It's a fact that nearly everything is more expensive now than it was 20 years ago. That's just the way the cookie crumbles, and we have to deal with it. This change in our society has led to many more changes, like people having kids later, renting property instead of buying, and as a result, adopting more pets instead of children. For example, my parents had their first baby at 27, which was when I got my second cat. I'm still working on the kid part, but that's a story for a different article.
So, if more people are adopting cats and dogs, that must mean that it's cheaper to do so, right?
Wrong.
Vet costs have also gone up in the last 5 years, and one of the big reasons is because a lot of veterinary practices and medical centers started getting bought by private equity-backed corporations. One statistic states that these corporate consolidators now control roughly a quarter of primary-care practices and three-quarters of specialty and emergency practices in the US. Do you think that these mega corporations care about the health of your pets? No. They care about money and thus, have changed a lot of vet practices from health-focused to profit-focused.
This whole topic exploded on X a few days ago after a cat pawrent took their senior cat to a new vet practice for a sprained leg, where the vet suggested a $12,000 operation. Surprised by this recommendation, they decided to get a second opinion from their family vet, who had been practicing for nearly 30 years in their community. This vet's advice? Rest and supplements for about 3 months.
Have you had any experiences recently with your vet where you felt like they were more focused on making money than the health of your pet? Let me know in the comments!