THESE days, potential pet owners need to think not just twice but thrice before jumping on the bandwagon, no thanks to the expenses that come with having furry companions.
With monthly expenses not less than RM500-RM800, the pet sector in Malaysia is still booming due “pet humanisation” on social media and rising disposable income.
According to a report published by iMoney, pet food prices skyrocketed by 30 per cent while veterinary services climbed 20 per cent in Malaysia.
“That’s not a mild inflation nudge but a full-blown wallet crisis. Routine procedures like spaying a dog now cost between RM180 to RM400. Neutering a cat? You’re looking at RM120 to RM250,” it said, adding that animal welfare advocates are now sounding the alarm over the cost.
“Some are calling for pet care subsidies or tax relief to lighten the load, as costs for food, medical treatment and vaccinations continue to climb into the hundreds.
“Without intervention, more Malaysians may be forced to make a heart-breaking decision: let their pets go, or go broke trying to keep them.”
According to More Perfect Union, an Emmy-winning, non-profit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people, there are many Americans going through the same thing, if not worse.
“Big private security companies are buying up veterinary clinics across the US,” the report said. “Early pet ownership was for more practical purposes. As cities expanded, we also loved pets.
“Over the past few decades, as families have grown smaller and people have become more isolated, pets have become part of the family.
“Pet ownership in the US skyrocketed in recent years. Ninety-four million homes now have pets, with 23 million pets adopted during the pandemic.
“It’s big business. Americans spent $38 billion on pet health care last year, with costs rising about 10 per cent each year.
“The thinking is that people will do anything for their pets and that they will spend any money they need. And this is part of where personal and corporate finance comes into the corporate business. They see people who will pay the bills no matter what.”
The report said in the past decade, large corporations and private equity firms took over veterinary care at an astonishing rate, owning up to 50 per cent of clinics and up to 75 per cent of emergency hospitals.
“Private equity firms buy practices one by one until they have hundreds. And the idea is to buy them so that you control the practices and eventually, hopefully, flip them over to a bigger player.”
‘Money isn’t everything’
Meanwhile, the report said it’s not all bed of roses for those working in the veterinary care industry.
“I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since I was five years old,” Melissa Ezell, a vet at a small dog clinic in Alabama, told More Perfect Union.
“I’ve always loved dogs, especially dogs and cats. I wanted to be able to be part of a profession where I felt like I was making a difference.”
Melissa said she had worked at Banfield, a corporate dog hospital.
Shortly after it was purchased, she said she began to notice some big differences in how it was managed. There were a lot of people in management positions with no experience in veterinary care.
“When I worked at Banfield, one of the area managers had worked for a Walgreens pharmacy, and that was the closest experience he had had with veterinarian medicine,” said the disillusioned vet, who added that she and her team also began to feel pressure to increase profits.
The report later mentioned that Melissa eventually left the corporate-run veterinarian clinic and found a job at a private clinic where she’s much happier.
“Money isn’t everything,” Melissa said, adding that private equity is putting pressure on the industry so that owning a dog may become impossible for Americans in the near future.
A Sabahan veterinarian based in the peninsula, Dr Lim, said she can empathise with the American veterinarian’s experience.
“I currently work at a private clinic operated by a corporate company. Only registered vets can own a vet clinic. Where I work, the clinic uses a registered vet’s license to operate.
“Since most businesses are profit-based, we’re pushed to increase sales, but not to the extent of overcharging our clients unnecessarily as described by the (American) vet,” Dr Lim said, after reviewing the More Perfect Union report.
“Malaysia’s vet costs are considered cheap compared to the US’ vet bills!”
“Yes, vet care has become quite expensive and prices seem to see a hike every few months. Sometimes I don’t charge certain services I offer because I understand that pet owners want the best for their pets, but may not be able to afford it. Honestly, I can’t really afford my own pets’ expenses, too, even though I’m a vet,” Dr Lim said.
“The cost of equipment and drugs are high to begin with. Veterinary drugs are specially formulated for animals, so they tend to be more expensive than human medicines (niche market pricing). No joke. An ultrasound machine can cost over RM20,000 excluding the probes.
