Commentary including Sponsored Content
“They didn’t say anything about this in the books,” wrote James Herriott in his 1972 bestseller, “All Creatures Great and Small.” Herriott introduced readers to the amazing variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice. He also introduced us to unrealistic expectations of animal owners.
We submit that while the practice of veterinary medicine has radically changed, the expectations of many animal owners remain too grounded in rudimentary paradigms about what veterinary teams do, what services should cost and may be tied to a general cost avoidance mindset.” – AHD Curators
Where is the disconnect?
Our animal health industry is bursting with data about pet owners, their perceptions and services desired. Yet electricians and plumbers often earn more than veterinarians with fewer expectations about what makes their services satisfactory. It’s a conundrum only effective consumer education and improving animal owner expectations can solve.
According to a recent Forbes Advisor report nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of pet owners say inflation has made it more difficult to pay a surprise vet bill and they’re nervous about rising prices of vet costs. A recent report from Weave found that 72 percent of veterinary service providers are seeing owners delay pet care due to ongoing economic concerns.
Pet ownership comes with costs but remains attainable for most income levels. Pet spending is about one percent of annual income for Americans, regardless of one’s earnings level, writes Monika Martyn for the World Animal Foundation <Link>. She shares 2021 figures from the American Pet Products Association showing veterinary care and product sales are a mere 28 percent ($34.3 billion) of dollars spent on pets in the U.S. ($123.6 billion). This includes a startling $1.7 billion spent on Valentine’s gifts which equals five percent of the vet care and products sales.
Sponsored Content
Across our industry, companies work to educate animal owners and provide resources for veterinary teams to use with their clients. AHD sponsor ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance assertively offers articles, CE tools and more to help veterinary practices change pet owners’ high-cost perceptions, help educate pet owners about the lifetime costs of caring for their pets along with offering pet insurance plans to help owners afford their pet’s veterinary care when animals get ill or injured unexpectedly.
Source: ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance.
During 2023, AHD shared ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance resources with our readers. We’re resharing five popular posts that help position veterinary care costs and support education for practice teams and clients.
- Cost of Care Wheel is now 24/7 digital resource. Link. This online tool is based on actual claims data for accident, illness and preventive care invoices submitted over a five-year time frame for nine popular dog breeds and five cat breeds. Consider adding a link to the tool on practice websites, in social media posts or as a footnote on invoices.
- Understanding the climbing cost of veterinary care (article, podcast). Link. Jennifer Sperry, DVM, shares how advancements in veterinary medicine and services has increased the cost of veterinary care in an article and short podcast.
- 4 opportunities to talk about pet insurance. Link. As frontline health professionals, veterinarians are the most trusted and influential resource for cost-of-care education and insurance awareness.
- Share this with pet owners when asked for a pet insurance recommendation. Link. Use Pawlicy Advisor to help clients select an insurance plan that fits their budget without feeling pressured to sell a specific policy or insurance company.
- CE – Tailoring services to clients’ needs. Link. Client expectations have been evolving over the past decade. The ‘fit’ between veterinary hospitals and clients isn’t as comfortable as it once was, says Wendy Hauser, DVM.
INSIGHTS: Leading pet owners in planning for veterinary care and pet expenses is as important to the lifetime health of a pet as the discussion of preventatives and vaccines.
If animal health pros don’t act . . . how can we expect client perceptions to change.”
