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Where To Get Free Vet Care For Your Cat Or Dog
Pets require healthcare just like you and me, and just like you and me that healthcare can be shockingly expensive—especially as your cat or dog gets older and acquires more issues. We collectively spend more than $135 billion on our animal friends, and a lot of that money goes to visits to the local veterinarian, where a routine examination costs an average of $60-$100 depending on where you live and how many pets you have. But that cost skyrockets if your pet requires more than just an examination. Anything that requires a few tests and treatments can quickly run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
If you're currently not sitting on a spare thousands of dollars (or even a spare dozens of dollars), and you're not sure how you'll afford care for your cat or dog, there are resources out there that can get you free vet care.
TelemedicineYour first and easiest option for free veterinary care is telemedicine. Conducted via chat or an app on your phone, you can interface with a licensed veterinarian, describe symptoms, and receive advice—and in some cases, prescriptions on the spot (there might be a cost for any medications you get, though).
It's important to know that many states legally forbid vets from making diagnoses or prescribing medications without an in-person visit. This is slowly changing in the wake of the telehealth boom, but you should understand the law in your area before you rely on a pet telehealth service.
Still, you can get 100% free vet advice this way from:
Chewy. Chewy's Connect with a Vet program offers a variety of free services as long as you have a basic Chewy account, which is free to set up. Anyone with an account can chat with a vet from 6 a.M. To midnight ET. If you're an autoship customer (meaning you get automatic deliveries of pet food or other supplies on a set schedule), you can set up a video call for free (otherwise you can pay $19.99 per 20-minute call). Chatting with a vet is never going to be as effective as a physical examination, but this can be a great option if you just need some questions answered or need to determine if your pet's behavior is something to be concerned about.
PetIQ. PetIQ maintains a free Veterinary Helpline (1-800-775-4519) that anyone can call. You can describe your pet's symptoms or behavior to a veterinary professional, or simply ask questions, and receive advice and guidance at no cost. Again, this is no substitute for a full examination, but it can be very useful for dealing with minor problems—or determining if the time has come to smash that piggy bank emergency fund for Fido.
Many veterinary schools offer low-cost and free vet services as a way to give their students hands-on, real-world experience. These programs vary from school to school (and often vary year-to-year depending on funding), so you'll have to contact schools in your area to find out if they are currently operating any free clinics. For example, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine operates a monthly free clinic in Knights Landing, Calif. You can find a list of accredited veterinary colleges here.
Local programsThere are many free (or very low-cost) veterinary services out there, though they tend to be scattered and usually require proof of income before offering cost-free services or financial assistance that can reduce or eliminate the cost of your pet's care:
Pet Help Finder offers a search engine that will show vet services in your area that offer financial assistance or payment plans; many of these will offer free services if your financial situation qualifies. Just narrow your search by the services you need and your location.
Findhelp is a database of local free and low-cost services. After entering your zip code, you can search for veterinary services and filter the results to show free services in your area.
ASPCA, Humane Society, and Nonprofits. The ASPCA and local Humane Societies operate cost-free animal clinics for cats and dogs in some areas of the country. Local nonprofit organizations often offer free veterinary clinics, like this one in Newark, N.J. Since these are often patchwork services that depend on funding and donations, you'll have to search in your local area to find out what's available.
It can be a challenge to pay veterinary bills, especially when an emergency hits. With these resources, you might be able to take care of your cat or dog without having to splash out at all.
Here's The True Cost Of Emergency Vet Visits & Why—According To Experts
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When your pet is injured or sick, the last thing on your mind is how much it will cost to get them better. Whisking your dog or cat off to the emergency vet after they've broken a bone, eaten chocolate or experienced pretty much anything unexpected is stressful enough. But the fact of the matter is, taking your animal to the vet for an emergency visit can get really expensive, really fast.
Depending on the state you live in, the veterinary facility, your pet's breed and the emergency itself, prices for emergency vet visits can vary. But across the board, they're notoriously steep. An emergency vet can be the same as a standard vet or an entirely different practitioner or animal hospital; either way, the nature of the visit dictates the fees.
