A Michael Broad Blog
My title to this article stems from a story in The Telegraph newspaper of yesterday which reports on a male veterinarian who ended his life because, in part, he was so distressed about a minority of relatively wealthy owners requesting that he euthanize their companion animals rather than treat them because the treatment would …
The title reflects the views of many veterinary clinic clients but it begs the question as to whether vets are genuinely expensive. The infographic below provides a balanced, highly summarised assessment. Below there are some extended discussions. Perhaps the first point in the infographic is the most important: perception. Combine this with general post-Covid …
![Arturito, a stray cat from outside the cemetery, visits daily to benefit from Pisani’s feedings [Maria Amasanti/Al Jazeera]](https://pictures-of-cats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Arturito-a-stray-cat-from-outside-the-cemetery-visits-daily-to-benefit-from-Pisanis-feedings-360x241.webp)
All over the world there are community cats. Often the general feeling is that they live reasonable lives. These are cats that don’t have owners, a specific caregiver. They are rather loosely cared for by people living in the community; shop owners, perhaps workers and passers-by and residents. They might be attached to a …
NEWS AND VIEWS: This is the first strike that has ever occurred according to the union ‘Unite’ at a UK private veterinary practice and it is a consequence, allegedly, of greed by the private equity-owned operator: VetPartners, which owns the vet practice called Valley Vets in south Wales. This is an extension of a …
The researchers of a study on the longevity and mortality of domestic cats published in 2014 were somewhat puzzled it seems about the finding that non-insured cats had lifespans that were 1.1 years longer than insured cats. The result is counterintuitive. Most people would think that pet health insurance increases lifespan as the veterinary …
In the UK, a hidden tax is applied to pet health insurance and I’d bet that most cat and dog owners have never heard of it. It is insurance premium tax (IPT) and it is levied at 12% to the insurance provider which passes on the cost to the customer. The customer does not …
There has been a lot of criticism of those UK vets who’ve given up as sole traders and sold out to big business and become part of a chain of clinics. The accusation is that these big businesses are pressuring the once independent vets to charge more for medicines and services because big business …
The BBC website features an article on the excessive veterinary fees being charged to pet owners in the UK, which is causing considerable public outcry. According to the BBC, Steve Moylan was charged £3,500 for a single-area contrast MRI scan for his dog at a veterinary clinic. In contrast, he paid only £350 for …
