Why you pay your vet so much

This article is part of our special Pets section, which addresses scientists’ growing interest in our animal companions.

Heather Massey took Ladybird to the vet when the 9-year-old mutt had seizures. A scan from an MRI machine gave bad news: brain cancer.

Because the prognosis was grim, Mrs. Massey decided not to undergo further treatment at the animal hospital near her home in Athens, Georgia, and Ladybird died four months later. The MRI scan and associated care had cost almost $2,000, which Ms Massey had put on a special credit card she had learned about on a previous vet visit.

That was in 2018. She is still paying off the debt, with more than 30 percent interest.

‘Could I afford that? Not really,” said Ms Massey, 52, who is disabled and does not work. “Was it worth it to me? Yes.”

Ms. Massey’s experience illustrates the expensive new reality of pet ownership. For decades, veterinarians typically ran their own clinics, guiding generations of pets from birth to death. They castrated, vaccinated and pulled thorns from paws and noses. When animals became seriously ill, veterinarians often had little more to offer than condolences and a humane death.

But in recent years, people have become more and more attached to their pets More prepared to spend money on it — veterinary medicine has transformed into a big business that looks a lot like its human counterpart. Many veterinary practices have been replaced by hospitals equipped with expensive MRI machines, advanced lab equipment, and 24-hour intensive care units. Dogs and cats often see highly trained specialists in neurology, cardiology, and oncology.

This high-tech care has fueled a booming market. According to federal statistics, veterinary prices have risen by more than 60 percent in the past decade. Private equity firms and large corporations have bought hundreds of facilities across the country, one takeover wave reminiscent of the business premises of doctors’ practices.

Veterinarians from across the country told The New York Times that their corporate managers are pushing clinics to become more efficient profit centers. Vets were often paid based on how much money they brought in, which created an incentive to see more pets, order more tests and sell welfare planning and eating.

The result is an increasingly untenable situation for pet owners, most of whom do not have pet insurance.

The Times asked readers to share their stories of expensive veterinary bills, and hundreds responded. Sophia McElroy of Denver said she donated blood plasma and took on extra freelance work to help pay for her dog’s running costs.

Nancy Partridge of Waynesville, N.C., said that months after her cat was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor, she was still paying off the $1,500 bill. “We have a dead cat and we’re still paying,” she said.

In 2015, Claire Kirsch was making 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 that totaled more than $13,000. Ms Kirsch said her animals would have died if she had not opted for extra care.

“I knew I would never be able to forgive myself if we didn’t try,” she said.

Mrs. Kirsch maxed out a credit card, tapped her husband’s retirement account, and took out a personal loan. Roscoe lived for three more years, and Gambit is still alive.

In interviews, veterinarians said that pet owners who complained about the cost of care did not appreciate the difficulties of running a clinic. Veterinarians to make much less money than people doctors and often have debts due to years of education. Their prices have risen partly because of the rising costs of medicines, vaccines and other supplies, as well as paying workers in a tight labor market.

And thanks to more advanced medical facilities, pets can now survive serious illnesses, such as cancer, that were once unthinkable. They have access to surgeries and medications that can vastly improve their lives.

“We live in the most technologically advanced time in human history, and how great is that?” said Dr. Tracy Dewhirst, a veterinarian in Corryton, Tenn. “But it comes at a price.”

Even routine visits can rack up hefty bills. Dr. David Roos, an 86-year-old veterinarian from Los Altos, California, said he decided to come out of retirement one day in 2014 when he checked on a dog whose owners had been clients for years. The animal had been admitted for vomiting. Dr. Roos said he normally would have told the owner to take the dog home and give him sips of water. Instead, another veterinarian ordered X-rays, blood work, intravenous fluids and a hospital stay. Dr. Roos knew the owners couldn’t afford the bill.

“I realized at that stage that veterinary medicine had changed so much that I no longer wanted to be a part of it,” said Dr. Roos.

Immediately growth in pet ownership And surveys to show As Americans are willing to take on debt to pay for the care of their animals, veterinary clinics have become increasingly attractive to investors. About a quarter of primary care clinics and three quarters of specialty clinics are now corporate-owned, according to Brakke Consulting, which focuses on the animal health sector.

In 2015, there was a major player, Mars, known for sell candy and pet food — acquired a specialty veterinary hospital chain, BluePearl, for an undisclosed amount. In 2017, it acquired another hospital, VCA, for $9.1 billion. The trend peaked in 2021, with more than 200 private equity deals, according to Pitchbook.

Several veterinarians who have worked in corporate practices said they felt pressured to do more business. One California veterinarian said she quit her job after being told her “cost per client” was too low. Another Virginia veterinarian said she was told she had to see 21 animals a day. A third Colorado veterinarian said she was dismayed to hear a manager say that some veterinarians in her office needed coaching to “get the client to say yes.” These veterinarians asked that their names be withheld because they feared that speaking out would jeopardize their future job opportunities in private equity firms.

Other veterinarians said corporate ownership had no bearing on the care they provided. Still, Dr. Andrew Federer, the medical director of a clinic in Mentor, Ohio, owned by a chain called National Veterinary Associates, said that when someone’s pay is tied to the number of procedures and tests they perform, the incentives can be hard to ignore, especially for veterinarians just starting out.

“The more they bring to the hospital above their current salary, the bigger the production bonus they will receive,” he said.

Only left 4 percent of pet owners have insurance, and even for them, options are limited. Pet insurance often excludes pre-existing conditions and costs more for older pets that are more likely to get sick.

Companies can also change the terms. This spring, the insurance company Nationwide notified thousands of pet owners that it was dropping their coverage, requiring them to sign up for new plans that excluded the pets’ pre-existing conditions. About 100,000 plans are being canceled, said Kevin Kemper, a spokesman for Nationwide.

Stephanie Boerger of Royal Oak, Mich., said Nationwide covered her cat’s chemotherapy but told her they would not renew her plan when it expired in August. The treatment, which costs about $1,000 per month, is not covered by any available plan.

“Now I feel like I have to choose between paying for my cat’s chemo or letting her die,” said Ms. Boerger, who was able to find new coverage through a competing company.

In a statement, Nationwide’s spokesperson cited the rising costs of veterinary care. “We are making these difficult decisions now so that we can be there for even more pets in the future,” he said.

Many veterinarians offer special credit cards sold by third-party companies, such as the CareCredit card used by Ms. Kirsch and Ms. Massey. Last year the Biden administration warned that these medical credit cards — which were also promoted by doctors and dentists — were driving many consumers into crippling debt. A spokeswoman for CareCredit said that about 80 percent of cardholders paid off their debts before the interest-free introductory period ended.

Some groups, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, are investigating how veterinarians can perform normally procedures cheaperAnd many vets say they try to provide a “spectrum of care,” a nonjudgmental way to discuss less expensive options.

For many people, the company of a pet is unaffordable.

After Ladybird died, Ms. Massey adopted Lunabear, a lab mix who she jokes is “allergic to the air we breathe.” Lunabear requires prescription food that costs $6 a can and takes a $3 allergy pill three times a day. Last year, she underwent leg surgery.

The charges totaled nearly $4,000, much of which was charged to the high-interest credit card. But Ms. Massey, who suffers from severe depression and lives alone, said her dogs were her top priority. “I pay my bills, and then I buy food,” she said.

Ben Casselman contributed report.