tmaggies said:

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Just took our dog in to have a tumor removed on her exterior and local vet wanted $1200. Went to another recommended vet and cost was $480. Sounds like over pricing to me!

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Sometimes you get what you pay for. There's a HUGE range in quality. One monitors with IV fluids and pain management, similar to what we expect for ourselves. Some give a shot to knock it out, do the procedure without a mask a gloves with no monitoring (think increased risk of complications and death) and no pain meds to speak of. But hey, you saved some money, so go you.

johnrth said:

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I could be totally wrong but I'd imagine with the rise in popularity of pet insurance, vet clinics are jumping on the bus of raising prices because insurance will pay it.

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Very few people (think single digits) have pet insurance. This is not close to why it's gone up.

Supply and demand is number one, which leads to increase in pay to the employees (you mean someone with a skill that required a couple hundred thousand in debt and most of their 20s to get the same level of education as MDs who make 5 times more should be paid for their skills? Or the support staff who often gets paid less than lazy jerks working fast food might get a raise on occasion when everything else has gotten ridiculously expensive? The horror!), followed by skyrocketing costs of supplies, including all the flea/tick meds everyone has mentioned. That's rarely much of a markup. The reason those are expensive are because of how much it costs for the clinics to buy them from the pharmaceutical companies, with a relatively small markup to the clients. If you don't want it, don't buy it. No biggie.

C@LAg said:

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WoMD said:

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This woman is full of ***** No vaccine costs 70 to 100 dollars. Not even in the most expensive parts of SF, where I just moved from. 20-25 was the normal, occasionally 30. Whiny ***** needs to shut her cheap mouth.

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That's a ****ty practice, I'll give you that. That rabies vaccine costs the same to the clinic as the other vaccines, but they marked it up because it's a 3 year vaccine, and they want to make up for it. This is an anomaly. Just because one does that and rips people off doesn't mean they all do it, or even a majority. I've never once seen a rabies vaccine over $30, even now. Some places just take advantage of eachother. But doesn't mean an entire profession is guilty of that.

But even so, cost of doing business has gone up significantly the last two years, just as it has for everyone else. So the financials should include an appropriate markup based on current expenses. The issue more often than not is the cost of goods, which is not based on greed (from the practice) a majority of the time. It's a necessity. People want free care, then they shouldn't have animals. Or kids. Sorry, but not sorry. This is a profession with people working hard, for really not that much money. Long hours, verbal and emotional abuse from clients, lots of ungrateful and ****ty people they have to deal with, more stress than the average person, etc. It's a very thankless profession, and people *****ing on this thread is why more are leaving the profession. And why the suicide rate is highest of all professions. It's just not worth it. It would be great to work for free. But unfortunately if you want to stay in business, you have to charge to pay the bills.

Teslag said:

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I have a limit for pet medical expenses equal to the cost of another pet of the same type and breed. They aren't family members. They aren't people. At some point the sensible and smart choice is to put them to sleep.

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Safe effective and free dog vaccinations

Just had to put my dog down a month ago or so. First time putting "our" family dog down that wasn't a dog I grew up with. He was 10 and we got him right when my now wife first started dating.

I loved that dog and he was a member of our young family. At the end of the day though, he's still a damn dog and I would not put my family in danger to save a bit of cash. If owning a dog is not financially realistic for you then don't buy one.

Just my two cents…

WoMD said:

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That's rarely much of a markup. The reason those are expensive are because of how much it costs for the clinics to buy them from the pharmaceutical companies, with a relatively small markup to the clients. If you don't want it, don't buy it. No biggie.

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I was in Animal Health a while back. Most veterinary hospitals doubled the wholesale cost of the medications I sold. They also sold the samples I gave them free

As a vet it's a bit frustrating to see all the disparaging posts about my profession. We have a degree equivalent to an MD yet make half or 1/4 what they do while seeing more species. Student debt is a part of the equation of why things cost more, otherwise it's not worth it (and honestly the way tuition has skyrocketed it's not worth it anymore at all).

Corporations have raised prices and yes, some of them are a bit outrageous. I do relief so am not in control of pricing anywhere I work, but see a large variation. Some clinics even owned by the same corporation vary widely in pricing. But you often times get what you pay for, and going to Mexico to get the same quality vet care (or medical care for that matter) is not the best idea.

