For many people, their pets are much more than ‘just an animal.’ They are part of our lives providing comfort, routine, companionship and support through some of the most difficult times in life. However, when our beloved companions become sick or injured, and we take on the responsibility of caring for them during their recovery, this responsibility can quickly become overwhelming financially and emotionally.
Over the last 10 years or so, veterinary care has improved significantly; however, this improvement is accompanied by the increasing cost associated with it. Because of this, pet owners continue to balance their love and sense of obligation towards their pets, and the harsh realities of financial cost, in the most difficult of times.
One of the most important elements of being a responsible pet owner is learning to manage these decisions without compromising your well-being.
The Emotional Weight of Veterinary Decisions
When a veterinarian provides a recommendation regarding your pet’s long-term treatment, there can often be immediate pressure for the owner to make a decision regarding this treatment. Typically, the decision-making process does not focus solely on monetary costs; there can also be a lot of additional factors weighing on pet owners, including feelings of guilt or fear and a need to ‘do everything possible’ to help their pets.
Many pet owners report feeling guilty or blaming themselves when they cannot afford the treatment recommended by their veterinarian. Similar to how an individual could feel when faced with unexpected medical bills for their own health or their family member’s health, a pet owner will experience many of the same emotions when they cannot afford a treatment recommendation made for their pet by a veterinarian.
Added to this is stress which compounds the effects of the inability to process otherwise understandable information, negatively impacting the pet owner’s judgment and decision-making ability.
Why Veterinary Costs Are Rising
With the advent of advanced imaging, specialty surgical techniques, cancer therapies and chronic illness management in the field of veterinary medicine, animals can now receive treatment that they would not otherwise have had an opportunity to receive. Although these advancements have resulted in the saving of many animals’ lives, they do necessitate the purchase of expensive equipment and will also require continual training and education for veterinary staff.
Most veterinary medicine is much less expensive than human medicine, and most veterinary services do not now accept insurance reimbursement; therefore, most veterinary services are currently paid for on a “pay-as-you-go” basis by the pet owner directly. In an emergency situation, a single visit may cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the complexity of the treatment required, thus creating an unexpected financial burden to the pet owner.
Due to this competitive disadvantage, there are many pet owners searching for avenues that will allow them to say “yes” to their pets receiving treatment without creating a severe financial situation.
Payment Options Are Becoming Part of Pet Wellness
Rising veterinary costs can make even routine care feel stressful for pet owners. To help ease that pressure, many veterinary clinics now offer flexible payment options so families don’t have to come up with the full cost all at once. Being able to spread payments out over time can make it easier to move forward with treatment instead of putting off care because of financial stress.
There are also several familiar brands that help support this approach to managing pet expenses. Options like CareCredit, Cherry, and pet insurance providers such as Nationwide and Trupanion give pet owners different ways to cover veterinary bills, whether through payment plans or reimbursement programs.
Having more than one option available means families can spend less time worrying about how to pay and more time focusing on what matters most — helping their pets heal and stay healthy.
Financial Stress Impacts Mental Health, Even When It’s “For a Pet”
Financial stress is not experienced in a void. Numerous studies have repeatedly demonstrated that unexpected expenses lead to greater levels of anxiety, disrupted sleeping patterns and long-term stress. When the expense is for the care of a pet, many of these feelings become exaggerated through fear of losing one’s pet, or feelings of obligation to provide for them.
In certain circumstances, the financial burden associated with caretaking may lead the owner to avoid their responsibilities as a pet parent, leading to delayed appointments, missed follow-up visits and minimized treatment of symptoms. Although this is an understandable response, in the long run, it can lead to worse outcomes as well as increased financial burden.
Financial tools that are accessible can be a type of mental health buffer for pet owners providing that the owner is able to make sound healthcare decisions from a place of calm and groundedness.
Planning Ahead without Expecting the Worst
Pet owners cannot always foresee what will happen with their pet’s health, but there are ways to prepare ahead of time to lessen the financial burden when an emergency happens.
- Talk to your veterinarian about costs prior to any emergency
- Investigate and purchase pet insurance or payment plans before your pet becomes sick
- Set aside an emergency fund specifically for pet care
- Inquire about wellness plans that combine regular pet care
Being prepared isn’t anticipating the worst case scenario, it is acknowledging that animals, just like people, require unexpected care.
Compassionate Care Means Financial Care
Providing wellness for a pet includes doing everything possible to keep the pet healthy, emotionally safe, and trusting their human parent. Pet owners should be able to provide for their pets without compromising their emotional, physical or financial wellbeing.
Veterinary medicine is changing, and so should the way we talk about our ability to pay for that care. When the payment options, insurance providers and wellness tools are discussed openly with pet owners and veterinarians, the owners of the pets receive the power to be supported, not punished, for wanting to care for their pets.
Obtaining veterinary care for your pet should never be a matter of love for your pet versus keeping it alive. With honest and transparent information to provide, the care for your pet should not have to be a non-issue.
