Vets turning away patients who can't pay up front

[marc999]

This is part of the reason why I stopped working for vets and didn't finish my tech certification.

I worked for quite a few vets who cared little for the animals. I assume they were in it for the money- with the horrible attitudes I saw, it is the only thing that makes sense. Or they were burnt out. Although that is hard to imagine with some of them, because most were pretty young. It was so sad. One vet I was assisting during a cat spay was suturing the poor girl so fast, her back was coming up off the table. I felt like he wanted me to be timing him with a stopwatch. That was my last day there.

The reason I worked for so many different vets was because if was unhappy with the way they treated the pets and owners, I left. Eventually, I gave up entirely.

Most of the bad experiences I had were at the large, multi-vet practices that have become popular over the last ten years. Of course, not all large practices are going to be uncaring. I personally have had better luck, both professionally and as a client, at single vet practices.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with shopping around for a vet. You and your pet should be totally comfortable with the vet's manner, expertise and even how they charge. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right vet, but it is so worth it when you do. I wish you the best of luck finding the perfect match for you and your babies

Thanks for sharing your 1st hand experience. 

In my case, I'm already browsing around for another Vet., not just due to the rates, but due to a couple of issues.

(1) Gave my adult cat a vaccination booster (FVCRP) a month after he'd already received one, at the shelter.

Mind you, this was per shelter instructions that I was sent home with, and so I followed the instructions and went to the Vet.    I get the idea, the instructions are the same for all cats from the shelter, regardless of the age of the cat.  Nevertheless, you'd think a Vet. would have told me, if it was not necessary. 

(2) Not able to speak in layman's terms, or not willing to, who knows.

(3) Unsatisfactory rates - not quite in line with other clinics in the local area. 

In summary, it's a business and I'm going to shop around as an astute customer and not let them pull the wool (or fur) over my eyes, so to speak

The Vet is nice enough, but that's not going to cut it. 

 

[oneandahalfcats]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Happy Bird. It must have been very challenging to witness some of the things you did, and maintain your cool in not saying anything while you carried out your training, but there are limits to this and you obviously reached them.

Personally, I have switched vets three times in the last 13 years. I won't go into a lot of detail but suffice it to say that the attitude or lack of the right attitude was at the core of my decision. In one case, a difference of opinion on treatment was also part of the reason for taking my cats elsewhere. The last switch was due to the manner in which this vet was handling my cat, and just his lack of understanding and sensitivity towards my cat when he was acting out after being poked and prodded. If vets can't understand how animals are only reacting to the way they are being handled or as the result of the treatments they are receiving, and cannot respond to this with understanding and self-control while applying techniques to protect themselves, then they shouldn't be working on animals.

I think the importance of finding a new vet who has lots of experience with or specializes in cats, can't be understated.  

@Marc99: Unfortunately I think the standard, especially if you are adopting a shelter cat with unknown vaccination history, is adult cats are required to receive a FVRCP vaccination, plus a booster. Two of my cats were adoptions and received this as well. Thomas our stray also received the initial FVCRP vaccine and booster, but I have stopped any further boosters.

 

[reba]

I have mixed feelings about this.  I just got back from the emergency vet and when I was going in two young women showed up in a cab.  Their dog, who apparently had puppies, had been in all night and they were picking her up.  That's a $1,000 bill minimum.  These girls can't afford a car, how they are going to afford that vet bill???  The emergency clinic, BTW, requires 50% payment up front.

One also wonders whether the principal of informed consent requires vets to offer everyone the best of all possible services.  IOW, is it ethically lazy to dangle thousands of dollars in vet care in front of a man who who clearly lives on a fixed income?  If you're going to insist on payment up front then the only informed consent this man can really make is the to let his pet cross the rainbow bridge peacefully.  Yes you're taking the risk that he could afford it, but you can't hide behind that when it might be true less than 1% of the time.  In fact, maybe catastrophic care planning should be part of the service vets offer when they first take on an any animal as a patient.  The less we read about these Sophie's choice scenarios the better.