But most of our stuff is the same medications, IV fluids, catheters, surgical instruments etc that human doctors use and it costs us the same to get them. A $400 spay is nothing. Do you know how much a hysterectomy costs in a female? And they don't even take the ovaries similar surgeries and similar outcomes are expected for our animals, while paying a fraction of what it would cost for you at your MD. And you'd have to see a specialist for each thing, whereas I can generally do whatever is needed (to an extent).

And let's just say if a zombie apocalypse happens, you're gonna want one of us on your team

Your profession is appreciated by many of us.

sleepybeagle said:

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Teslag said:

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I have a limit for pet medical expenses equal to the cost of another pet of the same type and breed. They aren't family members. They aren't people. At some point the sensible and smart choice is to put them to sleep.

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My attitude is they give me unconditional love which I probably don't deserve. If I CAN afford to take care of them in their old age or illness - that's the least I can do.

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Username doesn't check out

Thank you

My dog would die before I would set foot in Mexico.

FIDO*98* said:

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WoMD said:

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That's rarely much of a markup. The reason those are expensive are because of how much it costs for the clinics to buy them from the pharmaceutical companies, with a relatively small markup to the clients. If you don't want it, don't buy it. No biggie.

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I was in Animal Health a while back. Most veterinary hospitals doubled the wholesale cost of the medications I sold. They also sold the samples I gave them free

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Depends on which meds you're referring to. Most flea/tick/heartworm meds are significantly less than 100% markup, generally 25-50%. With the online pharmacy popularity, it's shifted towards the low end to try to compete. Other prescriptions meds are more variable in markup though. I've seen it all over the map, but the preventatives have a very minimal markup to compete. They're ridiculously expensive to buy for the clinic as it is, so markups to the clients can be difficult to prevent sticker shock. And online *****ing.

Selling samples is not ethical IMO, and I've never seen it done.

For reference, I probably know more about the vet business at the business level than anyone on this site, but I won't say what I do, as I would be easy to find.

ThunderCougarFalconBird said:

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johnrth said:

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Vet costs have been skyrocketing.

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Believe it or not, it's a classic supply/demand problem. Seats at vet schools haven't been increasing anywhere near the rate of increase in population. So on the one hand, there is a growing shortage of labor.

People now have gone completely crazy about their pets. So they demand care and ridiculous services every time their precious "fur baby" has the slightest ailment.

Demand up. Supply not keeping pace. Therefore, prices up.

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This. It's because 20 years ago most people never would have dreamed of dropping 1000 on a dog that didn't hunt or make them money in some way. Now people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money because the average dog is now a "family member".

I'm not telling anyone else how to spend their money but my personal opinion is that people are getting taken for a ride. Dogs are great and I'm not cold hearted towards the animal, but they are replaceable.

aggie4christ22 said:

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As a vet it's a bit frustrating to see all the disparaging posts about my profession. We have a degree equivalent to an MD yet make half or 1/4 what they do while seeing more species. Student debt is a part of the equation of why things cost more, otherwise it's not worth it (and honestly the way tuition has skyrocketed it's not worth it anymore at all).

Corporations have raised prices and yes, some of them are a bit outrageous. I do relief so am not in control of pricing anywhere I work, but see a large variation. Some clinics even owned by the same corporation vary widely in pricing. But you often times get what you pay for, and going to Mexico to get the same quality vet care (or medical care for that matter) is not the best idea.

But most of our stuff is the same medications, IV fluids, catheters, surgical instruments etc that human doctors use and it costs us the same to get them. A $400 spay is nothing. Do you know how much a hysterectomy costs in a female? And they don't even take the ovaries similar surgeries and similar outcomes are expected for our animals, while paying a fraction of what it would cost for you at your MD. And you'd have to see a specialist for each thing, whereas I can generally do whatever is needed (to an extent).

And let's just say if a zombie apocalypse happens, you're gonna want one of us on your team

---

Exactly this. Good post.

Anyone who wants a spay with ether and a steak knife on a kitchen table is welcome to it. For the rest of us, we have some standards and I can't stress enough that you get what you pay for. If it's ridiculously cheap, maybe you should be asking why a significant medical procedure is bargain bin level, instead of complaining why other places have higher fees.

PCC_80 said:

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Quote:

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After going to our local vet in San Angelo that just sold his practice to some group that owns multiple vet practices throughout the state I may do the same damn thing. The prices have skyrocketed astronomically from when the local vet still owned it.

