The Cacopardos got some help after setting up a GoFundMe page that brought in more than $4,000 in donations, but they were still left with a large debt and the feeling the veterinary industry “definitely had the knowledge to do better by the client,’’ he said.
The high price of services and medications can lead to sticker shock for the estimated 95% to 97% of owners whose pets are not covered by health insurance, which is not subsidized by employers, contrary to what’s typical with people.
“It’s less like human health care than it is like other service industries,’’ said Dr. David Lee, an associate dean and professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s an out-of-pocket expense for most people.’’
Lee listed several reasons for the rising costs of veterinary care, among them a shortage of vets – some driven to retirement during the stressful pandemic years, others lured by specialty practices and emergency clinics – and a chronic dearth of technicians.
