The high cost of top-quality veterinary care
By Gina Spadafori
May 15, 2008
Over on Dolittler, Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly is writing about the collision of desire in veterinary medicine: Many of us want innovative, cutting-edge veterinary care for our pets, but none of us like the cost of that care:
Though they chose not to realize it, even after my explanations, their complaints were not against the individual hospitals but against the veterinary medical establishment in general.
We all cheer when we read about the amazing new techniques in veterinary medicine: The heartwarming stories of successful brain tumor treatments, spinal surgeries and cancer survival thanks to new medications—not to mention more widespread innovations as simple as superior anesthetics, more effective flea preventatives, gentler heartworm treatment and revolutionary pain control regimens.
But we suffer when we’re asked to pay for it.
No doubt all of us here can attest to the benefits of modern veterinary medicine. No doubt all of us here understand the complexities involved in providing and paying for care better than most. And yet we all still harbor mixed feelings about veterinary medicine and its relentless drive to conquer animal disease—at any cost.
None of us wants to be in the unenviable position my two clients above found themselves in. Facing “pay up or put to sleep” is a horrible scenario. And yet it’s easy to forget that twenty years ago the chances of survival for either of these cases would have been next to nil.
Interesting read. Personally, I am very much in favor of having all options available, but I do think people need to consider that pursuing them isn’t always in a pet’s best interest. I feel that way about human medicine, by the way, which is why my own legal health directive asks that those empowered to make decisions for me if I cannot make them for myself not keep me alive just for the sake of doing so.
For my pets, if there’s a reasonable expectation that choosing a particular option, no matter the price, will maintain or restore quality of life, then it’s a go, and I’ll find a way to pay. But I always ask myself: Am I doing this for my pet, or for myself because I love my pet and don’t want to let go?
Hmm, to cite an example from the original article, I think a $6,000 (masterful) repair of a congenital heart defect is definetly in the pet’s best interest. I’m assuming that sort of thing comes with a full recovery and probably quality of life better than any point pre-surgery.
The question to me (and I wonder this most often in relation to shelters and rescue organizations, but it pertains to personal pets too) is what else could that $6,000 have been spent on? A better brand of food, A better trainer/groomer/dogsitter, a safer car, an apartment that lets you have a second foster, a house with a bigger yard, a week of vacation to actually spend with your animals?
Everything is a trade-off, even if it does help the animal in the immediate sense.
Comment by ellipsisknits — May 15, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Three weeks ago today we said goodbye to my Harry—2 1/2 y/o golden retriever. At age 16 months, when we discovered a very aggressive sarcoma, we decided that due to his young age we wanted to give him a change at a longer life so we chose to make the financial commitment and treat him aggressively which fortunately had little side effects. However when it returned in January of this year, we chose comfort measures as we knew that with such a very slim chance of remission, it was better to make his last days the best we could… and we did!
Comment by Carol V — May 15, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
The good pain meds Vets prescribe now are the best benefit to me. And the fact that Vets DO prescribe pain meds now. Not so long ago, the attitude that I most encountered was that pets do not require pain meds. But having had multiple surgeries on pets w/out post op pain relief in the past and comparing it to the modern day recovery WITH pain meds, it sure seems to make a difference!
Comment by slt — May 15, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
There have been some tremendous advances in veterinary medicine. Today, some procedures are almost routine, where they would have been rarely available in the past. R&D costs money.
I live in Canada where we have socialized medicine. People think healthcare is free - and it isn’t. I like to point out to people who think $3,000 for a double cruciate repair is expensive that a simple knee replacement for a human costs around $15,000 and a coronary bypass is around $100,000. Veterinary medicine is much more reasonable than that - it’s just that you have to actually pay for it (haven’t tried any of the pet insurance schemes, so I don’t know if they are good and what they cover).
I fully agree with you about putting dogs and other pets through heroic and radical procedures. I’m against it. Unless it’s something treatable with meds or snippable by a good surgeon, I refuse to drag my pets through extended, difficult medical procedures. I owe them more than that.
Hell, I avoid doctors myself and usually check in every decade or so. My ‘doctor’ called me a couple of months ago to see if I was OK, hadn’t seen her in 8 years LOL. I’m fine, by the way. My pets get frequent routine and necessary visits, only because they can’t make those kinds of decisions for themselves. I never balk at the bills because I’ve been fortunate in having outstanding care for my little loved ones.
Comment by Caveat — May 15, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
This post reminds me of Christy Keith’s article for the SF paper regarding her journey with her young dog who ultimately died of kidney failure after thousands of dollars of care… I am blessed that vet bills do not present a financial hardship for me and so far I have rolled the dice and made the right choices for me and my dog. I am grateful that there are choices.
Comment by Shopgirl — May 16, 2008 @ 6:29 am
I bought Vetinsurance when my pets were all young. I’m Canadian as well, I agree with Caveat that understanding the high costs is difficult for most people, but compared to human medicine, it’s a small fraction of the cost.Vetinsurance has covered everything I’ve claimed (over $3000), so I’m happy with the company and I’m also happy that I don’t need to make decisions based on finances, only on the well-being of my pets.
Comment by lovinpets — May 16, 2008 @ 7:20 am
I am glad that the veterinarian schools are doing research.
Not only am I glad that I have more choices in having my animals survive longer, what is learned at the vet school can be applied to human ailments as well sometimes.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 16, 2008 @ 7:27 am