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This is probably a big part of the problem. Corporate medicine has now expanded into the Veterinary world. These groups buy up long time practices from Vets that are now ready to retire and pushes hard to recover initial investment expense and then show a healthy profit. This has been a big contributor to price growth in human medical care and then dental care. I guess Vet Care is now the new frontier.

It is getting very hard to find a Doctor, Dentist and now a Vet that started and owns their own practice.

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The clinic my daughter works for was recently bought. Owner essentially said hands off for two years, no changes, but it's coming and it pisses her off. There will be a push to upselling and she will likely leave soon once the agreement ends. But for now they are the same and it's a shame what it will turn in to. She is adamantly against it.

aggie4christ22 said:

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As a vet it's a bit frustrating to see all the disparaging posts about my profession. We have a degree equivalent to an MD yet make half or 1/4 what they do while seeing more species. Student debt is a part of the equation of why things cost more, otherwise it's not worth it (and honestly the way tuition has skyrocketed it's not worth it anymore at all).

Corporations have raised prices and yes, some of them are a bit outrageous. I do relief so am not in control of pricing anywhere I work, but see a large variation. Some clinics even owned by the same corporation vary widely in pricing. But you often times get what you pay for, and going to Mexico to get the same quality vet care (or medical care for that matter) is not the best idea.

But most of our stuff is the same medications, IV fluids, catheters, surgical instruments etc that human doctors use and it costs us the same to get them. A $400 spay is nothing. Do you know how much a hysterectomy costs in a female? And they don't even take the ovaries similar surgeries and similar outcomes are expected for our animals, while paying a fraction of what it would cost for you at your MD. And you'd have to see a specialist for each thing, whereas I can generally do whatever is needed (to an extent).

And let's just say if a zombie apocalypse happens, you're gonna want one of us on your team

---

I am very appreciative of you Veterinarians out there but would hope and expect you make 1/4 to half of what an MD makes. Doing medical work on OUR species should get paid more imho.

I would assume you knew that detail when you decided to pursue your studies and if you didn't that's on personal decision matter. It's not like that has changed over the course of your career.

Honestly not trying to sound rude but it's the truth. Again, I love my vet and she's awesome, know her fam to a degree etc. but dogs and other animals are not humans. Biological fact.

WoMD said:

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This is a profession with people working hard, for really not that much money. Long hours, verbal and emotional abuse from clients, lots of ungrateful and ****ty people they have to deal with, more stress than the average person, etc. It's a very thankless profession, and people *****ing on this thread is why more are leaving the profession. And why the suicide rate is highest of all professions. It's just not worth it. It would be great to work for free. But unfortunately if you want to stay in business, you have to charge to pay the bills.

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Amen.

You know what's expensive is boarding the damn things. We have 3 Aussies that would burn the backyard down if they were left to their own devices for 3-4 days. They need the same supervision as a prisoner in Huntsville or the whole damn thing falls apart. So if the timing is just right and you board them for 4 nights (You can't pick them up on Sunday!) and the shots are due it costs more than the damn long weekend at the beach you just spent.

Oh I completely knew what I was getting into. I've been working in clinics since I was 14 (Been in this field for 22 years now in almost every capacity except owner) I don't expect to get paid the same as an MD. If I wanted to work on people I would have gone that route. But I love animals and love to help them.

Unfortunately a lot of the newer grads don't have that mentality and have a hell of a lot more debt than I would have taken on. A lot of clients expect Cadillac medicine at a pinto price and then get mad about it. **** ain't free.

Also, after covid, I don't know that a majority of MDs know what the hell they are doing. Too many follow protocols instead of thinking with their brain.

oldord said:

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So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

First off, I will say that DMV's are number 1 on my list of respected professions, over the years DMV's have helped me graciously, decently, and with compassion, much more so than most any MD has. The difficulty of the profession coupled with the educational requirements are ferocious and good DMV's care for God's creatures in a professional and decent way. I won't even touch the economics as others have done a better job.

The long time Aggie DMV that took care of my dogs for over 20+ years recently retired and sold his practice down here and I miss him greatly. The practice has so changed and I am not happy with it.

But to your post, with all due respect I think you 10% figure is off by about 15-20%. Especially in regard to medications/preventatives/etc. Vet meds are about 40% cheaper in Mex than the US, that is where I get all my stuff for my 5 dogs (currently 6 as I erroneously rescued another one recently). To give you an idea of the markup, which you probably know better than me, the same medications that are 40% less in Mex than the US are about 25% cheaper than Mex in Central American countries. And they are available.

