# Companion Care Vets



## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

I switched to the above chain of vets back in May as I wasn't particularly happy with how my previous vet treated Oscar when he collapsed. They were very lack lustre and I didn't feel they were being particularly proactive or helpful because of his age - they just kept saying "oh well he is 18" 

Any hoo, I checked CCV out, went to the surgery, had a chat with people I know locally and feedback was good. I particularly liked that they have a visable pricelist of treatments.....BUT when I ask for a price for any treatments they can't seem to give me a definite price for anything. For instance the injections that Oscar had recently the cost was an "estimate", he has to go back in August for blood tests to check his levels for CRF, and I've asked for a costing - they can't tell me they say because they don't know what tests will be run.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking they should be able to give me a price albeit a ball park figure (which isn't really helpful but would at least give me an idea).

Has anyone else had dealings with CCV? 

I'm not vet bashing in anyway, and I appreciate they are a business, but the personal, caring service seems to have gone out of the window with some of them in favour of money.


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## vivien (Jul 20, 2009)

My vets are very reasonable for boosters spaying and neutering the consultation on the other hand is dearer than the other vets I used to use. But with the vet I am using now they actually care for the animals and you know the vets again the one I used to use always had locums in so the poor animals never got used to any one person

Viv xx


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## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

vivien said:


> My vets are very reasonable for boosters spaying and neutering the consultation on the other hand is dearer than the other vets I used to use. But with the vet I am using now they actually care for the animals and you know the vets again the one I used to use always had locums in so the poor animals never got used to any one person
> 
> Viv xx


I think the consultation charge has just gone up to £26 which is still more reasonable than my previous vets. They appear to want to do what's best for the animal but they don't seem to have the time or inclination to listen to me as an owner so they can find out what Oscar is like. I know that they know animal anatomy but unless they listen to the owner how will they _know_ the cat.

I just think its very frustrating that they can't give me a price considering they know what the condition is. It's not like they are running tests for diagnosis purposes.


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

I think the pricing can vary due to where the tests are being done. If the tests are being done in-house then the vet should be able to give you a reasonable estimate on cost. Many vets, however, send off the tests to external sites and quite often can't give a price until they themselves have been invoiced by the external test centre, hence being unable to give you a more definitive price.

Perhaps you could ask them if they'll be sending the tests off-site to give you an idea as to what kind of practise they run.


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## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

MoggyBaby said:


> I think the pricing can vary due to where the tests are being done. If the tests are being done in-house then the vet should be able to give you a reasonable estimate on cost. Many vets, however, send off the tests to external sites and quite often can't give a price until they themselves have been invoiced by the external test centre, hence being unable to give you a more definitive price.
> 
> Perhaps you could ask them if they'll be sending the tests off-site to give you an idea as to what kind of practise they run.


Hi

They do the tests onsite, but somehow I ended up with a more expensive bill because of this last time 

I did query it as I asked 3 times before I booked the appointment and was told a certain price all times. When I raised this they did backtrack somewhat!


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I just think its very frustrating that they can't give me a price considering they know what the condition is. It's not like they are running tests for diagnosis purposes.


I don't think any vet would want to pin themselves down if maybe the results of one test might lead to another being necessary. However, I do think an independent vet might be more prepared to explain this or give you a price. Vets in chains are employees so who knows what pressure they may be under to slip in extras.

It saddens me to say this but if I were you I'd treat them like a mechanic - make it clear you are making the appointment for the CRF blood panel check only and they must get your express consent to do anything else.


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## Allicat (Jun 22, 2011)

When I got my youngest kitten I took her to a local CC vet (working from a surgery in the local [email protected] I didn't particularly like them.

It's likely to be one vet and my own particular experience, so I'm not slating the chain as a whole. We went in for Dandy's second jab and I spent less time with the vet than I did waiting. He literally took her out of the carrier, jabbed her, and sent us on our way. I felt a little put out that he hadn't looked at her in any way.

This is all compounded by the fact that when I took her to my usual vet for her spay, they found a minor heart murmur (that has now cleared up) and it stuck in my head that maybe the vets who did her 1st and 2nd jabs should have noticed the murmur... I don't know how heart murmurs work; whether they can be unnoticeable, then noticeable 6 months later, then gone again when she grew up, but I've not been able to go back to CC because I can't bring myself to trust them, and I need to trust my vet!!!


