On the one hand, their client base is expanding as the city has lowered its pet registration fee from 5,000 yuan (US$602) to 1,000 (US$120). On the other, they find pet owners reluctant to open their wallets even when medical treatment for their "best friends" is vitally needed.

"What? That shot will set me back 200 yuan (US$24)? My cat cost me only half of that," Liu Lang, a Beijing-base veterinarian says, illustrating the situation he faces with some of his clients.

Pet owners are wary of nearly all fees charged by veterinarians. They often selectively compare pet health-care expenses with those charged for human beings, says Liu, who is vice-president of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Using that human "yardstick," when an expensive operation is needed for a pet, many animal owners simply balk at the cost and give up efforts to save their pets.

Liu cites a case in which a client became reluctant when the medical bill for her sick dog edged above 1,500 yuan (US$180). However, Liu kept caring for the dog and after some 1,000 yuan in additional expenses were incurred - all unpaid - the dog was finally cured.

Veterinarians like Liu do not want to publicize what they call these "acts of kindness." They are afraid that some people would take advantage of them.

"When an unemployed old lady came in with her dog that has kept her company for many years, what can I do if she cannot afford to pay? Can I be so cruel as to turn her away?" asked Dong Yi, manager of the Beijing Puppy Town Animal Hospital.

Perceptions and reality

In the past, many people assumed that pet owners were rich "ladies who lunch." But according to a survey conducted by Horizon Group in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou, 72.5 percent of households own a pet. Beijing had 420,000 registered dogs for the year 2004.

A jobless worker can find great solace from a pet, which may cost as little as 20-50 yuan (US$2.4-6.0) to purchase on the market. But when it comes to medical care, such workers can hardly afford it, says Xia Zhaofei, head of veterinary internal medicine at China Agricultural University in Beijing.

However, the cases that irritate veterinarians most involve clients in the upper-middle-class strata, who, despite their wealth, are unwilling to pay for necessary medical care for their pets. Xia and his colleagues attribute this parsimony to the still low status of pets in Chinese society.

In the United States, 90 per cent of a survey's respondents valued their pets' lives on a par with those of their own, and 47 per cent valued them higher than their own lives, says Xia, who is also president of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association.

In China, people tend to assess their pets by the price they paid when they purchased their animal. Even veterinarians may suggest "giving up" on sick pets when expenses go above a certain limit.

According to some pet owners, vets should take some, if not most, of the blame.

"They treat my puppy as lower than a wild animal. Some of them won't even touch it, but just shove me a bottle of medicine after hearing my description. They won't even look at me and talk to me about my dog's condition," complains Zhang Na, a Beijing dog owner.

Xia says that, on average, the 500-some licensed veterinarians in urban Beijing enjoy better educational backgrounds than doctors at typical hospitals.

"We had spent a minimum of five years in college. Our investment in education is no less than that of a human doctor. But somehow, people expect us to deliver free or heavily subsidized public services with no regard for our own costs."

Zhang Na, the pet owner, criticizes vets for treating companion animals as if they were livestock, however. She suspects that many of Beijing's vets used to work on farms and have not adjusted to the new status pets now enjoy in the lives of urban dwellers.

"Pet owners and pet doctors cannot be friends," declares Liu, half jokingly, admitting that many of his colleagues indeed grew up in rural communities and spent many years working with farm animals before coming to the city as pet caretakers.

Who's more underprivileged?

Guo Yaming, secretary-general of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association, says that some people have difficulty in understanding the uniqueness of the animal medical profession. They seem to assume that all illnesses can be cured. Once there is a failure, they quickly threaten lawsuits.

"I would be more than glad if they actually file a lawsuit," says Louie Liu, "because their cases would not stand up in court." He says that fewer than 1 per cent of the cases would find doctors to be liable. He is chagrined that protests at pet hospitals disrupt normal business.

Most of Beijing's veterinarians are graduates from either China Agricultural University or Beijing Agricultural Academy. However, fewer than 10 per cent of those who studied veterinary medicine actually wind up in the profession because "the pay is dismally low, on average 2,000-5,000 yuan (US$240-600) a month.

"As a pet doctor, we always put animals' welfare as our top priority. But our investors would logically be driven by profits. We are often torn between the two," says Liu.

Liu adds that he is often moved by pet owners who may not be wealthy but go the extra mile to treat their pets' illnesses.

One of the reasons pet medical service is perceived with some criticality lies in the fact that it, unlike human healthcare, does not receive any government subsidies. "We get no respect," says Liu.

"I honestly respect them," responds Zhang Na, "but they should not do things to take away my respect, such as showing nonchalance when treating pets... respect must be earned."

More communications

The doctors admit that, compared with Western countries, pet hospitals in Beijing, which currently number about 200, still have a long way to go.

Some veterinarians are not accustomed to communicating with pet owners, resulting in misunderstanding. Liu cites the example of a colleague who did not couch his language when suggesting that a client's pet be put to sleep.

Wang Yun, another pet owner, tells the story of his visit to a local vet. Wang's dog was suffering from diarrhea. The vet gave him a small bottle of white powder, which cost some 100 yuan (US$12), and did not explain what it was and what it was supposed to achieve. When the stuff did not get rid of the symptom, Wang was naturally distressed. Then he heard from another pet owner that a diarrhea drug for pets costs only a few yuan and had worked fine on her puppy.

To address deficiencies like this, the association has set up regular monthly seminars where Western and domestic experts are invited to share their knowledge. Vets across the city are also encouraged to "dress like doctors" and to "behave in a professional manner."

Doctors like Liu and Dong go online to answer questions from pet owners at the nation's most visited website, Sina.com.

Companies like Effem Food, a subsidiary of Mars Inc, sponsored lectures and seminars to enhance work skills of local vets.

The veterinary community also has the task of communicating with government agencies, to foster better understanding of their profession.

"We grew up in an environment where dogs and cats roamed around the country and found food on their own. Nowadays they climb into our beds and may affect our health. So the government needs to make sure that no viruses jump from pets to humans," says Guo Yaming.

For its part, the government is taking a more calibrated approach towards pet ownership. The 1,000-yuan registration fee in Beijing can be cut in half if a pet is castrated, and inoculation shot is free for registered pets.

Liu says the pet doctor community would not exist if government had not taken a conciliatory approach.

There is also self-regulation by the pet-owning community. "Now that government has loosened its grip, pet owners should watch their pets and make sure that they do not become nuisance to the public. Pet owners should train their companion animals and prevent them from littering on street and barking at midnight," says Fang Fang of Companion Animal Research and Information Centre. "That's what we call responsible pet ownership, which we advocate."

Vets can play an important role in cultivating responsible behaviors of pet owners, adds Fang. Apart from self-discipline, the profession should take the initiative to communicate with and to educate pet owners. "Everyone who deals with pets should have a strong sense of social responsibility."

(China Daily April 12, 2005)