 

[happybird]

I think the importance of finding a new vet who has lots of experience with or specializes in cats, can't be understated.  

I totally agree. We use a cats only vet (when my sister in law is unavailable) and she is fantastic with my kitties. It is nice to see my cats being loved on and complimented while they get their check ups. It is hard to believe, but there are many vets who are not 'cat people' and I think the cats pick up on their discomfort or distaste. Plus, it is nice to not have to worry about dogs in the waiting room stressing out my cats.

 

[nerdrock]

 
Nerdrock -
  
I understand your points, but we just come things from divergent perspectives. I doubt we're ever going to convince each other, but that's OK.
  
Just one clarification - I don't know where you live, but in our state the law states that a vet must give a patient an Rx to take the pharmacy of their choice. So once it is prescribed, it is up to the customer where to have the prescription filled. 
  
From what you wrote I am guessing that law does not exist where you live?

Totally fine - different perspectives and people get jaded I did a lot of rescue work before getting into the veterinary field, so I have experience with both and there are definitely flaws in both systems. Ideally, all groups and vets would be able to come to some sort of understanding, but unfortunately I highly doubt that will ever happen. Same with people - I know people that go to a clinic that I used to go to that are thrilled with the care they get there while I was completely unhappy. It has to be a relationship with mutual respect and understanding, that doesn't always happen with the first vet you choose. I went through 5 different clinics before I found one that I was happy with, then switched a few years later because I started working at a clinic. 

I do live in a different country, I'm not entirely sure on the law here (whether you have to script out or not). I would assume that it's up to the doctor since a lot don't here. 

You know vets use to be like Drs without boarders, who do it for the love and not the money. They've expanded their business because of greed. There's enough vets out there but they want all the pet parents to only depend on them for business so much more money. Now my holistic vet is awesome. I just love her. She's not a money hungry vet. She gave me 6 morphine shots for our baby girl for the price of one shot my other vet charges. I noticed when I got home. I even called her and said, " I think I owe you. I think there was a mistake". She said ,"no you paid the right amount". At my regular vet it would of cost 150 more.

There is a program called Vets Without Borders, a lot of vets participate in it. CE programs also cost quite a bit as well, something that many people don't consider. These are mandatory and you have to do a certain number of them per year depending on your position/registration. Many of them are in other cities/provinces/states/countries so they cost quite a bit and while they are a tax write off, you still have to pay for that cost. Just something else to consider.

SarahD my point exactly. My baby was just diagnosed
diabetic. 240 for the insulin alone. 180 for the vet visit and 25 for the syringes. I believe Drs should be paid but they will price themselves so high that only a few will be able to afford a pet. So sad.

That is extremely high for insulin... which type is it and what size bottle? Same with the syringes, how many did you get? Usually with insulin syringes you can use them a couple of times. 

This is part of the reason why I stopped working for vets and didn't finish my tech certification.

I worked for quite a few vets who cared little for the animals. I assume they were in it for the money- with the horrible attitudes I saw, it is the only thing that makes sense. Or they were burnt out. Although that is hard to imagine with some of them, because most were pretty young. It was so sad. One vet I was assisting during a cat spay was suturing the poor girl so fast, her back was coming up off the table. I felt like he wanted me to be timing him with a stopwatch. That was my last day there.

The reason I worked for so many different vets was because if was unhappy with the way they treated the pets and owners, I left. Eventually, I gave up entirely.

Most of the bad experiences I had were at the large, multi-vet practices that have become popular over the last ten years. Of course, not all large practices are going to be uncaring. I personally have had better luck, both professionally and as a client, at single vet practices.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with shopping around for a vet. You and your pet should be totally comfortable with the vet's manner, expertise and even how they charge. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right vet, but it is so worth it when you do. I wish you the best of luck finding the perfect match for you and your babies

Young vets can definitely burn out quickly, especially if they are in an emergency setting where they are dealing with the bad stuff all the time and don't get the good things. Large practices seem to be more susceptible to burn out as well - they're generally fast paced and everything is timed to maximize both the staffing and profitability. Low cost clinics are usually this way as well.  

