Is there any pet owner out there who hasn't been surprised, even
shocked, at a vet bill?

With the advances in veterinary care and treatment, we are nearing
the point where the life span of your canine companion may depend
on how much you can spend for his health care.

Transplants and major surgeries can extend life but at costs
in the 10,000s that many pet insurance policies don't cover.

I recently got an e-mail from a woman who complained that her
vet charged her a $10 fee to write a prescription because she wanted
to buy the medication over the Internet rather than get it
from the vet.

There are some common threads to why costs are so increasing so fast .

1. Advances in medical technology. A kidney transplant is expensive and only available for canines in the last couple years.

2. Advances in nutrition and routine care have extended the life span of dogs.

Just as with humans, the older they get, the more infirmities and diseases they are apt to develop. For instance, it is not uncommon to see dogs needing cataract surgery and hip replacements.

3. Pet insurance is not encompassing. Although technological advances are nearly comparable to human medicine, the pet insurance industry is not as mature as human medical insurance.

The American Animal Hospital Association estimates only 1% of dog owners carry pet insurance. Because of that, the pet insurance industry is not able to apply the same degree of pressure
to vets and animal hospitals to control costs and consolidate
services that the human medical insurance industry does to our medical providers.

4. The major source of vet income from vaccinations and preventive
medicines has been reduced.

Ten years ago, costs for then-major canine treatment was minimal compared to the cost for a comparable human treatment.

That's because the true costs of animal care was supplemented by fees for vaccinations. Vets could charge less to repair a broken leg because they compensated by the fees from the new vaccinations.

My recently-retired vet estimated vaccinations covered about
60% of the costs of his practice while taking only 25% of his
time.

Today, some owners are turning away from vaccinations and preventive
medications while other owners are buying their medicines from Internet animal pharmacies .

5. Animal hospitals are for-profit enterprises. This is not a negative
statement, but a reminder that there are no United Ways or fund-raising drives for animal hospitals.

Human hospitals also get Medicaid/Medicare payments from the government and tax relief if they are non-profits.

Unless you go to a hospital associated with a veterinary college, you are visiting a for-profit institution that must cover its costs and salaries by fees with a limited portion from insurance payments.

6. Some vets are entrepreneurs and some are bleeding hearts. I think
the latter is far more prevalent.

It's not uncommon for a vet to reduce the costs of treating a dog to what he believes the owners will pay.

On the other hand, there are vets that try to sell owners on special foods, products and supplements that they sell in their office.

There also are vets that will recommend treatment and procedures based on what the owner appears willing to pay.

Tell a vet "spare no expense" or make him/her think that's your attitude and you'll hear about all the new, expensive possible treatments.

Make your vet think you love your pet but that's what he is - a pet,
not a human and costs are important to you. You're likely to get more
realistic treatment recommendations.

In summary, with no end to rising costs in sight it would be wise to consider pet insurance. If you work for a large corporation, see if your company has a group plan with a pet insurance carrier