Doggy Doctors
A few weeks back I had to take my black lab to the vet for a fertility test- well, technically, the dog's not mine, she belongs to my soon to be step-mother-in-law, who just so happens to be a lab breeder. My fiance and I keep and take care of two of her dogs, Devon, a 4 year-old black female and Callahan, a year and a half old chocolate male. We're trying to get Devon to have her second litter of puppies and the trip to the vet was to get a blood sample to see just how fertile she was.
This is only the second time I've taken the dogs to the vet, but let me just say that both times were great experiences. Great, at least when compared to my own trips to the human doctor- shorter waits and a friendly staff that actually seems happy to see you. My labs are both very personable, so a trip to the vet is actually quite the excursion for them- a car ride and a chance to meet and smell new people.
But getting back to the point, I noticed the same thing I had noticed in my previous trip to the doggy doctor. Vets are cheap and easy to make an appointment with- And you can shop around for pricing quite easily. When it came to Devon's fertility test we chose the vet we did because the price at the vet we went to was about half the price of a more expensive local vet.
The question I had a few months ago, the question I still have after going back to the doggy doctor, is why can't human doctors work this way? If you've got a good answer, I'd like to hear it.
This is only the second time I've taken the dogs to the vet, but let me just say that both times were great experiences. Great, at least when compared to my own trips to the human doctor- shorter waits and a friendly staff that actually seems happy to see you. My labs are both very personable, so a trip to the vet is actually quite the excursion for them- a car ride and a chance to meet and smell new people.
But getting back to the point, I noticed the same thing I had noticed in my previous trip to the doggy doctor. Vets are cheap and easy to make an appointment with- And you can shop around for pricing quite easily. When it came to Devon's fertility test we chose the vet we did because the price at the vet we went to was about half the price of a more expensive local vet.
The question I had a few months ago, the question I still have after going back to the doggy doctor, is why can't human doctors work this way? If you've got a good answer, I'd like to hear it.
posted by lonely libertarian at 2:26 PM
1 Comments:
Honestly, are you even serious when you ask that question?
Let's take a look at how many reasons why real doctors are harder to see than vets...
1) Money - People are more likely to spend money to fix their own health problems than they are with pets. People are also more willing to take all the extra precautions, like surgery or medication, because it's for their own health. If a pet needs surgery or medication, many owners may not want to spend the money.
2) Supply and demand - Simply put, there are more people in the world than pets. There are also many more possible injuries/health issues that people can get compared to pets. Physical injuries and health issues can also prevent people from doing their day-to-day activities. If a pet is hurt/sick, well they rest all day anyways.
3) Routine - Most vet visits are routine things. There are a lot less emergency situations with animals, which keeps vet offices clear.
4) People - This is the most obvious. People are hypochondriacs. They see the slightest thing wrong with them and they freak. Even when something isn't wrong, people may believe they have something wrong. People know when they are sick and they know when they're hurt. They also think they may be hurt and may be sick. If animals aren't visibly sick or hurt, than there's no reason to take them to the vet.
Also, people get nervous and pushier when they are sick/hurt. Everyone wants medical attention first, so they become bossy to staff and doctors. This causes staff to be unfriendly and the sheer volume of people at a doctor's office can cause a doctor to rush appointments and become less personable.
5) Insurance - People can schedule more doctor appointments and show up unexpected because of insurance co-pays.
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