Tips for saving money on high vet bills
NEW YORK - People will do anything for their pets, but some owners are saying the costs at the vet are now outrageously high.
"It's gotten extremely high," dog owner Taylor Calvoni said. "I had to take her out of state to get her spayed because it was $2,500 just to get her spayed."
Calvoni's previous dog Jackie Brown was 13 when she spent two overnights in an animal hospital before dying. He was billed $7,000.
"You get this whopping bill," Calvoni said. "Again, you just go, say, go ahead, say, do it all, because you're just trying to make them better. You're not thinking."
In New Jersey, ferrets are legal to own as pets - they've been banned in New York City since 1999. Ferret owner Claudio Roussillon of Hackensack took Milo, a 5-year-old rescue ferret , to the animal hospital for a viral infection and dehydration. The treatment cost him close to $5,000.
"He's expensive 'cause he's an exotic pet," Roussillon said. "He's my baby. I don't know, I spend the money I don't have."
Why vets are so expensive now and tips to save
So why has veterinary care become so expensive?
"There's a tremendous veterinary shortage right now," Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA, said. "Eighty percent of veterinarians are graduating with student loan debt, and that can be quite significant. And it can, in many instances, be larger than the first-year salary."
Animal care experts say in order to lower costs over time:
- Get annual pet exams to catch things early
- Beware of human food for pets
- Avoid leaving pets outside unattended, where they eat bad things, including rat poison
Bershadker suggest pet owners shop around and seek out nonprofits.
"You're going to want to understand where the ASPCA clinics are and where other nonprofit clinics are the current provided you with the services that you need," he said.
Pet owners say while they look for ways to bring down costs they will not compromise the care of their pets.
ANCHOR TAG: you saw the ferret in that story, just remember ferrets are not allowed in homes as pets in New York City. They were banned in the city back in 1999.
