An Explanation of why fees are what they are.

it is very expensive to operate a veterinary clinic. Unlike your human general practioner, the veterinary clinic has to have the equipment to handle almost any situation. For example, you most likely won't have major abdominal surgery, or an ultrasound at your general practioners office.

This is an estimate of our hospital costs The figure is based on keeping a hospital stocked and staffed with non-veterinary personnel and opening the doors for business. For our hospital, that figure is $2-$3 per minute ($120-$180/hour)

That's $1000 - $1600 per day ... Just to open the door... and NOT pay the veterinarian one cent. This figure also takes into account that staff can only help pay the overhead expenses when there is a veterinarian present. When the veterinarian doesn’t come in, the overhead costs (paying the staff, the utilities, etc.) are entirely borne by the practice owner.

Did you know that the t-shirt you bought at the store for $20 only cost $6 ?That is a 300% markup! furthermore, the store owner most likely didn't have to go to school for 9 years and accumulate over $100,000 in student loans.

If veterinary clinics were to mark up the actual costs to spay a dog 300%, for example, it would most likely cost you $800 - $900 to have your pet spayed... not the $200 currently charged.

Veterinarians, in general, are compassionate people, and realize that they cannot charge what their services are really worth. most people don't have pet insurance, like they do for themselves to help pay the doctor. (yes... your insurance pays the doctor Even if you don't pay anything out of pocket.) Out of compassion, most veterinary clinics must keep fees lower than they truly deserve.

All this to say, we love what we do... but we cannot eat if we do not charge for what we do. We would love to be able to give our services away... which we do quite frequently... But we have to charge appropriately.

Someone once said something to us that really hurt . They said to me..."you're just in it for the money..."

We had to think very hard about that. We then asked them later... "Why do YOU go to work? Would you go if you didn't get a paycheck?

obviously... not for very long you wouldn't ;)