I agree the single vets are so much better. They're not money hungry. I would seriously loose my mind if they treated my babies like that and I knew it.
I was at the E.R. with my baby for stomatitis a couple of weeks ago. They took her in the back and I told them she's hurting bad don't look in her mouth.
Well I heard her SCREAM! I opened the door, stepped in and told them she screams again I'm coming back. So they gave her a pain shot, brought her to me and waited for it to take effect and then proceeded to examine her with me there.Anyone who knows stomatitis knows it's excruciating.

I'm not saying your cat wasn't in pain because it definitely sounds like she was. I just wanted to point out that animals will often scream just when we touch them whether they're in pain or not. Sometimes it's startling them accidentally, sometimes we have to give them an injection that stings, other times they really just hate what we're doing (nail trim, sq fluids, etc) and make a lot of fuss. 

 
Thanks for sharing your 1st hand experience. 

In my case, I'm already browsing around for another Vet., not just due to the rates, but due to a couple of issues.

(1) Gave my adult cat a vaccination booster (FVCRP) a month after he'd already received one, at the shelter.

Mind you, this was per shelter instructions that I was sent home with, and so I followed the instructions and went to the Vet.    I get the idea, the instructions are the same for all cats from the shelter, regardless of the age of the cat.  Nevertheless, you'd think a Vet. would have told me, if it was not necessary. 

(2) Not able to speak in layman's terms, or not willing to, who knows.

(3) Unsatisfactory rates - not quite in line with other clinics in the local area. 

In summary, it's a business and I'm going to shop around as an astute customer and not let them pull the wool (or fur) over my eyes, so to speak

The Vet is nice enough, but that's not going to cut it. 

As someone else mentioned FVRCP was probably done as a booster. With cats (and dogs) with an unknown vaccine history, we booster a month after the same as a kitten or puppy. 

 

[jodiethierry64]

Totally fine - different perspectives and people get jaded I did a lot of rescue work before getting into the veterinary field, so I have experience with both and there are definitely flaws in both systems. Ideally, all groups and vets would be able to come to some sort of understanding, but unfortunately I highly doubt that will ever happen. Same with people - I know people that go to a clinic that I used to go to that are thrilled with the care they get there while I was completely unhappy. It has to be a relationship with mutual respect and understanding, that doesn't always happen with the first vet you choose. I went through 5 different clinics before I found one that I was happy with, then switched a few years later because I started working at a clinic. 

I do live in a different country, I'm not entirely sure on the law here (whether you have to script out or not). I would assume that it's up to the doctor since a lot don't here. 

There is a program called Vets Without Borders, a lot of vets participate in it. CE programs also cost quite a bit as well, something that many people don't consider. These are mandatory and you have to do a certain number of them per year depending on your position/registration. Many of them are in other cities/provinces/states/countries so they cost quite a bit and while they are a tax write off, you still have to pay for that cost. Just something else to consider.


That is extremely high for insulin... which type is it and what size bottle? Same with the syringes, how many did you get? Usually with insulin syringes you can use them a couple of times. 


Young vets can definitely burn out quickly, especially if they are in an emergency setting where they are dealing with the bad stuff all the time and don't get the good things. Large practices seem to be more susceptible to burn out as well - they're generally fast paced and everything is timed to maximize both the staffing and profitability. Low cost clinics are usually this way as well.  


I'm not saying your cat wasn't in pain because it definitely sounds like she was. I just wanted to point out that animals will often scream just when we touch them whether they're in pain or not. Sometimes it's startling them accidentally, sometimes we have to give them an injection that stings, other times they really just hate what we're doing (nail trim, sq fluids, etc) and make a lot of fuss. 


As someone else mentioned FVRCP was probably done as a booster. With cats (and dogs) with an unknown vaccine history, we booster a month after the same as a kitten or puppy. 

Hi Nerdrock, my kitty is on Lantus. It's the usual 10 ml size. The syringes are 100 a box.
As far as my stomatitis kitty she WAS is extreme pain. She couldn't even swallow her on saliva.

