Private practice vs. corporations - and the changes

FeebysOwner

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This probably belongs in another forum - one that I don't normally frequent...

I was long (30+ years) with a vet who owned his practice from his dad, until he decided to sell it. That was 3 years ago. The changes have been gradual, but they keep coming. Now, there is no such thing as a 'walk in' just to get blood or urine drawn or even an injection like Solensia. All have to be scheduled with a vet tech. I didn't ask, as I just found out about this, but I am sure now there will be a charge for the vet tech's time. As a walk in, one would pay for the tests and nothing more. Sadly, since the buyout, this vet's ratings have dropped - the corporation still uses his name, so people who don't know what's going on just think his practice is not what it once was.

I understand that there might be some people taking advantage of the 'walk in' situation, but I don't think this is the reason. I think the corporations who have bought out private practice vets have yet again found another way to make an additional 'buck'.

On top of that, my vet's office now 'offers' a package deal that includes CBC/Chemistry Profile/T4/ urinalysis. But, if for example, the urinalysis can't be done, one has 30 days to bring their cat back in to have it done, without an additional charge. No one told me that. So, technically I paid for a urinalysis that wasn't done - and I didn't find out before the 30 days.

How many others have experienced similar 'changes' recently? Another reason for folks to seriously consider pet insurance, I guess.
 

Margot Lane

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Our country vet of decades closed with little warning, leaving us all scrambling. After 3 years I’m still on a waiting list for the only local vet left. Meantime it was for me a shock to go to a definitely more “corporate” vet 2 hours one way…prices outrageous, and they kept forcing Hills catfood on me. I will say the vets there are great, it just all seems a bit mechanized. I totally think it’d make sense to have cat insurance, but mine is too old. Is there only one vet where you live?
 
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FeebysOwner

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Is there only one vet where you live?
I've been to a couple of other vets - I didn't like them. I like the vet I am dealing with now, but she is one of the 'older' vets still there from when the owner was running the practice. I can't keep taking Feeby (18+yo) to vet after vet after vet trying to find a fit, not to mention I am trying to find continuity of care with all of her illnesses.
 

KittyFriday

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It's so hard to find a good vet, I agree. I was with a "country" vet when my dog was younger because that's who my parents went to, but she didn't believe in a lot of preventative stuff or mental health stuff, so we had to switch. Our new vet was very good, but expensive, so I switched again a few years ago to another vet who was closer to where I lived and had better prices. Now, the new vet's prices are on par with the old vet, it's hard to get an appointment that isn't weeks away, and there are some confusing practices as well. They used to include bloodwork with a wellness exam, now they don't seem to do that anymore (frustrating, since my dog has liver issues to monitor and my cat is a senior).

So, I think I'm going to have to switch back to the vet on the other side of town. I really hate "vet jumping" and I do try to be really understanding, but do get a bit frustrated when policies get changed or places start to get really busy and you just can't be seen. The old practice is also really busy, but has multiple vets on staff and can typically get you in same-day, even if they have to squeeze you in.
 
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FeebysOwner

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It isn't so much not having a good vet, as I think the vet Feeby is seeing now is pretty good. It is how these corporations that have bought out the private practices have taken away some of the autonomy that existed before. I am sure that walk ins would still be going on if my 'old, original' vet still owned the practice. The corporations are slowly, but surely taking over most of the private practices, for any number of reasons. For one example, the corporation has a big selling point in that they can then handle the financial & business management aspect, enabling the vets to better focus on what they supposedly wanted to do in the first place - take care of pets. But I've seen enough stories about vets who did sell their practice for these purposes and were sorry later - so much sorry that they retired.

I think it will be harder and harder as time passes to find a vet office that is not run by a corporation. And, when the corporations take over is when you see prices go up, appointments harder to come by, and in many cases more staff turnover. I know many that have left my 'old' vet's practice since it was sold because they don't agree with the new management's way of handling business. It is not far from what has happened in the US with the 'good, old' human family practice doctors who pretty much no longer exist.
 

neely

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I think it will be harder and harder as time passes to find a vet office that is not run by a corporation.
It's not just happening in the veterinary world but the human one as well. Many doctors that were in private practice have also retired and more and more doctors have become hospital employees vs. private practice.

