A pet owner who visited the veterinarian in February with their two cats for an initial check-up received a bill of over €400 for a general health check, x-ray and blood test. Several pet owners speaking to ERR complained that visits to the vet with their pets are becoming increasingly expensive.

Marti Lasn, who has worked as a veterinarian for several decades at the Pärnu Small Animal Clinic, told ERR that the rise in prices is due to several factors: the general increase in the cost of living, rising associated costs making clinic maintenance more expensive, new regulations and rising labor costs.

"Another aspect is that as large chain clinics enter the Estonian market, this inevitably leads to a price increase. All these factors mean that prices continue to rise," he acknowledged.

Lasn recalled that when the euro was introduced in Estonia, a €100 visit fee at Finnish veterinary clinics seemed outrageous from this side of the gulf, but now in Estonia, it can range from €30 to €85.

The largest turnover among Estonian veterinary clinics, according to credit score website Krediidiinfo, belongs to Evidensia Loomakliinikud OÜ, which owns the Billy, Fahle, Timmu, Västriku and Viimsi animal clinics in Tallinn, as well as the Animal Emergency Clinic, with one clinic also in Rakvere.

The price list is uniform across this chain: an initial vet's appointment costs €44 on weekdays, vaccination €50, female cat sterilization €200, and female dog sterilization €495. The exception is the emergency clinic, which is also open on weekends and at night, with prices depending on the time ranging from €60 to €90.

In the Tartu Small Animal Clinic, an initial visit costs €25, but outside working hours, the fee is €90. Vaccination costs €35 there, and sterilization and castration for dogs start at €200.

According to Lasn, the sector is haunted by a shortage of veterinarians, meaning that vets have control of the market. Employers must therefore agree to the salary that a vet demands, because the alternative is simply not having any doctors. One reason is the low number of veterinarians being trained; another is the chaining of clinics and the emergence of new clinics.

"If a consortium appears on the Estonian market wanting to employ, say, 30-40 doctors a year, that's already a serious problem; it completely drains the reserve for several years. Few are trained, and the market and clinics have grown faster," Lasn acknowledged.

Some animal clinics offer pets innovative services, such as massages for cats and dogs found in Pet City's price list, with options including relaxing massage, competition dog massage, facial massage or reflex therapy.

"This is our sector's fluff," said Lasn. "Physiotherapy is one thing, but much of what is offered is largely driven by our, the bipeds', emotions, thinking it's really cool for the animals too. That's purely my opinion."

New directive to hike the price of veterinary medicines manyfold

On Thursday last week, Maaleht reported on the increase in the cost of pet treatment following a European Union regulation implemented a year ago. According to the State Agency of Medicines, the goal of the regulation is to improve the availability of veterinary medicines and increase the competitiveness of the sector. However, in reality, it means that instead of using human medicines previously employed for pets, animals must preferably be treated with veterinary medicines, which are significantly more expensive.

Furthermore, following these requirements creates absurd situations. For instance, veterinarians go through a lot of physiological saline, which is imported by the ton, but they can no longer use it because there is a veterinary version available in Europe, which is, of course, much more expensive.

Marti Lasn confirmed that veterinarians have used active substance-based treatments for decades because human medicines are much cheaper. However, under the new regulation, a veterinarian can only prescribe a specific medication by name, not by the active ingredient.

"If this tap is turned off, then depending on the preparation, the medicines will become three to five, even up to ten times more expensive. The price difference is very big. Ultimately, all this is reflected in the customer's bill, and the clients end up paying for it," the veterinarian acknowledged.

He mentioned that the clause stating that if a veterinary active ingredient is available, one cannot use a human medicine instead, has actually been in the law for many years, but it has been overlooked until now. The chosen direction now is to start enforcing this rule.

"One can always debate that with human preparations, it's not always clear how the active substance behaves in an animal's body, what the side effects are, whereas veterinary preparations have gone through this cascade. Their effect and safety might be better controlled, but the fact is that they are significantly more expensive. The Estonian market is small, very small by European standards, and negotiating better conditions here is relatively difficult due to insufficient market volumes," Lasn noted.

Pet health insurance starts from €10 per month

Insurance companies offer pet owners the option to insure their pets' health. Veiko Sepp, head of property insurance products at If Kindlustus in the Baltics, mentioned that they have been providing this service for over 15 years, and since 2020, pet insurance has grown rapidly.

"The reason for this is also the fact that, in general, the acquisition of pets increased during the pandemic years, and thereby awareness of the availability of insurance," Sepp explained.

According to him, insurance premiums start at about ten euros per month, and the amount depends on the animal's age, breed and the scope of insurance coverage. It is possible to insure dogs and cats, and the animal does not have to be purebred.

The most typical insurance cases are related to the animal's medical expenses, with the most common issues being digestive problems, skin diseases and orthopedic problems.

"The average insurance payout is in the range of a few hundred euros," said Sepp. "Different surgeries, however, can quickly bring treatment bills to over €500. The most comprehensive insurance package covers up to €1,000 per insured event and up to €10,000 per year."

The veterinarian noted that some cases do not fall under insurance, leading to frustration among people wondering why they should insure and pay at all. Another problem he sees is that insurance sums in Estonia are relatively low.

"If you've taken a pet, you need to have the capability to shell out €500 or €1,000 if necessary, and even €2,000-2,500," Lasn noted. "Insurance should come into play beyond that, for procedures that are even more expensive."

One should have money put away when adopting a pet

According to Lasn, there are also owners who give up on treating their pets when the cost of veterinary services becomes unaffordable. This can lead to seeking cheaper, less reputable options.

"Lately, there's been a lot of this, that certain price ranges are unaffordable for many. People are counting their money and watching their spending more than before," he said.

Lasn pointed out that from a veterinary perspective, veterinary services in Estonia are in very good condition, with equipment that is new and modern compared to older European countries. However, they cannot charge the same prices as in Finland, let alone Norway or Sweden, even though the cost of medicines, materials and training is the same.

"The service that is available in Estonia would be three times more expensive in Finland; that's the difference," added the experienced veterinarian, noting that the inability of people to pay for pet care is not just a local issue but is seen across Europe.

Lasn emphasizes the responsibility of pet owners to have a financial buffer ready before taking on a pet so that in case of an accident, they wouldn't need to organize a fundraiser. He also believes that it's important to understand that not all animals can be saved.

"Finland has taken a relatively harsh approach that if there are chronic issues, especially orthopedic cases, and it's clear that two or three surgeries are needed, they opt for euthanasia. Why is this unpopular? We think we're being compassionate, but we've taken on responsibility for the animal. It's a painful decision, but isn't it worse to leave it undecided and let the animal suffer in pain and not be able to live normally?" the doctor explained.

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