Anyone who owns a pet is very likely aware of the costs that come with veterinary care. Recent reports have shown how costs for veterinary care are on the rise, to the point where many households struggle to cover those expenses.
Multiple reports have suggested that the rising cost of veterinary care is associated with a combination of residual pandemic-related closures and profitability concerns within individual clinics. Fortunately for pet owners, veterinary care is evolving to include options that may be more cost-effective.
A Look At Arizona Veterinary Care
Veterinarians have a range of options when it comes time to enter into practice. In Arizona, veterinary care looks similar to other states, where veterinarians can choose to treat animals in different ways — from holistic practices to surgical specialists to veterinary dentistry to general practice. Large animal veterinarians are also necessary specialists in agricultural areas.
A majority of pet owners are likely most familiar with a traditional veterinary setting, where a clinic is able to offer a wide range of services, from well visits and vaccines to spay and neuter services, surgeries and dental care. When reports indicate that veterinary costs are rising, it is in this setting where most pet owners are seeing it, since a traditional veterinary clinic is the most common type of care setting.
The overhead associated with a traditional veterinary clinic, coupled with the broad expertise that is needed to perform any number of procedures — beyond the average spay or neuter — can cause costs to inflate.
Finding Affordable Veterinary Services
As veterinary care continues to specialize, it may offer pet owners new opportunities to find affordable veterinary services. In Arizona, we at Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit decided early on to focus specifically on surgical procedures as a way to keep costs down for pet owners.
By specializing in a particular service or procedure, from dentistry to a dog or cat neuter, a clinic is better able to manage expenses and keep costs down for the business but also the pet owner. Since we don’t offer diagnostic care at Dr. Kelly’s, we are able to remain strictly focused on surgical procedures that might otherwise be significantly more costly when performed at a traditional clinic.
Of course, just because our model of care is handled a bit differently than a traditional clinic — with pet owner expense in mind — it doesn’t mean we don’t value, appreciate and work with veterinarians who work in a traditional setting offering diagnostic or emergency care. It is those veterinarians, after all, who provide our surgical specialists with a diagnosis and oftentimes radiology that guides a treatment plan.
The benefits of a veterinary practice that specializes in surgical care include a depth of expertise on procedures that traditional veterinary pract ices may see much less frequently. Since 2016, Dr. Kelly’s has helped more than 150,000 pets receive affordable veterinary care when they needed it, including surgical interventions.
Are you in need of affordable veterinary care for your dog or cat? Reach out to our team to learn how we can help!
Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit is a trusted veterinary team serving the Phoenix, Peoria, East Mesa and Tucson metro areas, with accessible locations in each market, offering highly specialized surgery, quality spay and neuter procedures, and accessible dental care for pets. Contact us to learn more about our specialized services or to schedule an appointment.
