For the last 15 years practicing veterinary medicine, mostly in an emergency clinic setting, I have listened to people complain about the costs associated with caring for their pets. If you choose to own a pet, you are responsible for the costs of taking care of it, not the veterinarian. It is unfair to blame veterinarians because we charge for our services. I am constantly being berated as not caring, when the only reason that I do what I do is because I DO care. A dentist who just graduated from 3 years of dental school makes twice what I make after 15 years of experience and more education, but no one questions their right to make a living. I offer care for your pet. I cannot afford to pay for your pet’s care, if you are unwilling or unable to do so. Take responsibility for the choices you make in life, if you choose to own a pet, purchase pet health insurance or understand the limits of what will be done if your pet becomes ill. Please don’t blame the veterinarian!
Let’s put this in perspective…human doctor, specialist in a SINGLE species, has numerous other doctors to refer to and consult with who in turn commonly only deal with certain body parts/systems. Human doctors commonly have no language barrier to deal with, are supported by company insurance plans, and have journal upon journal, study upon study to base their diagnoses and treatment plans on.
Then we have vets, who are supposed to be specialists to all species, who are not supported by workplace insurance plans, who have to provide all their own diagnostic equipment, and who have patients that cannot speak or otherwise communicate with them.
Frankly, I think vets have a hugely raw deal…they are expected to know more educationally speaking (dealing with all the different species), provide more (machinery/exam equipment, essentially they are all ‘hospitals’) and operate with less information (pets cannot speak to their symptoms). Further they deal with human caregivers who either lie, or are too stupid to have noticed that Fluffy is ailing for weeks if not months, and oh yeah, I forgot, they are supposed to be miracle workers who bring animals back from the dead (primarily due to caregiver incompetence).
I would suggest you make a chart explaining the direct correlation between human and pet costs. Explain that diagnostic tests are far more commonly required because pets cannot speak to their symptoms. I would tell your clientel from the begining what emergency care costs, and explain this during the puppy/kitten exam so they are prepared, and suggest that they either purchase pet insurance, set aside a certain sum in a monthly bank account, or get a credit card (held in reserve) specifically for pet emergencies.
The reality is, most folks never look at the cost of even ANNUAL pet care, let alone emergency lifesaving care. I personally recommend those that get a new pet do as recommended above, and if in fact you choose not to get pet insurance (something I am not a fan of…) then set the annual limit that your animal is worth BEFORE the animal gets sick. Having a credit card saved strictly for Fido/FiFi emergencies is a great way to deal with this.
As to the idiots who require but do not appreciate your services, unfortunately they will not allow us to euth the stupid people, we can only tolerate them, and pity their animals.
Lorinne (wildlife rehabber who CHERISHES her vets).
#1 by Chillin n Grillin on March 22, 2010 - 8:33 am
I agree. People that can’t pay for their pet’s upkeep are like people that have children without planning for them i.e. morons.
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#2 by danny_boy_jones on March 22, 2010 - 9:15 am
Most of us don’t think veterinary care should be free. We always pay for it, but like everything else; dental care, doctors care, medicines, gasoline, insurance, taxes, etc.; it is in our nature to complain about it. It’s just our way of consoling ourselves.
You heard the one about the doctor at a party. One of the guests came up and asked him for some medical advice. Later, while talking to an attorney at the same party, the doctor complained about the guest trying to get free medical care and asked if his friend thought that he should bill the insensitive freeloader. The friend agreed.
The next week, he righteously put a bill for $50.00 in the mail to the patient who had cornered him at the party. As he opened his mail he ran across a bill from his attorney friend for $100 for legal consultation.
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#3 by Yo' mom on March 22, 2010 - 9:20 am
I agree with you 110%. Vets are overworked and underpaid…I love my vets they take wonderful care of my animals and the charges are very reasonable. I paid $200.00 to get a lump removed and biopsied off of my horse. I paid around $200.00 in Co Pays to insurance for the same thing for my husband. And the Doctor who took the lump off of my husband did not need to worry about getting stomped by my husband!
Doctors get paid so much more and their patients rarely bite, scratch, stomp, pee or poop on them.
Thank you for caring and please know that their are many people who appreciate and value what vets do. Thank you!!
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#4 by pigggie_dude on March 22, 2010 - 9:28 am
I don’t think the services should be free, BUT, look at it from this side. A few years ago I took a guinea pig to the vet because he was starting to loose a little weight. He was said to be OK just separate him from the others. $70. A couple of years later. I noticed he wasn’t quite right. took him to a suggested qualified vet. He was there three days and died. $150. I now know as much as any vet does about piggies. Check this- I took one to a vet that was dieing to have it put down–$65. COME ON NOW!! It’s sad now I can diagnose and treat, but I still have to take the piggie in to get the meds I need. I take it in. Tell them whats wrong and what meds I need. They take it, come back , say, that’s what’s wrong, and that’s the meds it needs. $70 plus meds.– Don’t you think that’s a bit much???? We had a cat a few years ago we took in. We were there an hour, the cat had to be put down,>>>>> $300.<<<<<< and no cat. I don’t know what you you charge for em.care ,but don’t you think I’m getting ripped??? It’s now to the point where only people above a certain income can afford to own a pet. Good luck!
