Tough times

Times are tough right now. This is true for nearly everyone in the United States. There are, of course, a lucky few that have been relatively unaffected by the recent recession, but they seem to be few and far between. Many veterinarians are also struggling with slowing business, increasing costs (health care anyone?) and changing expectations from our clients. We know our clients are also struggling as we see them forced to make more and more decisions based on the cost of care options rather than what they know is best for their pet. We recognize that these can be painful decisions. Your veterinarian really does want to help you make the best decisions for you and your pet.

I know that price shopping for veterinary care is a reality. Pets rarely have insurance and the cost of care has increased as the sophistication of veterinary medicine and life expectancy of pets has increased.

If you choose to price shop I would encourage you to ask more specific questions beyond just "what does it cost." For example, find out what exactly the quoted cost includes. Spay surgeries are commonly shopped services. But you need to find out what exactly is included in the price quoted to you over the phone. This is a MAJOR abdominal surgery and you should be sure your pet is being treated appropriately. Do they provide pain medication? Does that medication last beyond the day of surgery or will your animal be coming home with additional pain medication? What type of anesthesia do they use? How do they monitor anesthesia? How long does the animal stay in the hospital after surgery to monitor for complications? You may still chose or be forced to choose the less expensive option. Just be sure you are doing it with open eyes and with a complete understanding of the differences.

Be very careful about "shopping" for emergency care. Be sure you fully understand all the risks of delaying treatment, transport of your pet, or treatment at a less experienced or equipped hospital. You may decide that you would rather your family vet treat your pet because you are more comfortable with them and their staff. But be sure to speak with your vet first and determine that they are fully prepared to handle whatever the emergency is. I would hope that my colleagues would be honest with you about what they feel they can or cannot handle.

When choosing where to take your animal for veterinary care also consider some of the intangibles that come with the service vets provide. Is the clinic clean and safe? Are the staff friendly and knowledgeable? Are they willing to take the time to answer your questions? Are they willing to offer and explain options to you? Do they follow up on your visits? Keep in mind that some of the personal care such as longer appointments, followup calls and in depth discussions may result in a clinic that must charge a bit more to cover their costs.

As more time is spent with each patient and client the clinic must charge enough to continue to pay their payroll, rent, equipment expenses, supply costs, utilities, taxes and many other costs that come with running a full service outpatient clinic, surgical center, hospital and dental office all rolled into one! Less expensive clinics will likely have great doctors but may have less time to spend with you, have fewer staff to monitor patients or less equipment to help treat your pet. In some cases, that may not matter. In others it may be a factor in your decision making.

Price shopping is a reality. Each veterinarian must face this reality and decide how to handle it. You, as a client, must also decide how you are going to deal with the realities of veterinary expenses. Just be sure you are asking the right questions so that you understand exactly what kind of care your pet will be receiving. At times price shopping will make sense where the risk to your pet are low. At other times price shopping may be riskier and more expensive in the long run.