We reached out to Alex Stone, CEO of Petted, a leading pet insurance comparison site, and Kristen Lynch, Executive Director of pet insurance association NAPHIA, to learn more about what emergency vet visits actually cost and why they're so costly. We were shocked to hear the truth. We aren't talking about hundreds of dollars; we're talking thousands. The costs add up quickly, but there are some things you can do to soften the financial blow, like investing in the right pet insurance.
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How Much Do Emergency Vet Visits Cost?If your pet has an emergency, "You are basically going to the ER," says Stone, and just like in the human world, ER visits will cost you. Average prices start at about $40 for a urine test or pain meds and escalate to about $5,000 for emergency surgery, according to Preventive Vet. Some other common treatments include:
If you figure that many of these treatments may be required in a single visit, you start to realize how some people can end up in debt if their pet experiences a medical emergency.
Related story Tory Burch Is Having One of Its Biggest Sales of the Year With Massive Discounts on Their Iconic Bags, Boots & Miller Cloud Sandals Why Are Emergency Vet Visits So Costly? Experts Break It Down"Emergency visits are costly because it typically means that the situation is no longer about small or routine treatments that can be more easily addressed. Instead, they often require complex and multi-pronged diagnostics and treatment approaches which may include blood tests, X-rays, exams, prescriptions, overnight hospital stays, IV fluids or medication, surgery and specialist treatments," says Lynch.
"A specialty animal hospital is no different than the ER," adds Stone. "So in terms of the diagnostics, whether it's X-rays, MRI scans, whether it's blood tests, surgery…you've got teams of people around the clock that are watching over your pet." Stone emphasizes that emergency veterinary training is just as rigorous as training for human emergencies. And since pets can't vocalize how they feel or how many pain they're in, monitoring them requires even more vigilance. Supplies and machinery in veterinary emergency rooms can be more expensive than those in regular vet facilities, too.
Emergency vet costs can vary, according to Betterpet, based on:
LocationDifferent states charge different fees for veterinary care. The actual facility you choose will factor in too. "You can have the same surgery done in the midwest for $3,000 to $4,000, let's say for example, TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) surgery…can typically cost you three or $4,000 in the Midwest. But in California [or New York] that can be $9,000, simply because the cost of buildings, staff, and education — the cost of everything is just more expensive in those states," says Stone.
BreedYour dog's breed will determine what kinds of illnesses they're susceptible to, like hip dysplasia and eye infections, which can also affect prices.
The severity of the emergencyThings like emergency surgery and cardiac conditions often cost thousands.
SpecialitiesIf your pet develops cancer, for instance, they'll need to see an oncologist. Cancer treatments can be among the most costly.
Why Having Pet Insurance Helps With Emergency Vet Visits"We live in a country where almost six out of 10 people have less than $500 in savings," notes Stone, according to some statistics. Other studies have that average hovering around $1,200. Either way, it's not getting you very far in the event of an emergency: it would only cover a two-day hospital stay on the low end of the cost spectrum. "People just don't have the money to keep their pets healthy. That's why pet insurance is growing massively. In the last few years, people are finally realizing, 'Hey, pet insurance is a really good thing because it protects my pet against the worst,'" says Stone.
"Pet insurance helps the pet owner say 'yes' to comprehensive care and treatments. When this happens, you want to be able to be there for your pet, deal with the complex emotions of being a caring pet parent, and ideally not worry about whether you can afford to provide the care they need and the situation demands," adds Lynch. But pet insurance is all about the type and level of coverage you have. "Policies offer a wide range of coverage options to suit the needs of the pet owner, their financial situation, and the breed and age of their pet."
Choosing pet insurance to protect your pet in the event of a medical emergency comes down how much annual coverage you want, how much you want to spend in monthly premiums, how much you'd rather pay toward a deductible versus a copay, the age and general health of your pet and, of course, what accidents and illnesses are covered by the policy. Some pet insurers offer accident and illness plans only, while others give the option of adding preventive care, too.
