According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Americans spent a total of $23.04 billion on pet food, $14.39 billion on supplies/OTC medicine, $15.73 billion on vet care, $2.19 billion on live animal purchases and $5.24 billion on pet services like grooming and boarding, in 2015 alone (Josephson, 2016). Considering 56% of all American households have pets, the pet industry is booming. Along with the growing field of animal products and care, there is an advance of veterinary medicine technology. There is now chemotherapy, kidney transplants, pace makers and vision surgery for different pets. The advances are phenomenal, until the cost is looked at.
As we advance in veterinary medicine technology, veterinarians face the ethical …show more content…
A physical impairment is easily fixable, with some medications and bandages; other ailments can require years of veterinary visits, medication, surgery and therapy. The price of critical care has begun to skyrocket in the past few years due to advances and the use of equipment that requires an abundance of power and money to operate. A question of “how much is too much?” can have a ton of different answers based on who is asked. If money is in short supply, a person may be reluctant to offer up a few hundred dollars for their pet’s therapy sessions, another X-ray or ultrasound. If they just got a raise at work, maybe not. When thinking about how far to continue with treatment or tests, there must be a definite prognosis and plan set forth. A series of uncertainty followed by running more tests, does not show good implications that the pet will get better, especially if the veterinarian does not know what is wrong with the pet. Similarly, there can be an accurate prognosis of a disease such as cancer, which might require surgery and chemotherapy, while diminishing the animal’s quality of life. It is also important to consider pet insurance or credit that will alleviate some of the financial burden. If 2,000 dollars will save a dog’s life and doesn’t send the owner into debt; go for it. However, if it does not and will send you into debt, do not. Money can only slow a deadly disease, not halt it. An owner has to make the tough call of considering where they stand financially, and how this decision to continue treatment will impact their futures. Data has shown that a household with children is less likely to continue expensive treatment compared to a household without, since they have other financial responsibilities to their children (Brockman, 2008). However, the decision to euthanize a pet does not mean the owner does not care, it means that couldn’t
As we advance in veterinary medicine technology, veterinarians face the ethical …show more content…
A physical impairment is easily fixable, with some medications and bandages; other ailments can require years of veterinary visits, medication, surgery and therapy. The price of critical care has begun to skyrocket in the past few years due to advances and the use of equipment that requires an abundance of power and money to operate. A question of “how much is too much?” can have a ton of different answers based on who is asked. If money is in short supply, a person may be reluctant to offer up a few hundred dollars for their pet’s therapy sessions, another X-ray or ultrasound. If they just got a raise at work, maybe not. When thinking about how far to continue with treatment or tests, there must be a definite prognosis and plan set forth. A series of uncertainty followed by running more tests, does not show good implications that the pet will get better, especially if the veterinarian does not know what is wrong with the pet. Similarly, there can be an accurate prognosis of a disease such as cancer, which might require surgery and chemotherapy, while diminishing the animal’s quality of life. It is also important to consider pet insurance or credit that will alleviate some of the financial burden. If 2,000 dollars will save a dog’s life and doesn’t send the owner into debt; go for it. However, if it does not and will send you into debt, do not. Money can only slow a deadly disease, not halt it. An owner has to make the tough call of considering where they stand financially, and how this decision to continue treatment will impact their futures. Data has shown that a household with children is less likely to continue expensive treatment compared to a household without, since they have other financial responsibilities to their children (Brockman, 2008). However, the decision to euthanize a pet does not mean the owner does not care, it means that couldn’t