Veterinary caregivers are often faced with conflicts between their desire to improve the welfare of animals and relieve suffering, and their client’s difficulties in meeting the increasing costs of our medical capabilities. 

Caring for a pet is an out-of-pocket expense for the majority of pet owners, and the proportion who have pet insurance is very low. Consequently, the cost of care for small animal companions frequently becomes a limiting factor in the treatment options they can elect and the quality of care that an animal receives. Some reports suggest that decisions to end an animal’s life - based on economic factors (economic euthanasia) - is increasing. The impacts of these economic limitations are broad in scope, and cost of care is affecting much more than the bottom line. 

In this live and interactive webinar, Dr. Barry Kipperman - a board certified veterinary internal medicine specialist and Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare - will discuss results of a survey-based study regarding the scope and impacts of client economic limitations. Discussion will include:

• The prevalence and consequences of economic limitations on veterinary care for patients, clients, and veterinarians
• The ethical and animal welfare implications of financial constraints
• How financial limitations during client interactions can contribute to moral distress, burnout, and reduced professional satisfaction among veterinary professionals
• Strategies for proactively communicating with clients about the costs of veterinary care
• Resources to mitigate economic limitations and their impact on animal care
• Concepts such as spectrum of care and incremental care to develop ethically appropriate treatment plans that consider patient welfare, evidence-based medicine, client circumstances, and available resources

Running time: 1 hour (including Q&A)
Registration is compliments of the American College of Animal Welfare. 
VetVine Premium+CE Membership subscribers only are eligible to earn CE credit.