Speaking as someone who works at a veterinary clinic, it always frustrates me when people become incensed over prices for medical care for their pets when those prices are reasonable. $500 for a dental is crazy, but $150 isn't all that much at all-- yet people will still complain about the lower price when you quote it to them.
If a clinic is trying to provide the best care possible for their patients, overhead is high. We have an x-ray machine, an ultrasound, a labratory on the premises with diagnostic machines-- all of which cost a lot of money. The medications and supplies we purchase from drug companies and medical supply distributers are also expensive, especially since we're a small business and can't buy things in bulk. Our veterinarians have to carry malpractice insurance, just as in human medicine. The technicians and assistants at the hospital are intelligent, trained professionals, and must be paid a reasonable wage...
There's a lot of money that goes into running a veterinary clinic-- and the profit margins are often more narrow than you might think. At the end of the day, our office manager often jokes that we run a very sound non-for-profit organization. |