Opinion article by Helaine Olen
The circulation of The Atlantic is broad enough that Helaine Olens’ opinion piece will reach some clients of veterinary hospitals. She provides a well-informed opinion piece indicting Big Vet while recognizing pet owners’ inclinations to do whatever it takes to extend their pet’s lives.
The emergence of Big Vet and the injection of cutthroat incentives into a traditionally idealistic, local industry threaten to make these <cost> problems far worse.”
Source: The Atlantic, April 25, 2024. Link. The same medical progress that’s helped humans beat back once-fatal diseases is doing the same for cats and dogs, extending their life spans to record lengths. But only if there’s money to pay for it.
Commentary: Olen did her homework. Our industry is having growing pains while trying to serve a larger percentage of an increasing pet population whose owners are highly emotionally connected to their animals. Economic issues will persist although adopting spectrum of care approaches versus the gold standards of past decades may ease some cost of care concerns.
Related content: Permission to break up with the gold standard, Stephens and Associates. Link. In this article outlining a presentation at VMX 2024, Kristi Fender shares a “3-2-1 approach” to the spectrum of care to align available pet care with the pet’s needs.