OT Vets and anti-biotics?

[Harry Bloomfield]

We took a dog to a vet on Sunday for him to check out what turned out to be a much more serious wound than it at first appeared and paid a bill of £150.

We were given anti-biotics, but not a full course and asked to return the animal mid week for another check up.

My understanding of anti-biotics is that if a course is started, the full course should always be given. It seems a little odd therefore, not to provide a full course on the first visit. Is this normal procedure or just a method to ensure our return by giving these in small batches?

[Phil L]

Anti-b's are often tried for a few days to see if they are having any effect, if not, then a higher dose can be given or changed completely for a different type.

As an aside, you can get the prescription from the vet and get it online or from a good chemist - you don't have to have the vet supply the medication....anti-b's are extremely cheap

[nightjar]

I've never had that. There are two possibilities that I can think of. The simplest is that they gave you all they had in stock. The second is that the vet was not entirely sure of the best antibiotic for the condition - the modern approach is to give targeted antibiotics, rather than broad-band - and wanted to see whether the ones given were effective before continuing.

Colin Bignell

[The Medway Handyman]

The third possibity I can think of it that 'professionals' are very adept at tucking up the punter. Vets, dentists, opticians, solicitors, estate agents etc. Except they don't call it "tucking up the punter", they call it 'profesional services'.

Not content with charging £150 for a wound (it only costs that to have an NHS ambulance complete with two paramedics & full emergency kit attend a human FFS) they want to stitch people up with drug prices as well.

[Tim Downie]

Vets are private practitioners, they can charge what they like. There is no such thing as a magic "full course", or at least, such a thing who's efficacy has been proven by scientific trial.

I wouldn't pay £150 quid for a consultation and some antibiotics. I'd look for a vet in a less affluent area.

Tim

[fred]

ALL vets & dentists should be strangled at birth.

'We look after your best friend' my arse. They look after themselves. Money grabbing bastards. I swear I'll throw a brick through their window, just to get my moneysworth.

P.S. they happen to piss me off something rotten.

[Bob Eager]

Round here, a consultation and antobiotics would be about 35 quid at our vet.

[Lobster]

And builders, plumbers, mechanics are different because....?

David

[The Medway Handyman]

Amongst themselves they are honest about tucking up the punters, the professional services brigade believe it to be their birthright.

And builders, plumbers, mechanics don't often earn anything like as much money.

[nightjar]

Again, not my experience. In many cases, the drugs are the same as used for humans and would cost the same if you had to buy them from your doctor - which is why NICE looks at drugs expenditure.

A case in point is that my cat has just had to be put on an inhaler for asthma. The vet gave me a choice of a cheap inhalation chamber that was designed for human babies, but will work with animals, or the more expensive cat specific chamber. Given the number of plastic and silicone mould tools required for the latter and the probable market size, when compared to the human baby market, I'm surprised it wasn't even more expensive. She then looked into the prices of different inhalers and prescribed the cheapest, recommending that I buy them on the internet, although, until I can get down to the Chemists, the cat is using one of my partner's spare inhalers.

Colin Bignell

[nightjar]

Sunday would be charged as an emergency visit and would I assume that a serious wound would include treatment in addition to the antibiotics.

Colin Bignell

[Mary Fisher]

...

That's changed now, for humans at least. Doctors will vary but our practice (about eight doctors and several nurses) advise to stop taking the antibiotics when symptoms have gone.

Mary

[Man at B&Q]

I hope your teeth rot.

MBQ

[dennis]

Change your doctor then! Who are they and I will have them talked to.

[Tanner-'op]

Again, your knowledge of "the trades" and how they are run is minimal Dave, (3 months research doesn't teach you a lot)! But at least the old vets where I live don't ask for a 50% deposit for 'materials' *before* they start treatments.

Tanner'O

[Derek Geldard]

That's just plain wrong.

Derek

[Rod]

But it is odd how 'courses' vary according to who gives them to you. Typically dentists prescribe shorter courses than doctors. It often seems random how long a course is. And that is even for the same medication.

[DM]

Vets and dentists I can live with, they at least do provide a useful service, How about we start off with estate agents... wait a minute a fair number will be getting shafted with the downturn in house sales. ..and what about those scumbags in the stock market who have been creaming it in for years shortselling and insider dealing. then there's the lawyers...

[DM]

Symptoms can disappear very quickly, but the bacteria causing the infection are still there in significant numbers. For example one of my kids had am eye infection, two doses of antibiotics and 4 hours later all visible symptoms had effectively disappeared, but it would be irresponsible to then stop taking the treatment.

Any health professional that tells you otherwise is giving poor advice. In some cases I could see them telling you to take for a minimum of x days and then if you are all clear stop taking them. But the simple statement you make above strikes me as dangerous advice.

cheers

David

[stuart noble]

It seems that from Nov 1st vets will be allowed to charge for prescriptions, presumably to make up for the income they lose when people buy drugs online.