We're Not Wal-Mart

Ever wonder why small vet clinics seem to be more expensive than the big guys up the street? You got it. Bulk purchases. We little guys don't need 20 cases of heartworm prevention a month. We don't order 500 pounds of prescription diets a week. We also don't order 100+ blood tests a week at the lab.

Our prices are higher simply because we don't qualify for the quantity discount. And, unfortunately, as this is a business, the costs get turned over to you, the client. Even though we're smaller, our costs of doing business are sometimes higher.

We recently had one of our vendors in with a special offer. If our volume is >150 transactions per month, we pay only $200 for this offer. If we're between 20-150, we'd pay only $400. But since we only do less than 20 transactions a month, our cost for this 'special offer' soars to $750. Well, as a single doctor practice, spending $750 for what this vendor was offering, especially when the 10 doctor, 24/7 hospital has a much higher cash flow to support a payment of $750 than I, the little guy, do, is a bit too much. I said thanks, but no thanks.

It's a trade-off, I think, depending on what you want from your veterinarian. Do you just want cheaper prices? Do you mind a long wait? Do you like being treated like a number? Or, would you rather pay a little bit more for a more personal relationship with your vet, who knows you, your pets, your kids, who can spend 30 minutes with you?

You decide.