Communicating the cost of pets

THE SIGN SAYS, "FREE PUPPIES." Well, you know they're not really free. A large-breed dog can cost about $12,000 over its lifetime. "Unfortunately, many owners don't think much beyond the adoption fee and initial vaccination and neutering costs," says Dr. Jim Wilson, JD, president of Priority Veterinary Management Consultants in Yardley, Pa.

Dr. Wilson, with the help of four interns, recently compiled a comprehensive spreadsheet that shows the real cost of a pet using information from multiple sources and formulas that take specific owner data, average life spans for different breeds, and sizes of dogs into account. "We found that pets cost much more than people expect," Dr. Wilson says.

He hopes doctors will use his data to change the way they talk with clients about pets and pet costs. To help deliver the message that pets are costly—and prepare clients for those costs—he suggests these steps:

1. Offer pet-selection appointments

Ideally, you'd get involved before a client actually acquired a new pet, Dr. Wilson says. How can you do this—assuming you're not a mind reader? He suggests you:

• Ask current clients with older pets whether they plan to adopt a new pet in the future.

• Describe pet-selection appointments in your client newsletter.

• Place a newspaper advertisement.

• Talk with kids at schools and service group meetings about pet-selection and send handouts home.

During a pet-selection appointment, Dr. Wilson recommends you spend about 45 minutes talking with the family about the kind of pet they'd like and the costs involved. "People will still probably get the kind of pet they want. But at least they won't be going into the decision blindly," he says. "The pet they choose may be beyond their budget—but with advance knowledge, they can prepare better."

2. Discuss costs up front

Clients often think about how much they'll spend to get a pet, and maybe consider a few medical costs, Dr. Wilson says. But there's a lot they don't think about. "The destruction of household items is a major factor that clients don't consider," he says. "For example, let's say you plant $250 worth of trees in the backyard, and the dog digs them all up. These kinds of extras really add up."

Figure 1

Then there are leashes, collars, brushes, microchipping, boarding, toys, food, treats, and more. And you buy many of these items more than once in a pet's lifetime. (See Figure 1.)

3. Recommend insurance

Clients often turn down insurance because they don't think a $50 pet is worth $25 a month in insurance. However, when they see the true cost over the pet's lifetime, they may be more inclined to insure their pets, Dr. Wilson says. "Another goal of compiling these statistics was to encourage people to budget for care—and possibly buy insurance for their multi-thousand-dollar investments," he says.

When people can't or won't pay for a pet's care, the pet's life is in danger. According to the 2005/2006 American Pet Product Manufacturers Association's National Pet Owners Survey, 70 percent of dog owners and 62 percent of cat owners say they'd give a pet to a friend or relative if they couldn't care for it. Unfortunately, 9 percent of dog owners and 14 percent of cat owners say they'd give it to a humane society, shelter, veterinary office, or school; or they'd euthanize it. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2

"Veterinarians can help people make better choices about selecting a pet," says Dr. Wilson. "And understanding the economics helps."