Being a vet chiropractor, you understand that dogs are truly like family members. People do all in their power to ensure that their furry friends receive the best care possible.
Most pet parents can’t afford frequent or big bills. You may feel bad seeing the parents and the pets in distress. But what can you do to help them? For starters, you can offer payment plans to your customers to lighten their burden.
What is the impact of vet bills on pet owners?
According to a 2022 Forbes Advisor survey among 2,000 dog owners, 42% of respondents stated they would have to incur debt to pay a vet bill of $999 or less. 28% of those pet owners would be in debt if they received a $499 bill.
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Only 12% of respondents said they didn’t borrow money to pay for treatment amounts ranging from $1 to $5,000. Another 5% of respondents did not respond. You must see many people every day struggling financially and finding it difficult to pay for the medical treatments of their pets. You can empower them by taking a few actions.
What can you do if a customer can’t pay the bill?
Many pet owners believe you take away their dog if they can’t pay the cost of the treatment. However, people don’t understand that it's a myth. Nothing like this happens, and that’s the ground reality.
Yes, you do have the option to report a customer to a collection agency. This approach can damage their credit score, and the customers may end up paying more than the initial amount. But that can cost you your relationship and reputation too!
By working with third-party providers like Denefits, you can offer flexible payment plans to your customers. Dog owners can pay off the bill over months comfortably and avoid problematic situations like choosing between their pet’s health and debt.
What are the most common conditions pet owners dread?
Degenerative myelopathy
DM, otherwise known as degenerative myelopathy, is a condition that weakens the rear limbs. It eventually leads to paralysis by attacking the white matter of the spinal cord and causing it to degenerate.
It can also affect the front legs of a dog. It resembles some kinds of Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in humans.
Degenerative joint disease
Again, just like us humans, the joint tissues of our pets frequently start to deteriorate with age due to degenerative joint disease. The smooth layer of articular cartilage at the ends of bones in one or more joints is typically affected by this slow process.
An important factor in decreasing friction in joints and enabling smooth movement is articular cartilage. It can impact any joint in a dog, but the lower back and limbs are the most common areas.
Damaged ligaments in the paw
Ligament and musculotendinous damage can restrict a dog's ability to move normally when the ligament tears and the joint becomes unstable. The joint may no longer be able to bend, twist, or move correctly.
The healing process for a dog may be lengthy and take many months to complete. Although a dog's torn ligament may heal on its own in some cases, the majority of them need surgery, plenty of rest, and rehabilitation therapy to fully recover.
What options can you suggest to your customers to pay off vet bills?
The cost of dog chiropractic care may vary based on the seriousness of the pet's disease and the number of sessions required. Your charges may also differ from another animal chiropractor in your area.
The treatment cost can increase if the dog needs more regular treatment. If you see a pet owner worried about the cost of canine chiropractic care, talk to them and suggest the following.
1. Personal savings
Generally, people save funds for emergencies and unexpected expenses. You can try suggesting your customers to pay the vet bill using some of their savings. This is not the best and only solution to offer. So keep reading.
2. Pet insurance
This is one of the best options you can suggest to your customers. It can help them reimburse up to 90% of unforeseen veterinary costs. It might also help them pay for routine veterinary tests.
3. Denefits
Denefits is a payment processing software that makes it easy for you to help pet owners afford vet bills.
By integrating Denefits software into your existing system, you can quickly create payment plans for your customers. Their pets get the treatment and you, the customers. This option can help you avoid turning away customers who need emergency treatment for their pets.
Denefits offers protected payments to veterinary care providers like you while helping your customers secure their pets’ lives.
4. 0% APR credit card
You can ask dog owners if they have a 0 % APR credit card to pay for their dog’s health care. Numerous cards are available with introductory deals offering 0% finance charges for a while.
Keeping track of when the promotional period expires and trying to pay off the debt before the period ends can help them save a lot of money. Otherwise, anyone can stay stuck with years-long credit card debt and a high-interest rate.
5. Microloans
Another option to suggest pet owners is microloans. All they need to do is find a trusted platform to borrow money online.
These are a few of the many options that you can suggest to your customers. However, most chiropractors recommend customers use veterinary payment plans to avoid delays in treatment and getting their payments.
Conclusion
Now you don’t have to feel helpless for being unable to help your furry friends and their parents. Use Denefits to offer your customers flexible payment options to pay vet bills. After all, every pet deserves medical care and attention.To learn more about how you can integrate Denefits into your system, request a callback.