There are quite a few jack leg quack Vets in Mexico, but there are also a lot of decent and knowledgeable ones, as there are across LatAm. They rarely have 15% or so of the technology or equipment a US DMV has, and they also don't have the customer base to afford it, but that does not mean that the good ones don't make valiant efforts to help their patients. Over the course of my life I have seen and heard about many instances where a Mex DMV tells a patient to get to a US DMV if they can afford it as they couldn't treat a particularly difficult ailment. But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

In the last 5 or so years, especially during the pandemic, the good Mex Vet's picked up quite a bit of business because they didn't go all looney with the Covid stuff and they also kept personalized service. I am likely to start using a Mex DMV soon because I am frustrated with the access of service that I have. I can afford a US DMV just fine, I just can't afford to spend hours doing it and at the same time be treated like a number.

The RGV, with the large population growth, is undeserved in DMV's and thus a favorable law of supply and demand will remain in place. But if there is the option of access to lower cost care, just like the Mexican dentists (and there are some plenty good ones), a larger market will develop for these services, especially basic ones.

aggie4christ22 said:

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Oh I completely knew what I was getting into. I've been working in clinics since I was 14 (Been in this field for 22 years now in almost every capacity except owner) I don't expect to get paid the same as an MD. If I wanted to work on people I would have gone that route. But I love animals and love to help them.

Unfortunately a lot of the newer grads don't have that mentality and have a hell of a lot more debt than I would have taken on. A lot of clients expect Cadillac medicine at a pinto price and then get mad about it. **** ain't free.

Also, after covid, I don't know that a majority of MDs know what the hell they are doing. Too many follow protocols instead of thinking with their brain.

---

Maybe you can verify. I read someplace that the suicide rate among vets is much higher than the average. The reason given is that the docs know that they can save an animal, but the owners choose to put it down rather than paying for the treatment. This has an affect on some of the vets over time and leads to depression, etc over time.

I grew up with country vets and an animal being an animal (if the animal needed to be put down you did it yourself), but I can see where a new generation of vets could view it differently and take the process much more personally.

From my perspective, I think it's the stress and honestly, easy access to pharmaceuticals. My daughter deals with the euthanasia just fine. She understands each case and why decisions are made. I'm not really sure why the numbers are what they are, but at their clinic, they placed a DVM on suspension due to alcohol abuse. That was after repeated interactions.

RGV AG said:

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oldord said:

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So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

First off, I will say that DMV's are number 1 on my list of respected professions, over the years DMV's have helped me graciously, decently, and with compassion, much more so than most any MD has. The difficulty of the profession coupled with the educational requirements are ferocious and good DMV's care for God's creatures in a professional and decent way. I won't even touch the economics as others have done a better job.

The long time Aggie DMV that took care of my dogs for over 20+ years recently retired and sold his practice down here and I miss him greatly. The practice has so changed and I am not happy with it.

But to your post, with all due respect I think you 10% figure is off by about 15-20%. Especially in regard to medications/preventatives/etc. Vet meds are about 40% cheaper in Mex than the US, that is where I get all my stuff for my 5 dogs (currently 6 as I erroneously rescued another one recently). To give you an idea of the markup, which you probably know better than me, the same medications that are 40% less in Mex than the US are about 25% cheaper than Mex in Central American countries. And they are available.

There are quite a few jack leg quack Vets in Mexico, but there are also a lot of decent and knowledgeable ones, as there are across LatAm. They rarely have 15% or so of the technology or equipment a US DMV has, and they also don't have the customer base to afford it, but that does not mean that the good ones don't make valiant efforts to help their patients. Over the course of my life I have seen and heard about many instances where a Mex DMV tells a patient to get to a US DMV if they can afford it as they couldn't treat a particularly difficult ailment. But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

In the last 5 or so years, especially during the pandemic, the good Mex Vet's picked up quite a bit of business because they didn't go all looney with the Covid stuff and they also kept personalized service. I am likely to start using a Mex DMV soon because I am frustrated with the access of service that I have. I can afford a US DMV just fine, I just can't afford to spend hours doing it and at the same time be treated like a number.

