Last Call of the Day Ruins My Mood

[AmbrosiaWriter]

So, I work reception at a very busy Animal hospital. It's been in the community for over 30 years, and the two doctors that started it are still there. Yes, we're more expensive than other animal hospitals in the area, for a variety of reasons. However, despite being more expensive we're still booked solid for appointments almost every day, so we must be doing something right.

Today, the LAST call I take before I get to flee and go home, it just, made me

Person on the other end of the line says her dog has been diagnosed with bladder stones, and they won't pass and can't be broken up by diet change, too big. So that means a laparoscopic surgery to remove the stones, and she wants a general estimate.

Luckily (I suppose) we just had a dog that went through that procedure so I had a fairly accurate estimate on the computer which I pull up. Roughly $2,300 - including testing the stones to see what they were made of. We require that because if we know what they were made of, we can make recommendations to not have them reform in the future.

Let me just tell you know, while that may seem very expensive there is a reason why. You see, the drugs we use for anesthesia are human quality drugs. We don't use cheaper, veterinary only drugs to put the dogs under. We use drugs that you would probably also find in a human hospital. We also have an experienced surgery technician there to monitor the dog/cat on all their vital signs the entire time the dog or cat is sedated. The doctor doing said surgery has been doing surgeries for over 30 years, and he's really good at what he does.

Anyway.

The person flips her lid at me. Declares that I'm the reason people can't afford to have pets anymore. They aren't people, they're dogs and it shouldn't cost that much. I mention that a lot of people now are looking into pet insurances that are only about $30-$50/month that cover upwards of 90% of costs.

"I can't afford that! I can't afford $30/month for death insurances I'm certainly not going to pay that for my DOG."

I was one micrometer away from just slamming my phone down on her.

Sorry, lady, we're expensive because we only use the best. The best anesthetics, the best vaccines, the best quality for everything. That's what your money is getting you. Gone are the times where you could just pick up a mutt, feed it some cheap-o brand of food and that's it. Animal medicine is evolving even faster than human medicine at this point, and if you want the best for your animal, you're going to pay.

[Crai]

If you cant afford to take care of your pet maybe you shouldn't have one... I spend more on my dog each week than my self. He gets the best vet care, food / diet, treats, and outings / exercise. I may drop 75 to 100 each week for him. He is my best friend so he gets the best.

[chimera]

Maybe in her mind she felt judged/insecure because she couldn't afford it so she lashed out at you to try to save face. Which was totally immature. I totally get how a person can feel like crap when they can't give their dogs the best, but there's no reason to take it out on a stranger.

For many people, there's a lot of personal pride tied up in money. I'm at a craft retailer that, like many of its ilk, mainly relies on huge sales and coupons to get people to come in. Our store also rents out a space to a sewing machine dealer whose floor models sell for more than a used car. Sometimes even a small new car! It's interesting to overhear customers who, after deliberating over how many inches of $7-$20 a yard fabric they want are then told that such and such model machine costs five grand. Or that servicing their older or <$300 machine will cost around $100 dollars. At least a few times a week you'll see them go all wide-eyed and turn heel like they can't get out fast enough.

There's definitely tiers to all kinds of product and service, and if you're used to a $100 sewing machine or a $500 pet surgery, you're going to have some sticker shock when faced with top tier prices.

[Crai]

True we are a capitalist society but I would give up a lot of stuff to make sure my Potato head stays healthy. I also do spend the money on a wellness plan for him so the costs get cut down. Its worth it in the long run.

Chimera you probably do have the nut of the issue that she was on the attack to save face.

[Sliceanddice]

Nothing on the subject just wanted to say when I read the title I thought it was going to be about someone working with videogames dealing with the game call of duty

[notalwaysright]

My mom got this credit card that's just for medical procedures, and she let me use it when I finally went to the dentist after many years of no cleanings and I had a bunch of cavities. (No gum disease though!) That same credit card is accepted at the vet I bring my cat to. It's Care Credit, for anyone wondering. I do understand that some people don't get as attached to animals, however I would assume that bladder stones aren't something which can be ignored. The anesthesia thing is great, actually, since I think I've heard that is one of the more dangerous parts of surgery on animals. When my mom got the bill for her new hip the anesthesiologist was nearly as expensive as the surgeon himself.

