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More Health-Care Funds Going To The Dogs

DURANGO, Colo. (AP) - Monique McAlister's English bulldog, Izabelle, was just 8 months old when veterinarians said she would need a hip replacement to resolve a genetic disorder called hip dysplasia. McAlister said she was told the surgery would need to be done by a specialist in Colorado Springs and would cost $5,000.

"I almost fell over when I heard that," McAlister said.

She eventually found a cheaper surgery method, but she is now going through the same decision process for the dog's other hip. A hip replacement now costs closer to $10,000, she said.

Over the last decade, veterinary care has become more specialized, more advanced and more expensive. Local veterinarians and pet owners said the trend has hit Durango as well.

Nationally, the total spent on veterinary care for dogs increased 38 percent between 2001 and 2006, according to the most recent data collected by the American Veterinary Medical Association. In the last three years, the number of veterinary specialists has increased more than 15 percent, according to the association.

Local vets said the driving force behind these trends, especially in a pet-loving town like Durango, is an increase in customers' expectations about health care for their furry friends. To meet the new standard for care, more veterinarians are going into specialty practices, using more sophisticated equipment and providing more complicated procedures.

"The technology is available now, and the expectation of care goes up, which is great," said Brian Marshall, owner of Baker's Bridge Veterinary Clinic. "But if you want advanced care, cost is going to go up."

Digital X-rays, ultrasounds and blood chemistry machines are a few new technologies that have become standard in many veterinary clinics.

"Those machines are expensive, so in order to offer those services, we have to charge more," said Claire Lodahl, owner of Kindness Animal Hospital.

Drug costs are higher as well, and new drugs constantly cycle into the market, said Greta Varien, a technician at Aspen Tree Animal Caring Center.

To provide more advanced care, Varien said general practice clinics use the services of traveling specialists. A surgical specialist, an eye specialist and an ultrasound specialist visit Aspen Tree periodically to do certain procedures, she said.

The rising cost of veterinary schooling has become another factor forcing clinics to charge more for their services, Marshall said.

"It's approaching what human medical physicians' debt load is, but vets make a lot less," he said.

But the rising cost of care isn't the only factor at play in the equation.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, increased spending on veterinary care may also be attributed to pet owners choosing to pay for major procedures more than in the past. Dog-owning households that spent $1,000 or more in a year jumped from 2 percent in 1996 to 8 percent in 2006, according to the association.

Karyn Ekola, a front desk manager at Riverview Animal Hospital, said she has noticed Durango's pet owners are willing to spend more on their pets' health in recent years. The recession has taken a toll, though, she said.

"We have definitely seen the effects the recession has had on people," Ekola said. "There have been many instances where people have had to hold off on doing things for their animals or save up a bit more before they can come in and do it."

Pet health insurance does exist but is highly limited in what it covers, said Stacee Santi, managing veterinarian at Riverview Animal Hospital.

For example, pet insurance usually won't pay for genetic or pre-existing conditions, Santi said.

"The premium is kind of steep, so whatever they're charging, you're better off putting that amount away in your own account," she said.

Varien said people want to spend more money on their pets because they have much closer relationships than past generations.

"The culture has changed, and people are considering dogs part of their family," she said.

Sharon Abshagen, whose springer spaniel needed surgery to repair a torn ACL and a handful of pills each day to mitigate scar tissue buildup in his liver, counts herself among those who consider their pets as children.

"I'm an average pet owner with average dogs, but because I can, I will go to whatever I need to take good care of them," Abshagen said. "Humans love their animals more than they ever have."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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