 

[cocheezie]

Hi Nerdrock, my kitty is on Lantus. It's the usual 10 ml size. The syringes are 100 a box.
As far as my stomatitis kitty she WAS is extreme pain. She couldn't even swallow her on saliva.

My vet was charging me around $40CDN for 10 ml of lantus which would last 3+weeks. Now I buy 5x10ml at my local pharmacy (and it's not even a chain) for $109CDN. I think Lantus costs more in the US though. Syringes $35 at the vet, but I buy them because my pharmacy does not carry that brand. Am looking in town for a pharmacy that does to compare prices.

Same vet told me to bring back the sharps container when it was full. They would dispose of it for $15CDN and then ask for $35CDN for a new container. I found out that if I take the sharps container  to the recycling centre or dump, it's a free disposal. On the other hand, one of the vet techs said it is only the needle end that really needs to go in the sharps container. She showed me how to cut the needle off (between the 5 and 10 unit mark) with wire cutters. My sharps container has lasted a year and a half so far and still not full.

 

[jodiethierry64]

My vet was charging me around $40CDN for 10 ml of lantus which would last 3+weeks. Now I buy 5x10ml at my local pharmacy (and it's not even a chain) for $109CDN. I think Lantus costs more in the US though. Syringes $35 at the vet, but I buy them because my pharmacy does not carry that brand. Am looking in town for a pharmacy free in does to compare prices.

Same vet told me to bring back the sharps container when it was full. They would dispose of it for $15CDN and then ask for $35CDN for a new container. I found out that if I take the sharps container  to the recycling centre or dump, it's a free disposal. On the other hand, one of the vet techs said it is only the needle end that really needs to go in the sharps container. She showed me how to cut the needle off (between the 5 and 10 unit mark) with wire cutters. My sharps container has lasted a year and a half so far and still not full.

Hi , yes Lantus is quite expensive here in the U.S. like all prescriptions. I also have a sharps container that my vet will handle. I don't think they charge as much.
I think that the U.S. is ridiculous when it comes to medicine.

 

[happybird]

Hi Nerdrock, my kitty is on Lantus. It's the usual 10 ml size. The syringes are 100 a box.
As far as my stomatitis kitty she WAS is extreme pain. She couldn't even swallow her on saliva.

Is that $100 just for plain, empty syringes? How many for $100? I am not sure about Colorado law, but in VA, you can go to any pharmacy counter and ask for BD Ultrafine syringes. They cost $3.50 for a bag of 10, about $36 for a box of 100.
In VA, you have to sign a Drug Paraphanelia log. In MD, it is just a straight sale. In DC, you have to have a special card. Every state is different, but as far as I know, laws like DC's are not common. The actual needle comes in 2 lengths, regular and short. The shorts would be better for cats.

 

[jodiethierry64]

Is that $100 just for plain, empty syringes? How many for $100? I am not sure about Colorado law, but in VA, you can go to any pharmacy counter and ask for BD Ultrafine syringes. They cost $3.50 for a bag of 10, about $36 for a box of 100.
In VA, you have to sign a Drug Paraphanelia log. In MD, it is just a straight sale. In DC, you have to have a special card. Every state is different, but as far as I know, laws like DC's are not common. The actual needle comes in 2 lengths, regular and short. The shorts would be better for cats.

Hi, no they're 100 for 25 dollars Nerdrock wanted to know how many for 25.00. It's bad enough the insulin is 240.00.
I don't have to sign anything here. I think you can buy syringes without a script.

 

[nerdrock]

 
My vet was charging me around $40CDN for 10 ml of lantus which would last 3+weeks. Now I buy 5x10ml at my local pharmacy (and it's not even a chain) for $109CDN. I think Lantus costs more in the US though. Syringes $35 at the vet, but I buy them because my pharmacy does not carry that brand. Am looking in town for a pharmacy that does to compare prices.

Same vet told me to bring back the sharps container when it was full. They would dispose of it for $15CDN and then ask for $35CDN for a new container. I found out that if I take the sharps container  to the recycling centre or dump, it's a free disposal. On the other hand, one of the vet techs said it is only the needle end that really needs to go in the sharps container. She showed me how to cut the needle off (between the 5 and 10 unit mark) with wire cutters. My sharps container has lasted a year and a half so far and still not full.

