DO discuss alternative payment options and ways to plan for future veterinary costs.
DON'T devalue your expertise by changing your recommendations when the pet owner indicates cost is a barrier.
Once you've made your recommendations and discussed cost, be prepared to offer alternative payment options for clients concerned about the price. Avoid altering your recommendations to decrease the cost of care. This devalues your expertise and can make the pet owner question the motives behind your initial recommendations. To help cover the immediate need, consider recommending third‐party financing (see 10.18 Financing Veterinary Care) or a payment plan (see 10.17 – Payment and Wellness Plans). Services like these allow you to offer payment plans to your clients without having to manage them in‐house. To prevent cost from becoming a barrier in the first place, educate all your clients on the benefits of pet health insurance (see 10.16 Pet Health Insurance).
2.9.4 Preparing Clients for the Cost of Care Over a Pet's Lifetime
Educate your clients on the average costs of care long before you're facing an uncomfortable exam room situation. Tables 2.9.1 and 2.9.2 show the approximate costs of preventive care in the US for dogs living 12 years and cats living 15 years. (Unless otherwise noted, average costs of services are according to the tenth edition of The Veterinary Fee Reference [3].) These tables reflect only the cost of preventive care and do not include any costs associated with disease diagnosis or management. For additional information on likely costs of pet‐specific care programs, see 10.11 The Financial Benefits of Pet‐Specific Medicine.
Table 2.9.1 Approximate cost of preventive and end‐of‐life care for dogs living 12 years
| Service | Average cost | Times during average lifespan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventive care exam (adult) (0–6 years) | $45.20 | 7 | $316.40 |
| Preventive care exam (senior) (biannually 7–12 years) | $47.23 | 12 | $566.76 |
| Annual heartworm panel (in‐house) | $48.83 | 12 | $585.96 |
| Annual fecal exam (direct smear) | $22.07 | 12 | $264.84 |
| Year‐round parasite controla | $84.89 | 12 | $1103.57 |
| Core vaccines | |||
| Rabies vaccination (3‐year) | $23.13 | 5 | $115.65 |
| DA2PP vaccination | $24.81 | 5 | $124.05 |
| Noncore vaccines (based on lifestyle risk assessment) | |||
| Lyme disease | $32.77 | 13 | $426.01 |
| Leptospirosis | $22.65 | 13 | $294.45 |
| Bordetella | $21.54 | 13 | $280.02 |
| Additional services | |||
| Microchippingb | $45.00 | 1 | $45.00 |
| Spay/neuter | $244.74 | 1 | $244.74 |
| Dental cleaningc | $516.13 | 4 | $2064.52 |
| End‐of‐life care | |||
| Euthanasia (30‐pound canine with owner present) | $99.79 | 1 | $99.79 |
| Cremation (communal, 30‐pound canine) | $64.02 | 1 | $64.02 |
| TOTAL APPROXIMATE PREVENTIVE CARE COSTS FOR DOGS | $6006.88 | ||
a According to PetCareRx.
b According to Petfinder.
c Includes preanesthetic exam, CBC with differential, chemistry panel with eight chemistries, dental radiographs, preoperative pain medication, anesthesia, IV catheter and placement, IV fluids, dental scaling and polishing, subgingival curettage, fluoride application, electronic monitoring, postprocedure pain medication, postprocedure injectable antibiotics, hospitalization, and one‐week supply of antibiotics.
Table 2.9.2 Approximate cost of preventive and end‐of‐life care for cats living 15 years
| Service | Average cost | Times during average lifespan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preventive care exam (adult) (annually 0–6 years) | $46.37 | 7 | $324.59 |
| Preventive care exam (senior) (biannually 7–15 years) | $46.15 | 18 | $830.70 |
| Annual heartworm panel (in‐house) | $51.24 | 15 | $768.60 |
| Annual fecal exam (direct smear) | $22.07 |