{"id":22850,"date":"2022-12-01T00:00:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T00:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=22850"},"modified":"2022-11-28T21:06:23","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T21:06:23","slug":"refurbished-veterinary-equipment-1222","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/refurbished-veterinary-equipment-1222\/","title":{"rendered":"Breathing New Life Into Aging Equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"

We buy used cars, and we shop for previously owned stuff online. So, does \u201cstill works great\u201d work for veterinary equipment, too? It does. The three big reasons to look at refurbished items such as anesthesia machines, monitors and ultrasound units are price, preference and the environment. Price because refurbished costs less than new. Preference because you and your team like a particular model that isn\u2019t manufactured anymore. And the environment because you can pat yourself on the back for keeping a used but perfectly functional piece of equipment out of the landfill.<\/p>\n

What do you need to know before going the \u201cgently used\u201d route? We asked representatives from three companies that refurbish medical equipment and sell to veterinary practices.<\/p>\n

Where It Comes From<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A California company, Medfurbish, purchases and restores everything from autoclaves and endoscopy systems to surgical lights and ventilators and then resells the units, often at half the<\/p>\n

cost of the latest retail versions. CEO Brian Tickel said the company focuses on brands and model years with a good reputation earned inside or outside veterinary medicine.<\/p>\n

Medfurbish and companies like it can buy batches of equipment at wholesale auctions or from human hospitals choosing to upgrade to the next best thing. A few items filter down from high-tech animal hospitals to clinics with more modest needs and means. Units that can\u2019t be resold as refurbished are scavenged for parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stick with products we know will be serviceable for at least the next five years,\u201d Tickel said, adding that his inventory is calibrated and tested. \u201cWe also make sure all associated accessories are included, and there\u2019s a sticker and a date that shows when it\u2019s been tested and when the warranty expires.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veterinary practices sometimes pay Medfurbish for regular maintenance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose service contracts are usually for more high-end equipment, like ultrasound, endoscopy or digital radiography,\u201d Tickel said.<\/p>\n

Software upgrades are usually handled between the practice owner and manufacturer, he said.<\/p>\n

Medfurbish and companies like his typically provide a one-year warranty.<\/p>\n

Saving Money<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Avante Animal Health has \u201canything you need in the OR or exam room,\u201d said Nathan Claypool, the vice president of animal health. The Kentucky company gets older equipment from human hospitals, refurbishes the units and resells to veterinary practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cVeterinary and human equipment do much the same things,\u201d Claypool said. \u201cThe options in human medicine are the bells and whistles and the FDA certification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many veterinary hospitals are more than happy to have a refurbished unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a value play,\u201d Claypool said. \u201cSomeone rented or bought it and used it for a year or two, and now you get it with a new warranty.\u201d<\/p>\n

He offered general cost comparisons:<\/p>\n