Friday September 5, 2008, 10:55 am
This is very sad I know I had problems with expenses at the Vet a few thousand and had to borrow and go into debt and she still do not get the care she needed. I used the wrong vets some only care about money. Yes it is a sad thing but true! Thanks,Sun!

Friday September 5, 2008, 11:35 am
Although there may indeed be vets out there who care more about money than their patients, I have never met one. A veterinarian must perform essentially the same services as a physician; except, of course, that a veterinarian must do even more - LOTS more. He must be an internist, surgeon, pharmacist, dermatologist, orthopedist, dentist, etc. He must run his own hospital. He must make do with vet techs who, although they are talented and useful people, do not have the abilities of a trained registered nurse. He often cleans his own cages and performs other "menial" work which a physician would NEVER do. When I recently had my cat spayed, the total charge was $120.00. That included surgery, drugs, two days in the hospital, and follow-up care. When I had my own "spay" procedure (hysterectomy) about 25 years ago, I recall the total bill was over $20,000 (of course my insurance covered most of it). $20,000 versus $120 - sounds like vet fees are a real bargain, doesn't it, especially since my vet did a heck of a lot more work with my cat than my doctor did with me. Most vets are never going to be well off financially. And they frequently perform work for free for strays, rescue groups, and patients who cannot afford their services. When you consider that a veterinarian must go through four years of college, three years of vet school, and incur the expense of opening and maintaining a practice, I find it astonishing that their fees are not higher. They are essential professionals and have never been compensated as such. So I really don't think that we have any justification for complaining about their bills.

Friday September 5, 2008, 11:40 am
And, we also have to remember that vets labor under an extreme disadvantage when it comes to their patients. Except for babies, physicians work with patients who can tell them where it hurts. Vets have to diagnose and treat ailments in their patients without any input from the patient. And vets also deal with patients who try to bite, scratch, claw, and mutilate them. I doubt that many physicians work with patients whose main goal in life is to kill the doctor. Vets, especially those who work with large animals, encounter that frequently.

Friday September 5, 2008, 12:11 pm
Such a terrible thing to happen. Sadly noted. Thanks Sun.