Pet owner considers legal action against Vets Now in Glasgow

Elaine McAllister says she was forced to use her life savings to cover the medical costs for her Dachshund Bailey after he was rushed to Vets Now in Glasgow’s North Street showing signs of extreme discomfort.

Tests revealed that the eight-year-old was suffering from high glucose levels which required an overnight stay at the emergency hospital.  However, Elaine says that after being admitted, Bailey’s condition worsened and told how he ended up with pneumonia and sepsis.

Elaine, who works as a senior clinical advisor, exclusively told the Glasgow Times: “Bailey wasn’t himself and it was clear that there was something wrong. He was constipated and vomiting so I thought it was best to get him checked out and he was taken into the small animal hospital at Vets Now at 4.15am.

“Tests revealed diabetes ketoacidosis and inflamed pancreatitis. An email link followed advising estimate costs of £1200-£1400, which I authorised, but then I was told it had increased to between £2000 and £2500 for ongoing treatment. Bailey had to stay overnight, and I trusted that he was in the best place possible.”

Elaine says she was stunned when she received a call the following morning informing her that her pet’s condition had deteriorated, and that Bailey was now fighting for his life.

Bailey (Image: Colin Mearns) Elaine, from Bishopbriggs, explained: “I was told that he was being taken to intensive care and straight away the costs just started going up. I was given 20 minutes to decide if he was going for more treatment or to be put to sleep, which looking back was shocking. At this stage, I was told the estimated bill had reached around £10,000, and I wanted to do everything to give him a fighting chance."

Despite reservations about the mounting costs and how they were being calculated, the 52-year-old gave the green light for more treatment.

She added: “As the days past, I was told Bailey was doing great although I wasn’t allowed into intensive care to see him, which I found odd. We were told that he could come home but then received a call saying he had pneumonia then sepsis, which occurred while he was being treated in intensive care. 

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“He was put on oxygen and I was told he might need to be intubated, which was obviously worrying. I asked if Bailey was suffering and was told he wasn’t and that the vets were hopeful he’d still make a good recovery, so I continued. 

Elaine claims she had to fork out £14,000 to get Bailey home and so began a long-running nine-month dispute over the cost that has saw her lodge an official complaint with the practice and consider legal action. She also reported the matter to the Veterinary Care Mediation Service.

Elaine and Bailey (Image: Colin Mearns) A document seen by the Glasgow Times shows that the practice has now deducted £2820 from Bailey’s total bill of near £17,000, which they said was a ‘goodwill gesture’.

It states: “Bailey developed pneumonia during his hospitalisation but that is not equivalent to catching a respiratory tract infection from another patient during hospitalisation.  The most likely cause of Bailey’s pneumonia were inhalation of saliva, vomit or food by Bailey, and this is classed as aspiration pneumonia. Patients like Bailey who are critically unwell are at risk of developing secondary problems such as aspiration pneumonia as a result of their illness and the costs of treatment that you have been invoiced for are appropriate.”

Elaine however says she believes the blame firmly lies at the vets’ door.

Bailey (Image: Colin Mearns) She added: “Bailey contracted pneumonia and sepsis while in intensive care and I’m being charged thousands of pounds for it. I just don’t see why I’m expected to cover the cost of illness Bailey did not present with. This has been incredibly stressful, and I’ve had to use my life savings. Thankfully, I was in a position to pay but what happens to others who can’t and are faced with a just 20 minutes to make a decision about whether they live or die.

“It’s not right and I’m considering taking legal advice on the matter."

A spokesperson for Vets Now said they acted with compassion and in line with strict veterinary codes of conduct regarding Bailey’s care.

They said: “Due to client confidentiality, we cannot comment publicly on specifics of individual cases.

 “However, our dedicated team at Vets Now Glasgow aim to provide a professional and caring service at all times, and the most important thing to us is the welfare of pets in our care. 

 “Vets, under their Code of Conduct, always look to provide the right tailored care to each specific situation, known as contextualised care.  This approach involves a collaborative partnership between the pet owner and vet surgeon all working together to develop a treatment plan that gives the best quality of life for the animal. Affordability is always taken into account and we offer, where appropriate, a range of treatment options suitable for the pet and the owner."

They added: “We are open and honest in our communications with pet owners in advance about costs, and the decision around treatment is always made according to the express wishes of the owner.

 “We encourage our clients to please take any complaints around costs directly to Vets Now, through the customary channel and our customer care team will endeavour to resolve any issues directly with our clients.

 “We are sorry that there is an outstanding complaint with us, despite our client care team working hard with the owner to try and resolve, and us embarking on mediation with the Veterinary Client Mediation Service.

 “Unfortunately, an estimated 92% of pets will require urgent emergency care at some point during their lifetime. Some, particularly those with chronic health problems, will need it several times. As such, we’d urge all pet owners to invest in pet insurance to help manage any unexpected charges relating to their pets.”