{"id":75664,"date":"2024-02-01T13:54:19","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T18:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=75664"},"modified":"2024-02-01T14:56:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T19:56:20","slug":"pet-care-costs-0224","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/pet-care-costs-0224\/","title":{"rendered":"When Caring Costs More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sam Stuteville was in the fourth grade on Christmas morning when his mom set Max, a 6-month-old miniature schnauzer mix, on the kitchen floor. \u201cMax ran right over to me, jumped on my chest and hugged me,\u201d Sam recalled. \u201cHe\u2019s been my best friend ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max has been by his side consistently over the past 17 years. When Sam was getting ready for middle school dances, learning to drive, studying for final exams, applying to colleges and living with college roommates, Max was there.<\/p>\n

Today, Sam is 24 years old. After earning his bachelor\u2019s degree in vocal music education in May 2023, he and his girlfriend, Autumn Miller, purchased their first home and moved to Kansas City, Missouri, with Max. Sam accepted a job as a student academic support teacher, a noncertified position paying about half of what a certified teaching position earns. He works two additional jobs to help make ends meet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also coach high school soccer in the fall and I bartend on the weekends,\u201d he said. \u201cSundays are my only days off.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a young couple with a new house, Sam and Autumn work hard to save money and make responsible financial decisions. They have a good idea of what their income will be every month, and when they bought the house, they made sure they could afford their bills and have money left over for spending and saving.<\/p>\n

However, the couple found themselves in a difficult financial spot in November 2023, when Sam thought something was wrong with 17-year-old Max.<\/p>\n

An Unexpected Veterinary Bill and an Unexpected Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It was a Tuesday when Sam arrived home from work. On any other Tuesday, Max would have greeted him at the door. This day, however, Max was staring at the floor and wobbling back and forth. Sam immediately took Max outside, hoping that maybe he needed to relieve himself. But when the symptoms persisted, Sam knew that Max needed to see a veterinarian.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called Eagle Animal on the way and told them about Max\u2019s behavior,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sam\u2019s family had been clients of Eagle Animal Hospital for some time, and he and Autumn had taken their cat there a couple of months prior because of an abscess. But this was the first time they met Dr. Heather Kvitko-White, the general practice\u2019s sole internal medicine specialist.<\/p>\n

After running bloodwork and performing an ultrasound, Dr. Kvitko-White informed the couple that she believed Max had multiple health problems, including pancreatitis, inflamed adrenal glands possibly caused by a tumor and deteriorating kidneys. She thought pancreatitis was the main culprit behind the symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not set up to hospitalize a bunch of patients,\u201d Dr. Kvitko-White said. \u201cBut in this case, the family asked about payment plans, and we knew this was a big financial stretch for them. And when you\u2019re looking at a 17-year-old dog with a serious disease like acute necrotizing pancreatitis, your options are typically a specialty hospital or euthanasia, and the price for 36 hours at a specialty hospital could easily reach up to $8,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many doctors might recommend euthanasia rather than spending a young teacher\u2019s money on a 17-year-old dog. But Dr. Kvitko-White knew how emotionally connected Sam was to Max, so she proposed an alternative.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew a lot about [Max] because of the bloodwork and ultrasound, so I felt like we could put him on IV fluids and pain medications and let him stay here overnight by himself,\u201d said Dr. Kvitko-White, who offered that option to the couple.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked her what she\u2019d do if Max were her dog,\u201d Sam recalled, \u201cand she said she\u2019d feel comfortable leaving him there overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

While that choice was more cost-effective for the couple, the mood was somber at home that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been such a big part of my life for so long, and I thought that if he did pass, I would want to be there with him,\u201d Sam said, trying to hold back tears. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want him to be alone in the kennel in a strange place he doesn\u2019t know by himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max didn\u2019t die that night. After spending three nights at Eagle Animal Hospital, he was discharged, and Sam and Autumn paid their $3,800 invoice. While the cost was less than what they might have spent at a 24-hour practice, it was still difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used savings, and I spent my last dollar \u2014 I\u2019m not exaggerating,\u201d Sam said. \u201cI had $0 for three days after that. We didn\u2019t have any money for day-to-day things.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was so worth it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m so happy that Max is still here and that I have more time with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inflation and the Cost of Veterinary Care<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sam and Autumn aren\u2019t alone in their struggle to afford veterinary services. A 2023 Packaged Facts pet owners survey found that young pet owners are more likely than their baby-boomer counterparts to be concerned about veterinary prices. Of the millennials and Gen Zers surveyed:<\/p>\n