I hear what you are saying but surely the hip score obtained by going to the cheapest vet practice will be exactly the same as going to the most expensive so where is the cheep and cheerful analogy. One practice may well be far better equiped and staffed but surely in the instance of hip scoring the end result is the same.
Potentially yes, however, there other aspects to consider, some of which, unfortunately, are not evident to the client at the time, (as Apache has already inferred).
There are, regrettably, as with all industries, some practices that frankly push the bargain bucket option to dangerous levels (fortunately these are few in number), hip score radiographs take care and precision to be done correctly, and sometimes they can be rejected by the Board, which means they have to be repeated, incurring further cost (the amount being negotiable).
The time/precision taken to position and take/develop the x-rays for instance, means the dog is under a full anaesthetic for a period of time, now if you want to reduce overheads and therefore increase profit you obviously cut back on certain things, basically in this example the level of monitoring. We shall leave aside the discussion of digital x-rays, as there is no need on this forum.
That level of monitoring can mean anaesthetic monitoring equipment such as ECG's, blood pressure/oxygen monitoring equipment as well as trained staff (vets have yet to develop the skill of being in 2 places at once - despite attempting it on a daily basis! - in this example developing/reviewing the x-rays and monitoring the anaesthetic). I shall be quick to point out that in most cases there is no substitute for trained personel, so mechanical equipment should be used as a "support aid".
That level of skill/training of personel does imply cost. If you child/family member was undergoing an op/anaesthetic what level of care would you want?
Anaesthetic complications, by their very nature can be life threatening, and can occur very very rapidly, often with little or no warning. If the practice does not have the expertise / equipement to deal with them, this can result in the loss of a much loved pet. This level of expertise/equipement has cost implications.
Obviously this is no excuse to charge clients extortionate fees but there are running costs to cover.
I will, as Apache already has, endorse the support of your local practice if you have received a good standard of service/care in the past, because if things go wrong with your dog/pet they will be your first port of call. Savings of £5-10 on such things as vaccines, etc will be negated by increased travel costs to these "cut price" centres, and if you look beyond these (often) loss leaders, the costs of treating medical/sugical conditions incurred by your pet are often way higher at these centres.
Regards
HL