Having a pet has never been cheap, but many pet owners find that prices have risen in recent years. The big companies are therefore accused of prioritizing profit over care. Among other things, Sydsvenskan has reported on the criticism, with a focus on the perspective of elderly and lonely pet owners.
– We see that it is becoming an increasingly problematic situation. The costs of slightly more advanced veterinary care or emergency visits have skyrocketed, in many places it is a question of extortionate prices even for an insured animal, says Eva Erikssonconfederation chairman of the pensioners’ organization SPF to South Sweden.
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“The whole family had to collect money”
Swedish animal health care is a billion-dollar industry. On the market, there are two companies that account for the majority of the country’s animal healthcare. Evedensia, which turnover 1.8 billion kroner a year, and Anicura which turns over 452 million.
News24 have been in contact with Lena Thurang, 60, whose daughter had a terrifying experience at Evedensia. Her cat Amadeus swallowed plastic and needed intensive care. The price for the care landed at SEK 100,000, and the insurance only covered SEK 60,000. In order for the daughter to pay, the family had to collect money.
– The whole family had to collect money so that she could pay that damn bill. She didn’t have the finances to be able to pay herself, says Thurang.
When the money is not enough, the animal owner may have to euthanize the animal in the worst case scenario.
– We even considered putting Amadeus to sleep. Together we discussed whether he should be euthanized. There is no amount of money to spend on a cat.
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“A lot of money”
Lena Thurang understands that healthcare costs money, but she believes that prices are also raised because the healthcare giants are driven by profit.
– I think the big problem is that there is very little competition in the market. There are two large companies to choose from, Anicura and Evedensia. It could have looked different if there hadn’t been two large profit-making companies in charge, says Thurang and continues:
– Healthcare is the best of the best, so it is clear that it costs money. It is difficult. That’s an awful lot of money to be laying around. You have to be able to put out large sums if something happens, even with insurance.
Thurang himself has a savings account dedicated to his dog Mirabecause she is afraid of not being able to pay the hospital costs if Mira gets sick.
– I always put money aside for her. My worst fear is that I will have to euthanize my dog because I can’t afford it.
The cat Amadeus swallowed plastic and needed intensive care. Photo: private/Lena Thurang. Evedensia: “Pet owner’s own responsibility”
Nyheter24 has spoken to Marlene Areskog, medical manager at Evedensia. She understands the criticism, but believes that costs will be higher when inflation rises and care becomes more advanced.
– It is sad to receive criticism, but at the same time I understand that it is difficult for the common man to understand how much it costs to provide high-quality animal healthcare, Areskog tells Nyheter24.
She explains that animal owners demand high-quality care similar to that of humans, but the big difference is that animal care is not tax-financed.
– We are far, far cheaper than equivalent care for people, despite similar overhead costs as human care. But unlike it, we are subject to VAT at 25 percent and are not tax-financed.
In addition, it costs a lot to offer top care even during on-call hours.
– Keeping on-call costs a lot of money, because you need to be ready both in terms of equipment and skills to cope with the worst injuries, for example a dog that has been hit and needs intensive care, says Areskog.
To those who criticize the prices of care, Areskog believes that the responsibility lies primarily with the animal owner.
– It is the animal owner’s own responsibility. It is not the purchase price that costs, but the animal husbandry that is expensive. There, you have your own responsibility for saving money in the face of possible accidents, illnesses or making sure the animal is insured, says Areskog and continues:
– If the animal owner does not give their animal care, it is the role of the authorities to ensure that the animal receives care or is put to sleep.
The pet owner has a responsibility to pay for the care, says Malene Areskog. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT.”Risk for the animal’s health”
Many believe that veterinarians should be able to offer animals cheaper care, but Areskog believes that cheaper care models entail a greater risk to the animal’s health.
– Of course there are different ways of providing care, with more or less quality and patient safety, but what you have to think about if you go for “second best”, is that it can mean an increased risk for the animal and often worse or uncertain treatment results, she says.
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Anicura: “Different financial conditions”
Nyheter24 has also contacted Anicura, who responds to the criticism in a written message:
“We understand that pet owners have different financial conditions. The decision about which care should be given to our patients always takes place in dialogue between the pet owner and the treating veterinarian, writes Rebecca WrigbyHead of Marketing and Communications Anicura.”
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