Last Thursday, I was at home during the afternoon, my elderly dog, who's back end was going, had much trouble lifting herself from the floor. The heat meant she kept collapsing. She fell down a flight of concreet steps that lead from my garden to the street and caused some damage to herself and could not walk or get up. She was in great pain. I waited until my wife arrived home from work and we decided that, due to her age, and the pain, we would call the vet out and have her 'put to sleep' in our own home.

The vet arrived on time, was very sympathetic, administered the injection, tidied everything up THEN asked for payment.

My wife was very distressed herself loosing what we considered 'a member of the family' I think the vet had a twinge of conscience and said he would bill us later.

That, as I say was Thursday, the bill arrived Saturday. Even my garage doesn't bill me for 30 days!

I feel that is totally insensative, we have been on the vets books for 20 years, always paid on time, used them many many times.

I wonder what other forumers think and whether they have had similar experiences.

Sorry to hear about your doggie matey! :( I don't think asking for payment there and then is too unreasonable; I'm sure in a lot of countries vet's would ask for payment before they had done the procedure.

I think my best advice here would be to tell you to focus on the good times you shared with your pet, and put this incident out of your mind!

Take care,

K x

I seem to remember that when we had one of our cats, Amber, put to sleep here at The Towers on a Sunday the vet came around immediately, did the job and then left; we got a bill some days later.

Sorry to hear about you dog, Bruce. It's always sad when the 'fur friends' have to leave. I hope you're feeling a little better this morning.

Joe

When I had to do the same with my dog (six years ago now) the vet left and said he'd invoice later.

I think your vet was a touch insensitive.

Hope you are OK. It's tough decision to take but I'm sure it was the right one.

having my first pooch (he's 3 now) i'd never really thought how it would work if the Vet came out. I'm sorry to hear of your dog and really an invoice should be sent however i'm sure he's been let down in the past with non-payment.

Sorry about your dog BoppinBruce.

I don't think the vet was being too insensitive as you both know there is a cost and they might have thought you'd have preferred to pay there and then

Some people do and some don't - hard for vets to guess personal preference I suppose We always paid there and then to get it over with as the invoice in the post didn't seem such an easier option either whilst we were still unable to look their empty food bowls in the eye...

I'm sorry for your loss, losing a pet is painful.

I find that vets are very insensitive in general anyway (usually male vets). Last week we went to the vets every day with Mother in Law's cat who we realised was seriously unwell but they had no patience for MIL and were just very matter of fact about the whole thing. They seem to have no empathy and talk to you like you are crap of their shoe. We also had to make the same decision to let him (the cat) go and understand how upsetting it is. MIL gets free treatment from the PDSA so we didn't encounter the same problem, but was made to walk through the waiting room full of people who all stare at you while you are crying your eyes out. Other vets have a seperate exit when this happens.

Last Christmas Eve we had to make the same decision for our GSD and we was invoiced a month later.

So sorry about your pet Bruce, but Im sure he brought many years of pleasure into your life.

I've always found our vet to be very friendly and helpful - and sensitive.

Maybe he thought you'd rather pay there and then, than have an invoice drop through the door bringing it all back? I don't know. But in your hightly emotional state, things that we would otherwise not be offended by tend to be magnified. And as you said, he was very sympathetic when he arrived - so maybe it's a bit of a mis-understanding than any deliberate insensitivity?

I really wouldn't worry about it, and as another poster has said, try and put it out of your mind (not easy I know) and think of the fun your pet brought you.

Originally posted by BoppinBruce
Last Thursday, I was at home during the afternoon, my elderly dog, who's back end was going, had much trouble lifting herself from the floor. The heat meant she kept collapsing. She fell down a flight of concreet steps that lead from my garden to the street and caused some damage to herself and could not walk or get up. She was in great pain.

Sorry to hear about your dog BoppinBruce.

Our black lab aged 13 is in the same situation, back legs giving up now and again... we've had her since I was 6, so i to feel its only a matter of time.

I personally dont agree with a lot of things vets do, but take into account i myself is planning to be an RSPCA Inspector, and am having doubts.

I dont think i have ever had to have an animal put down but have had my baby rabbit pass away while i was at my mums so i know how hurtfull it is to loose an animal.

Vets i think try to make it so they are sympathetic towards the owner but also trying to keep there jobs, if a vet doesnt get the bill or give bill he/she could be in big trouble, and not knowing whens the right time to give the big can be a problem. The vet may not have had a problem like this before.

Was your vet talking directly to the husband or to both the husband or wife. If bothi can say the vet was probably being a little insentive, if not it could be he/she thought the husband was strong enough to deal with it.

I am tuly sorry about your dog, i know i could never live without my little pooches, both one year old and it would be extremly devastating to loose them, so i am really sorry.

From Fallen

Poor Bruce, you must be feeling terrible right now. I also view my animals as part of the family and it's always a heart-wrenching decision to have to make. You did the right thing though - I hate to see animals suffering past their sell-by-date because they owners can't face letting them go.

As for the vet, it sounds like he did a pretty good job to me. And it'll have been his secretary who sent the bill. But vets are just doing a job and they expect to get paid for it - I imagine you have to harden yourself to certain things as a vet or you'd never get any work done, or make any money.

And also remember that vets work primarily with animals, not people. I realise that dealing with owners is part of the job, but if they wanted to help people they'd have become doctors instead... right?

So as long as your vet was sensitive towards your dog, and put him to sleep in a way that caused minimum distress or pain, then I'd say he's done a good job.

And a good job requires payment, so you might as well get it over and done with. At least then you can draw a line under the whole 'putting down' business and concentrate on the happy memories of your dog. Or plan to scatter his ashes along his favourite walk.

JBee, just another point. There was a fee for putting dog down, if we required the ashes it was a further £93.00p. This was said to us as if were buying large and medium eggs at different prices with little or no emotion.

Its not the price it's the way, as a vet, he treated my dog as if it were just another job. After all, what would one say if the funeral parlour asked for the money on day of funeral. I know a bit of an extreme example but our dog was part of our family.

But I take advice and comfort from your replies and thank you all for responding.

Incidently, I am lucky that I have a surviving dog but certainly for him I am changing vets.

Know what you mean about the cremation cost Bruce. It cost me nearly £60 to have my pet rat cremated!!!

A rat! I aks you... Should have attempted it myself in the microwave.

But jokes aside these animals are a pricy business. I have a horse and I've actually got a savings account in preperation for when I have to make 'the decision'. I know it sounds daft, but there's no way I'm having him shot in the head (the usual euthanasia method for horses). He is going to be put to sleep by injection, then I have to pay to have the body taken away by crane, and don't even get me started on how much it will cost to have him cremated. The whole thing will come to a few grand, and it'll be payable up front - horse vets have very little room for sensitivity.

But if it makes you feel better to change vets then you should do that. Large small animal practices are usually the most sympathetic to owners.

Best of luck x

Sorry to hear about your dog.

My sister had a guinea pig that got very sick a while back. We took her to the vets, and the vet said that he thought there was something wrong with her gut and if her operated there was a good chance he could fix it. (We were well aware of the risks of small animals having an anaesthetic having had several guinea pigs over the years, but the vet thought he could save her and advised that operating was the best option).

So, the vet operated. Guinea Pig died under the anaesthetic. Vet sends us bill for over £200!!!