Getting turned away when a pet is ill can be dangerous or even deadly. This is the sad reality for many companion animal owners in the Denver Metro area as the number of families with pets has skyrocketed over the past several years. Roughly 65% of Coloradans, equating to over 3.8 million people, own a four-legged friend, severely outnumbering the 2,200 veterinarians in the state.
“We try really hard to find a balance of what we can do reasonably and not burn our staff out,” said Jennifer Davidic, hospital manager at Tender Touch Animal Hospital in Denver. “I think a lot of clinics in the area are struggling with that at the same time, which is why we’ve come up with our sort of like, ‘at capacity’ language for patients.”
Davidic said the hospital has often had to turn patients away when staff have reached their limits to avoid burnout. They do their best to safely accommodate an animal’s needs.
“We say ‘at medical capacity.’ And for us, that means that we can’t safely handle the animal’s needs or we may not be able to truly address what they need. That can be because we don’t have the staff, we don’t have the space—the building is definitely a little bit small sometimes for what we want to do,” Davidic said.
Tender Touch has served pet owners in the Denver area for over 20 years and has had to adapt to many challenges over that time. However, the COVID-19 pet boom put a strain on their resources like never before.
“COVID took us to a level that I didn’t see coming, nor was I prepared for,” said Dr. Rose Barr, a lead veterinarian who has worked at Tender Touch for over 10 years.
With a staff of around 10 to 15 medical experts at a time, the pandemic vastly overwhelmed Tender Touch. Government mandates and clinic guidelines meant switching to curbside drop-offs or full appointments. Barr said during this time, cars lined up in the parking area on a daily basis. Although she has 15 years of experience under her belt, her time in the field couldn’t shield her from the stress.
“There were so many patients, and honestly, that’s what burned out a lot of us,” Barr said. “I didn’t have the tools or the strength to admit that [burn out] happened to me because I loved this job so much that I didn’t think that would ever be my story. I was burnt out. I honestly just used to wish that I would get in a car accident on the way to work, that I would have time off and it wouldn’t be my fault.”
She said that mindsets like this are unfortunately common among veterinarians, not just at strained clinics in Colorado but across the country. Veterinarians are four times more likely to commit suicide compared to the average U.S. population.
“There’s a lot of guilt associated with it, trying to see all the patients, trying to accommodate people’s needs emotionally and financially,” Barr said.
It is unknown if the stress of the profession is what is making interest in veterinary health drop, but according to Barr, there has been a gradual fizzle in students looking to enter the field.
“Schools used to have a couple hundred students at a time, now they have like 10 or 15. I think that people have found ways to earn money that are less physically and mentally tolling, and maybe make more money doing things [as well as] they get to work from home,” Barr said.
However, the position has other stresses aside from having too many patients. Although saving animals is a fundamental part of the job, connecting with their owners is a major aspect, especially when it comes to transparency about affordability. With new advancements in technology over the years to help animals live longer lives, the prices of these procedures have become a big issue for pet owners. According to data collected by Pets Best Insurance from 2017 to 2021, the average price of cancer treatment was $4,100 for dogs and $3,800 for cats.
“We always try and communicate along the way what things are going to cost and what options may be if they can’t pursue a certain route. You know, 20 years ago, there was probably a lot more strict euthanasia,” Barr said.
In recent years, some employers have offered their employees pet health care to lessen the blow of veterinarian costs. Emme Hardy, a Denver resident, receives pet insurance from her employer to cover her dog, Brighton. Before she had the job, she said she spent upwards of $400 every time she had to take Brighton to the vet for digestive tract issues.
“Denver uses reclaimed water for their sprinkler systems, and a lot of dogs in Denver will get Giardia because the sprinkler systems carry bacteria. Vet bills have been more expensive because you have to get more vaccines living in a city versus living in a town like Boulder,” Hardy said.
Even simple treatments for common ailments can run up an annual bill of several hundred dollars. One of the most common illnesses Tender Touch sees is ear infections, which are cured by ear drops costing anywhere from $50 to $250. With ear infections being incredibly common, the likelihood of an animal having more than one ear infection per year is high. The average price of a dental cleaning in Denver is $352.95 for dogs. Animal allergy tests can run up to $400, depending on location and testing. Even a routine check-up costs just under $60 before vaccinations or prescriptions. These high prices can stack up quickly.
In addition, Davidic said that one of the biggest struggles veterinarian offices will face in the future is the lack of support staff. According to Davidic, veterinary technicians have been vastly underutilized in their field of work. Although the reevaluation of veterinary technicians is a step in the right direction, there is a long way to go to ensure the health of pets and those who care for them.
“It’s kind of looking at how they are utilized in the clinic to their fullest ability and giving them ways to grow that aren’t just, ‘Congratulations, your hospital manager now,’” Davidic said.
With prices for procedures increasing and interest in the field decreasing, strain and anxiety are symptoms in the world of pet health.
“I think that just for our own sake, we’ve had to work on boundaries. And as my therapist said, when you’re doing them correctly, not everyone is happy,” Barr said.