You can also get and return them at major pharmacies for free. The clinic probably charges for them to offset what they get charged for sharps disposal and to make sure they get them back. I know we have a low return rate when we send them out (we don't charge).

Just make sure you get the right IU syringes if you aren't getting them from your vet, it can vary on the type of insulin. 

Is that $100 just for plain, empty syringes? How many for $100? I am not sure about Colorado law, but in VA, you can go to any pharmacy counter and ask for BD Ultrafine syringes. They cost $3.50 for a bag of 10, about $36 for a box of 100.
In VA, you have to sign a Drug Paraphanelia log. In MD, it is just a straight sale. In DC, you have to have a special card. Every state is different, but as far as I know, laws like DC's are not common. The actual needle comes in 2 lengths, regular and short. The shorts would be better for cats.

As I mentioned above, make sure to get the right syringes for the IU of the insulin. 1 unit of one is different than 1 unit of another. 

Hi , yes Lantus is quite expensive here in the U.S. like all prescriptions. I also have a sharps container that my vet will handle. I don't think they charge as much.
I think that the U.S. is ridiculous when it comes to medicine.

If you're close to Canada or know someone that's coming this way, Lantus is OTC here (at least in Ontario). If not, you might be able to find it for a cheaper price at an online pharmacy.

 

[ayeshajae]

I wish it was more affordable to go to the vet, I know I need to get my kitties treated for their tapeworms but I just can't afford the mandatory fecal exam

I am also discouraged for taking sick pets to the vet because it seems all they ever do is take their temp, weigh them and give them a cordisone injection which are practically useless It seems, it's exactly what happens when I brought my pug munki in for her excessive coughing and they gave her a cortisone injection and cough suppressant well that was 200$ well spent, it didn't help my dog whatsoever

 

[keith brown]

Yes it seems that a lot of vets are doing that, we live in a big city and it seems that as soon as the S.P.C.A. turned away people who were looking for an affordable way of treating their animals, the vets did also. We have a vet that can take payment plans but you have to pay 25% of the cost up front, which is not too bad. We had to put down our Border Collie about two yrs ago and they were very helpful in that situation. They know that we only have so much money so we ask how much everything is going to cost so we can make a decision based on our income. The only thing I can offer is make sure your vet can do this payment plan, yes our hearts usually lead the way when it comes to our pets. Remember the Collie, the wife wanted to sell the truck to save him, but realized with some help from the vet that the chances were slim at best. But now we have to bring in our rescue kitty Claire and she doesn't travel well and putting her in the solid travel case is a adventure to say the least. But the vet is doing it for free sedation and all, whooohooo.

 

[jodiethierry64]

Thank you Nerdrock, I will definitely try online, if my vet is alright with it.

 

[goholistic]

I wish it was more affordable to go to the vet, I know I need to get my kitties treated for their tapeworms but I just can't afford the mandatory fecal exam

Um, yes...please get your kitties treated for parasites. Do you already have a relationship with a vet? Have you called around? When Sebastian had tapeworms when I first adopted him, I called my vet (they were very new to me at the time as I had just relocated) and I told them I see little sesame-looking things around his anus, and they simply told me to come pick up the medicine (no visit). It was maybe $20 or so - I don't remember. They had already seen him for his free post-adoption exam, so they weren't getting much money out of me at this point. If tapeworm segments are clearly visible, you may be able to get a low-cost physical exam (no labs) so that they can prescribe the medication. Also, tapeworms need to be prevented with flea control. So while the kitties are being treated for tapeworms, they also need to be treated for fleas. Do NOT use Hartz, Sentry or Sergeants, no matter how cheap it is...please!