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My check book.
#5 by coonladylori on March 22, 2010 - 9:49 am
Let’s put this in perspective…human doctor, specialist in a SINGLE species, has numerous other doctors to refer to and consult with who in turn commonly only deal with certain body parts/systems. Human doctors commonly have no language barrier to deal with, are supported by company insurance plans, and have journal upon journal, study upon study to base their diagnoses and treatment plans on.
Then we have vets, who are supposed to be specialists to all species, who are not supported by workplace insurance plans, who have to provide all their own diagnostic equipment, and who have patients that cannot speak or otherwise communicate with them.
Frankly, I think vets have a hugely raw deal…they are expected to know more educationally speaking (dealing with all the different species), provide more (machinery/exam equipment, essentially they are all ‘hospitals’) and operate with less information (pets cannot speak to their symptoms). Further they deal with human caregivers who either lie, or are too stupid to have noticed that Fluffy is ailing for weeks if not months, and oh yeah, I forgot, they are supposed to be miracle workers who bring animals back from the dead (primarily due to caregiver incompetence).
I would suggest you make a chart explaining the direct correlation between human and pet costs. Explain that diagnostic tests are far more commonly required because pets cannot speak to their symptoms. I would tell your clientel from the begining what emergency care costs, and explain this during the puppy/kitten exam so they are prepared, and suggest that they either purchase pet insurance, set aside a certain sum in a monthly bank account, or get a credit card (held in reserve) specifically for pet emergencies.
The reality is, most folks never look at the cost of even ANNUAL pet care, let alone emergency lifesaving care. I personally recommend those that get a new pet do as recommended above, and if in fact you choose not to get pet insurance (something I am not a fan of…) then set the annual limit that your animal is worth BEFORE the animal gets sick. Having a credit card saved strictly for Fido/FiFi emergencies is a great way to deal with this.
As to the idiots who require but do not appreciate your services, unfortunately they will not allow us to euth the stupid people, we can only tolerate them, and pity their animals.
Lorinne (wildlife rehabber who CHERISHES her vets).
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#6 by dupie on March 22, 2010 - 9:58 am
I agree that a vet is only a vet because they do care. My daughter worked for six years as a vet tech while planning to become a vet. The last semester of school she changed her mind due to the "people" part of veterinarian work. Examples: stupid people trying to save money by ignoring wounds to the point they were maggot filled; or people who got tired of their healthy pets but were lazy and just wanted them put to sleep (we now have seven cats and two dogs she saved from death row); or how about the people who insist on coming in at 2:00 in the morning because their dog ate something they shouldn’t have but don’t think that the vet should charge extra for after hour care. I personally would rather pay the vet bills than my own health care. At least at the vets the vet answers all my concerns and spends more than five minutes without charging me for "an extended visit" unlike my personal physician.
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#7 by Huh? on March 22, 2010 - 10:47 am
Who is expecting veterinary care to be free?
Lots of vets are donating their time and materials to shelters where they perform procedures at cost or below at times. That has to be compensated for somewhere.
Vets have spent an ungodly long time in school to be able to help our critters, that has to be counted into the equation as well.
AND….if you get a pet, no matter if it’s a shelter animal, a breeder animal or something from the pet store, be aware that these animals will require medical attention at one point. Prepare yourself.
I’m currently being owned by two ferrets, animals that I knew have the tendency to get quite costly in their later years because of the diseases they often face.
So, from day one, I have put away 10% of my income for just those emergencies. I may or may not need it, it’s money in the bank regardless, but I’m ready if need be.
So think before you buy. Animals are not good gifts or impulse buys.
And no, I’m not rich, I’m just a factory worker who loves her critters and I think they do deserve the best care possible. And I love our local vets.
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#8 by jtd on March 22, 2010 - 11:12 am
people are cheap bastards its human nature we are all *ssholes including me im a huge *sshole
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#9 by conanabanana02 on March 22, 2010 - 11:31 am
i agree…if you re going to purchase a pet, take care of that pet properly, like a child. they get sick, you pay for the doctor visit. they need a shot, you pay for the shot and doctor visit, etc. people are ignorant and don’t want to take responsibility for anything.
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#10 by dwd47a on March 22, 2010 - 11:56 am
I don’t know. I guess it’s like why people stay on welfare for 8 generations.
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#11 by carnage_666 on March 22, 2010 - 12:18 pm
you pay them for helping your pets
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#12 by Bratfeatures on March 22, 2010 - 12:48 pm
Actually, I agree, I would rather pay more for veterinary care for my cat if I was sure I was receiving the best service – not that paying less means that I get less, but I know it’s an expensive business with all the equipment, medicines, the staff involved in keeping things running etc.
I’ve been doing work experience in a vet surgery for the last couple of months, one day a week, and just before the Easter long weekend, someone brought their kitten in for boarding, and said that they should only pay half price as the kitten had been bought from that surgery by the man’s daughter and he hadn’t known she was going to buy the kitten and they were going away! As if the Vet was responsible for what someone elses daughter did!
I was told by a vet that the pay in the industry was poor and was I really sure I wanted to be a vet nurse (a vet tech apparantly in America), and to be honest, I don’t care about the pay too much, though it’d be nice to know that one’s skills are being acknowledged!
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