Hi EFers,


In Romandie a cat owner couldn't pay for emergency accident treatment up front. The emergency vet then refused treatment and by the time the owner got the cat to a vet who checked her, it was too late and the cat died.

Apparently cost for treatment would've been more than 1k which the owner says she would've paid (the bill - but she didn't have the money on her at the time of treatment).

Source


So - cat and other pet owners, make sure you have a generous financial cushion for your pet's emergency treatment so that you don't end up in a situation like this one, as vets often request up front payment due to abuse of the system (nonpayment of bills after treatment).

How very sad.

Both emergency clinics in my area ask that you pay the fee in full at the time of service - that is, at the conclusion of the appointment, after the animal has been examined and/or treated, or when you pick up your animal after a hospital stay. That policy is understandable and fair. But they start treatment right away, no payment needed upfront.

Back when I first moved here it was common for small practice vets to send out a Rechnung once a month - one didn't need to pay at time of service. Today that model is very rare; as with so much today, people must now be abusing the system.

I've had my share of veterinary emergencies over the years. You are right to point out that every pet owner should have a hefty sum tucked away, 'just in case'.

Every pet owner should also have a discussion, now, with your vet as to what the procedure is in your area for after hours emergencies. You don't want to be scrambling around trying to figure out what to do and where to go when your pet is gravely ill, as in that poor lady in the article.

There is a bank machine across the road from the vet clinic we use for treatment. This is very convenient. The vet clinic only accepts cash for their services during regular hours and emergency care has the same payment terms, cash only plus an after hours surcharge. The vet knows us for many years and I cannot imagine us being denied treatment. We never pay at the start of the treatment.

The larger animal hospitals we have been to accept credit cards or Maestro card. We have never been asked for payment up front.

The abuse of the system might change if insurance for pets were mandatory, but even then, only if insurances didn't exclude so many conditions. This way, pet owners could simply produce proof of current insurance coverage and then get treated.
But as pet owners - different from Swiss residents - can decide if they want to insure their pets and be relatively (not completely) safe financially in case of emergency or if they want to pay for treatment out of pocket and hope for the best pet health-wise, this won't happen soon.

Perhaps an alternative to your suggestion for those who have insurance for their pets would be to ask vet if he accepts coverage by your chosen pet insurance and if proof of current insurance coverage is sufficient to receive treatment in case of emergency.

No matter if you have insurance or not:
1. Ask vet if he can - after you have been a "good" client payment-wise for a set number of treatments - agree to provide emergency treatment without the full up-front payments, e.g. you pay CHF 300 up front and then the rest within 14 days of completion of treatment.
2. Ask vet if he charges extra for out-of-hours emergency treatment and if you could pay him that extra amount in advance for such treatments. E.g. he charges CHF 50 per out-of-hours treatment, you pay him CHF 150 while your pet is healthy and he thus agrees to treat your pet and bill you (with a payment window of 14-30 days) after treatment for the next three emergencies. Regular treatments (vaccinations, diabetes meds, etc.) are excluded from this regulation, you pay those up front as usual.

With pets come obligations, and to those obligations belongs the pets' healthcare. Doing the best you can to ensure that care is provided inside and outside of emergencies benefits both your pet (no tragedies like the one in 20min) and your wallet (no poursuites etc. for unpaid treatments).

@Today only: Care to explain the groan?

My friends in the UK and I have frequently discussed the pros and cons of pet insurance. It seems to be the 'done thing' there, not so much here.

One thing that strikes me is how expensive even routine vet care seems to be in the UK compared to Switzerland. Several friends have commented that before insurance became so widespread prices were quite a bit lower. Now... causation, correlation, or happenstance? Who knows.

But at least I don't have the headaches my friends ergularly do, having to battle with their insurers to get their pets treated.

I adopt senior dogs or dogs with known health concerns - I doubt an insurer would be willing, let alone able, to offer me a cost effective comprehensive policy.

Fortunately routine care is still a good value here, which makes it easier to put a bit aside regularly to take the sting out of emergency and catastrophic illnesses.

I had to take one of our guinea pigs to the vet as an emergency last Friday evening. No payment was asked for up front and when I asked about paying when I was leaving the vet said he'd send the bill.

We do take all the animals to him for their various treatments so he does know us which could make a difference I guess but when our pet sitter had to rush our cat to the emergency vet whilst we were on holiday a couple of years ago they didn't have to pay anything either.

We don't have insurance but do have money put aside for 'pet emergencies'.

Pet insurance in the UK is big business and is pretty expensive and even if you have it the insurers do their utmost to try to wriggle out of paying. Sister in law had terrible trouble trying to get them to fork out for necessary treatment on their St Bernard as they argued that it was a known issue with that breed but she did manage to get reimbursed in the end.

We had the same happen in the USA ? They wouldnt touch him unless I paid right then and there.....2k and a lot of spagetti meals later turned out he had a stuck fart........

