My Pet World: Talk to your vet about your pet’s euthanasia before that day comes

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Nov 16, 2022

I changed vets recently because my animal hospital of 30 years (and 11 dogs) was sold to a corporation. I began to notice a lack of concern as the vets diagnosed my dog. I received a corporate printout for a tooth cleaning ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. The vets seemed expected to diagnose certain things and adhere to predetermined treatments. It was sad to lose the personal touch. When I changed vets, the first question I asked was, "Is your practice independent or corporate?"

— Annette, Newport News, Virginia

Dear Annette,

You're right; in recent years, many corporations have bought out private clinics to create a franchise of corporate vet clinics. Most vets love treating patients, and dislike running a business, so they have been eager to jump on this bandwagon. Even so, this new model of vet care shouldn't mean a vet loses his compassion, so hopefully, your experience was an isolated incident. What it can mean, though, is a loss of flexibility in how to treat patients and what to charge for services since there are likely protocols across all clinics that must be followed. A private practice vet may have more freedom in these areas.

Dear Cathy,

Recently, one of your readers complained about vet costs. If they had followed their vet's advice to euthanize, some of this cost could have been avoided. The customer paid for ten days' worth of meds and then incurred an emergency visit because he failed to take the doctor's advice. That is hardly the fault of the vet. Their education is lengthy and costly, and clinic costs are high.

— Claudia, Emmaus, Pennsylvania

Dear Claudia,

People often expect pet care to be cheaper than human medical care, but it's not. If a pet breaks a leg, they have to get it x-rayed just like you and I would. Syringes, medications, surgery instruments, and supplies all cost the same, whether for humans or animals. While the cost of pet care has gone up, in fairness, so has everything else. The best way to cut pet health costs is to maintain good preventative care all year round.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)