Unclear Fees, Human Medications Used on Animals, "Disappearing" Prescription Pads... Uncovering the Tip of the Iceberg in Pet Healthcare

A single oral ulcer medication costs 24 yuan, and a one-time surgery can cost thousands or even over ten thousand yuan. It seems to have become the norm for pet owners seeking veterinary care. “I’m not afraid of pets eating and drinking, but I’m afraid of pets getting sick,” has also become a common concern among contemporary pet owners.

Currently, the pet medical market is continuously expanding. Many pet hospitals set prices based on costs, similar to private medical institutions. The costs of medical equipment, imported medicines, and medical staff vary from hospital to hospital. However, the tip of the iceberg in pet healthcare not only lies in the diverse charging standards but also in many irregular medical practices, such as over-treatment, human and animal medications, and issues with medical qualifications, all hidden within.

Varied Charges and the “Disappearing” Prescription Notes

Li Li pulled out a bill from last year for removing a thyroid tumor in her kitten. The total cost was 12,000 yuan, exceeding her budget for a routine check-up.

Among the charges, besides the core cost of thyroid tumor removal at 3,968 yuan, there were other medical expenses such as Calofen injection at 800 yuan, Nunoen Nuno Life Element at 800 yuan, Zhongbao Mu Life Element at 1,320 yuan, and seemingly minor but significant fees like VIP cage fee at 1,040 yuan, surgical monitoring at 200 yuan, disposable sterile surgical gown at 100 yuan, and nursing fee at 320 yuan.

Concerns over high charges have become a common mindset among pet owners today. On one hand, there are cost differences invisible to customers; similar medical equipment can be purchased at different prices by different hospitals. The professionalism and service levels of employed medical staff also vary by hospital.

On the other hand, some pet hospitals openly charge more for medicines than the “outside” market. For example, Guangdong pet owner Wang Xin shared more direct data. She recalled taking her cat to a pet hospital for vaccination, where the veterinarian prescribed doxycycline for stomatitis at 24 yuan per tablet, totaling 168 yuan for seven tablets. A customer service representative from Meilian Zhonghe Animal Hospital in a first-tier city told Beijing Business Daily that the price varies depending on the specifications, ranging from 7 to over ten yuan per tablet.

Beijing Business Daily found that on e-commerce platforms, a box of doxycycline tablets for cats costs 18.63 yuan for 8 tablets. In offline pet stores, the price ranges from a few to over twenty yuan per box. For example, at Lingxiaohu Pet Supplies in Tongzhou District, a 6-tablet box costs 15.8 yuan; at Mote Pet Supplies in Huangqu, a 22-tablet box costs 22.8 yuan.

Besides medical expenses, pet owners are also troubled by sometimes spending money without clear explanation. Just before the Spring Festival, Liu Qian spent 7,300 yuan at Chongqing Beili Pet Hospital for her dog, Choubao. From initial diagnosis of spinal dislocation, surgery, to post-operative wound infection, the pet died. Liu Qian never received a prescription or detailed billing. The hospital claimed the “attending veterinarian was on leave and could not provide it.” Liu Qian told reporters that throughout Choubao’s treatment, no prescription or medication details were provided.

Beijing Business Daily contacted staff at Chongqing Beili Pet Hospital, who said that medication, treatment, and costs were discussed in the treatment group chat. “This was known to everyone during the initial treatment,” they said. When asked whether official paper or electronic prescriptions and medication details were provided after treatment, the staff repeatedly emphasized that it was known to both sides: “If you don’t ask, we don’t know you want it.” They also stated that medical records, prescriptions, and medication details were provided to the Chongqing Rural and Agricultural Committee (Jiulongpo District). After failing to obtain relevant documents, Liu Qian filed a complaint with the Chongqing Rural and Agricultural Committee, demanding the hospital cease operations and investigate the doctors involved.

“Bundled Pricing” and the Vague Feeling

Wang Fang experienced a different situation. She took her cat, Xiao Tao, to Yunnan Qujing Pet Xing Pet Hospital for blood tests, fecal tests, and antigen detection. Because she purchased a group-buy coupon for these tests online, she requested a detailed list of the specific tests, but was refused. The hospital explained that it was a promotional package and could not issue prescriptions or detailed lists, although her shopping voucher included detailed information about the tests.