Sorry this is off-topic, but I wanted to address this.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Yes it seems that a lot of vets are doing that, we live in a big city and it seems that as soon as the S.P.C.A. turned away people who were looking for an affordable way of treating their animals, the vets did also. We have a vet that can take payment plans but you have to pay 25% of the cost up front, which is not too bad. We had to put down our Border Collie about two yrs ago and they were very helpful in that situation. They know that we only have so much money so we ask how much everything is going to cost so we can make a decision based on our income. The only thing I can offer is make sure your vet can do this payment plan, yes our hearts usually lead the way when it comes to our pets. Remember the Collie, the wife wanted to sell the truck to save him, but realized with some help from the vet that the chances were slim at best. But now we have to bring in our rescue kitty Claire and she doesn't travel well and putting her in the solid travel case is a adventure to say the least. But the vet is doing it for free sedation and all, whooohooo.

You raise a good point. Open communication goes a long way. We don't think about our pets getting sick or that day when we might need to help them cross that bridge, but asking about options in the event of, when first getting with a new vet can help in avoiding surprises and misunderstandings down the road. I am sorry for the loss of your beloved Border Collie. Such great dogs! ...

 

[tulosai]

All I can say is it's rough on all ends.  While I'm sure some vets are rich, far more are barely making it. I work at a very small business.  It's not a vet but we offer services.  For many years we did work for free and offered payment plans.  We now just can't do it, and the reason we can't do it is that the two people who own the business literally have been paid twice or so in the past 30 months (and I'm not talking large lump sums, i am talking regular paycheck amounts) and are living and keeping the business afloat on savings. It is all they can do to pay the rest of us.   Two former people we helped pay us like $100 a month (literally) and 2  pay us much more (sporadically though so we can't count on the money).  To say this helps not much  is an understatement (though if everyone who owed us money paid us that much it would help a great deal).  We have sent some things to collections but there is A GREAT DEAL that we are owed from various people that they just never paid nd if they have their way they never will.

And believe me, it is NOT easy to tell who will eventually pay you or not. These people were all either longstanding paying clients OR ELSE had TRULY heart wrenching experiences and stories and promised, tearfully, to pay us later. They just don't.  None of them.  Well, 4 of them.  Out of literally dozens. And it's not like 1 person was making the call on this and that one person just has bad judgment. The 5 of us discuss it together, and the majority of us believed in ALL these cases either that the person would pay or that we morally had to do it. It has left us in a terrible situation. And I think this is where most vets are coming from too. Also, I feel some people here are not realistic about overhead and the money it takes just to keep a practice afloat.

THAT SAID: I do believe that a vet should humanely euthanize for whatever an owner can afford if it comes to that.  I also believe a vet should be well versed in options for lower income people such as care credit and help people to realize these options. But I don't believe a vet should have to offer services beyond this for free or for payment plans. The fact is that the vast majority of people don't honor payment plans in my own personal experience.  I imagine this is even more true if the pet does die.

 

[denice]

I believe that the vet clinic that I go to is fair even though they expect payment from regular clients at the time of service.  They do euthanasia for clients usually free of charge.  They do work for rescues.  They take in cats that come their way, give them vet care including surgery other than spay/neuter if needed then put them up for adoption.  I know I have been given some 'freebies and discounts'.  I even got a second ultrasound and needle biopsy for free.  I was given probably a half case of the Hill's A/D free of charge.  I know I was given a big discount on a dental with extractions, unless they dropped their prices.  I just didn't see where the discounting was done on the invoice.

There is only so much a vet can do and keep a viable practice.  The people that work for them don't make a lot and they certainly expect their paychecks on time.  I know I would be upset if I didn't get my pay on time.

 

[nerdrock]

 
All I can say is it's rough on all ends.  While I'm sure some vets are rich, far more are barely making it. I work at a very small business.  It's not a vet but we offer services.  For many years we did work for free and offered payment plans.  We now just can't do it, and the reason we can't do it is that the two people who own the business literally have been paid twice or so in the past 30 months (and I'm not talking large lump sums, i am talking regular paycheck amounts) and are living and keeping the business afloat on savings. It is all they can do to pay the rest of us.   Two former people we helped pay us like $100 a month (literally) and 2  pay us much more (sporadically though so we can't count on the money).  To say this helps not much  is an understatement (though if everyone who owed us money paid us that much it would help a great deal).  We have sent some things to collections but there is A GREAT DEAL that we are owed from various people that they just never paid nd if they have their way they never will.

