Honest Question: Other than malpractice insurance, what could account for the diff. in veterinarian

[WingDinger]

and human doctor fees?

Who would go into it if they would recieve compensation to pay student loans etc at a far slower pace? Why would banks loan to vet clinics? Wouldnt the banks lean on them to extort the maximum from anxious owners?

Doesnt it put claims that docs are broke to the lie? If vets are getting by?

Given that far fewer humans choose to treat pets for exp diseases than themselves, put the lie to claims that not gouging customers for exp equipement payments will lead to substandard care across the board?

[Bunny]

1. Could you rephraase the question?

[WingDinger]

2. Why the hell does it cost 5 cents on the dollar to treat a pets malady?

[Bunny]

3. As compared to a human's malady?

Is that what you're asking? If so, I don't know the answer. :shrug:

[WingDinger]

7. yes

[kestrel91316]

4. I wish I made 1/4 what physicians make. But in spite of being one of the

average-priced or even lower-than-average-priced practices in the area, I still get daily complaints about what I charge.

People expect their vets to work for minimum wage, and have NO CLUE about how expensive it is to operate a veterinary hospital.

[Gormy Cuss]

5. FWIW, I think my vet charges too little for routine care

given how good she and her colleagues are at caring for cats.

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. Vets

don't expect or demand the same standard of living (i.e. personal income) as medical doctors. And can't earn that level of compensation given the competition and the financial resources of their patients (or lack thereof).

Most vets in my area have middle to upper middle class income and generally low wage employees. They do not live the same lives of luxury that local medical doctors do.

And every vet I've known is a more competent and smarter medical professional than every medical doctor I've ever known. Why? Their patients can't talk. The vet has to actually figure out what is medically wrong and treat the cause. As opposed to medical doctors who often just treat the symptoms that the patient is complaining about.

[ieoeja]

8. Just one example: childbirth.

Woman goes to hospital in sterilized environment with three or four specialists, lots of medicine, etc.

Vet promises Dog's human that Dog will get the best of care with the most advanced equipment possible. After Dog's human leaves, vet places Dog into a basket under his desk with a bowl of food and water that he refreshes from time to time. Two days later he arrives in the morning and finds a litter full of puppies. Vet calls Dog's human whom he then charges $150 which and then files it in his books:

"Received: $150 for stupid pet owner tricks"


Yes, vets can do some pretty hairy stuff. But I'm betting this sort of comparison holds up most of the time.