I’m curious as to how costly veterinary medicine is in other countries, and how good it is if you can afford it.
edited to add: I don’t know why the whole title didn’t display.
Fixed.
That many views and no responses-Is veterinary medicine not a big thing in other countries?
Veterinary practice is substantial in Australia and generically divides between large animal and small animal practices.
In Aus large animal practices tend to be more focused on the higher value livestock e.g. stud cattle and horses.
The BBC series “All creatures great and small” was an avid viewing staple with my family and the district. But it didn’t represent our experience. We couldn’t believe that a Yorkshire farmer would expect a vet to travel out in the night to attend to a sick sheep.
Conversely pet animal practices are at least the equivalent of what I understand are US service levels, likely more so as here we live in substantially less in tower bloc units and more in freestanding dwellings and have more room for domestic companions. There are three vet practices within walking distance of my inner city location. From my brother’s farm the nearest vet clinic who’d service is almost two hours drive away. So it would typically pregnancy/twinning testing over the entire flock, not individual animals.
Here where I live the vets are rather inexpensive.
When my dog was sick and wouldn’t eat anything, I went to six vets. Some would diagnose without examination. Some did microscopic views of his feces. But, there was no agreement. So, not so good.
One recommended a specific anti-parasite pill. I had to go to five stores to find it. It was successful.
Where do you live? Just the country is sufficient.
In the U.S., vets in private practice may have a practice that resembles a human doctor’s office, up to full-fledged veterinary hospitals with lab, x-ray, and even ICU services with 24-hour staffing. I was quite surprised to learn that most veterinarians work in industry, usually agriculture. Specialists are more likely to be affiliated with veterinary schools, or they’re like my cousin who works for a state lab as a veterinary pathologist.
Sorry, in my posts my location is listed. I thought it was there for everyone.
Yucatán, Mexico.
Japan approx. $2000 USD quoted for surgery on a cat to remove necrotic tissue from an eye. Can’t tell you how good it is because we haven’t done it yet as eye drops are controlling/reducing the necrosis at the moment. Three types of eye drops at around $50 a month.
TYVM. I’m not a paid member, so I don’t see avatars either.
I have two dogs, so I’m familiar with vet practices for small animals. A previous dog I had required TTO (triple tibial ostetomy, i think) where her tibia had a small section removed to realign her “knee” joint. The surgery and post-operative care cost just under NZD4000.
The older of my current two is 14 years old. She’s a Lab-something cross, so is in advanced age for her size and breed. She has involuntary incontinence, so is on two different medications for it. One, is taken as a daily tablet and costs around NZD90 for 30 days supply. The other is a liquid given orally and costs NZD143 for 100 ml. The dose is 0.9 ml morning and night so the bottle will last about 55 days.
Normal consultations, say for their yearly health check, costs NZD75. Blood tests are about NZD150, vaccinations for common dog illnesses such as parvo, distemper etc are about NZD75.
I live in New Zealand
Here in Canada, I’d say that veterinary care is very good to excellent. Vets attend a university’s vet school to get their DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) degree after completing an undergrad degree, then must be licensed by the appropriate provincial body. I only have experience with small animal vets, thanks to my cats, but my cats have always received competent and professional care from the vet and his or her staff.
Cost is difficult to describe, since different vet clinics charge different (though not significantly different) rates for procedures. An annual physical checkup and rabies shot might run from $80 to $120*. Some complicated dental work that required surgery for one of my cats cost me about $1300 a couple of years ago. And when it was necessary to say goodbye to another cat some years ago, euthanasia cost about $200 to $250 (not sure of the exact figure, though it was in that range). Emergency visits to the 24-hour vet clinic are, naturally, more expensive (I speak from experience); but you’re not going to use it for routine things than can be looked after during regular office hours at your usual vet’s clinic.
- All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars.
I know a guy who is a veterinarian in the UK. The vast majority of his clientele have pet insurance, which allows him to practice as he desires. Although his practice is in a large strip-mall, he has a CT Scan unit that he uses daily. Meanwhile, in the US, when one of our dogs needed a CT Scan, the nearest was a four hour drive and was cost prohibitive.
I’ve never taken a pet to a vet, but I just checked the price of a procedure I know to be very common: sterilizations. I get: male cat, 30-90€. Female cat, 70-210€. Small dog, 50-200€. Medium dog, 70-220€. Etc.
My town of 30K has at least four veterinary practices. Most veterinaries in Spain are generalists. One of my classmates is a veterinary but also allergic to everything under the sun: the second time that he woke up in the ER after working on a cat, he had to seek work in the UK where he could specialize in farm animals. Eventually he got out of veterinary work altogether and is now an air controller, I understand that so far he hasn’t developed an allergy to airplane fuel.
I’m in the UK too, and my experience is basically as above. Most of us small pet owners have pet insurance which covers us for anything beyond standard check ups and vaccinations. The pup has only had one major-ish vet stay, when he was throwing up for no discernible reason. Three days in the vets, a tonne of scans and blood tests, total cost about £600 (c.$790), all covered by insurance. We belong to a small vet group with maybe 4-5 sites in our city (one walkable), including a 24 hour, 365 day small hospital about 3 miles from our house.
I also pay a monthly ‘subscription’ with the vets for check-ups and annual vaccinations/worming/flea treatments - costs £14 per month.
I can get appointment generally same day.
Honestly, Dylan Dog gets better care than I do.
Edit: my pet insurance costs £450 p.a, for a 7 year old maltese, fyi. Policies do vary wildly.
Oh, I should add, it takes a 3 year bachelor’s degree in a biological science then a four year post-grad degree in Veterinary Medicine to qualify in the UK. Longer than it take to become a doctor.
Sterilizations can be free here. Either paid by the city or they have campaigns with vets donating their services.
Is this to combat strays? Because that seems sensible - I’ve seen them do the same in Turkey.
We don’t have a stray problem in the UK so it’s kinda moot. I’ve seen vets giving their services free to homeless people with dogs though.
Yes. There are lots of street dogs. And most are in poor health.
I’m not in a position to answer the question, but could state some general principles which may or may not be evident.
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A country with higher end care for humans will have more lavish care for animals too. This will likely mean a higher potential degree of care.
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There is a difference between small animal practice (pets) and agricultural animals. Any area with sizeable livestock populations will have a market for vets.
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Pets are loved, but are treated as workaday animals in some places, and fur babies in others. I can’t see an average Mexican giving their pets antidepressants or dialysis, but of course it may happen or I could be mistaken.
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The need for vaccinations depends on local disease profiles, virulence and populations.
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Costs presumably are proportional to local salaries, GDP and economic factors.
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For standardized things, e.g. a rabies shot, there is probably a list of cost by country somewhere. The skill involved in giving a shot is getting it deep enough and avoiding nerves and blood vessels. Not so hard.
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It may be hard for patients to objectively measure quality of care without a certain level of knowledge. But it is easy to know how someone made you feel, which is different.
In the U.S., it’s a 4-year bachelor’s degree and 4 years of veterinary school. Interestingly, in this country, vet schools are enrolling and graduating 80-90% female classes. 
My cousin was able to enroll in a 7-year BS/DVM program right out of high school, but that won’t work for most people.