Our previous vet's office was owned by a husband and wife who were hands on, knew us and knew our animals. They were the only two vets in the private practice but unfortunately retired. 😿 Coincidently our present vet's office was also owned by a husband and wife but alas they retired and sold to a smaller corporation. However, a few of the original vets are still there so although there has been some changes and price increases at least we are seeing the same vets.

You asked about experiencing similar changes recently and the two biggest ones I've noticed are price increases, e.g. nail trim used to be $10.00 but now it's $24.00. And technology, e.g. change in the website and forms which encourage you to use one of the drop down boxes from the homepage as opposed to calling to ask a question.
 
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FeebysOwner

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It's not just happening in the veterinary world but the human one as well. Many doctors that were in private practice have also retired and more and more doctors have become hospital employees vs. private practice.
Yep, that is what I said. Around here, that was done a couple of decades ago for the most part.
You asked about experiencing similar changes recently and the two biggest ones I've noticed are price increases, e.g. nail trim used to be $10.00 but now it's $24.00. And technology, e.g. change in the website and forms which encourage you to use one of the drop down boxes from the homepage as opposed to calling to ask a question.
Holy crap about the nail trimming!!!! I guess that will be next - even yet this vet group I go to will do it complimentary. I bet that goes down the tubes soon!!

This vet's office is still good about responding to phone call questions, so far, no problem there - yet. Although, I get 3 different emails/texts from 3 different sources asking me for input each and every time Feeby has anything done in their office.
 

fionasmom

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Both of my primary vets have been taken over by corporations. New policies included the rule that no medical care would be given without an exam; i.e., you could not call and say that you had a new cat and it needed to be spayed or neutered. The initial exam would need to be on a separate day from the requested appointment. During the first visit, there would be a general physical, blood work, etc and then further care would be discussed. This, of course, allows for two visits/charges. Not to mention taking the cat to two appointments.

Walk ins are not possible and in the unlikely event that a cat is taken in without an appointment, they need to be dropped off and left all day. Emergencies are routinely turned away, as happened to me and as I have seen happen in the office. Most appointments are 2 weeks out, at least, and then scheduled with any of the vets. If you want a certain vet, even a long time vet, you take your chances. The local ERs have become the back up for what used to be an issue that could be handled at the vet's office, like a URI. Now, given the slippery slope that this has created, ERs are turning people away or saying that you will have an 8 to 10 hour wait.
 
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FeebysOwner

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fionasmom fionasmom - guess I am lucky things are not worse here, but guessing they will be soon. You know, I will do what I can to keep Feeby thriving as long as possible, and really can't even fathom what it will be like when she finally does pass. But I am thinking she is the end of road for me. :(
 

posiepurrs

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I have a friend who works at a practice taken over by a corporation. She told me that they are given quotas to meet with tests etc. She hates it but is trying to stick it out until retirement. I know my prior vet was taken over by a big bad corporation and prices doubled, and quality of care dropped because the vets weren’t allowed to actually do their job. Here we have no ER close. The one we did have closed about 5 years ago so if you need an ER, it is a 2 hour drive to the closest.
 

iPappy

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It's not just happening in the veterinary world but the human one as well. Many doctors that were in private practice have also retired and more and more doctors have become hospital employees vs. private practice.

Our previous vet's office was owned by a husband and wife who were hands on, knew us and knew our animals. They were the only two vets in the private practice but unfortunately retired. 😿 Coincidently our present vet's office was also owned by a husband and wife but alas they retired and sold to a smaller corporation. However, a few of the original vets are still there so although there has been some changes and price increases at least we are seeing the same vets.

