Caring for companion animals has always been an important aspect of life in Costa Rica, but over the last few years this activity has turned into a lucrative industry. This is part of the greater Latin American Pet Boom, which has been closely followed by the business world. For veterinarians in Costa Rica, the Pet Boom means increased profit opportunities.

According to a recent story written by Leiticia Vindas Quiros for business weekly El Financiero, the number of veterinarians graduating from Costa Rica’s universities has tripled since 2006, and they are barely keeping up with demand. Traditionally, veterinarians in Costa Rica have mostly specialized in husbandry and the care of farm animals; however, the rapid expansion of the middle class in this country thus far in the 21^st century has prompted a shift among veterinarians to specialize in household canine and feline companion animals.

In 2006, there were 189 veterinary clinics in Costa Rica. That number had climbed to 629 by late 2012. Most graduates of veterinarian science curricula go into business on their own and open a private clinic; few are those that stick to caring for farm animals. However, the Legal Observatory of Professions in Costa Rica indicates that veterinarians are the only professionals who currently enjoy 100 percent employment.

More Than Just Veterinarian Care

Between pet food and supplies, the Latin American countries of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina spent $6.8 billion in 2010. To cash in on the Pet Boom, veterinarians in Costa Rica are adopting strategies used in the United States, which mainly consist of kennel service, grooming, gourmet pet food, accessories, and supplies. Although in many cases these value-added services only represent about 10 percent of revenue, they tend to increase the traffic  of owners of companion animals in vet clinics.

Although veterinarians in Costa Rica also have options in the research and administrative fields, they know that setting up their own clinics is where the money is. Even with rising inflation, people in Costa Rica are prepared to spend more than they are used to in order to keep their companion animals healthy.

What many veterinarians in Costa Rica are focusing on these days is quality of life. This value-added service is a holistic approach to ensuring that companion animals are both healthy and happy, and it commands higher costs. Not all vets, however, are incorporating these methods to attract higher revenue. The veterinary field has become very competitive, and some of them are slashing their prices in order to steal market share from others.

Not all vets are happy about the price slashers. Dr. Gustavo Chacon, owner of Pet Center in Moravia, explained to El Financiero that many of his clients arrive with their cats and dogs and expect to pay about $20 for a spay/neuter procedure since that is the cost typically charged by non-profit organizations -if they charge at all. Dr. Chacon mentioned that he fully supports spay and neuter, but that non-profits and price-slashing vets are hurting him.

Further commercialization and competitiveness in the veterinary industry in Costa Rica could lead to cutting corners. Earlier this year, a research study published in the Veterinary Science Journal of the National University found that, with regard to control of gastrointestinal parasites among 50 vet clinics in the Great Metropolitan Area of San Jose,

“We identified 18 and 4 deworming protocols for puppies/kittens and adults, respectively.

Anthelmintic drugs are mostly used prophylactically (84.0%), which is indicative of deworming findings not being fecal examination-based.

The results underlies inadequate diagnosis and control practices of small animal parasites, highlighting the need for further educational efforts directed at the veterinary community emphasizing interrelationships between animal, human and environmental health.”

Another explanation for the inadequate deworming therapy described above is that busy veterinarians might be cutting corners and skipping fecal examinations altogether. This omission may be due to the need by the vet to charge less per consult while at the same time increasing the number of animal companions seen.