Come to think of it, I've had several emergency visits where I have not had to pay until later:

I've not had to pay at time of service when my emergency visits to the Tierspital happen in the middle of the night, despite it being policy to pay before taking the animal home. There is no admin staff there at 2AM to process a payment, so they simply send me a bill.

Ditto emergencies at Hünenberg, again despite policy. When my sitter had to bring Haifisch in - again after hours - for what ultimately ended up an amputation and long hospital stay they simply told her not to worry, they would settle the bill with me later.

And once I found an injured cat while out walking the mutts. I just scooped the cat up and dashed to the vet, forgetting that I never carry my wallet with me on walks. No worries, the cat was treated immediately and I paid the next day.

However, in all cases I was a regular customer with a good relationship with the practice and a good payment history. They knew there was no risk.

If I had gone to a new vet or clinic where I had no history, though, I doubt I would have received the same consideration.

I think this also shows how important it is to have a vet you can trust and who knows you and your pet.

If you've been going to the same vet for years and always payed your bills promptly I think they are more likely to cut you some slack in an emergency than if you walk up to a place where you've never been seen before and where they fear you may never return and they'll have no way of recovering their costs.

When we were living in Germany there was a tramp who used to sit outside the supermarket where we shopped and ask people for small change. If we had time we sometimes stopped to chat to him or buy him a coffee or something to eat.

He always had a dog with him. The dog was well behaved and well looked after.

One day the dog wasn't there so we asked him and he told us, with tears in his eyes, that the dog had been run over and was now in the hospital.

The next week we saw him again and the dog was back, but completely stitched up and bandaged. We told him we were happy to see his dog was back. He broke out in tears again and said yes, the dog was all he had in his life. He told us the vet had stitched everything up and taken good care of the dog in a long and difficult operation. When at the end of it he had come to pick up the dog he had asked how much it would cost, saying he was a poor tramp without much money. The vet had said,for you it's 5 DM.

So there are still vets out there with their heart in the right place.

So, so sad. Worth mentioning that my vet who is a personal friend, said "pet insurance isn't worth taking out". Most people pay the premiums and rarely have to make a claim.

I agree. Better to have a separate bank/post account and put a set amount in there each month to cover pet and any other emergency or large spends you may need. I've been doing this for years, ever since we went on to C permits. Used mostly for tax payments, but I put a little extra in just in case for other things. And also earns a little interest too.

Well my cat was hit by a car many years ago.We took him to the Animal hospital in Zürich and they had to cut his tail off and do a skin graft on his leg. We had to pay cash 3000CHF. It was case of " hit and run " and we got the money back. Seems there is some sort of fund covering such cases.

When I became unemployed one of my concerns was how I would manage to pay for my cat's treatment in the case of a medical emergency.

Thankfully I always managed, once using the money I'd been putting aside for a trip back to the UK, and on another occasion being helped out by my cat-loving father.

But I promised myself that I would not get another pet until I was in a financially stable position, because it's not fair on the pet. I could get state help; my cat couldn't.

I now have a job and get paid tomorrow for the first time... however I am living with my grandparents who have taken me in and been very kind to me, but who said from the beginning, "No cats (or any other pets, for that matter)".

Perhaps I should start a kitty against the time when I move into my own place.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.)

What great news to hear you've got a job - onwards and forwards.

Hopefully one day you will have your own place and will be able to have a cat again. In the UK, it is wonderful to have the PDSA (people's dispensary for sick animals) that provides excellent vet care for people who are strugling financially. Also some Cat Rescue will help with finances if they find a good home, but finances are tight. One of my best friend was in this position- and they said they would pay vet's bills should any problems occur.

When the time is right- go and talk to rescues in your area- and you may have a pleasant surprise.

For now, BRAVO - and all the best for the future.

Congratulations Vlh22, so glad to hear you're doing well.

Yes, definitely start a kitty fund for possible future "kitty" cat emergencies - or any other kind for that matter.

Sorry, but bye-bye kitty in that case.

1k is my limit, which has been spent twice on two, a cat and a rabbit.

But beyond, no.

Tom

You could say that about most insurances, some you legally have to have the rest are personal choice, you may never claim on them but they are there just in case.

I had cat insurance and i ended up using it. I counted that the money i paid as a premium, for all three cats, all the years i had it, paid the medical expenses of one cat that had surgery.

So in my case i didnt gain or loose anything.

Vlh22, great to see you back and im glad you are doing well

I have insurance that covers 80% of any costs after a 500 CHF franchise. I figured I could probably manage a 1k savings fund for emergencies, but I would not want to make a choice over life or death simply because I cannot afford the higher costs of more complicated treatments. Yes, 20% of, say, 10k is still a lot of money but in my family, pets are family members, my sister spent well into five figures for her dog when she tore her cruciate ligaments - twice.