There’s no element of choice. Calling around my local vets every one is 3+ month wait for new patients. Even existing patients have week or longer lead times.
But of course if you choose Banfield (PE shitshow), they’ll see them same day (drop off in the morning, pet waits in kennel surrounded by other sick dogs all day until a vet is free, pet goes back to kennel to wait until end of day). The charge is significant, but the pets waiting around locked up all day is what bothers me more. At checkout they’ll of course hit you with the “wasn’t this so expensive? You should buy our health insurance plan!”
Compare this to the vet in my parents town that will also see same day, but I walk into the exam room with the pet, meet face to face with the vet, and stay with the pet for the majority of the operation. And pay less in the end.
Where is the market for the vets who are a bit more expensive but only have a wait time of a few days, with emergency services available at a premium comparable to the PE's but with better treatment?
Are we saying that vets would rather be unemployed than to work such a market or is something preventing them from serving that market or does the actual demand for such services not exist?
Boutique practices exist, they're just a relatively new business model and targeted to wealthy urbanites. Take a look at Modern Animal [1] or Small Door vet [2]. Traditionally, the answer has been to just go to an emergency vet if you need rapid treatment.
That’s probably the emergency animal hospital. Sees the pet same day 24/7, pet waits with you in parking lot until they’re ready, and is taken immediately back to you when they’re done. Prices are high, and non-emergency services aren’t available. For instance vaccines/microchipping.
I do not know why such places don’t offer standard services. The one by my house was nearly always empty, but still would not give my dog vaccines.
But of course if you choose Banfield (PE shitshow), they’ll see them same day (drop off in the morning, pet waits in kennel surrounded by other sick dogs all day until a vet is free, pet goes back to kennel to wait until end of day). The charge is significant, but the pets waiting around locked up all day is what bothers me more. At checkout they’ll of course hit you with the “wasn’t this so expensive? You should buy our health insurance plan!”
Compare this to the vet in my parents town that will also see same day, but I walk into the exam room with the pet, meet face to face with the vet, and stay with the pet for the majority of the operation. And pay less in the end.