A dog’s life, on a budget

Veterinarian Gregory Hammer laughed as he recalled the average price his clients paid for an office visit in 1973, when he started out in rural Kansas.

“It was $6,” said Hammer, now president of the American Veterinary Medical Assn.

Good luck getting so much as a torn nail clipped for that these days.

Americans spent more than $10 billion on veterinary care last year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn.

A single visit to a vet cost an average of $135 for a dog owner as of 2006, the last time the veterinary group took a survey of those costs. That’s up 83% from 10 years earlier. And the price is probably a good bit higher in Southern California, where vet fees are steeper than in most of the country.

Inflation played a major role -- the costs of office space, staff salaries, equipment and supplies have all shot up.

Pet owners are demanding -- and have become accustomed to -- a higher level of care. “Years ago if an animal had a serious cancer,” Hammer said, “someone would say to put him to sleep. Now they want to be referred to an oncologist.”

But one of the biggest contributors to higher consumer costs was a comprehensive veterinary market study issued in 1999 by consulting firm KPMG International.

It found that the profession -- long stuck in attitudes personified by folksy James Herriot books such as “All Things Bright and Beautiful” -- was charging too little. And worse, veterinarians were giving away care for free.

“Opportunities abound,” the executive summary of the study stated, but vets were held back by “inefficient structures, inappropriate business practices and attitudes.”

Many professionals in the field, faced with stagnating incomes, took heed.

“It was a sea change for the veterinary profession,” said Jim Flannagan, marketing director of the trade association. And soon thereafter came sticker shock for clients.

“Even if your pet is perfectly healthy, vets are now ready with a battery of tests, shots and even X-rays for the annual wellness checkup,” Jeff Blyskal, a senior editor at Consumer Reports, said in a controversial 2003 article.

Not all veterinarians take it that far. And as Hammer pointed out, medical care for animals still costs only a tiny fraction of treatments for the same conditions in humans.

But given the relatively scant use of pet insurance, you’re likely to pay the vet’s full bill out of pocket. VPI, the largest company in the pet insurance field, maintains policies on about 450,000 dogs and cats, less than 1% of the 150 million total dogs and cats in the country.

So, here are some tips -- culled from nonprofit animal groups, industry watchdogs and veterinarians themselves -- on how to take the bite out of pet health costs.

* Know your breed. Some breeds are more prone to expensive hereditary ailments. In analyzing data compiled by Purdue University’s Veterinary Medical Database, Consumer Reports found, for example, that hip dysplasia was most commonly found in Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and German shepherds. (You can read the Consumer Reports article at www.consumerreports.org/Pets.)

* Know your breeder. If you want a purebred, you’re much better off buying in a situation where you can speak directly to the breeder. You want to make sure the animal was not the product of a puppy or cat mill, in which females are kept nearly constantly pregnant to ensure high volume. Not only are these mills inhumane, they’re also breeding grounds for expensive health problems.

* Get a mutt. They’re not nearly as likely to suffer from hereditary conditions. But of course, they can still get sick, and expensively so.

* Get a cat. According to the American Veterinary Medical Assn., cat-only households spent a mean of $244 on veterinary expenses in 2006. Dog-only households spent a mean of $395.

* Use low-cost clinics. Many procedures -- such as spaying and neutering, vaccinations and the insertion of identification chips -- can be done at discount or even free clinics, some of which are government-sponsored. Information often is available at nonprofit shelters.

* Look for vet specials. In-office clinics can offer price breaks on vaccinations, teeth cleanings and other procedures. Also, there are senior citizen discounts and package plans for puppy or kitten care.

* Go online. If a medication is not needed immediately, you can sometimes save money by ordering it online rather than buying at a veterinarian office. Suppliers include Petmed Express ( www.1800petmeds.com), PetCareRx (www.petcarerx.com) and Foster and Smith ( www.drsfostersmith.com).

