I feel compelled to throw my hat in here, if I may.
I graduated from MSU-CVM and have been practicing for 23 years in rural NW MS...21 years of that at the same practice, which I’ve owned for 3 years now. I could write a novel on this subject, but let me just hit some high points, some of which are very personal and visceral to me.
1. Rural clinics are typically cheaper. Simple economics explains that, as the overhead is lower. Just that simple. Rural vets are typically......TYPICALLY.....not the type of people that are into price gouging. The doctor I worked for for 18 years is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, and he’d rather close up shop than take a cent too much from someone. He hated raising prices, and always paid his staff well above average. I’ve tried to do the same.
2. There isn’t one single outfit trying to buy up all of the practices, but there ARE a handful of corporate outfits that hold the lion’s share. I DESPISE that trend, but these older owners that can’t find young associates willing to put in the work and commitment of ownership leave them no choice. What would you do after working for decades, building up a valuable asset, and not finding a willing young buyer? There will ALWAYS be a conglomerate looking to buy you out, often at a ridiculously good price. I don’t fault those owners one bit. The problem is that it then is no longer mom and pop, and that corporation then makes all the policy. Just the way of the world. Admittedly, there are a number of veterinarians simply looking to build and sell and make the profit.....that’s their prerogative, but I can’t relate. No biggie.
3. Every time someone orders from Chewy, etc....that takes a few more dollars away from your local doctor. I get it, I’m not preaching, and I understand people trying to save every dollar they can. That said, I don’t turn down requests from schools, 4H, FFA, whatevers.....when they ask for fundraising money. I’m blessed to get to practice where I grew up, and these are my people. I LOVE my community, and I really enjoy seeing a banner with my business on it hanging on a field where I played as a kid, now home to the kids of MY childhood friends. Investing in local businesses is an investment in YOUR community. When we start losing that revenue, it has to be made up elsewhere, which comes in the form of increased service prices. Those are the things that people call and ask about constantly (how much y’all charge for a spay?). Not ONCE in 23 years has a single client called and asked how much experience our doctors have. Not once. That’s the battle we fight with price.
4. There are snakes in our profession that will not only gouge their clients, they will gouge colleagues. I’ve seen it first hand with my own eyes. We have some of the finest people on earth in this field, but we aren’t immune from greed and selfishness. Shop around, absolutely. But if you do, shop for more than price. It’s far less important than the character of the people who work there.
I’ll answer any direct questions anyone has about this subject.
