Pets today are just like us. They ask for a birthday cake, day and rubber boots to wear in the snow. Health care is also becoming more human – for better and for worse.
Decades ago, animal care was relatively rudimentary. Veterinarians usually have their own clinics, and the options for treating sick or injured animals are limited. Today, animal hospitals are equipped with expensive magnetic resonance imaging machines, around-the-clock critical care units and teams of cancer, cardiology and neurology specialists. For pets and people who love them, progress is welcome.
But as animal health care has changed to be more like ours, it has also solved some of the problems of the human system, including the biggest one: cost. The price of veterinary care has risen more than 60 percent over the past decade, outstripping inflation. Private equity firms have acquired hundreds of independent clinics, in a trend that resembles the corporate roll-up of doctors’ offices. Veterinarians across the country say they’re worried this will change the way they practice, as they come under increasing pressure to push for expensive treatments and offer more tests.
The changing landscape means that even though veterinarians can do more for dogs and cats than ever before, pet owners face tough decisions about whether they can afford the care. (Read more in our story on the topic.)
Changes in the industry
About a quarter of primary care clinics and three-quarters of specialty clinics are owned by companies, according to Brakke Consulting, which focuses on the animal health industry. Sometimes, corporate ownership is unclear: Many private equity firms don’t change the name of a vet clinic when they take it over.
Most veterinarians are paid, at least in part, based on the amount of money they bring into their practice, be it by ordering tests, selling prescription dog food or performing procedures. One vet said he quit his job after he was told his “cost per client” was too low; others said she was told she needed to see 21 animals a day, about half a dozen more than her current workload.
Other veterinarians say the pressure has no effect on the care they provide. In the interview, he said that he bears the complaints of the pet owners, although it has nothing to do with setting the price. Veterinarians make less money than doctors for humans, and also often have debts from years of education. Prices rose in part due to rising costs of drugs, vaccines and other supplies, as well as workers’ wages in a tight labor market.
One of the veterinarians I interviewed, Dr. Pam Nichols of South Jordan, Utah, has seen the transformation. When he started in the 1990s, he said he used to sneak dachshunds into humane hospitals where his father was a radiologist to give them MRI scans. If the dog needs surgery, the bill is about $2,000. Now, he said, that same dog might get an MRI and a CT scan, and might be operated on by a specialist assisted by a few nurses. The cost can reach $10,000.
The choice is difficult for the owner
Veterinary care differs from human health care in a big way: Most pet owners pay out of pocket — and in full — before leaving the vet’s office. While pet insurance is available, only a small percentage of pet owners have it.
A generation ago, owners of seriously ill animals may have had no choice but to opt for euthanasia if they wanted to alleviate their animal’s suffering. Now, they must choose between prolonging the animal’s life and incurring potentially devastating debt, or letting the animal die. I spoke with several pet owners who were still paying off credit card debt years after their pets died. And animal welfare groups say owners often drop their pets off at shelters because they can’t afford veterinary bills.
But for many people, the sacrifice is worth it. This is what happened to Claire Kirsch, who was earning less than $10 an hour as a veterinary technician in Georgia when her own dog, Roscoe, and her horse, Gambit, each had medical emergencies, resulting in bills of more than $13,000. These animals will die if they do not choose additional treatment. She took a higher-paying job, maxed out her credit card and tapped her husband’s retirement account to pay off debt.
“I know I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t try,” he said.
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2024 election
WEEKLY DEBATE
Is Louisiana’s Ten Commandment law a religious establishment?
yes already. The mandate that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools makes it similar to documents like the Declaration of Independence. It is considered a “historical document, defaming the faith, misrepresenting the origins of the scriptures and violating the Constitution,” Eli Federman wrote for CNN.
Not. The Ten Commandments offer values and edicts that are universal across religions and faiths. “The ban on murder, theft and false accusations is hardly a controversial ‘religious’ idea,” writes Miranda Turner for Patheos, a religious news site.
From the opinion
A year after missing out on the 2016 Olympics, Charlotte Drury photos taken of trampolinists of faith to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
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There is no physical evidence linking the Missouri inmate to the crime that led to his death. The governor must pardon to save his life, David France write.
Hidden savings: Experts say you shouldn’t keep money a secret from your loved ones.
Who laughs: The film from Thailand, “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies,” has been a hit across the region.
oath: Their wedding was a music festival.
Live Live: Ron Simons left a career in technology and became a successful Broadway producer, winning four Tonys. Their mission: to create a production about an underrepresented community. He died at the age of 63.
THE INTERVIEW
This week’s topic for The Interview is Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who is the chairman of Biden’s campaign. We talked about her new book, “True Gretch,” her hopes for fellow Gen X politicians and President Biden’s challenge in this election.
Something you write a lot about in the book is the power of messaging. In 2017 and 2018, your slogan is “Fix the broken road.” I learned a lot about Michigan roads reading your book. (Laughs.) But my editor had to Google to find out what Biden’s slogan is, and it’s “Finish the job,” which I have to say is not much of a humdinger. I was wondering if you had any more clear ideas, because you seem to be good at this. And now national Democrats are really struggling with messaging about where the party is.
The national message is always a challenge. Washington, DC, is too far removed from the average person’s life to conceptualize what a $3 trillion investment in onshoring supply chains for everyday life is almost incomprehensible. That’s why I’ve always learned, when you show up and ask people, they’ll tell you what they want. “Fixing broken roads” is not something that is poll tested or focus grouped. It was just conversation after conversation. What should you do if I am selected? Repair damaged roads.
It’s ironic because President Biden passed the infrastructure bill. They is repair damaged roads. And the bridge! And the internet!
True, but he doesn’t get the credit. Do you think that? For the same reason. I think the pandemic has taken its toll. People are stressed. They’re just trying to pay the grocery bill, get the kids to school, show up to work and maybe even sleep at night. They don’t consume everything. They cannot understand what the CHIPS Act means. So we need to tell that story better.
Read the rest of the interview here.
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE
Click the cover image above to read this week’s magazine.
BOOK
“No Ethan”: Reading Anna Akbari’s memoir about online manipulation, you think you’ve seen it all – and then you keep reading.
A reader has requested another recipe with chicken breasts, not thighs. Emily Weinstein has a few for this week: honey garlic chicken, chicken piccata and green masala chicken, to name a few.