* Spread out your payments. It doesn’t lower bills, but some veterinarians offer payment plans from CareCredit, a credit company owned by GE Money. One type of plan allows you to make no-interest, monthly payments on an approved schedule. But if you miss a payment, you get slammed with interest charges.

* Comparison shop. Los Angeles resident Aida Akhavan was told that her dog needed surgery that would cost about $5,500. She called numerous veterinary surgeons before finding one who agreed to do the operation for $1,500.

* Ask about alternatives. If your veterinarian suggests an expensive treatment, ask about less costly methods that could also be effective.

* Consider insurance. Because of substantial deductibles and exclusions in pet policies, according to the Consumer Reports study, pet owners might be better off putting what they pay in monthly premiums into a savings account. But coverage could play a major role in covering bills for very expensive conditions.

* Limit tests. Extensive blood tests and other diagnostic tools can be nearly as expensive as the treatments. If a client is not able to pay for a wide range of tests, some veterinarians will offer to proceed based on best guesses. “We make the client sign a waiver saying they understand the risks taken without a full diagnosis,” said veterinarian Sylvia Domotor, who heads a four-doctor practice in Monrovia.

It’s a route she reserves for serious cases.

“Sometimes we have to get creative,” she said, “but I’m not going to let that pet walk out the door untreated.”

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david.colker@latimes.com

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Clinic Services

Clinics that provide cheap spaying, neutering, vaccinations and identification microchips abound in Southern California. Here’s a sampling:

Amanda Foundation (free spaying/neutering for qualifying households in Los Angeles): (888) 349-7388

Golden State Humane Society: (714) 638-8111 (Garden Grove); (562) 423-8406 (Long Beach)

Holiday Humane Society, North Hollywood: (818) 765-8196

Humane Society of Ventura County: (805) 646-6505

Pasadena Humane Society: (626) 792-7151

San Gabriel Humane Society: (626) 286-1159

Sam Simon Foundation (free spaying/neutering for low-income households in Los Angeles): (888) 364-7729

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The cost of friendship

All pets are different except in one way: They’ll cost you money. Here are a few common expenses and a sample range of prices.

Hello, doggy

High: Breeders get top dollar for purebreds currently in vogue. English bulldog pups can cost $2,500 or more.

Low: Orange County Animal Care Services offers dog adoptions for as little as $45, including shots. Add $56 if the dog has not been spayed or neutered.

Hello, kitty

High: Pedigreed kittens can cost $600.

Low: O.C. Animal Care Services charges a $20 flat fee for all cat adoptions. Add $56 for spaying or neutering.

Kennel fee, dogs

High: When you’re away, you can board your canine for $65 a night at Paradise Ranch in Sun Valley. A massage for the dog is $35 extra.

Low: The Pasadena Humane Society boards dogs under 40 pounds for $14 a night and over that weight for $16. But you must be a member of the group, which costs $35 a year.

Kennel fee, cats

High: Paradise Ranch in Sun Valley charges $55 a night.

Low: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Los Angeles facility boards cats for $15 a night.

Dog bath

High: A Spa Dog mobile unit serving Beverly Hills and Hollywood charges $90 for bath treatment, including “aromatherapy spritz.”

Low: A bath at home is free, except for shampoo. Self-service emporiums, including U Wash Doggie in Studio City, provide tub, shampoo, towels and blow dryers. The cost at U Wash ranges from $12.99 to $19.99, depending on dog size.

Poop pickup

High: Doo Care, based in Tucson, Ariz., expects to have franchises open in Southern California later this year. Residential yard service that includes scooping and disposal costs about $10 per visit.

Low: Self-service costs nothing but your dignity.

Goodbye, old friend

High: Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas sells burial packages, including plot and casket, for $593 to $1,206, depending on pet size. Headstones begin at $305.

Low: The Bureau of Sanitation in Los Angeles will send a truck free of charge to pick up dead animals, “except for horses and cows,” according to its site. The animal must be placed curbside.

--David Colker