Spay Neuter Clinics, A Veterinary Trend?
Roughly one month ago, the New York Times published the article, “High Debt and Falling Demand Trap New Vets” followed shortly by, “The Financial Future of Veterinarians.” Both articles bring to light what veterinarians have felt creeping up for at least a decade. The economics of veterinary medicine don’t make sense!
The high cost of veterinary education coupled with low starting salaries and saturated job markets should make prospects think twice about becoming veterinarians. But many are “fulfilling a lifelong dream”. In that case, the satisfaction of fulfilling that dream better be enough to sustain you while working long hours under the stressful conditions of a veterinary hospital and living a modest lifestyle in order to re-pay student loans that on average amount to more than a three bedroom, two bath home.
At least ten years ago, those who analyze job markets began to notice that veterinary salaries were not keeping pace with inflation much less other professions such as dentists and doctors. The solution, at the time, was to advise veterinarians to charge more for their time, and they did. Doesn’t it seem like the price of veterinary care has increased over the last ten years? This might have provided a short term solution, but now people are afraid to go to the vet because of sticker shock or feeling like they are being blind-sided by hidden fees.
Add to this the economic downturn which has taken a toll on the veterinary profession. The overall number of pets has declined, the number of pets visiting vets has declined, and the pets that do see the vet are visiting less often. Veterinary professional associations are doing their best to make pet owners aware of the importance of visiting the vet, and surveys show that people still think of their pets as family members. But when times are tough and people look for places to save money, vet care just doesn’t seem to have convincing value. So what can vets do?
What if we re-think the way veterinary services are provided?
What if we start with the price that pet owners are willing to pay and find a way to provide the services they value?
That is what we are doing at SpayXperts, Spay and Neuter Clinic. The majority of pet owners know that a pet that is spayed or neutered is not only healthier but much more pleasant to live with. Additionally, the law requires every pet to be vaccinated for Rabies. These are valuable services to pet owners, so we worked backwards from the price paying specific attention to inefficiencies in the way these services are typically provided, and we found a way to offer professional spay and neuter surgery and core vaccinations at affordable prices. (Check out our pricing pages above.)
While many business advisors are still telling veterinarians that they just need to communicate the value of their services to the client who will understand and then agree to pay higher prices, we at SpayXperts have totally re-thought the way we provide veterinary spay and neuter services. And we believe, in order for our profession to turn around the current trend, we must re-think the way other veterinary services are provided as well.
Thanks for reading about New Trends in Veterinary Medicine.
Watch for SpayXperts, Spay Neuter Clinics coming to your area!
Dr. Jake Boyer, DVM; owner/veterinarian at SpayXperts, Spay Neuter Clinic