Lemonade Pet InsuranceLemonade is an example of a pet insurance that has you covered in the event of a range of emergencies. In fact, accidents and illnesses are covered in their base plan. You can select an annual coverage limit between $5,000 and $100,000. You'll pay a higher premium for higher payouts, but this can benefit you in the event of an emergency. Choosing a higher copay and lower deductible could also benefit you in this regard. A Lemonade policy will cover diagnostics and treatments with reimbursement rates of 70%, 80% or 90% depending on the plan. You can add emergency room visits to the plan for an additional $5 a month. For another $13 a month, you can include dental emergencies (and checkups). An add-on of $3.50 a month will give you prescription medication coverage.
Forthcoming Emergency Veterinary Clinic In Rochester Explains The Path Forward. What Pet Owners Need To Know
A new emergency veterinary clinic that plans to open Feb. 1 in Rochester is getting a large and needed cash infusion.
At a Wednesday morning press conference, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Congressman Joe Morelle announced that the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) just approved $100,000 in funding to help get Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services up and running at 1150 University Ave.
Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services, for more than two decades the area's only 24/7 animal hospital, closed its Brighton office in late November, forcing people with pets in crisis to drive to Buffalo, Syracuse or Ithaca for after-hours care.
Public investment in Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services "will address this critical gap in emergency care for animals and improve the quality of life for pets and the families who love them," Bello said.
During the press conference, Dr. Bruce Ingersoll said the practice will start out with four full-time equivalent vets, including himself and Dr. Brenda Buck, and ultimately, he expects the staff will include 30 to 35 other workers, such as veterinary technicians. (The COMIDA agreement requires the creation of 20 new jobs.)
The plan is to open at 7 p.M. Feb. 1.
"Our receiving hours — hours that we will actually be taking in emergencies — are going to be 7 p.M. To 7 a.M. Monday through Thursday and then 7 p.M. All the way through 7 a.M. Monday, so the full weekend," he said.
Pets won't have to leave the hospital from 7 a.M. To 7 p.M., he explained, because Buck and other veterinarians will be there to monitor them.
However, the practice won't receive emergency cases from 7 a.M. To 7 p.M., "since that's the time when your day practitioners will be open and the urgent cares who have sort of tried to fill the gap as well will be open to take those," he said. "We just don't have the staff and will not have the staff by Feb. 1."
In addition, he said, "The community is still going to have to exercise a lot of patience with us. We are going to be taking the most critical, the most in-need patients. Some patients we may be turning away and saying, 'You have to go to an urgent care tomorrow,' or 'You're going to have to go to one of the other facilities still.'"
The center will operate as a nonprofit, which Ingersoll said increases its chances of success.
Beyond the industry upheaval caused by COVID, a lot of veterinarians and veterinary technicians carry heavy student debt, he said.
"In working for a nonprofit, they can apply for (student) loan forgiveness," he said. "So, we're hoping that will be a huge attracting feature for the hospital."
In fact, the practice already is receiving resumes, he said.
Once the facility is open, "We're going to develop programs that volunteers can help us with, not working with animals but doing behind-the-scenes things for us," from cleaning to office work to fundraisers.
So far, the nonprofit has raised $175,000, which represents donations from community members and the COMIDA grant. That total is about $75,000 less than the optimal target amount to get started, Ingersoll said.
"But we will be able to do it," he said. "It just means we're going to have to run short on things for a while."
Said Morelle, credited with bringing together the involved parties, "We're committed to continue to look for public dollars," including at the federal level.
Donations are being accepted at rocemergencyvet.Com.
In a previous interview with WXXI, Ingersoll said that even though Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services will operate as a nonprofit, it will charge market rates for care.
In a statement issued by the county Wednesday, Alice Calabrese, president and CEO of Lollypop Farm, said the new hospital will ensure health and safety for local pets and give peace of mind to families: "Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services brings hope!"
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.Gannett.Com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester Emergency Veterinary Services plans to open in February
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