VETERINARY CARE UPDATES – START OF 2025

Clients of Carolina Animal Hospital,

Our service fees increased in line with our increased costs to provide care to your pets. For example, increases in fees for DVM Exams, RVT and Staff appointments are tied to labor cost, with increases going directly dollar for dollar to a staff pay bump and health insurance increases. We really do understand cost increases are affecting everyone:

EMERGENCY CARE:

• Emergency Services continue to report long wait times (4+ hours) and sporadic closing for shifts. Typical 24 Hours Facility Emergency Fee / Exam is in the $ 200 – 250 range. (Urgent Care only facilities generally are $ 125-150 to walk in for exam). We’ve been given ranges of $ 9,000-11,000 at Specialty Referral Practices for Gastrointestinal Foreign Body surgery (Ate something they shouldn’t have). Afterhours urgent care “routine” urinary, ear or skin problems are generating $ 500 minimum care estimates to start. Vomit or Diarrhea cases start > $ 1,000.

SPECIALTY REFERRAL CARE:

• Specialty Referral Care by Boarded Veterinary Surgeons, Cardiology, Oncology and Internal Medicine are also seeing significant cost increases. Typical orthopedic cases (surgical knee reconstruction, fracture repair) are being given estimates -starting- at $ 5,000 and frequently range up to $ 10,000+, Internal Medicine referrals start at $ 3,000-6,000, full Cardiology workups usually exceed $ 1,000. Referral Appointment scheduling is frequently 2-3 months out – or no availability at all.

URGENT CARE FOR OUR CLIENTS/PATIENTS:

• We hold four flex urgent care slots per day for our established clients/patients only. These visits are separate from scheduled Wellness and Illness/Injury appointment availability - only opened on that day. These slots are at an increased fee premium to offset additional support staff costs, and frankly to discourage less than urgent cases from utilizing them.

FLEXIBLE CARE OPTIONS:

• We provide RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician) Appointment scheduling – currently utilizing these slots for second and third puppy and kitten progress visits, vaccine boosters, some dental and surgical rechecks, and some laboratory diagnostic testing visits. RVT Appts have more availability for scheduling convenience and are a significantly reduced fee from Veterinarian appointments.

-- Drs. Amber and Colin McHugh