im the same wendy. i have 2 vets near me. one is very small with only one vet available at a time and no facilities. the vet i go to is much bigger, 3 vets available and they have new equipment, x rays, scan machines and all the latest gadgets available to hand if anything went wrong. i think its more important you are happy with your vet rather than shop around for prices. £34 was what i was told it would cost to neuter my boy so thats what i paid. i was happy... my boy came home full of energy and eating.

I'm with you both there I have never shopped around when it comes to vets - rightly or wrongly. My pets have been going to the same place since I was a child and I trust them. Also knowing the vets and nurses and the premises and equipment is peace of mind. There are a lot of vets in my area but I'd be surprised if the prices varied that much
Em x

Many pet owners do though and especially for neutering as it's often the first/only contact they have with a vet. The two things owners 'shop' for most often are neutering and vaccinations and in most discussions it's about price. If I then ask what anaesthetic was used or which vaccine they chose I get a blank stare - but they know they got a great deal because it was the cheapest.

Yes I suppose if you have never had a pet then get a kitten for example, you would need to register with a vet and nowadays there are plenty to choose from. When we first had cats about 30 years ago there was only a couple of vets in the area
I guess it's natural for someone to ask about costs first Although to be honest I wouldn't ask about anaesthetic as I really didn't know that a local was an option when neutering
Em x

We only have the one in town. However I noticed the other day they had started to do ops and was hoping it may be neutering, usually it's a cross country hike to the main surgery.. However it is a very small room so won't be a major treatment room. They haven't put the vaccination costs up this year which is a bonus, if not a complete surprise as the Advocate had increased by a couple of pounds for 3.Penny

my vet has put the vaccination price up by £3 but the consultation price stays the same. frontline spray has also gone up by £2.

No, nor me, which is why I was surprised when Django was neutered, I didn't even realise that would be what would happen. To be fair to the surgery I didn't ask until afterwards - perhaps they were expecting me to enquire beforehand Mystic Meg I'm not, but I will ask next time

i didnt think to ask my vet either.... just assumed they would neuter the safest way to ensure my cat was ok afterwards.

I don't think you're meant to ask at all and most people wouldn't. In some ways it's the 'safer' option and my only issue with it is that clients are not getting the chance to make an informed choice. If there are two vets in town and one is charging £10 more than the other the cheaper one WILL get the business. They are though working to a greater profit margin and they have the benefit of clients thinking they're the caring, sharing vet in town for keeping costs down. No vet nurse or receptionist ever says 'we're cheaper because we do it the cheaper way' when a customer rings to ask for the cost.

Very true Toadvs I suppose only experience prompts us to ask questions, certainly does in my case
Em x