Elite Pet Ownership
Posted by admin on Feb 3rd, 2013 | 21 comments
More and more often, the shelter receives calls from owners that are seeking options because they cannot afford to pay for veterinary treatment for their beloved companion. The queries typically sound something like, “My pet is sick and I cannot afford the treatment my vet is recommending… do you know a clinic that will take payments or a lower cost clinic?”
It leaves me wondering if pet ownership is destined to become a privilege for only the middle and upper class.
Now, I don’t want anyone reading this blog to get the impression that I am bashing the veterinarians in the community. That is certainly not the case, they have a business to run and they deserve to be paid for the services they provide. What I am suggesting is that perhaps a shift in some of the old school philosophies should be adjusted. I think that perhaps the business model that the veterinarians have adopted, by default or design, is somewhat flawed.
In Alberta, clinics are not allowed to advertise their prices on their websites; to me in this day and age this makes no sense and from my perspective is not fair to clients. Sometimes, it is about the price tag and shopping should be an easy option.
Today, if you want the best rate for the procedure that your veterinarian recommended and you cannot afford his quote, you will have to call around. With over 92 clinics in Edmonton and area it could be a lot of calls. Each clinic sets their prices and you will find a wide range.
No matter which way you look at it, advertising forces businesses to be competitive with one another. It’s much easier for the guy down the street to charge twice as much as the clinic you’re currently sitting in, if neither of them is allowed to advertise their rates.
I understand that advertising the price for a dental surgery is probably far more complicated than advertising the sale for a television on Boxing Day, but surely to goodness, there could be some easier way. The advertising aspect is the smaller piece of the problem, however.
Many veterinarians claim that their fees are reflective of the high overhead costs of the clinics. I don’t disagree! That equipment is incredibly expensive! When you factor in maintenance and all the rest, not to mention the cost to lease or purchase retail space inside our fair city, I am sure that operating a veterinary hospital costs a pretty penny.
It just seems to me that those clinics would be far less expensive if each and every one didn’t have to have the full array of equipment at each of their locations. Every medi-centre in Edmonton doesn’t have its own x-ray machine, so why should every veterinary clinic? Would it not be less expensive if there were one or two specialized diagnostics centres that each clinic could refer to?
Why does each veterinary clinic have its own surgical suite? Is that the best use of resources? Wouldn’t it be possible for veterinarians to act as family doctors, referring their patients to specialists for surgery, much like in human medicine?
There are going to be those of you reading this that will point to some of the inefficiencies that exist in our human medical model as a potential downfall of this shift in thinking. And you may have a point. But with the increasing numbers of calls and emails coming in to our shelter each and every day, this issue is only going to grow. And if we keep doing the same things in the same ways, I really believe that pet ownership may simply not be affordable for everyone.
What makes it even sadder is that over 50% of the staff that work at the shelter would not be part of that elite group. People who work every day caring for homeless pets may not be able to afford even basic wellness for their own pets, something we counsel every adopter to be prepared for annually.
There are some limited options out there to decrease expenses. Recently CBC did a report, on medications being much cheaper from pharmacies and wholesalers. At least there is another option available for pets that are diagnosed with conditions requiring life-long medication, however, the down side of this is that the diagnosis itself may have cost that pet owner so much that the medication costs may be out of reach.
And veterinarians are (legitimately) concerned that those pet owners who seek the alternatives, such as purchasing and administering their own vaccines, may be doing their pets’ health a long-term disservice by potentially skipping out on important annual examinations.
And that concern is a very real one. From what we see at the shelter fewer and fewer pets are having this very basic health check. More people are purchasing the vaccinations on their own and giving them to their pet themselves, missing that very important annual check.
Perhaps though, if the cost of the basic examination were to be reduced, because the clinics’ overhead costs were reduced, more of these pet owners, who really do care about their pets’ health, would be inclined to make the annual wellness check a priority.
So, how does this affect the shelter, besides having to answer the increasing calls? Well, it has rippled to us in interesting ways. The pressure on our shelter and our surgeons seems to increase each day. We have adjusted to the needs and demands of admitting more animals in need of medical treatment beyond spay and neuter.
It used to be that the shelter’s clinic only booked spays or neuters; now it is a daily routine to perform several dentals and more complex surgeries such as orthopedics, amputations, wound repairs, eye enucleations, the list can go on and on…
In the last year we have had to ensure that many of our pets have a teeth cleaning and extractions before they are placed on the adoption floor. We cannot get them all but we can at the very least do the serious cases. A costly step for the shelter, not just financially, but also in terms of time; the additional procedures often slow an animal’s transitioning through to their new home.
However, if we don’t complete this on the serious cases, they stay waiting for their forever home for weeks as adopters are not prepared to take on these added costs.
Honestly, times have changed with pet ownership and, yes, people need to be totally informed and prepared to take on the annual costs. Some web sites are estimating that you should set aside at least $500-$1,000 a year for routine veterinary care, coupled with the other basics such as toys, food, training, boarding; a pet owner may be looking at $700-$3,000 a year. Hmm where does that put you?
