Vet Bills! – Are You Getting What You Pay For?

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90 – August, 2024

By Amy Fernandez

About a year ago my neighbors sort of inherited an ancient Bulldog. They were not planning on getting a dog, but these things happen. Rocco is a delightful fellow, joyfully wagging and snorting, living up to the breed’s reputation. However, Rocco arrived with some issues; most worrisome was a gigantic interdigital cyst on his left front foot. That’s painful but not too unusual in the breed. None of this came to my attention until my neighbor knocked on my door one morning asking about my vet. Being rather new to this situation, they had taken Rocco to a nearby clinic for his toe problem. That ultimately required three separate visits for various tests and an overnight stay for a grand total of $17,000. Okay, that’s shocking, but unfortunately it wasn’t the end of Rocco’s saga. His foot ultimately required several more rounds of testing and treatment and, at that point, the lady next door was asking for advice. I referred her to my vet and definitely did not mention the fact that interdigital cysts typically recur.

While I was processing that story, someone else called to tell me about a really good, affordable vet she had discovered right in the neighborhood. Skepticism was running high so I asked for some proof. She had just been there for her dog’s annual vaccinations and he only charged $25 per vaccination. Now that is exceedingly reasonable by today’s standards. Of course, the fee for an office visit is tacked on the bill. That’s normal, but what wasn’t normal was the fact that a single dose of combination DHLPP vaccine was billed separately, $25 for each component. Every Canine Chronicle reader undoubtedly has witnessed similar stories, so let’s get to the real issue. What the hell is going on with vet costs?

As recently reported in the Times, federal statistics reveal that veterinary costs have spiked by a whopping 60 percent. Although this has become more of a talking point since Covid, these basic costs have been steadily creeping up for the past decade.

Click here to read the complete article
90 – August, 2024

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