poodle3081

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%. If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%. In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges? But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult. I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell. It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable? but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths? You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing. It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%. If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%. In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges? But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult. I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell. It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%. If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%. In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

And people in the vet profession are trying to give you some insight but you are choosing to ignore it. When we buy our stock, it comes with a RRP. Most vets will charge around this price so even if you did shop around, you're unlikely to find a vet who charges much less for medication. The main differences in the costs of medications between vets would be the dispensing fee. I still don't quite understand why you are targeting vets over any other industry? Can you explain why you think vets shouldn't make money from their profession? Do you complain to your local butcher about the mark-up? Why do people seem to think vets shouldn't be able to make a living from what they do? Did you know they are one of the lowest paid professions? People seem to think they should do all their work for cheap because they love animals. Well, my mechanic loves cars, hence why he's a mechanic, but he certainly doesn't fix my car for cheap or give me parts for cheap when my car is sick. If you think it's unfair, all I can suggest you do, is go to uni, and get yourself a vet degree. Then you can diagnose your animals yourself and buy medications at cost price. You can also work 12hour days, weekends, do overtime without being paid, work public holidays, and deal with people who complain about the cost of your knowledge and services. At no stage did I say Vet charges are unfair. What I did say is I disagree with the practice of marking up the price of the medications and thus hiding the true cost of the service. A butcher derives his entire income from the sale of meat and you have the choice of buying or not. I am also not aware that vet wholesalers such as Lyppards have a RRP.

You can always refuse the medication a vet prescribes. Perhaps you should be a little less ignorant and educate yourself a little via the internet and books and you would have an idea of what your vet is going to prescribe. I usually walk into the vets consult knowing what is wrong and what meds are needed. I feel so sorry for vets. They are the equivalant to human doctors but get much less respect and people are always bagging them out for how much they charge. Yes there are some vets that do overcharge but the majority do not. If you are not happy with the prices your vet charges go somewhere else. I have been involved in a profession that deals with pet owners and started this thread in response to a number of concerns relayed to me. I was hoping to gain a better insight into the general perception of vet charges both by those in the profession and the end users. I am not sure how you can reply with such a judgmental statement about me from the limited information provided.

You're funny! Do you expect the same thing at the supermarket, the newsagent, and the petrol bowser also? Oh and what about your local Doctor? Priceless! -WithEverythingIAm Not sure what your point is?? When you visit a vet you are not in a position to shop around; it is not discretionary spending. Competition will bring prices down in the market place as people have the opportunity to compare prices. When take your pet to the Vet you have no idea what will be prescribe following the diagnosis, then what do you do ask the Vet for the list of drugs, leave without paying and visit another Vet for a quote?

The 10% is a notional figure I put forward as a contrast to the 100% plus that the industry operates on. There are examples of 300% mark up. Is this excessive? When you visit a vet you are not in a position to "shop around" for the best price as the drugs are only given after the diagnosis.

As you work in the industry your response is predictable, as most professions will defend their industry practices. This does not alter the fact that a substantial profit is derived by the sale of drugs and it is not transparent to the client.

So you are saying that your friend would have been happy if the medicine had been charged at $22, and the appointment had cost $84? Or did she just want to pay less money overall? She was happy to pay the bill as the vet told her the medication was expensive but had a long shelf life. Why not have the bill reflect the cost of the service; $75 plus $30 for the medication.

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops. When I informed her that the cost price of the medication was around $20 she was not happy. I have also worked in an equipment service industry and it was the practice to have a service charge and the parts cost was rounded up to the nearest dollar.

Obviously the mark up on drugs is a hidden charge. A General Practioner in a medical clinic does not derive an income from the sale of drugs, you pay the fee for the work performed.

I have a concern of the hidden charges by vets in regard to medication charges. What is fair price or mark up of medications? When receiving a bill I would like to be charged for the consultation and the cost of medications/drugs plus a small mark up of around 10% to cover expenses.

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The number of clips you will get from a blade will depend on the condition of the coat, the maintenance of the blades (oiling) and the initial grind, which may not be as sharp as it could be. Unfortunately you do not get a lot of warning as to when a blade will go blunt and it is advisable to have a spare. A single grain of sand can blunten a blade.

Why not try Andis Clipper? Its better than wahl. Wahl offer good value for money and are $100 cheaper the Andis.

The attachment combs will work fine with a #10

This is the same battery operated tool as the pedipaw. They are made in China for about $2, lack power and have not received rave reviews from this forum

The clippers for sale are KM SS without a blade for $150. this is expensive when you can buy a KM2 for $209 with a blade and a 12month warranty.

Yes the Wahl human clipper uses a vibrating arm action to move the blades and these type have limited power. If you can afford it buy the new Wahl cordless or the Wahl KM2. The KM2 comes with a #10 blade and if you want a closer finish get a #15 or #30 as well. http://www.clipperworld.com.au/shop/index....amp;productId=1

Buy a quality pair of clippers and they will perform well and last for years. Buy Chinese made no name clippers and they will end up in the bottom drawer and never used. A few years ago they sold the Dr Harry specials (made in China), they are total rubbish and you cannot get parts or blades.

The Arco is one of the cordless I would recommend. They are lighter and much more maneuverable than the AGC and this gives you more control.

The AGC is a heavy clipper and difficult to use for some people. You can get lighter cordless for doing around the face.

Wahl have a new professional cordless clipper that has a run time of 90 minutes and they claim it cuts faster than a KM2. It can also be run off mains power but the main disadvantage is that it does not take the standard A5 blades.

The close cut blades like the #10, #15 etc will heat up more, due to more surface friction and the also amount of metal in the blade is less and therefore not able to draw the heat away. It is best to run these blades on low speed or continually change them. Also new blades are not always sharp, as they are factory sharpened and this is not always done to high standards or quality control.

The Double K, Oldfield, EzyCoat all have the same brand motor and the differentiation is the case type and price. The Oldfield has a metal case which has the advantage of strength but prone to corrosion. The Double K has a plastic case and is less expensive for the equivalent power.