Exploring the increase in demand for pet services and the impact of advancements in veterinary medicine, including sophisticated treatments like cancer care and surgeries, leading to longer and healthier lives for pets. The chapter also looks at the growing involvement of big businesses and private equity firms in the veterinary industry, with examples such as Mars acquiring clinics.
Over the past decade, the cost of veterinary care in the U.S. has skyrocketed, as health care for pets has come to look more like health care for people.
Katie Thomas, an investigative health care reporter for The Times, discusses how pet care became a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the fraught emotional and financial landscape that has created for pet owners.
Guest: Katie Thomas, an investigative health care reporter for The New York Times.
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