You asked about experiencing similar changes recently and the two biggest ones I've noticed are price increases, e.g. nail trim used to be $10.00 but now it's $24.00. And technology, e.g. change in the website and forms which encourage you to use one of the drop down boxes from the homepage as opposed to calling to ask a question.
Geeeez I charge 8 bucks for a nail trim (includes nail grinding/filing on dogs), I can't fathom charging $24.
I sought out a privately owned clinic that includes conventional and alternative medicine. It's a 90 minute drive, but so worth it for general care. I have an amazing one person show vet who is very fairly priced and offers treatments other people drive hours for, so I'm very lucky. I absolutely love the vets at our corporate place (they are compassionate, good, friendly, etc.), but I don't do all vaccines on old pets and that's something that they require in order to be a patient or hospitalized. When this clinic was owned by an old school vet, it was still the largest in town but it wasn't like that.
We don't employ a vet at our place and never will, but the demands of vet care are going up and I can see how alluring it is to be bought out, get your money, and retire. We have had several corporations approach us on buying our facility and "letting us continue to run it as we do" and we are like "LOL no."
 

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I dropped my cat off for a wellness exam and asked if they could trim his nails while he was there - he's not difficult, but nail trimming has always made me nervous. I expected to pay for it, but it wasn't until I got there that I learned it was $20. it would have been cheaper to hire one of the local mobile groomers that comes to your house. So I suppose I'll either do that next time, or suck it up and do it myself.
 

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Liability is also a big issue. It's expensive to incorporate. Solo practitioners or partnerships can more easily be held personally liable for mistakes, their personal assets can be at stake.


Add to that benefits and retirement plans for yourself and your staff and it's easy to see why, for personal reasons, people let themselves be bought out.

It's hard to keep people in North America when you're competing with those who can supply those needs to your staff, and the government doesn't supply those things. You can lose good staff, and in turn clients follow and then it makes an even worse cycle.

I'd be really interested to hear if our friends in Europe are having the same issues as most countries have excellent benefits for their citizens and permanent residents.

i actually found the solo practicioners here worse in that they can't retain the good staff. Many places have a very rude front desk person who usually doesn't like cats? Prices here are high no matter what clinic you attend; your savings are based on if your vet can balance unnecessary testing. If you vet likes you I find they will try to work out discounts with you. Or maybe that's just because we spent SO much money there over the last few years. Wish Canada would let us write off vet bills in taxes.
 

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I think we should expect to find that all prices will rise to the highest level that people are willing to pay. Even the small independent vets will push their prices up to get more for their staff (though apparently not the staff I've spoken to), to buy more equipment, for themselves, out of fear of the corporations taking them over. It's rather like an avalanche.

However, we should do our best to discover which corporation owns the vets we use. From what I've read Mars Corporation was the first to start buying the vet chains - Banfield, VCA, etc. Others saw and copied. I can't help but feel that every time I buy something made by Mars Corporation, I'm pushing the price of vet care higher, and I wonder who couldn't afford that care to help their pets. But that's just me.

Mars corporation owns
Roll Call: North America’s Biggest Veterinary Consolidators and Groups (vetintegrations.com)

And in Europe since that was mentioned -
Mars tries again for Cosgrave chain of veterinary clinics (businessplus.ie)

List of assets owned by Mars, Incorporated - Wikipedia

Of course other corporations are buying up vet practices too. So, don't assume your vet is owned by Mars, but you have a right to know who owns your vet. You might want to check regularly since they buy and sell vet practices like ... cat food.

who owns which vet practices - Search (bing.com)
 
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FeebysOwner

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i actually found the solo practicioners here worse in that they can't retain the good staff. Many places have a very rude front desk person who usually doesn't like cats? Prices here are high no matter what clinic you attend; your savings are based on if your vet can balance unnecessary testing. If you vet likes you I find they will try to work out discounts with you. Or maybe that's just because we spent SO much money there over the last few years.
Actually, this solo vet practice - before being bought out - had a very static, personable staff. It wasn't until the buy-out that they started losing staff members.

In a corporation run business, there is no 'room' for a vet to work out discounts - half of them don't even know what the pricing structure is because they are not involved in that part of the business any longer.
 
