With Vets, Price and Quality Are Not Related

 

In the past, I have detailed the massive price differentials between vets in the Washington, D.C. area.  Now Consumer Checkbook has looked at prices in San Francisco area, another high-dollar area, and they write: 

How much you spend on your pet's health care will vary greatly depending on the veterinarian you choose, but you don't have to pay more to get top-quality care, according to a report in Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook magazine and at Checkbook.org.

Checkbook evaluated 192 veterinary practices for quality and price. In collecting price quotes from each practice for typical services, Checkbook's shopper-researchers found dramatic differences. For example: -- To neuter a 6-month-old, 30-pound dog, prices ranged from $84 to $862, with an average price of $317. -- To spay a 6-month-old cat, prices ranged from $70 to $648, with an average price of $285. -- To clean the teeth of a 5-year-old, 65-pound dog, prices ranged from $189 to $755, with an average price of $420. Checkbook got more than 5,000 Bay Area pet owners to complete surveys about their experience with veterinary practices they had used. They rated their vets on how well they do on 10 aspects of care, including listening/communicating, arranging to see the pet quickly when needed, being easy to reach by phone, giving prevention/self-help advice, maintaining a pleasant office and staff, and overall care and advice.

Some vets received "superior" ratings on most aspects of care from at least 95 percent of their surveyed customers, while others received such favorable ratings from fewer than 65 percent.

Checkbook found no relationship between price and quality. In fact, the lowest-priced vets were more likely than other vets to get top ratings for quality.

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