“Truthfully, private vet clinics don’t generate as much profits because occasionally, clients are dissatisfied with the services (eg their pets died/didn’t recover), therefore, they refused to pay the outstanding bills.
“Some even abandoned their pets at the vet clinics altogether. Since they’re owned by vets, most of them tend to charge at lower prices out of compassion.
“People are complaining about vet bills, but they are actually similar to those of our human counterparts, as the costs of private hospitals are not cheap either.”
Dr Lim said the high vet care costs could be due, in part, to the school fees incurred by the vets. For instance, she said, the Management and Science University (MSU) – the first private university (and third vet school) in Malaysia to offer veterinary medicine course – would cost around RM300,000; UPM (RM120,000) and overseas (around RM200,000).
“So, yeah, that makes our services expensive, too! One stethoscope costs RM350. We still have other necessary tools to buy during vet school.”
Animal welfare groups, pet owners feel the pinch
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Kota Kinabalu President, Dr Stuart Chin, said he and his team are feeling the impact of rising veterinary costs.
“We currently care for more than 300 animals at our shelter, not including those placed in foster homes, and our veterinary bills alone exceed RM30,000 every month.
“Just to give an example. A rescued stray cat was recently admitted to a local veterinary clinic for urinary tract infection, and the final bill after six days was nearly RM1,000.
“Unfortunately, under current regulations, despite our ongoing efforts to improve animal welfare, we are not allowed to employ our own resident veterinarian.
“This restriction puts tremendous financial strain on us and limits our ability to provide timely medical care. In the end, it is the animals who suffer,” he said, calling on the relevant authorities to review these policies and work with NGOs to make veterinary care more accessible and sustainable.
Heart founder, Dr Roslee Abbas, said he felt what’s happening in the US can happen to Malaysia, too.
“Many veterinarian clinics are charging pet owners exorbitant and unjustified bills,” he said.
“It’s especially heart-breaking for rescuers like myself who devote our time, effort and resources to saving distressed, homeless dogs and cats.”
The independent animal rescuer said he recently incurred RM3,000 in expenses for three rescue operations. One of them involved an abandoned dog that was poisoned and later received treatment at a private veterinarian clinic.
“Fortunately, the dog survived. That rescue case costs me over RM1,000. In another case, a cat was abused whereby its eye popped out, which costs me another RM1,400. Not forgetting the spaying fees of a stray mama dog that costs me some RM700 (including boarding fees),” he said.
“Instead of receiving compassion and fair treatment, we are often exploited by unethical clinics that view our kindness and dedication as an opportunity for profit.
“It is sad that many veterinary clinics across the country are losing their compassion in pursuit of profit. What was once a noble profession rooted in empathy and care for animals has, in some places, turned into a business driven more by money than mercy.”
Meanwhile, pet owner Cornelia of Papar, agrees that vet fees can be costly especially in the current economy.
“Before the pandemic, we used to go to public veterinarian clinic for neuter/spay surgeries.
“After the pandemic, we were forced to utilise private veterinarian clinics because of the lack of inhouse veterinarian at the former institution.”
She finds the treatments even for seasonal illnesses like flu could go up to RM200 per treatment, which include the use of nebuliser, consultation and medicine fees.
Cornelia and her family recently paid over RM500 for a surgery to patch up a mystery “hole” that their cat had on the stomach.
Meanwhile, a volunteer in one of the KK-based animal welfare groups said her favourite veterinarian clinic used to be affordable but post-pandemic, the fees had gradually increased, too.
“The cheaper veterinarian clinics that employ interns can usually end up endangering the lives of pets as the diagnosis can be wrong due to the university students’ inexperience,” the volunteer said.
“I sent a stray cat I picked up many years ago and they told me she needed an operation that would cost over RM1,000. But because of the exorbitant fee I had to bring the cat to another clinic that provided treatment for a lower fee. Unfortunately, they could not save the cat.”
The seasoned volunteer said while most veterinarian doctors mean well, a good number are still motivated by money, instead of having empathy for strays that do not have owners to splurge on their medical expenses.
