The Other Health Care Crisis

People and pets are both hit hard by rising health care costs.

By Faith Salsburg, Best Friends Network Volunteer

A big issue in the presidential campaign is health care, or our lack thereof.
Intertwined with this is the sad state of our economy, forcing us to make intolerable choices. What never occurs to us is that our beloved pet friends are among the first to suffer our human woes.

As a sign of the times, the cost of veterinary care has sky-rocketed. Plus, we are given a number of treatment options we never had before. So, the typical pet owner is stymied. For many of us, our pets are our family. We will do anything to get them well or keep them healthy and free of pain. Treatments are now offered to animals that once were only available to humans. Sophisticated dentistry, chemotherapy, and acupuncture are just a few of the options now offered to our pets. Americans spend an enormous sum on the healthcare of their dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, birds, lizards, etc., with at least $ 24.5 billion spent in 2006 alone.

With more and more medical solutions available, pet owners often face a harsh reality. Advancements in veterinary medicine trigger rising costs in vet bills. Owners are trapped between the guilt and emotion of doing everything available for a beloved pet and putting that pet down.

Yet as the economy worsens, we are facing this abhorrent choice again and again. Only an unpopular minority of the profession warn against this dangerous trend. Dr. Busby, a Minnesota veterinarian, feels that pet owners are not given all the fair choices for their pet, only the more expensive ones. Further, some vets are recommending unnecessary and costly procedures.

In his book, “How to Afford Veterinary Care without Mortgaging the Kids”, Dr. Busby states that most owners don’t have enough information to know when to accept what the Vet is saying and when to challenge it. We are not accustomed to saying no to our Vet.

Ultimately, an owner can only weigh the ethical, emotional and economic ramifications of pet ownership to decide when the cost becomes too great.

Pictured: Sadie, who has had two surgeries to repair her torn ACL’s (anterior cruciate ligaments). Photo courtesy of Brandi Bennett, Best Friends Network Staff

Article posted by Brandi Bennett, Best Friends Network Staff