Sticker shock at the vet's office

Kim Campbell Thornton • E-mail

If you’ve taken your dog or cat to the veterinarian lately, you may have suffered sticker shock when presented with the bill.

I know I did recently when it cost $172 for my dog’s ear mites: $45 for the office visit, $30 to have the crud in her ears looked at microscopically, $28 to have the vet tech clean out and medicate the ears, and $23 for the medication — plus another $46 in medication for the two dogs at home (ear mites are highly contagious). And my veterinarian runs one of the more moderately priced clinics here in the greater Los Angeles area.

Like everything these days, the cost of veterinary care has increased, fueled not only by rising costs for education (most young veterinarians enter practice with $100,000 or more in student loan debt), land, construction, drugs and staff salaries, but also by improvements in technology and the greater number of procedures that veterinarians can offer. From chemotherapy to MRIs, pets can now receive a level of care comparable to that available to people — and at a fraction of the cost, no matter how much your eyes may bulge when you see the bill.

One of the reasons veterinary expenses may seem high is because people often have health insurance to help defray their own health care costs. If you go to the doctor for strep throat and you have health insurance, you may pay only $10 for the doctor visit and $15 for the medicine to treat it. Without insurance, your cost might be $175 for the doctor visit and $125 for antibiotics.

Is pet health insurance a good buy?
Pet health insurance has been available for many years, but nationwide only about 5 percent of pet owners carry it. Most people can afford the routine costs of pet veterinary care, such as annual exams, vaccinations, one-time spay/neuter surgery, and the occasional ear or urinary tract infection.

It’s when a dog or cat is diagnosed with a serious and costly condition such as cancer or severe hip dysplasia (in which the head of the femur doesn't fit snugly into the hip socket, causing inflammation and sometimes severe arthritis) that requires hip replacement surgery that costs can soar into the thousands of dollars. Even something as relatively simple as a dental cleaning and removing a few teeth can cost up to $850 when you take into account anesthesia, safety monitoring during surgery, and pain meds during and after.

Having pet health insurance can mean the difference between life-saving treatment and the heart-wrenching decision to euthanize a pet because treatment is unaffordable. “Vets hate the ‘it’s-cheaper-to-kill-it-than-treat-it’ dilemma,” says Joanne Howl, a veterinarian in West River, Md.

Nonetheless, pet owners and even some veterinarians have mixed feelings about pet health insurance. Jo Helms of Fox Valley, Wis., has had insurance on her dog Kodi since he was a puppy and describes herself as thrilled with the coverage, especially after having had to pay for the cancer treatment of her Siberian Husky, Grizz, without the benefit of insurance.

MORE FROM CREATURE COMFORTS

Creature Comforts Section Front

Scratching? Your pet could have allergies Life in dog years: More pets living longer Putty in their paws: Why we do what cats want No-kill shelter nation? Maybe in 5 years Raw deal? Some feed their pets uncooked diet Is ‘people food’ ever OK? 7 pet myths Grrr! When your pet hates your partner Stressed over a test? Pet your pooch Help your pets avoid holiday hazards Pet owners skipping vet visits as economy sinks Creature Comforts Section Front   Add Creature Comforts headlines to your news reader: