Kelowna veterinarian Alejandra Cabellos is pictured with a dog in this undated photo.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Alejandra Cabellos

The increasing cost of medicine and equipment and general inflation are driving up the costs of veterinary care and an Okanagan veterinarian is seeing more frustrated clients as a result.

“I’ve had pet owners throw bottles at my staff because they’re mad,” said Kelowna veterinarian Alejandra Cabellos. “Every day we’re getting angry comments and it’s hurtful.”

Cabellos works at a corporate-owned clinic and runs a private mobile veterinary clinic on the side.

“There's been a change in recent years, and I blame comments on social media, where people think vets only care about money,” she said. 

Cabellos said veterinary costs have increased in recent years in both corporate and private clinics due to a number of factors, however the dedicated care remains the same.

“The cost of supplies, vet products and medicine has gone up,” she said. “I think there is a bit of miscommunication in terms of what medicine costs...  it's the same for human medicine. It’s expensive."

She said pet owners don't realize they buy human medical equipment and it's expensive and impacts the cost of care, adding vets want what's best for the pet.

As well, in recent years the profession realized vets and technicians were underpaid so there has been an increase in terms of pay.

There's growing backlash from frustrated customers particularly when it comes to pricy diagnostic tests that are often recommended following an initial exam and collecting the pet’s history.

“I try to explain what’s happening to their pet and then finances come into it, which is unfortunately a reality,” Cabellos said. “I try to tell pet owners to look at the clinical picture, but as soon as you bring finances to the table you see them flip sides and think we just want the money.” 

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Having diagnostic tests done allows a veterinarian to find an appropriate treatment, but it doesn’t mean an animal can’t be treated without them.

“A set diagnosis means the treatment will be right the first time, but the reality is those diagnostics are going to cost money,” Cabellos said. “In that moment owners can have that feeling it’s for money, but no, I want to help your pet, I want to do it right the first time.” 

Without diagnostics, veterinarians can do empirical treatment where they can say based on a physical exam what they suspect is the problem, but it's far less reliable and can result in owners having to come back.

“We have to provide the owner with all the different options and the ideal diagnostics and treatment needed, but I feel sometimes clients think they have to do all of it,” Cabellos said. “You don’t, it’s ideal but if you can’t, let’s work together as best we can, given your financial limitations.”

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Cabellos always knew she wanted to pursue veterinary work and went back to school when her young children were in elementary school.

“Talking with colleagues, it’s the case for many of us, we wanted to go into the field since we were little, we’re attracted to helping animals,” she said.

Getting into the veterinarian profession requires a lot of effort including university studies, money and volunteer hours. She has completed almost ten years of college and university studies. To maintain her license, she is required to do continuing education every year to keep up with the advancing medical field.

“There is a lot of sacrifice and we never stop learning,” she said. “It speaks to the desire behind it. We have to love what we’re doing to spend that time and money learning to approach vet cases in ways we can help the most.”

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An increasing number of pet owners are seeing dramatic increases in vet bills, while more private clinics across the country are being bought up by multinational corporations, according to a CBC report.

The investigation revealed treatment plans and costs of recommended care varied among numerous corporately owned clinics across Toronto, specifically a diagnostic test called a urinalysis. One veterinarian interviewed in the investigation said the corporation’s main interest was profit.

Cabellos has worked in several private and corporate-owned veterinary clinics in Ontario and B.C., and while she was unable to provide comparable cost details, she was able to lend some insight. 

“The prices are going up on both ends and I can’t speak for all corporations, but there is a difference in what private and corporate clinics charge,” she said.

“There is also a difference in how much they pay their employees and in some of them there’s a difference in terms of equipment they run. Clinics with the latest machines will have higher overhead costs, private or corporate.”

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She said the practise of veterinary medicine has always been the same at the place she's worked, with the same steps to follow regardless of who owned the clinic. 

“There’s going to be a difference in prices, but it doesn’t change the caring team working there,” she said. “We want to help, we enjoy helping animals, investigating and finding out what’s wrong.”

In her own private mobile practice, Cabellos’ partner took over the business end of it after she initially was losing money running it.

“We don’t get enough education in terms of business in veterinary school, it’s not our priority,” she said. “I wonder if lack of business education has ended up in privately owned practices selling to corporations.”

Cabellos is also seeing a shortage of veterinarians in the field and points to burnout as a factor.

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“It’s a beautiful profession, but it’s hard,” she said. “You’re dealing with a lot of sad cases, you’re dealing with facing the reality that we’re just humans and there’s only so much we can do to save a pet, and losing pets hurts.

“It’s very painful to see someone trusting you with their little fluffy friend in your hands and you have to call with bad news. The amount of burnout from that is really underestimated.”

She said comments from frustrated pet owners is adding to the burnout.

“It affects us, veterinary teams are getting hurt,” Cabellos said. “We can’t escape the financial aspect, it’s a reality and hard because we’re there for the pets and owners, we care very deeply.”

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