Rising cost of vet visits has many pet owners feeling strain
BOCA RATON - Rising costs at vet offices are affecting pet owners and rescue groups and corporate ownership of vet practices is contributing to higher prices, impacting pet care and adoptions.
If it has a tail that wags, chances are Kat Kreuzburg is holding the leash. She has ten dogs and has been a pet sitter for 22 years.
When her dog Poker was having trouble breathing, she took him to an emergency veterinarian center. It was a visit she can't forget.
"They charged me a thousand dollars for an x-ray and blood work and he didn't make it. So, they charged me a thousand dollars to put him down and cremation," she said.
She isn't alone. The rising cost of vet visits has many pet owners feeling the strain.
It's even affecting rescue groups.
"We have had to do extra fundraisers to pay for medications and prescription diets," said Kara Starzyk, shelter manager for Abandoned Pet Rescue.
She has seen pet owners who've given up their animals because they simply can't afford them and that's not all.
"It's affecting adoptions now, because of the cost of taking care of a pet. So, adoptions are down while the number of people surrendering is going up," she said.
So, what's making your vet bills go up?
Some of it comes down to ownership.
A big company may be running Your local vet office. Private corporations have been snapping up vet practices and that sometimes comes at a price. For instance, Mars, the candy company, now operates over 200 vet practices nationally under familiar names such as Banfield, VCA and Blue Pearl.
"I find corporate practices have to sometimes charge more," said Dr. Marta Lista, who has owned Trail Animal Hospital in Miami for 16 years.
"Pet care isn't what it was 10 years ago, even 5 years ago," she said.
Dr. Lista said operating a vet practice fully equipped with the latest technology and adequate staff is costly and subject to inflation as any business.
Pet owners benefit from the ability to get instant blood work to ultrasounds and new medication but all of that comes at a price.
For many vet workers. it is a labor of love. "Most employees at an animal hospital are making 17 dollars an hour or less, so it's not high paying," added Dr. Lista.
We asked Dr Lista her view on pet insurance, which can run $1,000 a year.
"The best time to get pet insurance is when they are young," she added.
What can pet parents do to minimize costs?
"Pet parents can ask about the costs. Also, check two or three vet offices and then meet them," said Lista.