Vets and Payment Plans for Injured or Sickly Dogs

[Bubalouie]

I agree Snarf, people should put a little away for emergencies but unfortunately some people just can't do that because of circumstances that may have come up since they were in the "good" so to speak.....life happens and things change and a lot are living paycheck to paycheck if not worse............

[devilsadvocate]

If you get a family pet and you KNOW you wouldn't be able to afford a large, emergency vet bill you need to be accepting of the fact that you MAY need to euthanize your pet should a situation like this arise. The reality is, veterinarians are highly trained professionals who not only have the welfare of animals to worry about, but the cost of running a business through tough economic times. If you are worried about your pet's welfare should an emergency arise insure your pet, have a savings account or an emergency credit card.

If people truly understood what it must cost to run a veterinary hospital (let alone get through 6 years of schooling first!) they would be less critical of veterinarians and their fees. First of all, the BCVMA sets guidelines for what veterinarians are supposed to charge for their services and products. Most clinics, if you look into it are at or below guidelines on all or most services and mark ups. Also, one must understand that small vet clinics are not going to get the same volume discount as your local Walmart pharmacy on prescription drugs. To boot, many drug companies have the market cornered on certain drugs as veterinary specific drugs, or drugs that have not had the time to become available as generics. Secondly, veterinary hospitals have to provide to their clients a pharmacy, radiology, a surgical facility, in most cases an in hospital lab for blood and urine analysis as well as any other diagnostic services clients seem to be demanding of these days. CT scanners, endoscopes etc... can you possibly imagine what the cost to purchase and upkeep this equipment costs? Add, exam rooms, kennels, stock room, staff room and front reception... rent in this city is not cheap if you have ever looked into it. Then add support staff, inspections (yes, these facilities get inspected regularly and are expected to keep certain standards AND pay for these inspections), power, gas, phones, office supplies, INSURANCE not only for your facility but for the staff. Licensing fees, services from crematoriums, outside lab services, sterilization equipment, anesthetic equipment... I'm sure I am missing a lot, I'm sure someone who works at a veterinary facility can help me out here....

In a situation like this, the veterinarian has also undergone extensive training BEYOND that first 6 years to be available to provide specialty surgery like this. The clinic also has to have the proper equipment in the hospital to provide this service = more $$$.

So, keeping all of this in mind, do you not think that most veterinary hospitals and their staff would prefer to spend their time helping the animals that they can rather than chasing after those that skip out on their bill? Collections gets you NOTHING. Most business owners know that. And the truth of the matter is that clients who promise to pay their bill can easily walk away from it leaving the business owner at a loss. If the bank won't give someone a loan, why should a veterinarian provide that service? It is not their job or responsibility.

You can't walk into a grocery store and say "My children will starve if you don't give me some food and let me pay you next week." That would not fly. The SPCA has a fund to help these pets in situations like this. It is called the Biscuit Fund. But if you call them and ask - it is EMPTY. SO... all of the people that say that there should be a fund to help these pets, there is one, so GO DONATE TO IT!

There is also the option of Petcard (petcard.ca) to help finance emergency procedures. You can apply online and get almost instant approval in an emergency.

[skidlips]

They do it for vehicles because the shop has some sort of collateral to collect and a way to trace it through license plates, names and addresses. It would be a good idea for animals but I think it would be a touch risky on the financial side for a vet clinic, realistically you can't repo an animal can you?

[Imagination]

I think somewhere in these threads we were told the owner of the pit is out of work and hasn't any money. Blood from a stone. So no options there no matter whether it was his dog's fault or not (and apparently there is no way to know as apparently no one saw what happened...pit bulls aren't always to blame as little dogs aren't always the innocent, so it's not safe to assume it was an unwarranted attack or something where both would not be responsible and I say that because at some point I feel both owners should have had an eye on their dogs). Blame right now doesn't help when a dog is suffering due to being unable to get treatment.

As far as vets I am not buying a lot of the excuses for the overcharging and gouging some use. I have been lucky enough to have had a vet who made a great living, had a huge client base, and never gouged anyone to achieve that success. He charged significantly less than other vets in the area who were whining about needing to make money while they discouraged people from coming to them simply because they did over charge and could not be trusted to not try and oversell. That is a big issue to people who don't want to pay for unnecessary tests, treatments, or other things when it's all at the cost of their pet. They don't like being regarded as a wallet vs a concerned pet owner when they arrive in a vet's office but it sure happens.