The RGV, with the large population growth, is undeserved in DMV's and thus a favorable law of supply and demand will remain in place. But if there is the option of access to lower cost care, just like the Mexican dentists (and there are some plenty good ones), a larger market will develop for these services, especially basic ones.

---

*cough* DVM

RGV AG said:

---

oldord said:

---

So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

First off, I will say that DMV's are number 1 on my list of respected professions, over the years DMV's have helped me graciously, decently, and with compassion, much more so than most any MD has. The difficulty of the profession coupled with the educational requirements are ferocious and good DMV's care for God's creatures in a professional and decent way. I won't even touch the economics as others have done a better job.

The long time Aggie DMV that took care of my dogs for over 20+ years recently retired and sold his practice down here and I miss him greatly. The practice has so changed and I am not happy with it.

But to your post, with all due respect I think you 10% figure is off by about 15-20%. Especially in regard to medications/preventatives/etc. Vet meds are about 40% cheaper in Mex than the US, that is where I get all my stuff for my 5 dogs (currently 6 as I erroneously rescued another one recently). To give you an idea of the markup, which you probably know better than me, the same medications that are 40% less in Mex than the US are about 25% cheaper than Mex in Central American countries. And they are available.

There are quite a few jack leg quack Vets in Mexico, but there are also a lot of decent and knowledgeable ones, as there are across LatAm. They rarely have 15% or so of the technology or equipment a US DMV has, and they also don't have the customer base to afford it, but that does not mean that the good ones don't make valiant efforts to help their patients. Over the course of my life I have seen and heard about many instances where a Mex DMV tells a patient to get to a US DMV if they can afford it as they couldn't treat a particularly difficult ailment. But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

In the last 5 or so years, especially during the pandemic, the good Mex Vet's picked up quite a bit of business because they didn't go all looney with the Covid stuff and they also kept personalized service. I am likely to start using a Mex DMV soon because I am frustrated with the access of service that I have. I can afford a US DMV just fine, I just can't afford to spend hours doing it and at the same time be treated like a number.

The RGV, with the large population growth, is undeserved in DMV's and thus a favorable law of supply and demand will remain in place. But if there is the option of access to lower cost care, just like the Mexican dentists (and there are some plenty good ones), a larger market will develop for these services, especially basic ones.

---

I remember the lie back 25 years ago in BIMS about vet med being one of the most respected professions. Yeah, what a line that was…

JB!98 said:

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aggie4christ22 said:

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Oh I completely knew what I was getting into. I've been working in clinics since I was 14 (Been in this field for 22 years now in almost every capacity except owner) I don't expect to get paid the same as an MD. If I wanted to work on people I would have gone that route. But I love animals and love to help them.

Unfortunately a lot of the newer grads don't have that mentality and have a hell of a lot more debt than I would have taken on. A lot of clients expect Cadillac medicine at a pinto price and then get mad about it. **** ain't free.

Also, after covid, I don't know that a majority of MDs know what the hell they are doing. Too many follow protocols instead of thinking with their brain.

---

Maybe you can verify. I read someplace that the suicide rate among vets is much higher than the average. The reason given is that the docs know that they can save an animal, but the owners choose to put it down rather than paying for the treatment. This has an affect on some of the vets over time and leads to depression, etc over time.

I grew up with country vets and an animal being an animal (if the animal needed to be put down you did it yourself), but I can see where a new generation of vets could view it differently and take the process much more personally.

---

Highest suicide rate of all professions. After reading this thread, can't wonder why that might be…

RGV AG said:

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oldord said:

---

So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

---

Of course you haven't bc it's fugging Mexico. Are you serious?

What happens if they give your dog a cat scan instead of a pet scan?

The price of vet care has faced drastic inflation like many other things. Despite what was said, vets, even the reasonable ones do make a good profit off of the medications they sell. While there are certain vaccines you have to have a licensed vet do, many of the things people tend to get from the vet can be obtained significantly cheaper elsewhere. For the things that require a prescription, ask for a copy of the prescription if an ongoing medication. Some may balk at doing it, but they are required to do so.

Dewormers are an easy one to get without prescription at places like Walmart, Tractor Supply etc and easy to administer. I have also used a place called VetMedsforPets (https://www.vetmedsforpets.com/ ) to get flea and tick medications and heartwormer for a lot less. They are based out of Australia, but they are a pretty well known and reputable website. The items are all packaged just the same, and I have had good luck with them. The only real catch is it takes a while to get the medication in. Anywhere from 6-8 weeks sometimes even a little longer. If you order well in advance it is worth it though for the savings.