And believe me, it is NOT easy to tell who will eventually pay you or not. These people were all either longstanding paying clients OR ELSE had TRULY heart wrenching experiences and stories and promised, tearfully, to pay us later. They just don't.  None of them.  Well, 4 of them.  Out of literally dozens. And it's not like 1 person was making the call on this and that one person just has bad judgment. The 5 of us discuss it together, and the majority of us believed in ALL these cases either that the person would pay or that we morally had to do it. It has left us in a terrible situation. And I think this is where most vets are coming from too. Also, I feel some people here are not realistic about overhead and the money it takes just to keep a practice afloat.

THAT SAID: I do believe that a vet should humanely euthanize for whatever an owner can afford if it comes to that.  I also believe a vet should be well versed in options for lower income people such as care credit and help people to realize these options. But I don't believe a vet should have to offer services beyond this for free or for payment plans. The fact is that the vast majority of people don't honor payment plans in my own personal experience.  I imagine this is even more true if the pet does die.

That's my experience with payment plans as well. We discuss it as a group and include the receptionists as well because they are the ones that get to hear about all the heartwrenching details first, know if the client complains about costs and what their likelihood of paying would be the best - even then, long term clients that never complained about prices and always paid in full have had a payment plan and then switched to another clinic, never to pay or return again. Keep in mind, if you do this, it's very likely that your vet will not release your pet's records to your new clinic and that will be noted on your file at your new clinic. There are areas in your file (either computerized or hand written) that you would never see, even if you personally get your records from your vet. We make notes about everything, we have to. We have a few clients that have payment plans right now, most pay us $100/month but one is paying $50/month that will be paid over the next few YEARS and their pet passed away - we're just waiting for the day the cheques come back stopped.

I do agree with euthanizing if an owner can't afford anything else, but you also get clients that will not euthanize and then go around bad mouthing the clinic because they wouldn't treat their pet. 

I'll give an example (sorry it has to be vague for legal reasons). We had a client in recently with an exotic animal, on the phone they sounded like clients that would be able to pay - we quoted them for the exam and medication (under $100) and then diagnostics on top of that if they were interested (up to $500). When they arrived, they gave the Dr a sob story about how they have a ton of kids and pets, are on an assistance program and don't have much money. They took the money for the exam out of their grocery money. The Dr had a frank discussion with them and offered to euthanize the pet for free. They chose to treat the pet anyway, despite the fact that money could have gone to feeding their children. We dug around in our donated medication bin (from pets that had passed away and the owners brought the meds back) and found something that could help, but they had to pay for the exam and our compounding liquid (that stuff is VERY expensive). In the end, their bill was $20 less than the original quote but the pet still has a poor prognosis and might not make it. 

I truly believe that people do not realize the cost of keeping a clinic up and running. There are bills, rent to be paid, equipment that is rented, supplies that are not as cheap as people may think, paying staff, etc. Staff also end up taking animal home to help treat them - we had someone last year that didn't spay their cat, it had kittens and they started dying. They brought the last surviving kitten in because it wasn't doing well, they didn't have any money so we offered surrender. I was the one that brought the tiny kitten home to try to bottle feed it, it died around midnight. We found out the next day that the owner had accidentally sat on the litter (I don't know how, these kittens were ~2 weeks old). If we had known that, we probably would have euthanized the kitten. I know it would have saved me a lot of heartache and time and it would have saved the clinic in oxygen, medication and feeding supplies. 

 

[ilovemia]

I totally understand where vets are coming from as my cousin is a vet and I have seen her stiffed to many times.

If you are having problems with cost, find a country vet. You may have to drive aways but it could help a lot cost wise. My vet is a country vet and I am able to afford him and I am on a very fixed income just as this man was ($759 a month on social security Disabilty). Its very hard but you have to way the facts. Can I afford my animal or not? Like I said my country vet is affordable. Look around before something bad happens!