I've heard of vets selling heartworm prevention (using all the guilt and manipulation they could muster) in areas where there is no hearworm, telling owners they needed a 12 month supply (in Canada?!) get serious. Gouging. I've had vets decide a dog with a simple urinary tract infection needed an ultrasound and other expensive kidney tests when it was nothing but a cash grab and had nothing to do with the problem at hand. I've had vets tell me that for a mere $3000 - $4000 I could have my dog undergo cancer surgery and treatment when in fact the dog was terminal and would have suffered out her last months in pain and stress from useless treatments and surgery just to fill a wallet. No heart for the quality of life when a wallet was waiting to be emptied, and thank heavens my vet pointed out what was most merciful and instead of collecting the money opted for going without all for the sake of my dog.

I've had with vets who use their business and expenses to justify extra treatments and such just to fill their wallets. The good ones don't use that as an excuse. They do what is humane and necessary for the sake of the animal and they make their money by building that trust and loyalty where a person knows they are being treated fairly while their animals get the best of care. There are reasons prices vary so wildly and it's often the best way to spot the gougers. They don't have more training or better equipment (although they may have nicer offices and pictures on their walls which someone is paying for) usually, but they will sure try and sell you on their superior services vs just admitting they going for the bottom line first.

In some cities there are huge syndicates trying to take over all the vet offices so they can set higher prices and too bad if pets and pet owners suffer. They are after the cash not caring for pets. They go against the very grain of being in a helping profession. We can't buy their bull when they talk about expenses and setting rates as it's just a cash grab and no more ethical than their guilt trips and manipulative treatment of clients.

Those independent vets who are in the business for the right reasons can make their money by the clientèle they end up building and their reputations keep those folks signing up. Their offices are busy and the animals, owners, and vets benefit. No excuses, you pay a reasonable price for what you need not what someone wants to sell to make more money. It's all based on maintaining health - first and foremost.

I don't know what to say as far as ensuring vets are not taken advantage of but when it comes to an animal that is suffering I can't imagine those vets who are not primarily money focused, not at least treating and then maybe holding the animal until payment was made. Certainly if someone is already their client they have some sense of whether they can be trusted to pay or not before an emergency as there is a history established. To turn an existing client away when they have a good record is beyond belief to me. To turn a suffering animal away without at least offering to euthanize or administer pain killers until financing can be found (not saying that happened in this case but it has in others which are in the media) is unforgivable to me.

I wish there was an easy answer but here's hoping there is a way to some solution that works for everyone. For sure vets who overcharge and have lost the essence of why they became vets in the first place are as bad as owners who don't anticipate just what might come up when it comes to the expenses and responsibilities of having a pet. Unfortunately those of us who love animals have to cast those issues aside and deal with what is important at the moment and that is an animal suffering somewhere because the humans are stuck on money for one reason or another.

[watchkat]

Thank you Fancy for the update. Perhaps someone can advise the outcome and also who the Vet is.

I just came upon this forum article and can relate to the differences in Vets. I can tell and show the bills for two in the Westbank area that have lost the spirit. In one case the cat was ten years old and I was told during other treatment that he needed to have his teeth cleaned and of course that meant putting him out and hundreds of dollars. I couldn't see any decay and couldn't afford it at the time.

Two years ago, after a change of vets to a WONDERFUL VET CLINIC in Summerland, the cat had been attacked while sleeping in a basket on the deep freeze, he had an abcess. The examination, antibiotics, draining of the abcess, flushing the abcess week, the bill was as I recall just over one hundred dollars! During the examination, the female vet flicked something out of the cat's mouth, It hit the table and I asked what it was (thinking a broken tooth). She remarked that it was just tartar and that his mouth was in great shape. So five years after the vet in Westbank had stated he should be put out and have his teeth cleaned, the Summerland vet popped a piece of tartar off and said his teeth were fine.

I must also add that when I commented about a particularly large increase a service done regularly at the Westbank vet, the comment was pleasant and with a smile. "We have to pay for our golf memberships you know" big grin. (That might be true, but don't rub it in when I am scratching to help my pet!)

The experience with yet another vet,,,,,,,took one year to complete for my daughter's cat. In the end they insisted the 61.00 a day for hydration and iv were necessary and we could save the poor thing with injections of fluids daily. NO cure! Total bill was over $1,000. for the year which my daughter worked to pay while going to high school. The crunch was they knew it was a replacement cat for a personal tragedy in her life and even the medication was 21.00 for 5ml every 30 days and I discovered a sympathetic pharmacist that opened an account and sold it to us (it was a human steroid medication used for toxoplasmosis in cats) for 18.00 for 10ml. There was no sympathy from the vet. The disease and treatment was experimental and I happened in about 6 months into treatment to show them the results of the medication. It was being reported to a medical company and so I thought I was helping them. Guess what! He charged me for the visit!!!!

Thank heavens I found a vet in Summerland Veterinary Clinic with a conscience.