We
are all affected by today's economy in one way or another.
I have certainly seen a change at the veterinary practice
where I work. I see the same number of patients, but we are
doing less treatments and diagnostics. This unfortunately
can affect the patient's prognosis negatively. Veterinary
care is going to continue to get more expensive as demands
increase. Many caregivers view their pets as children and
they expect human level medical care for their furry kids
… kidney transplants, chemotherapy, brain surgery, dialysis,
MRI, and any specialty you can imagine.
One
way to save money with your pets is to practice preventative
medicine. Routine health care is expensive for our pets (vaccines,
dentistry, heartworm preventative, quality diet, exercise,
weight control) but a whole lot cheaper than treating the
diseases that develop if preventative health care is not maintained.
For example, if your pet is up to date on vaccines, heartworm,
etc. and your pet does get ill, your veterinarian can bypass
some diagnostics with the knowledge that your pet was on preventatives.
That
being said, we still have sick or injured pets from time to
time no matter what we do. The key is to seek care earlier
rather than later. Sounds like common sense, I know, however
the majority of the pets I see have been ill for several days.
There are several reasons for waiting to go to the veterinarian
… time, money, fear of finding out bad news and just not knowing
that your pet is ill. Animals instinctively hide illness to
hide weakness. So if you can tell your pet is ill, then he
or she is probably more ill than you think. The biggest problem
I see is dehydration. Dehydrated beings do not function well.
It does not take long for a 10-pound cat to become clinically
dehydrated. No matter what the underlying cause, dehydration
will only make things worse. If they are not eating well or
are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, then they are dehydrated.
Almost
every ill patient I treat can benefit from fluids. It is probably
the most important treatment we can give pets in my opinion.
Hospitalization and IV fluids are great ways to monitor and
treat injured or ill pets. However, it is very expensive.
We can give some pets fluids under the skin (subcutaneously).
This is best if tried early in the disease process before
the pets are severely dehydrated. This is generally a cheap
treatment and is outpatient as well. I have seen it change
the course of several ill patients if done early.
I
can usually try symptomatic outpatient treatment if it is
early in the disease process before pets are really ill. If
it does not help, then we have time to do diagnostics later.
Subcutaneous fluids are not a good option if the pet is debilitated.
Seeking care early will give your pet a better chance at recovery
in less time and also save you money in the long run.
Another
way to save money is to take your pet to a specialist if they
have a complicated illness. I bet most pet owners feel that
a veterinary specialist is going to be too expensive. You
would be surprised that their prices are comparable to most
progressive general practitioners. You can always have a consult
and you have the right to decline diagnostics and treatments
you do not wish to pursue. You can at least get their expertise
on the disease process. These specialists train for years
in specific areas of veterinary medicine. Would you choose
your general practitioner to perform heart surgery on you?
They might be skilled enough, but they need the experience.
Veterinary specialists can actually save you money. They can
streamline the diagnostic plan and get accurate results fast.
They have treated the disease your pet has many times and
specialize in those disease processes. That is all they do.
Why not have the veterinarians that teach the rest of us treat
your pet?
I
actually referred a shih tzu with an injured eye to an Ophthalmologist
on an emergency basis already tonight. I just received a call
from the Ophthalmologist and the dog now has a good prognosis
for full recovery for the eye. He has special instruments
that I do not have, which made the diagnosis possible. This
family will save quite a bit of money in the long run by making
the decision to go to the Ophthalmologist tonight. Not to
mention saving the eye!
It
is not always clear when to take our pets to the vet. I would
much rather pay for an exam and find all is well and I can
take my pet home or try symptomatic treatment rather than
find my pet is very ill and will now require 1-2 days of hospitalization
to correct dehydration. Just think about things like you would
for yourself or your human kids. We aren't that much different.
If you are not sure if your pet should be seen, then contact
your veterinarian or the local emergency clinic and they can
guide you. I have received calls from other states for advice
in the middle of the night. That is what we are here for.
