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We’re all familiar with Ben Franklin’s famous adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It’s simple, catchy and has survived for well over 200 years. I think that one of the main reasons for its continual use is the truth involved. Basically Ben is saying that it’s much easier to prevent something than to fix it, and how right he is!
This idea is especially important in veterinary medicine, and is one of the most common things we as vets talk to our clients about. With our current technology we can prevent so many diseases that 30 years ago would cause serious illness or death. Our pets are living longer, better lives because of great preventative care programs (and so are we!). Even so, it’s not uncommon to have clients decline necessary preventative care, either knowingly or unintentionally putting their pets at risk for disease. And the reason most often stated is related to finances.
Now, I completely understand that money is tight, especially in the current economy, and I sympathize with my clients. I’ve felt the pinch in my own life! But we have to look at the larger picture, and really analyze where the costs will be. That’s when we go back to Ben’s wisdom, “an ounce of prevention…” Let me give you a few examples.
Depending on where you seek veterinary care, a vaccine against canine distemper and parvo will cost around $30. If your dog is infected with parvo, your bill will easily reach $600-1000, and your dog may still not survive. Six months of heartworm prevention for a 40-pound dog costs around $30-50. Treating that dog for heartworms can cost well over $800; this works out to the same cost of having bought prevention for at least 8 years! Let’s look at a disease that’s not as serious: kennel cough (bordetella infection). The vaccine runs around $20-25 and though the disease rarely turns fatal you can easily spend over $100 in office visits, antibiotics, and cough suppressants. I could go on and on with numerous examples, but I think you get the idea. There is never a disease or medical condition that is cheaper and easier to treat than it is to prevent.
Banfield is striving to be the best preventative care practice in the world, so we are very concerned this issue. We realize that pets need vaccines, heartworm prevention, flea prevention, dental cleanings, and so on, but we also know how expensive these can be. To help people afford this necessary care, we developed Optimum Wellness Plans that spread costs out at a discount and cover much of the needed preventative care without you having to dip into your wallet as frequently or as deeply.
It all boils down to prevention. I know many people say that they can’t afford complete preventative care. But looking at these numbers, can you really afford not to? What is really going to be more expensive? Remember Ben’s immortal words.
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