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FeebysOwner

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However, we should do our best to discover which corporation owns the vets we use. From what I've read Mars Corporation was the first to start buying the vet chains - Banfield, VCA, etc. Others saw and copied.
It really no longer matters what corporation is involved. They all operate the same way - bringing in changes that they believe to be 'efficiencies' to the business - a.k.a. more profit for the owners.
 

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Actually, this solo vet practice - before being bought out - had a very static, personable staff. It wasn't until the buy-out that they started losing staff members.

In a corporation run business, there is no 'room' for a vet to work out discounts - half of them don't even know what the pricing structure is because they are not involved in that part of the business any longer.
That sounds really lovely.

I think it depends on the corporation. Remember even a small business can incorporate. The one o go to here is a corporation. It was two locations in the city and room is left for discounts. They also work with the Farley Foundation

Contrary, the walkable distance one's evil overlord is actually the nearby public college. Just awful everything. Wouldn't sell me a couple cans of prescription food during a shortage without a vet visit.

Another location nearby sold me a few cans with just sending a photo of my first purchase of it from my vet. It was just to get us through until the next shipment came in from my vet. I'm not sure if they are corporate or Private practice. They opened during COVID so they fully missed my vet-hopping. I've heard only good things, and they stopped taking on new clients rather quickly.
 

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Actually, this solo vet practice - before being bought out - had a very static, personable staff. It wasn't until the buy-out that they started losing staff members.

In a corporation run business, there is no 'room' for a vet to work out discounts - half of them don't even know what the pricing structure is because they are not involved in that part of the business any longer.
One of our small practices merged with a corporation, and the staff from the small place moved with it. It was weeks before I noticed most of them were gone, fired or quit IDK but I hated it because I knew most of the techs and receptionists on a first name basis.
I've known a handful of corp vets who will pull strings for good customers, but usually they're the "top" vets that the corp. knows have a good following and reputation, and probably know it would be a bad move to fire them. IDK how that pricing system works and who has the authority to override something, it's all confusing to me.
(I did a "comfort groom" (medical problems mean short trim, no frills, owner stays with dog) the other day, and when I was asked to price it, I was like "hmmmmmmmmmmm, uhhhhhhhh, how about "x" dollars." I just took the usual price and hacked some money off of it since they didn't get the full deal. I like being able to set my own prices that I feel are fair. I don't think I'd do well working corporate.)
 

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It isn't necessary for a vet to sell out to a corporation to acquire benefits for their employees, if they don't want to. If they don't sell-out, they might have to pay an accountant to help with the financial side of things, but they would keep their independence without chaining themselves to a desk. Incorporation in the US. Benefits such as health care for employees can be acquired separately. I did know one person who shut down his business rather than get ACA or any health insurance for his employees. IMO they were better off without him.

"In most states, you only need one person to form a corporation, but usually, no more than three are required to incorporate legally. To create a corporation, you'll are required to fill out and file what is known as the Articles of Incorporation, sometimes called Charter or Certificate of Incorporation."

How Many People Do You Need to Form a Corporation? (freeadvice.com)
 

Alldara

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K Kflowers I'm in Canada. Similar laws but different.

And yes they *can* get benefits as a small business, but it usually still costs over $100 per pay on the employee side (here). Whereas insurances give big deals when you have big groups, and the employee pay can often be as small as $17 per pay.

Also at that $100 (employee end, still varies for employer end what they pay), is under a grouping program where you group with other small businesses, otherwise it's considered individual insurance if there's less than 10 people.

The insurance for small businesses and individuals has the "pre-existing conditions" clause most of the time making them useless to many people, or the price goes up.

With the big business ones, they usually don't have the pre-existing condition clause.

I've worked for many start-ups over the years. Benefits are something really hard to get for small places. I love the pros of working for a small place, but the reality is it becomes less feasible as you get older and start a family, as the Canadian and US governments don't care for their citizens the way places where health care is nationalized.
 
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