I saw that article in Consumer Reports. It made it sound like vets are over-charging. Why have costs for veterinary care gone up?

Our costs for services reflect two things- 1. What it costs the office to provide them, such as drugs and medical supplies, competent personnel to care for you and your pet, and many other overhead expenses that are necessary in order for a hospital to function fully. We are supported solely by the fees we collect, and these fees go toward these needs. All our wonderful new drugs that are relieving pain in animals, and making treatments & procedures safer, are usually more expensive than the older drugs they replace. 2. The level of care provided to your pet has leaped upward as new services and diagnostics become available. State of the art blood testing equipment that was only accesible at labs and universities in the past, is now in-house and provides information on your pet's health within hours instead of days or weeks. Things like laser surgery, ultrasound, and other capabilities that were not available before, are now within reach of more & more pet owners. Most vets are do what they do because they love animals; our counterparts in the medical fields who have similar investments in a college education and maintaining a practice, make double or more what the average vet makes. We're not complaining; money isn't everything. The care your pet receives is one of the best values around for your hard earned dollars.

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