You may have seen a recent story on ABC’s 20/20 reporting
veterinarians upsell their clients with unneeded services. The former veterinarian claiming this stated
in particular that dentistry is equivalent to McDonald’s asking if you want
fries with your order. He seems to mean
that dentistry is just a side item your pet does not need. This is simply a horrible analogy. Preventative dental care is important to our
pet’s health, just as it is with our own health. Prevention of periodontal disease can save
our pets from having to undergo dental extractions which is more painful and
requires longer anesthesia periods than preventative cleanings.
20/20 set up an “investigation” to see if they could catch
veterinarians making medical recommendations that the pet did not need to
simply make money. In the investigation
a pit bull named “Honey” was determined to be healthy by a veterinarian hired
by 20/20. “Honey” was then taken to several
veterinarians to be examined. One
veterinarian stated “Honey” had dental tartar or calculus and recommend a
dental cleaning. The report spun her
recommendations to sound as if she was pushing for a service that “Honey” didn’t
need and that was potentially harmful to her health. I applaud the veterinarian who made the
recommendation. Not only did “Honey”
have calculus, but she had gingivitis, worn or fractured canine teeth, and an
oral tumor that needed a biopsy.
“Honey’s” owner should be happy this veterinarian was observant and
proactive in recommending preventative treatment.
The coup de gras of the story was the part of their
interview with Dr. Marty Becker that ABC chose to air. Watching the interview, it seems that Dr.
Becker would not recommend dental cleanings for pets unless there was already
disease present because of the risk of anesthesia. Dr. Becker has since said this comment was taken
out of context. His point was that he
would not anesthetize an unhealthy animal for preventative care. He also reports that he was interviewed for
two hours and only this small portion was used.
It is unfortunate that an individual who is no longer
licensed to practice was given such a large stage to air his agenda (which
includes selling books and DVDs on the subject). It is also sad that a respected veterinarian’s
comments were twisted to sensationalize a story. We advise that pet owners have a trusted
veterinarian whose advice they can rely on.
The vast majority of veterinarians have the best interest of their patients, and not profit, in
mind. 
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