Many of us can't imagine our lives without our dogs. They keep us company, love us no matter what and are just so wonderful. This is why we take them to the vet when they need to go. However, sometimes these costs can be really high. Now we know the reason why and it may leave you stunned!
The Reason Why Vet Care Is So Expensive Is:
Veterinary Practice Operating Costs
The veterinarian who owns the clinic you take your pet to is responsible for all the operating expenses.
The equipment and supplies in veterinary offices are often leased or purchased from the same companies that supply human hospitals, and the costs are also the same. As veterinary practice owner Dr. Patty Khuly explains:
“Whether the syringes, catheters, gauze sponges, endotracheal tubes and surgical equipment will be used on a Labrador Retriever, street cat, human adult or pediatric patient, the price is the same.
Another large expense veterinary clinics absorb is their in-house pharmacy. Dr. Khuly says she spends over $20,000 a month to drug manufacturers and distributors. As many of you are aware, prices for both human and veterinary drugs have increased tremendously in recent years.
The biggest expense for most practice owners is their veterinary staff, which includes the other veterinarians who work for the clinic, credentialed vet techs, receptionists, kennel attendants and other employees.
In order to attract and retain high-quality veterinary staff, practice owners must offer competitive salaries, health insurance and opportunities for continuing education.
As pets become increasingly important to their humans, the more and better care pet owners expect from their veterinary providers. To meet those expectations means vets need to do more and charge more, and pet parents can expect to pay more.
Should You Shop Around?
From my perspective as both a veterinarian and pet parent, finding the right vet for your dog, cat, bird or other companion is rarely simply a matter of cost. Now, that's not to say price shouldn't be a consideration when you're looking for a vet — it shouldn't be the only consideration.
Only you can decide how much of your income you can afford to part with toward the care of furry family members. If you're budget-conscious, I think it's a great idea to plan for, say, two yearly wellness exams and a professional teeth cleaning for your dog or cat.
Knowing the cost of these services ahead of time means you can include them in your budget planning.
I highly recommend you familiarize yourself ahead of time with the emergency facility you'll use in the event you need one.
I also recommend you familiarize yourself with the difference between urgent care situations and true life-threatening emergencies. Some pet conditions actually look, sound or smell worse than they are. Conversely, some truly life-threatening situations might not initially appear very serious.
Knowing when to incur expensive emergency services and when it's safe to wait for an appointment with your regular vet can help control pet care costs.
What Kind of Veterinarian Do You Want ?
When deciding on veterinary care for your animal companion, in addition to finding out about fees, you’ll also want to consider the prospective vet’s practice philosophy. Ideally, his or her approach to keeping your pet healthy will mirror your own.
As you can see, there is so much that goes into running and maintaining a vet clinic. Vets have to take into consideration the cost of equipment, how much medications cost and also think about how much to pay employees. They also have to take into consideration the cost of keeping the vet clinic open.
The best thing you can do to manage your costs is to plan for a few visits a year. You should also know when your pet might need emergency care or when a regular visit is okay.
Finally, you should know what to expect as far as treatment plans from your vet. These can all make a difference in how much it will cost. Now that you have a better understanding of why vets cost so much, you can have a better idea of what to expect.
To find out more about why vet care costs so much, you can go to Healthy Pets.
