How sad is it that I envy my dog his health care?

[primavera]

I'm nursing a golden retriever with a flu this week and was marveling that I could just call up our vet, immediately speak to the vet personally, and get advice right over the phone. I got to thinking about it and realized that, whenever I've needed a vet appointment, I've unfailingly been able to get one immediately. I've never had to wait weeks or months to get an appointment; I've never had to wait for hours in a waiting room to see the vet; I've never been rushed through an appointment by a vet impatient to get to his next 30 second appointment; I've never had to place multiple calls in order to get a response from the vet; I've never had to get into lengthy arguments with insurance companies about coverage, deductibles, or co-payments... wow. What I wouldn't give to be able to say the same for the health care I receive as a human! After the experiences I've had with our health care system, I'm considering to begging my vet to accept me as a patient - evidently dogs get waaaay better health care than humans do in this country!

[Wickerman]

1. and our vet has such a great tableside manner

makes my own doctor, whom I actually like, look like a DMV clerk.

[hlthe2b]

2. You should also realize a difference in emergency care

While costly, it is pennies compared to the equivalent level of care for humans. However, in some ways it is superior to that provided humans. For example, it has been decades since most hospitals have had an "in-house" physician schedule over night for emergencies among hospitalized patients (e.g., those in ICU) and if they have an ER, the ER docs do not handle. If there is a emergent need, you are dependent on staff calls to the individual treating doctor, who, for reasons very human, may not be overly anxious to jump out of their warm beds to come back in. Veterinary Emergency and 24 hour veterinary clinics, on the other hand, typically have at least one veterinarian in-house during those hours.

[Celebration]

3. Plus aren't the meds a lot less?

Can't you get the equivalent pet drugs for much less than the exact same human drugs?

Living a dog's life
In the doghouse.....

Different spin.

[primavera]

5. Yes, they are a lot less

As are the costs for office visits, lab work, surgeries, really everything is a whole lot cheaper. But then, in the veterinary context, you don't have to pay the salaries of all of the insurance people and administrators which, in human care, account for 60% of the overall cost of health care in the US.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I have spent something close $25,000 on one of my dogs in the last 5 years and

agree that her care has been very good. She had 3 complex eye operations that ran about $3100, including cataract surgery on both eyes for $1900. The rest is for her many medicines that run me about $300 to $400 a month. This cost I've been paying for almost 5 years now. The most expensive was Lysodren (chemo-classed drug used for Cushings' disease) which runs about $6 a tablet here in the USA. I imported all of Criss' from Canada at about 1/2 the cost. She also spent 2 years on human eye drops for glaucoma. Those were running about $180 a month. Since she became diabetic in 2004, insulin has gone up from $18 to $46 a vial. She uses human insulin available from any drug store.

Vet care costs have gone up, but not nearly as much as human ones. I am free to call Criss' vet at any time and have had him meet me at his office over the weekend. He has been in practice for 45 years and I tell him he's free to retire just as soon as Criss crosses the bridge. She will turn 13 on Friday which is amazing. She's a large dog and has 4 diagnosed illnesses.

[primavera]

6. Oh, you poor dear!

My heart goes out to you, how painful that must be to have a family member have to go through so much. :hug:

[HamdenRice]

7. I agree that even their routine care is better. It wasn't always like this.

I remember periods while I was at university and not insured, and if I needed to go to the doctor, I just went and paid about $20.

The insurance companies have basically created the worst possible system under the circumstances.

[Why Syzygy]

9. Due to Nixon...

as referenced in "Sicko". He sold out the health of American citizens.

[MountainLaurel]

8. Amen!

I think I've had longer conversations with the vet in the last appointment we had than I have with the past 3 physician visits combined, and that includes time involved for an in-office procedure.