How much does a visit to the vet cost?

A veterinarian sees a guinea pig in her office. / Hedgehog94

The costs of the veterinarian can vary greatly depending on the visit. Do you want to know how much the vet is going to cost? We tell you

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Most people become aware of How much does a visit to the vet cost? When, worth the redundancy, visit the vet. While you have not had the need to take your dog or cat to the consultation, beyond the relevant vaccines, it is probably something you have not thought about too much. However, the costs of the veterinarian can vary a lot depending on the visit, what happens to your pet. If you want to know how much the vet is going to cost you, we'll tell you in this article.

A pet is an economic expense

I remember that on one occasion a fellow scholar asked me what might happen to his dog. The boy knew that he had been with Chufa for years and thought he could solve the matter. He told me: "My dog ​​has woken up with his whole nose swollen, what do you think it can be?". I replied that I had no idea, that my Chufa had never happened to him before. And, logically, I told him that it would be best if I took him to the vet. His answer came soon: "I do not have money for the vet". So, alma de cántaro, why do you have a dog? It was the instant replica that I launched and the one I launched now as a reflection.

A veterinarian observes the x-ray done to a dog. / Monkey Business Images

The vet, is it expensive?

Nobody wants or thinks that their dog or their cat can suffer a mishap or get sick. Nobody falls into it until your pocket hurts and checks How much does a visit to the vet cost?. Veterinary expenses can go beyond vaccines or reviews that touch your pet every 'x' time. At some point you may need an analytical, an x-ray or even operate a leg because it has broken, for example. All that costs money and it turns out that some people loose that "The vet is very expensive". But, "Very expensive compared to what?", Answers the veterinarian Ana Martínez, from the Albayda Veterinary Center.

One thing happens: people in Spain are not used to paying for our health. In our country we have a public health and paying for the health of a dog or cat can be … strange for some. You must be clear that, just as sometimes you go a private doctor instead of going to Social Security, veterinary medicine is a private service that you access for the sake of your dog or cat. In addition, to this we must add an important fact that is often forgotten: Veterinary services have 21% VAT in Spain.

The price of the veterinarian, with 21% VAT

In September 2012 came into force the R. D. Law 20/2012 on VAT applicable to veterinary services, which changed this from the 10% that had been paying to 21%. At that moment, "most veterinary centers assumed that rise that came directly from their benefits to avoid having to raise the price of services to customers ", emphasizes the veterinary consulted by Wamiz. That is, most of the veterinary clinics in Spain decided to take responsibility for that 11% increase so as not to harm you or your pet.

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At the beginning of October, after the presentation of the General State Budgets for 2019, the Council of Ministers contemplated a VAT reduction in veterinary services from 21 to 10%. But you still do not know when it will arrive. At the moment, the price of the veterinarian in Spain continues with that 21% VAT. Pets, unlike other European countries, are considered in our country as objects, and therefore, everything related to them is taxed at eleven more points. "This is what happens with veterinarians, who pay 21% VAT, unlike doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists, or any other health profession, which are taxed at 4% VAT or even exempt from paying", Ana Martínez explains.

A dog in the vet's office. / didesign021

The average price of a query

What does this mean for the patient-client? Yes a veterinary consultation costs you an average of 30 euros, for example, "Hacienda directly raises 6.30 euros from it, leaving for the veterinary center 23.70 euros to be removed all the expenses of a veterinary consultation: material used as needles, syringes or gauze; the cost of the veterinarian's work; fixed and variable expenses of that query "depending on what your pet needs.

Another relevant aspect to understand How much does the visit to the vet cost? it is the consultation itself. "We must value the work that the veterinarian does in the consultation with our little one, the time that he dedicates to him; If you also dedicate time to us to ask about your health, the duration of the consultation, the type of material used in the consultation or exploration Ana says. You can not pay the same in a consultation that you go for a vaccination that is done in 10 minutes, that one that lasts 30 minutes in which the veterinarian has done a good exploration of the animal and has been able to detect anomalies or problems that require a solution. Or simply in which you have used all the means at your disposal to ensure that the health of your pet is in perfect condition to be able to put a vaccine ".

Andalusia, the cheapest in Spain

It is also important to know that veterinary medicine is advancing by leaps and bounds. That is, it is just as important to train the staff of the veterinary clinics, "Expensive training and that in most cases assume the centers", clarifies Martínez; "Like having a lot of devices and equipment to work". Every day more clinics are equipped "With machines and instruments that facilitate diagnostic work and treatment, but you have to pay for them, and they are just as expensive as those used in human medicine and even more, since they have to be adapted to veterinary medicine", says the Albayda professional.

A veterinarian picks up the cat that attends his office. / 4 PM production

Taking all these factors into account, material, professionals and time, the price of a veterinary practice varies according to the Autonomous Community. A visit to the veterinarian can leave you in Andalusia for a price between 25 and 30 euros, the cheapest in Spain. While in other areas such as Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, going to the vet can cost you about 35 euros, "When the material expenses are the same because a radiology machine costs the same in Galicia than in Andalusia", exposes the veterinary.

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The cheap is expensive

If you want the best for your pet, you will not mind how much the visit to the vet costs. You will want to access quality and professional materials that treat you as you deserve and that, friends, you have to pay for it. It's easy: if you consider your dog, your cat, your guinea pig, parrot, the living being that is, one more member of your family, the logical thing is that you want the best care for him. Thus, "Veterinary medicine every day demands greater commitment, greater knowledge and greater performance for our patients and clients", says Ana Martínez.

Having a pet at home carries a responsibility. It is not just about how many times you have to take the dog to the street, the care that a cat or a guinea pig needs, or the parrot's feed. You have to assess if as a family unit you can assume the expense of having that bug – always in a loving sense – fluttering at home. Because when our pocket hurts, it is when the problems come that they can start by neglecting the pet and ending the abandoned animal by pure irresponsibility. And nobody wants that, right? 😉

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