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## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

havoc said:


> I don't think any vet would want to pin themselves down if maybe the results of one test might lead to another being necessary. However, I do think an independent vet might be more prepared to explain this or give you a price. Vets in chains are employees so who knows what pressure they may be under to slip in extras.
> 
> It saddens me to say this but if I were you I'd treat them like a mechanic - make it clear you are making the appointment for the CRF blood panel check only and they must get your express consent to do anything else.





Allicat said:


> When I got my youngest kitten I took her to a local CC vet (working from a surgery in the local [email protected] I didn't particularly like them.
> 
> It's likely to be one vet and my own particular experience, so I'm not slating the chain as a whole. We went in for Dandy's second jab and I spent less time with the vet than I did waiting. He literally took her out of the carrier, jabbed her, and sent us on our way. I felt a little put out that he hadn't looked at her in any way.
> 
> This is all compounded by the fact that when I took her to my usual vet for her spay, they found a minor heart murmur (that has now cleared up) and it stuck in my head that maybe the vets who did her 1st and 2nd jabs should have noticed the murmur... I don't know how heart murmurs work; whether they can be unnoticeable, then noticeable 6 months later, then gone again when she grew up, but I've not been able to go back to CC because I can't bring myself to trust them, and I need to trust my vet!!!


I will definately be stating exactly what the tests will be for, and that they are not to do anything extra without first consulting me. I've already had to put my foot down when they started talking about doing this, that and the other!

I think that CC clinics are done on a joint venture basis, so the vets buy in to their particular surgery, but it all comes down to the balance sheet in the end.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Vets are a business and to a great extent they are in sales. It used to be the case it was a lifestyle business and the local vet was a member of the community they served. Like bank managers and the local bobby this model has disappeared. Customers now need to be as savvy as when checking the bill from the supermarket. What's more, nobody should feel at all uncomfortable about it. You wouldn't think twice about checking everything if you'd employed an architect would you and they train for just as long.


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## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

havoc said:


> Vets are a business and to a great extent they are in sales. It used to be the case it was a lifestyle business and the local vet was a member of the community they served. Like bank managers and the local bobby this model has disappeared. Customers now need to be as savvy as when checking the bill from the supermarket. What's more, nobody should feel at all uncomfortable about it.


Couldn't agree more, when I first went there and my bill came to a lot more than they told me it would - it was supposed to have been a flat £60 for geretatric MOT test, it came to £108! - I asked for an explanation because I had already asked 3 times before I made the appointment exactly how much it would cost - they then started to back track and they didn't like being questioned.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Ask for fully itemised invoices and copies of the results of all tests. You've paid for them so you are entitled to them. Insist on knowing exactly what you've paid for. Wrapping stuff up in fancy language such as a "geriatric MOT" is one of the easiest ways to "add value". The component parts could easily be cheaper as individual tests if you checked.


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## merothe (Jun 4, 2010)

I have just realised how lucky i am to have a great vet practice  but they are local - not a chain. 

They charge a bit more than the other local vet - and with london prices they arent cheap! But they always have told me their prices in advance (although different treatments to the OP) and they were always lovely and helpful when i had a hundred newbie questions when humprhey and freya were kittens (even charged me 1/2 price the day i made an appt in a panic but basically nothing was wrong with them   oops)

At their one year boosters i spent about 15 minutes nattering to the vet about different ways of grooming and getting cat hair out of clothes


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## Jayne31 (Apr 9, 2011)

merothe said:


> I have just realised how lucky i am to have a great vet practice  but they are local - not a chain.
> 
> They charge a bit more than the other local vet - and with london prices they arent cheap! But they always have told me their prices in advance (although different treatments to the OP) and they were always lovely and helpful when i had a hundred newbie questions when humprhey and freya were kittens (even charged me 1/2 price the day i made an appt in a panic but basically nothing was wrong with them   oops)
> 
> At their one year boosters i spent about 15 minutes nattering to the vet about different ways of grooming and getting cat hair out of clothes


We only have 4 vets in the area. The first one I was with was quite a big practice with an equine and large animal practice as well, and you never saw the same vet twice. You got the impression that the equine and large animal part was the more important.

We then have CC, one called Pet Doctors and another one, who I used to be with before I moved called Aquarius - they were lovely, but the nearest one to me is still a 20 mile round trip which is too much for Oscar.


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