Obligatory picture of my cat who poses for pictures like a boss.

[EricKei]

Mom has one of those, too. It has come in really handy more than once. She says that the "medical only" restriction really helps, too, as she can't be tempted to use it on anything else if it simply doesn't WORK if you're not at a vet/doc's office.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

For anyone curious, we TAKE care credit. We are also happy and authorized to help you sign up for one if you need help paying for your pet's procedures. We also do our best to keep the prices to a minimum, but we run at a high cost because we are a private practice, we used the best, and we pay our people what they are worth. No one who works here (either at the hospital or the kennel) gets paid minimum wage. That's why we give the best service.

If you've been with use for a while, we can sometimes work out some type of payment plan, but that's only for the clients who have been with us forever and have never given us a problem with payments.

[Yfandes]

And your quote was probably one tenth of what the same surgery would cost for a human. A good veterinary office has expensive equipment and well-trained people. Why should it be cheap?

[Shyla]

I thought that sounded reasonable but what do I know. Pets are expensive. I wonder how your price compares to quotes she already got. That dog was diagnosed somewhere.

[Jay 2K Winger]

If you cant afford to take care of your pet maybe you shouldn't have one...

This was what happened to my friend Tom. He was lonely in his new apartment, so he got a dog from the shelter. While myself and other friends of his marveled at the short-sightedness of his decision, because we all knew he could barely afford to live on his own as it was, so there was no way he'd be able to afford a dog as well.

To Tom's credit, he realized it quickly enough that he took the dog back to the shelter, where it was promptly adopted by someone else.

[The Braindead Live]

The sad thing is that such attitudes are so pervasive; I deal with it everyday.

SC: I want it fast, cheap and easy, but I also want the best.
Me: Well, which is more important? You ain't gettin' both. <Is your animal companion important enough that you're willing to do what is required for the animal's best health? Or are you so concerned with the money that you'll let the animal die? If you are not willing to do what is best for your animal, then just go away, and don't take your shit out on ME.>

[EricKei]

As the adage goes:

Fast. Cheap. Good (quality). Pick two.

[MoonCat]

She should not have blamed you. You certainly don't personally control the costs. Yelling at you was nasty, and wrong.

But all the same, I have to say this. To a pet lover, there is no feeling so horrible as realizing that you can't afford the treatment that stands the best chance of saving your beloved pet's life. It's not always a matter of being cheap. Sometimes, the money simply isn't there. Sometimes, credit is not possible. I have been there, and it's been years, and I still feel like shit about it.

If I were in that woman's place I would have asked if it was possible to set up a payment plan. My vets have done this, not just for me, but for others, when they can. Good vet care is not cheap, and I honor all those in the animal medicine professions.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

It wasn't really the blaming it on me that got to me. It was the comment about how if she had the $30/month, she still wouldn't spend it on insurance for her dog to help her pay for bills that pop up. If she can't afford $30 a month to have the security of a company to pay 90% of her vet bills, then I don't know why she was expecting to be able to afford a very involved surgery on her own.

I understand that it costs a lot when something goes wrong, I see it every day, it's one of the major reasons why I do not have a dog myself yet. We do the best we can given limitations on either owner opinion (I don't believe in vaccines!) or wallet, but every single person at my hospital understands that sometimes the best thing to do for both owner and pet is to put the pet to sleep. It's hard on all of us, and even harder on the owner to make the decision, we aren't about to compound that. We send flowers to clients who have to put their pet down, and send out cards as well.

Well, maybe the blame did get to me a little.

"We can't afford to treat them because of the prices you charge and then our pets die!"