Answer: The establishment and running of a privative small animals practice or hospital
is a privative business venture jut like any other. The veterinary surgeons(s) involved will
have to raise sufficient capital initially to build, buy or lease the premises, and to pay for
highly specialized equipment and instruments without any preferential loan or subsidy
from the government or any other organization. Subsequently the business must be
generate sufficient money to pay all expenses-charges for water electricity, telephone,
insurance, rates and probably the interest on mortgage or bank loans, the cost of drugs
and replacement equipment, in addition to providing to salaries of the veterinary
surgeon(s) and the other staff required to run the practice efficiently.
Obviously, if the return on the money put into the enterprise is not at least comparable
to that which could be provided by other forms of investment comparable there will be
no incentive to undertake all the hard work required, a lot of it during ‘unsocial’ hours.
However, when the cost of veterinary attention is compared with that of other service
such as routine car maintenance, taxi journeys or sampling getting a repair man to call
and examine the washing machine, it is usually found to be low, bearing in mind the
level of skill which is demanded.
In North America pet owner are well aware of the high cost of private medical
attention for themselves and their families. In Great Britain the way in which the
National Health Service is financed disguises the true cost of medical care and
many people are unaware that modern drug and vaccine are extremely expensive.
Consequently, owners are sometimes very surprised when they discover the real cost of
drugs and many perhaps resent paying so much for there animal’s treatment.
There are of course pert insurance policies available which provide some degree of
protection against having to pay really hefty bills for operations and treatment, although
it’s important to read the exclusion clauses care-fully before deciding whether what is
offered is either adequate or fair.
If you are genuinely unable to offered the fees of a veterinarian, assistance can usually
be obtained from one of the animal welfare societies, although it should be borne in
mind that these charitable organization have limited resources and should not be asked
to help unless genuinely cannot afford normal veterinary fees.
