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I got this same feeling a few trips ago to the vet. It was like all they cared about was trying to upsell me to put my dog out and clean her teeth. The nice ass

by nyjah 3y ago

I got this same feeling a few trips ago to the vet. It was like all they cared about was trying to upsell me to put my dog out and clean her teeth. The nice assistant whispered to me “I wouldn’t do any of that to my shepherd” *wink. Inevitably I had to go back since then and the next it seemed like they cut that crap as it wasn’t like that before and hasn’t been my last 2 trips. Still leaves bad taste in your mouth because you want to do the right thing but not get ripped off.

syntaxing 3y ago
There was a NPR episode about this (forgot the exact show, might have been planet money). Apparently a ton of vets are being bought out by private companies. Back then, vets would sell to one of the younger vets in their practice when they retire. These private companies are out competing in terms of price hence all these upsell.
- gnicholas 3y ago
  Private equity, in particular, IIRC. Very motivated by profit maximization, without regard for long term longevity of the businesses.
  - cassianoleal 3y ago
    > without regard for long term longevity of the businesses. Or your dog.
    - MSFT_Edging 3y ago
      A lot of these bought out vets are basically forced to close 24 emergency calls. Some cities like Rochester, NY are basically devoid of 24hr vet care. Better hope whatever emergency fido is dealing with can wait till morning, because private equity has some blood to let.
- caseyohara 3y ago
  Freakonomics Radio did a deep two part series on private equity firms buying up all of the local veterinarians. Definitely worth a listen if you are interested in this stuff. Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog? (Episode 531) https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-equity-to-take-care-of-your-dog/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-eq... Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet? (Episode 532) https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-you-know-who-owns-your-vet/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-you-know-who-owns-your-v...
- yencabulator 3y ago
  For what it's worth, the same thing is happening to human healthcare in the US.
senectus1 3y ago
everything is is bought corporatized and then because just like Gov's big corporations are not great at dealing with bespoke situations, their focus is just making money which leads to upsell methodologies and "capture and hold" subscription models... I hate it, but I cant see a way out. I self host a lot of stuff at the moment to get away from as much as I can. but there is only so much you can do.
seattle_spring 3y ago
You thought that routine preventative dental care was an unnecessary upsell?
- doubled112 3y ago
  Are you saying that we should routinely anesthetize our animals to clean their teeth?
  - ajju 3y ago
    Sincere question: my relatively non-aggressive-at-sales vet, whose office has beocome a bit more aggressive recently, said this month that my nearly 12 year old dog has had a tooth fracture for over a year - and it needs a $X,000 removal relatively soon, for which he would have to go under anaesthesia and stay the day. Pup has been eating fine, and continues to eat fine, including relatively hard stuff (no bones or bully sticks but softer dental chews). He does have an accumulation of plaque on said tooth which indicates he favors the other side, and despite the hard pitch, I doubt the vet is lying about a fracture. The literature online is very equivocal about whether tooth removal is needed and says some fractured teeth are fine and don't cause pain. Any advice / information sources you trust on how to triage this situation?
    - Eisenstein 3y ago
      Get a second opinion?
    - bombcar 3y ago
      I would consult with a few additional vets, perhaps some further out in the countryside and/or older. You need to balance the quality of life of your dog, the cost, the change of death or other complications, along with alternative options (such as switching food when it gets worse).
      - ajju 3y ago
        Thanks. While steep, I’ll happily pay for the procedure if the risks are minimal and the impact on his quality of life is likely to be meaningfully positive.
barrkel 3y ago
Then if you get a tooth issue later, insurance will deny coverage. It's a scam.

by nyjah 3y ago

syntaxing 3y ago

There was a NPR episode about this (forgot the exact show, might have been planet money). Apparently a ton of vets are being bought out by private companies. Back then, vets would sell to one of the younger vets in their practice when they retire. These private companies are out competing in terms of price hence all these upsell.

gnicholas 3y ago
Private equity, in particular, IIRC. Very motivated by profit maximization, without regard for long term longevity of the businesses.
- cassianoleal 3y ago
  > without regard for long term longevity of the businesses. Or your dog.
  - MSFT_Edging 3y ago
    A lot of these bought out vets are basically forced to close 24 emergency calls. Some cities like Rochester, NY are basically devoid of 24hr vet care. Better hope whatever emergency fido is dealing with can wait till morning, because private equity has some blood to let.
caseyohara 3y ago
Freakonomics Radio did a deep two part series on private equity firms buying up all of the local veterinarians. Definitely worth a listen if you are interested in this stuff. Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog? (Episode 531) https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-equity-to-take-care-of-your-dog/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-you-trust-private-eq... Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet? (Episode 532) https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-you-know-who-owns-your-vet/ https://freakonomics.com/podcast/do-you-know-who-owns-your-v...
yencabulator 3y ago
For what it's worth, the same thing is happening to human healthcare in the US.

senectus1 3y ago

everything is is bought corporatized and then because just like Gov's big corporations are not great at dealing with bespoke situations, their focus is just making money which leads to upsell methodologies and "capture and hold" subscription models... I hate it, but I cant see a way out. I self host a lot of stuff at the moment to get away from as much as I can. but there is only so much you can do.

seattle_spring 3y ago

You thought that routine preventative dental care was an unnecessary upsell?

doubled112 3y ago
Are you saying that we should routinely anesthetize our animals to clean their teeth?
- ajju 3y ago
  Sincere question: my relatively non-aggressive-at-sales vet, whose office has beocome a bit more aggressive recently, said this month that my nearly 12 year old dog has had a tooth fracture for over a year - and it needs a $X,000 removal relatively soon, for which he would have to go under anaesthesia and stay the day. Pup has been eating fine, and continues to eat fine, including relatively hard stuff (no bones or bully sticks but softer dental chews). He does have an accumulation of plaque on said tooth which indicates he favors the other side, and despite the hard pitch, I doubt the vet is lying about a fracture. The literature online is very equivocal about whether tooth removal is needed and says some fractured teeth are fine and don't cause pain. Any advice / information sources you trust on how to triage this situation?
  - Eisenstein 3y ago
    Get a second opinion?
  - bombcar 3y ago
    I would consult with a few additional vets, perhaps some further out in the countryside and/or older. You need to balance the quality of life of your dog, the cost, the change of death or other complications, along with alternative options (such as switching food when it gets worse).
    - ajju 3y ago
      Thanks. While steep, I’ll happily pay for the procedure if the risks are minimal and the impact on his quality of life is likely to be meaningfully positive.

barrkel 3y ago

Then if you get a tooth issue later, insurance will deny coverage. It's a scam.