One word: BILLING https://twitter.com/imaniair/status/1275500115495698434

I’ll explain, if you take a loved one to the ER, either by ambulance or drop off, there’s a 100% chance you have no idea how much the bill will be until you’re headed to check out. You don’t ask questions like: how much is the 02 machine? or the nurse? or those x-rays?

Instead you say: please doctor do all that you can for my loved one. And hope insurance helps you out at the end.

And when your bill comes back and it’s astronomical, you don’t call the ER to yell at the doctor or nurse who serviced your loved one. You might tell at someone but not them. Unfortunately veterinary medicine is not so lucky

For starters, for every procedure we perform, you’re given an estimate in advance so that you have an idea of the cost. We walk you through every option we have on hand and try to help cut out procedures we deem not essential while still achieving maximum care for your pet

And after doing all we can, rescheduling appointments, skipping lunch, keeping our staff late and accommodating you and your pet, there are many times that we are still berated online and in person by owners who think we haven’t done enough or charged an exorbitant rate.

Well I have news for you: there may be a few bad seeds in every profession but I promise you if I was in it for the money veterinary medicine would’ve been one of my last career choices. Because I’m not protected by corporate offices or large hospitals

When you need to vent your frustrations, I’m not protected. I’m at the counter checking out another pet. I’m welcoming new clients in. I’m standing right in your face. I’m here. I’m available. And too often people make us their personal punching bag and I’m tired of it already.

So I encourage you to remember that we’re people too. And I don’t know how your day progressed just like you don’t know mine. We must learn how to have more patience and be more compassionate. And trust that we are providing the best care we can to your pet.

Veterinary medicine currently has the highest suicide rate in the medical field and people often wonder why given their preconceptions about this field. But I assure you there’s so much more to it. We’re tired. We probably missed lunch today and we’d do it again to save a pet.

Few if any veterinary clinics closed during COVID (we are essential whoopee) and chances are if you spent more time at home with your pet during this time you probably noticed something new and brought him/her in. So please bear with us as we too adjust to this new normal.