For prescription medications, I get mine through Walmart PetRX. Prescription medications for things like heart failure, you can get at a significant saving, especially if it is an ongoing medication and you go with the autoship option. Petco, Petsmart, even Krogers,and Walgreens offer some of these medications. I give my dog Vetmedin for CHF, and it is 1/2 the cost through Walmart PetRX than I have paid at the vet, sometimes even a bigger savings than that.

My vet has always been understanding when asking for prescriptions. He has said that places like Walmart just have cheaper prices due to the volume they deal in. Also, supply chain issues coupled with inflation have severely hit medications costs overall for them, so it has been passed on.

For actual in house things that need to be done, cost of staffing has risen, so of course that too has impacted vets. Focus on finding some of the more rural based vets, in particular those that also deal in large animals. You will find that while still costly, they are a much more reasonable option than some of the larger ones owned by a group, and also just a lot friendlier and compassionate. They may not have all the same equipment for certain types of scans, but they tend to have what is needed for most without you having to go to Mexico! Also, unless you board your dog or take it out to dog parks or around other dogs outside your home, bordetella isn't one that is all that necessary.

Is it mandatory for border collies?

2%er/New Army said:

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RGV AG said:

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oldord said:

---

So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

---

Of course you haven't bc it's fugging Mexico. Are you serious?

---

Sigh.....No to be sarcastic here, but your reply tells me that you know nothing about the daily activities on the border. Do you have any idea how many people, i.e. US citizens and residents cross back and forth every day? I work in Mexico every day. The reality of life for many on the border and for many of us that grew up either on the border or in Mex is that we can't let fear and lawlessness control our lives. Is it an ideal situation? Hell no, does it bother the hell out of prolly all of us? Yep. But it is what it is and you learn to deal with as best you can.

I feel a helluva lot more comfortable in Mexico than I do in many parts of Houston. I will tell you that much.

I ain't advocating for anyone to go to Mex or anything like that, and I am not saying it isn't risky, but it sure isn't what it is painted to be if you are a decent citizen that keeps a low profile.

And also, it hasn't always been this way.

Quote:

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I remember the lie back 25 years ago in BIMS about vet med being one of the most respected professions. Yeah, what a line that was…

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May be a lie to you, I can't speak to that. But I appreciate the hell outta DMV's and admire them greatly. A helluva lot of us would be eating kale and seaweed if it weren't for DMV's.

This whole conversation is focused on fido, but what a lot of us forget is the DMV's contribution to agriculture, especially in the past. Now interaction is premised upon Scruffy and Kitty. And in my case that is true as well, but I don't overlook their serious contributions to other areas as well.

RGV AG said:

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2%er/New Army said:

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RGV AG said:

---

oldord said:

---

So this is a non-issue.

I've been in veterinary medicine in the valley for a long time.

We may lose 10% of our lower end clients to cross Border cities.

We eventually see most of those people back again, due to the low quality of care experienced across the border.

---

But I have never seen or heard about an American DMV sending a cash strapped patient to a Mex DMV.

---

Of course you haven't bc it's fugging Mexico. Are you serious?

---

Sigh.....No to be sarcastic here, but your reply tells me that you know nothing about the daily activities on the border. Do you have any idea how many people, i.e. US citizens and residents cross back and forth every day? I work in Mexico every day. The reality of life for many on the border and for many of us that grew up either on the border or in Mex is that we can't let fear and lawlessness control our lives. Is it an ideal situation? Hell no, does it bother the hell out of prolly all of us? Yep. But it is what it is and you learn to deal with as best you can.

I feel a helluva lot more comfortable in Mexico than I do in many parts of Houston. I will tell you that much.

I ain't advocating for anyone to go to Mex or anything like that, and I am not saying it isn't risky, but it sure isn't what it is painted to be if you are a decent citizen that keeps a low profile.

And also, it hasn't always been this way.

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I think it would be poor expert advice and prob unprofessional to advise a client to take the risk of crossing the border into Mexico to treat an animal.

Idc if you grew up half a mile from the border or 5 states away. Your post even alluded to the risks. Joe public doesn't know how to "keep a low profile" It's just a dumb risk for an American DMV to advise that. That's why you haven't heard of it. Not worth someone's career or license.