My friend took his dog

[doc03]

for a kidney stone operation this morning, cost $175. How can they operate on a dog for $175 and it would cost $17500 or more for a human. Now really I bet the casualty or mistake rate from surgery on dogs are no higher than on humans. I wonder if anyone keeps those statistics.

[Pharlo]

1. Well,

veterinarians are some of the lowest paid health care workers. Seriously, a nurse in a hospital can make more than a vet. A veterinary clinic has fewer high paid staff. Animal (veterinary) grade drugs are a LOT less expensive. Lower liability insurance.

AND, the primary reason for the price discrepancy: FEWER PRIVATE INSURANCE RACKETS coming between the veterinarian and their patients. Typically, unless other arrangements are made in advance, it's a cash for service arrangement. While animal insurance is a growing market, it's no where near the problem that privatized human health insurance has become.

At least, that's how it is around here. I think it's a national problem, in fact. If you look at predicted national job shortages, 'veterinarians' have consistently ranked relatively highly in that category for some time now. Why should a student pay out astronomical tuition fees to attain a D.V.M. when they could make as much or more simply by becoming a nurse. And, anyone qualified for Veterinary School is pretty much guaranteed a slot in a US Medical College because the undergrad courses are damn near identical and the standards to be accepted into an accredited veterinary college are higher.

[doc03]

2. From what I always have heard it is

harder to become a Veterinarian, they deal with more than one species. It seems to me the biggest difference between them is lawyers and insurance companies. Medical costs were cheap up until people started getting medical insurance. I have seen the bill from the hospital when I was born I think it was less than $50 and my mother spent a few days in the hospital. When I first started my work career back in the late 60's Dentist costs were very low. I believe my Dentist charged around $10 for an office visit and that covered the cleaning or a filling. Then everyone started getting Dental insurance and costs have gone through the roof.

[flvegan]

3. In addition to what Pharlo said above, consider liability insurance.

Human physicians have to carry a buttload of liability insurance, and that costs serious overhead. Either to the doctor, hospital, whatever. That plays into it as well. Also, facilities. Most of your patients will fit comfortably in cage racks, 20 to a wall. A 3x15' footprint is pretty cheap compared to 20 rooms.

I have to hand it to the caring vets out there. They have patients that can never tell them "where it hurts" or otherwise communicate in much more than a general reading of painfulness. They do many of the same jobs as a person MD for far, far less. I think I spent between $9k and $12k on my dane's cancer/chemo treatment (granted, I got the "rescue rate" but still). That would have cost a cool million bucks guaranteed, for a human.

My rescue works with several vets and I have to say that the ones I've come to know well are truly some of the most caring people in the world.