Gratitude doesn’t pay vet bills, but other options can when finances are thin

Much of what families I’m working with appreciate in our time together is being heard, especially as they are moving through decision making with their pet’s changing needs in their senior and geriatric years, or with the news of a terminal diagnosis. It's common that I’m present during vet visits, and so I’m quite aware of the recommendations that are made, why others are not, and the cost of them. 

And while those costs can look different in hospice and palliative care than when a pet is younger and their needs are typically less complex, it’s understandable that no matter a pet’s time of life, the sticker shock is always palpable. And, the financial aspect of providing a level of medical care that's meaningful for a pet is a critical one. 

And depending on one’s access to financial resources, that can feel especially oppressive, and I know that other members of veterinary interdisciplinary teams also recognize that. We, along with friends, loved ones, and strangers hear the overwhelm from pet guardians. The pleas on social media to help fund a pet’s care after an accident or injury or illness, echoes of the phrase economic euthanasia and ‘why is vet care so expensive?’—we’ve all been witness to them. 

Basic wellness care—think exams, vaccinations, routine bloodwork, preventatives, dental cleanings—they’re necessary to stay on top of things and to prevent problems. And then consider chronic conditions like asthma, thyroid or urinary disease. Those need ongoing management with medication, possibly prescription food, monitoring & of course, vet visits. Injuries might involve X-rays with an exam, medication, perhaps a referral for a consultation with a veterinary specialist. A serious illness that begins as what’s called ain’t doing right or a pet suddenly becoming quite unwell carries the requisite vet exam and any manner of next steps with testing to sort what’s happening could result in a straightforward treatment plan, a more unexpected hospital stay or anything in between. 

It’s obvious that pet guardians are grateful that these various levels of vet care are available to keep things on track or get them to a point where the new normal is manageable, and so is the rest of the veterinary interdisciplinary team. 

But gratitude doesn’t pay the vet bill. And whether that’s the spectrum of care—where a vet balances available options appropriate for the pet’s needs, their telos with the financial limitations of the pet guardian along with their abilities and goals—or in some cases, the gold standard of care, it’s still a financial burden. The vet bill, I should add, covers what allows vet care to remain sustainable & available to families. It’s to compensate doctors that provide their skill in assessing, diagnosing & crafting a treatment or management plan a living wage that also allows them to pay back their education loans. It’s to pay the vet techs—nurses—in the countless roles that they play in a pet’s care, again, with a living wage that makes space for covering student debt. And let's not forget every other team member who make things happen at any practice, from vet receptionists, vet assistants and others—they're vital, too. It’s to cover the cost of the equipment and tools, the supplies, the medications, the space and utilities and insurance and labs that provide testing that can’t be done in-house. This is especially challenging for privately-owned practices, who are more likely to re-invest revenue in their local communities, to keep up with as their private-equity counterparts have a lot more leverage. 

With cost of living increasing dramatically in the recent past, it’s natural to find that vet care is further out of reach for a greater number of households. And ways to offset the cost can feel even more so. 

Pet health insurance is one way to do that, including supplements and prescriptions, especially if one has landed on a plan that offers coverage for all that, on top of higher level care like diagnostics, surgery and hospitalization. Though in the US, with a growing number of people opting to forgo private health insurance for themselves due to high premiums if their employers don’t offer it, it makes sense that many would decide to opt out for pet health insurance, since it can’t fit into their monthly budget. For many guardians, they deduce it doesn’t make sense to continue to pay the monthly premiums when they’ve a younger pet who hasn’t had any issues. Others can’t afford the climbing premiums for their pet, no matter the age. 

Care Credit is an option that’s suggested, but it’s only helpful if you’re approved. 

And asking for help from others? Well, that poses its own challenges. 

Tapping into the financial help that starting a GoFundMe can offer some solace. Though, it can be hit and miss since others can feel apprehensive about participating on the crowdfunding platform, or they might wonder, “is my donation actually going to be used for this vet bill?” 

The truth is, vet care is never going to be less expensive and I’ve seen vets practice clinical empathy whenever they can. (That's an ethos I share and make equitable options available to families with free resources on senior, geriatric and hospice care support.) There will always be a need for vet care, no matter if it's preventative and wellness care, vaccinations, diagnostics and treatment of disease or illness, surgery, behavior support, rehabilitation, prescription food and medication, or veterinary supplements. And vet practices need to be sustainable so that they can remain available to communities for the long term. And so when pet guardians find themselves in a situation where their pet needs vet care and money hadn’t been a problem previously but their financial situation has changed temporarily or long term, or finances have always been shaky, no one should be shamed or told that they don’t deserve pets. There are options to tap into lower cost options, like vaccination and spay and neuter clinics, and shelter vet clinics. And as noted, while the advances in veterinary medicine have contributed to the gold standard of care and that’s a good thing, there isn’t anything wrong with opting for spectrum of care, something that I enthusiastically support my families with as they move through their pet’s final years and months of life if that’s a better fit for them. And sorting that’s the best option to achieve their goals while making decisions is critical to their grief experience later, since either their pet’s limitations or others that the family has been faced with can be glanced back on with tremendous guilt and shame. 

Even with a sensible spectrum of care approach, it’s not unusual for vet care costs to still be out of reach—a very stressful thing to face, especially when you consider the strength of the human-animal bond. And it's important that this hurdle be articulated to the vet team, because from there, they may be privy to funding options locally that can bridge that gap. If not locally, then there are organizations poised to do this operating across the United States. And they deliver: one of the most frequently visited pages on my website isn’t a surprise, given what I’ve detailed previously. Funding Resources For Vet Care lists over 30 charitable organizations dedicated to providing funding support for vet care. This includes two unique options—non-profit based crowd-funding platforms, Waggle and Free Animal Doctor—where each are focused on raising funds to offset costs for pets who need critical veterinary care but whose families lack the financial resources. In both cases, the money raised goes directly to vet practice providing the care.

With over 20 years of experience in pet care and the past 12 of those focused on animal hospice, Lorrie Shaw is a Certified Animal Hospice Practitioner, Certified Hospice Palliative Care Advocate, and pet loss & grief companioning certified since 2017. She is founder of Telos Companion Animal Services, LLC & can be found at lorrieshaw.com.