Lots of emotion on this thread, a few reasonable responses and a few reasonable gripes…
The vets are all defensive and it’s not a surprise as they are being called liars, blackmailers and money grubbers, so no surprise. There are some very reasonable responses, i.e. JSwan et al, who have made some well thought out posts. And the inflammatory posts of folks like Trakehner… “Sorry, but way too many small animal vets are rip off artists”.
I’ll start with Trakehner… Of course there are articles on how to maximize your profits, just as in any other business. And yes, it is a business, it is not a charity. A long time ago in a place far away… Or should I say once upon a time a vet could make a good living by providing a service and charging a “reasonable” mark-up on consumables for routine services. Today, that doesn’t happen…why, because the playing field has changed. Now many people buy vaccines, wormers and even prescriptiom medications off the net and vaccination protocols have changed to less frequent, the main source of income has disappeared. That means what business is left at the vet HAS to cost more or shift to other sources of income to maintain the same bottom line. The vets have to find alternative ways to make money.
hessy35: As far as vets making you feel guilty for not doing surgery, maybe that really IS what Dr Slick would do with their dog. Some people are like that. Should they impose thier beliefs on you? No, I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t attribute it money grubbing, it’s likely exactly how the vet really feels. And more vets these days have that attitude about animals, whatever it takes is exactly what they would do for their animal.
And for anyone who complain about feeling guilty, if you really believe in what you are doing, there should be no guilt. And everyone has a different price point or tolerance of illness. For me, I have no problem euthanizing a sick animal with poor quality of life, but I know many folks (vet and non vet)who think all avenues should be explored first…even got a lecture on karma the other day… I also think it’s an individual choice for how much money you want to spend. But having euthanized animals that were easily fixed by a simple surgery, I can see where in daily practice this could become very difficult. I still am haunted by a beautiful Belgian stallion that was euthanized when I was an intern. THe owners did not want to pay 2K to save him becasue he needed to be gelded and he wasn’t worth it then…He was the sweetest thing with a great chance for recovery. This kind of thng happens on a regular basis, so it’s no surprise when a vets emotions slip into their recommendations… It’s really not all about money grubbing and the bottom line.
gray arab pony: I have compared cost breakdowns on my surgeries to what I would pay a vet, and the vets are still giving the better deal… 20.00 per 1/2 liter bag of saline on my last one… BUt I know that 20.00 is not just to pay for the saline, but other non-recovered costs on my surgery…
Pancakes: You are going to need a thicker hide. No matter how good you are, about 3-5% of your clients are going to complain no matter what you do. Eventually you have to just tune them out, becasue you can’t make them happy…
JSwan: yes, the world of vet med is changing…has to, vets can’t survive with the old ways of practice (unless they are an old established practice with low overhead). The kind of vet graduating today is different, they are more likely to be the sort that wants to save them all and these days we have more tools to do it and we are obligated by law to use those tools…malpractice and standard of care comes in. The rules of the game have changed, and the practices have to adapt or die. Another change is the current graduating classes have people who want to actually have a life as opposed to old time vets that used to work 80+ hours a week to make ends meet. Yeah, it might mean higher costs for the consumer, but I can’t say it’s unfair… And the pricey boutiques popping up are a result of a market. If you were a vet and could make twice as much doing better medicine and work less hours, why wouldn’t you?
Tidbit for all: Vets are held accountable for the level of practice. If something comes in with a broke leg and the standard of care in the area is to pin it, if they send it home in a splint and things go bad, they could be sued for malpractice. Nobody wants to be in this position. Same with things like doing surgery without the added expanse of an IV line…if something goes wrong, you can be sued. Veterinary practice has advanced and if the vets don’t follow suit, they ARE liable.
In the end, it’s all about the American way right… supply and demand. These pricey places wouldn’t be around if there was not a demand…So take your dollars to a practice you like, money talks…
Oh, and it’s likely to get worse as the demand for vets (especially large animal) is growing faster than the supply…
Are there bad vets? SUre, just like in any profession, the dentist that pushes unneeded procedures, the plumber that pushes for all new pipes when the old ones are fine, the car mechanic that charges for unused parts… Yes, people take adavantage of you, but they are NOT the majority. If you have the bad luck to run into one, take your business elsewhere, it’s simple… Don’t blame it on the profession.
She said that they do price increases every year regardless…they have switched to digital, but she said that wouldn’t have made a price difference…it would be 100.00. I told her that I had shopped two other vets offices and that both were both cheaper…gave her both clinic names and prices. Her only response was “Does that include reading the xray, because ours does” Well, honestly I hadn’t asked that question. But I also told her that they were 10-15.00 on everything else.