With this estimate will pet ownership be limited? Or will more pets just not get the care they should have? Or will the shelter be forced to absorb ill animals requiring treatment, fix them and send them back out? I certainly hope that is not going to be the case. If fewer people have the experience of animals in their life, our world will be less compassionate and less caring and not to mention, be a far less healthy society. And I don’t think that’s what any of us want to see.
I cannot recommend pet insurance too highly. It does make owning pets more affordable. My family in England say that the majority of people there get insurance, just like house/home insurance. It is a competitive industry there and insurance is sold at the supermarkets & anywhere else insurance is sold. People are still surprised here when I say I have insurance
The problem is not all animals are covered by pet insurance here, the UK covers many more.
The states covers more animals than Canada too.
I have also unfortunately heard of many horror stories of the insurance companies turning down coverage when it came down to it.
I hope for pleasant experiences for all.
Excellent article. You have brought up a lot of points that I have not even thought of. I fell the whole point of criticizing anything is to be constructive and to provide some alternatives. Should provide some food for thought. Job well done!
My sister has insurance for her one dog and it has saved her thousands in tumor removal costs for him. I have 3 dogs and 5 cats, it’s not a viable financial option for me otherwise I’d be all over it.
We have a cat going in tomorrow for about $2000 worth of dental repair due to an accident. Being able to get some of that back through insurance would be fantastic.
I did shop around for the spay on one of my dogs this fall and saved about $300.
The idea of vets working like our current health care system does appeal. Having to cart my animals all over the city would be a hassle but if it meant saving some money I think it would be worth it.
Thanks for the great article Stephanie. As someone who has worked in Humane Societies for over 20 years, I’ve often thought about this. Not only because of the rising costs of general vet care (along with the cost of living), but the health care options that are constantly expanding. Just one example: a decade or do so ago pet owners weren’t really given the option for radiation treatment for cancer. Treatments like this are becoming more the ‘norm’ in terms of what we should do for our pets and put more pressure on pet owners to go further and spend more. A friend of mine was facing a third spinal surgery on her dog. The first two surgeries cost her over $12,000 and she felt immense pressure to do the third surgery despite the age of her dog (13years). I think that as more options for treatment are available it’s going to get even harder for pet owners and their budgets.
I would have liked to have seen information in this article on how or who we should contact regarding “changing the rules” for vets advertising the prices that they charge.
I notice that even the Humane Society insists on “veterinary proof of current vaccinations” for their training classes – is this really necessary?
Vaccinations are necessary not only for our programs such as training classes, Central Bark Off Leash and Dog Day Care. Your animal needs protection to be healthy and stay healthy.
I totally agree with you. But if money is a problem with some pet owners, vaccinations from a pharmacy should be acceptable. I thought the point of your article was how to make pets more affordable.
They may be cheaper this way, however by going this route there is no actual proof that the vaccinations were administered to the pet and administered properly in order to be effective. Add to that in the instance of Rabies where a vet needs to give the vaccination. Vaccinations done by a vet also allows for a check up by a professional for things that may go unnoticed to h untrained eye.
I feel it should be a option of going to the vet or giving your own shots.
having numerous rescued animals makes it an expensive trip to the vet for their yearly shots thus I am unable to take any courses the shelter offers.
With being the guardian to various rescued animals, I administer their yearly shots as the vet costs would be prohibitive. I don’t feel because of this that
I should be unable to participate in the shelter courses. My animals do go to the vet as needed but not for the shots that I am able to give them. I don’t feel because of this that I should be unable to participate in the shelter courses offered. There has never been a problem with boarding or daycare facilities so why does it seem to be a problem at your shelter??
you are missing the point – pharmacy vaccinations should be an allowable alternative for those that can’t afford to go to a vet. or are you saying – if you can’t afford vaccinations at a vet’s office – then you can’t afford a dog? If someone really wanted to fudge the system it would be a lot easier to alter the proof of vaccine letter from the vet and change the year.
Excellent article. I find myself very confused by pricing at vet clinics and would love to see some standardization. Interesting concept of having x-ray/lab not onsite at every clinic and it probably would make a big difference in overheads.
I have looked into pet insurance numerous times, but as I choose to rescue rather than get a puppy the policy would be loaded up with exclusions – making it not a viable option.
Fantastic article with so many great points. After working in a rural vet clinic as an AHT for several years you see so often the ‘dearest family member’ not receive the medial attention it needs because it is simply too much. That dearest family member suddenly turns into ‘that animal’ and ‘we’ll see how bad it gets’. Even being able to cost compare is difficult in the rural setting as well as we are often faced with the issue of distance to another clinic and not every clinic can offer every type of procedure, especially if it is specialized adding even more frusturation. The variation of costs from one clinic to the next is staggering and I honestly think that there is sometimes no real reason for how a price for a procedure is determined, a random number is picked and thats what it is. I also think many clinics don’t even educate their clients about pet insurance well enough for the client to fully understand the benefits of it. Something needs to change.
