NPR.

P.

Paying for healthcare isn't just a problem for people.

In the past few years, the cost of healthcare for pets has actually been surging.

For a point of comparison, get a load of this stat.

According to the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the price of goods and services,

overall prices in the economy are about 25% higher today than they were five years ago.

But over that same period, the cost of veterinary services increased by about 41%.

Yeah, that is a steep increase. And according to a recent Gallup survey, most pet owners say they

have skipped necessary vet care because of the cost. So what is going on here? This is the indicator for Planet Money. I'm Adrienne Ma.

And I'm Darym Woods. Today on the show, what is behind the rising cost of care for our furry

or feathered or scaly friends? And we have an economic theory that helps explain what's going on.

Compared to veterinarians, you could argue that human doctors have it kind of easy.

I mean, after all, they only have to take care of one species.

While vets, they might have to treat a dog and a cat, a snake, and a flying squirrel all in one afternoon.

And the sort of unpredictability is what Adam Hitchko loves about veterinary medicine.

I do everything, but surgery is my thing.

We helped a pet this week that I had a foreign body and an obstruction.

I had eaten a toy.

Adam runs an independent veterinary practice in Cleveland, Ohio.

Can I ask what kind of pet and what kind of toy, or is this like a hippo violation?

This one was a squeaker toy.

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