I’ve read a few reviews about the high cost of services of this clinic. Yet, the veterinarians’ reviews (especially Hollis) are 5 stars. This brought a few points to mind.
First, vet care is expensiv... Read More
I’ve read a few reviews about the high cost of services of this clinic. Yet, the veterinarians’ reviews (especially Hollis) are 5 stars. This brought a few points to mind.
First, vet care is expensive and can cause anxiety if not financially prepared. You may go in for a yearly exam that ends into a $1,000 appointment. I truly understand this anxiety and the heartache not being able to afford the best tests/treatment for your beloved pet.
Any type of medical service is expensive, especially in larger people hospitals. The comforting aspect of people seeking medical treatment is that we aren’t (usually) billed upon exam/treatment. We have the option of payment plans, insurance and programs that help financially. Unfortunately, this is not the case for vet clinics. I would hate for smaller vets to close because of overhead costs that creates larger hospitals.
Most vet clinics are privately owned or may have a few clinics. It rare or unheard of to see a larger vet clinic that would be a larger hospital size. The larger the place, the more they charge. For instance, I had an abdominal ultrasound done and it costed a little over $1,000. I received an estimate (from another vet) and an ultrasound was in the range of $145 to $350. As of now, the cost of an exam at Franksville Vet is $58 and can be reduced to $44, if you receive vaccinations. I called another vet and their price was $77.
In addition, looking at the overall cost of running a private clinic is expensive. Think about the health insurance, liability insurance, paying employees, mortgage/rent, paying labs to run tests, and taxes. Along with keeping up with modern equipment. These are just a few examples I came up with, I’m sure there’s more cost associated.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, an Veterinarians’ average pay is $88,770. Now this may seem a lot for some people, but the average cost of Veterinarian school is $147,000 to $250,000. And this is after they earned a Bachelors degree. I don’t want to imagine how much they pay for student loans. Now this may not be the case for everyone, I’m just generally speaking. As for Vet Techs, their average pay is $24,430 with school costing $2,995 to $5,430. There are only 8 to 9 hours in a day to see patients. My guess is majority of patients aren’t really sick, so they are there for an exam that costs $58. That’s not much money after they pay overall costs to keep the clinic afloat.
Another point I would like to make is the exceptional reviews with the veterinarians’ with how knowledgeable and personable they are. I took my dog in for a regular visit and some stuff was abnormal. I was on a budget and they worked within that budget to perform the most beneficial tests and used their extensive knowledge to rule out any insignificant diagnosis’. Personally, I would rather pay a bit more and have a knowledgeable veterinarian on my side than go to a cheaper clinic with not so knowledgeable veterinarian. I guess, you get what you pay for.
According to PetMD, the national average for an exam is $50 and theirs is $55. Please remember that this is a business. They care desperately for animals, but they still need to make a profit to pay the bills. Just like our area hospitals who treat us. I was at the vet yesterday with a scared older dog. The veterinarian got on the floor where my dog was at and preformed the exam. She worked with my dog to help calm her down, now that’s caring for animals. I’ve been to a vet that ripped my Italian Greyhound (scary cat) out of my arms to take in back for a procedure. Another vet gave her calming medicine and I held her until she was calm enough. Read Less