🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4c9msk$4qf$1@sydney.DIALix.oz.au>, sarahl@sydney.DIALix.oz.au 
(Sarah Ladd) writes:

>frankh@gil.com.au (Frank Halliwell) writes:
>
>>   It's very easy for someone in a profession that charges more to treat
>>a dog than the family doctor charges ,to dismiss a hundred dollar charge
>>as "nothing", but most of us don't have a captive clientele.

Know why SOME human medical treatment is cheaper than Vet treatment?
Because human medicine is heavily subsidised by the taxpayers.  The 
further arguments of Dr Ladd, which I have left attached, are equally
as compelling.  Frank, I'm sorry but I think you are being most unfair
to the Vets.  I for one am fed up with the trend toward doing away
with the real "family doctor", fed up with GP's who either prescribe
what I knew was required anyway, or send me off to half a dozen
different "specialists" for expensive (even though heavily subsidised)
tests that invariably tell the medico nothing that I didn't tell them
myself in the first place.  Our Vet does rely on backup Pathology 
services, but does practically everything else himself  -  AND with
a competence and caring that would put almost every human doctor I have
come across to shame.  Apart from anything else, who do you think
trains harder?  A human medico just has to concentrate on one species.
Child's play by comparison to Vet training.

>Really? Does the family doctor have their own dispensary, and beds for 20
>patients that need to be maintained, and a surgical suite equipped to
>perform procedures ranging from lump removals to hysterectomies, and
>intensive care facilities, etc etc.
>
>If all we had was a desk, a blood pressure monitor and a prescription pad
>to maintain then perhaps we could get away with charging a smaller fee.
>But if the public expects high quality service, then how about comparing
>us to private hospitals and see if perhaps you could get away with a $160
>hysterectomy on a person(same equipment, same procedure).
>
>I know that a vet fee can come as a big shock, especially when you don't
>expect it. But hey, if our services are worth nothing to people then we
>might as well make vet science a 2 week course in how to give a
>vaccination and what end to put a worm tablet in.
>
>I read and understand your comment regarding the price of dogs at the
>various RSPCA facilities, and I sympathise. I guess that in a roundabout
>way they may be saying "hey, if this person will pay $100 for this
>animal, then there may be less risk of it ending up back on the street
>again". i.e. there is now a higher perceived value of the animal.
>
>Frank, I really admire your concern for the poor abandoned animals in
>these shelters. How about we direct our anger and energy towards the
>mongrels who dump the animals rather than the societies who struggle to
>get even a small percentage back on the right path again.
>
>Sarah Ladd BVSc