Last week I touched on the subject of vet fees so I feel I ought to follow this up with more discussion because, let’s face it, second to being asked: “Do you put your hand up cows’ bottoms like James Herriot?” this is one of the most common things people ask me about.

So, why are vet fees perceived to be high? My first response to this is to question people’s basis for thinking vets’ fees are high – what are they high in relation to? The garage? Definitely not when I look at how much it cost me to have my car fixed last time. Plumbers? Likewise for my new shower. Doctors? Ah yes, here lies part of the answer. As a nation, thanks to the NHS, we have a subliminal belief that health care is somehow ‘free’.

Ask any American if they think vet fees are high and they will say no – not compared to their medical fees. Because herein lies the rub – medicine is not cheap. Be it human or animal, the main reason we feel that veterinary fees are expensive is that we do not know how much our own treatment costs. If we had to pay for medical treatment up front rather than through our taxes we would get a shock.

The costs of running a veterinary practice are huge, from staffing costs and, sadly, there is no NHS for pets. Cost is always something to consider when getting a pet.