome for everyone involved, including the patient!
I would be interested to hear of any stories....good and bad, on the subject of communication (or lack of) with vets in the UK.

In the meantime, keep up the good work Walter. You are providing a valuable service!

Best wishes,
Sarah]]> vetsarah Public DiscussionSat, 02 Feb 2008 17:21:39 +0000 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7787#msg-7787 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7787#msg-7787
Pet-owners are very often reluctant to ask the cost of a course of treatment or an operation in case they may be thought to be putting money considerations above the wellbeing of heir pet. Similarly some veterinary surgeons, sadly, may not consider the financial situation of their clients and assume that if an owner brings an animal to them for treatment, they must provide the gold standard of treatment, whatever the cost, and the client must be prepared to pay.

Sadly, the veterinary profession today is not the only 'caring' profession where the care for money sometimes replaces the care for the patient.

On the other hand, the pet-owning public must recognise that modern treatments are more expensive - a bottle of Rimadyl costs more than a bottle of aspirin, practice iverheads like rates and staff salaries have to come outbof the fees charged, and when new graduates are entering the profession with massive student loans to repay they need to be paid more to be able to do so.

I share your concerns, but I do not know the answers.

W]]> Walter Beswick Public DiscussionSat, 02 Feb 2008 16:38:54 +0000 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7781#msg-7781 https://www.vetclickforum.co.uk/read.php?5,7781,7781#msg-7781
I am a practising veterinary surgeon in the UK, and I have only just discovered your website. Just clicking through some of the threads, I am absolutely horrified that people find their local vets so unapproachable, that they feel they cannot broach the subjects of medication costs, blood tests, prescriptions and the like. Are our communication skills at an all time low? What can we do to restore our client's trust?

Regards,
Sarah]]> sarah hunt Public DiscussionSat, 02 Feb 2008 13:51:11 +0000