Our vet about 8 years ago closed his office and went mobile. He books 1 hour appointments and can do routine check ups, vaccinations, minor treatment and diagnoses in our home. For surgeries he has a few clinics he recommends and has a relationship with so records are maintained and treatment is top notch. The reduction in his overheads costs make appointments SO affordable. Best part is it reduces the stress on my pup, he spends longer interactig with us and my pup is at ease so it is actually easier to diagnose issues.
More vets need to look at this model or something similar. I LOVE our vet and so does my pup!
Despite taking very good care of our dogs, we’ve had the unfortunate experience to have had 2 dogs with major medical problems that have required tens of thousands of dollars of care. Fortunately we had vet insurance which allowed us to provide whatever was medically required. You have to shop around for vet insurance as we’ve left one company due to rising premiums and ended up with another company with fantastic coverage. My hope is that you end up with a dog who stays healthy throughout its life and you feel health insurance was a waste of money. It’s way better than the alternative of having a very sickly dog and no insurance. I have 3 dogs right now, including a shelter dog – all with insurance. Expensive, but we wouldn’t adopt unless we were sure we could afford it.
Solid article with lots of issues that veterinarians have been struggling with for years. Yes, the delivery system for the sophisticated care of today is probably flawed because it is the “cost of the delivery system” not the veterinarians’ income that is rising. In fact,I believe this issue is responsible for the serious mental health issues now facing the profession. Veterinarians are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than the average person in the street and twice as likely as any other health care provider (published research). Unfortunately it will be very expensive to change the system under current regulations. Ontario has just approved price advertising in the profession and I would assume Alberta would be close behind. However, price advertising should never affect the quality of care. Consumers will have to be very wary of pricing structures that are advertised as obvious loss leaders, those overhead costs will have go come from somewhere.
I agree consolidation of practices (there are too many), central facilities for complex medical and surgical issues, setting up wellness practices to bring down cost of preventive care, utilizing para professionals for screening procedures, etc., all have promise but will take a major change in focus and a large investment of capital. At the bottom of it all, the pet owner has to be responsible for the level of care and it’s cost regardless of price, just as they are for the other obligations they take on in life. There is no “free lunch” or veterinary care!
I too wonder why it is such a problem for boarding kennels, daycares, etc. to accept my word that I have given vaccines to my animals rather than show them a piece of paper from a vet clinic. After being told that vaccinations were $90 per animal (I just about choked and my eyes popped out of my head!) at the vet I was attending at the time, I made the decision to purchase the vaccinations for $12 and administer myself instead. Still go to the vet for rabies vaccine but everything else is DIY. I have 2 dogs and 4 cats, all with vet insurance. One of my dogs had cruciate ligament damage, first one hind leg, then the other. $3500 per leg for the surgery. I would have had to put him down if not for the pet insurance. I too shopped around and found a company with little to no restrictions, who celebrate the fact that my dogs are rescues, and if not for them, we would all be living out of a cardboard box in the back alley. I tell everyone I know that unless you have $5 – 10 000.00 laying around the house for vet emergencies, get pet insurance. You never need it till you need it but when you do, you will thank your lucky stars you have it. Just like car and house insurance. Would like to see it expanded to other species though, like birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles.
There is so much more than routine vaccinations that a veterinarian can do for your pet, starting with an assessment and medical exam. I wonder how many people do get a physical as thorough as their pets get when they go visit a physician. I know I don’t: usually get a quick look and that’s it. Besides, there are other issues like proper nutrition, behavior and dental care that pet owners should consider as well. Insurance is one responsible way to go, but there is also an obligation to check the pet’s health for prevention. Is that elitist? If people choose not to go for the annual physical is their choice, but a pet doesn’t have that choice. Most people spend much more fixing the car, a new phone or a gadget than an annual check for a pet.
I really appreciate this article, and agree with much of what was highlighted. I don’t think the veterinary industry or regulations will change much. I think we as a society also need to step back sometimes and gain some perspective. I love animals, volunteer for several animal organizations, and I know what I am about to write will bother some. If an animal is seriously ill the best treatment is often putting the animal down. I have owned a number of pets, and when one did develop cancer I gave him a great life until the cancer became serious, then put him down. We need to be realistic. Pets are not people. Rising costs and expectations in vet services for pets is getting ridiculous partially due to owners being ridiculous.
North American pets, as well as humans, are over-medicated. Most vets sell a service + medication. If one cares for a pet in a mindful, wholistic manner pets would stay healthier, thus needing less veterinary attention. In Europe pets get less medication and less vaccination and dogs especially have lower rates in cancer. There is many new research out there. Just google “Why Do Dogs In Europe Live Longer”. Not only healthier food, less vaccination but also different breeding standards are part of the solution. Not only having a dog as a backyard companion but training the dog for a particular purpose is another part of the solution. Mens sana in corpore sano. A healthy mind in a healthy body. The solution of paying less for vet care is taking better care of your pet and have an emergency fund for accidents, if you really need it. Give your pet the best possible care, but research your options. Decide, before you get a pet, where your financial and ethical limits are when it comes to veterinary services.