Lawyer Shi Yucheng from Ze Da Law Firm in Zhejiang told Beijing Business Daily that according to Article 9 of the “Measures for the Administration of Veterinary Prescription Drugs and Over-the-Counter Drugs,” the prescription note should be in triplicate: the first copy retained by the animal diagnosis and treatment institution; the second by the pharmacy or veterinary drug business; the third by the pet owner or breeding unit. The prescription must be kept for at least two years. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued Regulation No. 734, “Standards for the Management of Animal Diagnosis and Treatment Records,” which states that animal diagnosis and treatment institutions can provide printed or copied medical records for pet owners or breeding units. These records, once confirmed by both parties and stamped with the institution’s seal, should be kept properly. “Even for promotional packages, hospitals should provide prescriptions and cost details. The content sold on commercial platforms should not conflict with higher laws; platform and hospital rules cannot override the law,” Shi emphasized.

Liu Lang, Vice Chairman of the National Companion Animal (Pet) Standardization Technical Committee, Vice President of the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association, and President of the Pet Industry Branch of the China Animal Husbandry Association, told Beijing Business Daily that pet hospitals have introduced expensive human medical equipment (such as MRI, CT, endoscopes). The costs of procurement and maintenance are eventually spread over each examination. Due to the small pet population and relatively low usage frequency, recovering costs and making a profit takes a long time. In addition, developing and producing pet-specific medicines is costly, with small output compared to human medicines, leading to higher unit prices. Expenses for talent training and other factors also keep costs high. The pet medical industry is a high-tech, asset-heavy, and compliance-intensive sector. However, since pets are not covered by a universal health insurance system like humans, the price per diagnosis is necessarily high.

Regarding the chaos in industry charges, Liu Lang suggested that to promote healthy development, the industry should first increase transparency and standardization, making fee details clearer so consumers understand what constitutes diagnostic fees, medication, and surgery costs, reducing the confusion caused by “bundled prices.”

He also proposed establishing standardized treatment plans for common diseases, which could reduce over-treatment and serve as references for novice veterinarians. Additionally, improving payment and insurance systems, and accelerating the popularization of pet medical insurance, are the most effective market solutions to the problem of high veterinary costs.

Use of Human Medicine in Animals and Incomplete Hospital Qualifications

Besides high prices and opaque charges, pet owners are most worried about violations by hospitals that threaten pet safety, including the use of human medicines for animals and incomplete hospital qualifications.

Pet owner Wang Qing reported that her nine-month-old Shiba Inu, Xibei, died after treatment at Pet Ni Di Pet Hospital. “This hospital illegally used Class III radiation devices (radiation equipment) without a radiation safety permit to conduct diagnosis and treatment (‘unauthorized construction’ and ‘unauthorized use’).” Wang Qing filed a complaint with the local ecological environment bureau, which confirmed the violation. The bureau’s follow-up reply stated, “Your unit engaged in activities involving radioactive isotopes and radiation devices without a permit,” constituting environmental violations. However, since it was a first offense and the violation was minor, no penalty was imposed. After her complaint, the hospital later obtained the necessary qualifications. When asked about this incident, the hospital declined to comment and said they would pass on the request.

Pet owner Zhang Xin encountered issues with human medicines used on animals. He explained that his dog, Juan Juan, died instantly after vomiting during treatment at Pet Ni Di. “Within three hours, the vet gave Juan Juan two tablets of Pimobendan (a veterinary prescription drug for canine heart disease, to be given twice daily at 0.25 mg per kg), and also administered human nitroglycerin. After taking it, Juan Juan’s condition worsened, and he vomited blood and died on the spot.”

When asked about the use of human medicines in animals, veterinarian Le Tong from Letong Animal Hospital explained that the drug is mainly used for treating canine heart disease and should be dosed carefully—about one tablet for a 6-jin (3 kg) dog. Zhang Xin’s dog weighed 6 jin. The vet also said that using human drugs like nitroglycerin on animals is common. “Many medicines in the pet field are over-the-counter drugs (human medicines), many are imported from humans, and there are few approved veterinary drugs,” they added.

The “Veterinary Drug Administration Regulations” clearly state in Article 41, Clause 4: “It is prohibited to use human medicines for animals.” Article 62 stipulates that those who use unapproved drugs, human medicines, or counterfeit veterinary drugs can be ordered to correct the situation and fined between 10,000 and 50,000 yuan; if damages occur, they are liable for compensation.

Liu Lang believes these issues are interconnected, reflecting weaknesses in regulation, access, and professionalism. “The rapid expansion of the pet medical market has outpaced the supply of qualified personnel, leading to unlicensed practitioners. Regulations are lagging; approval for veterinary-specific medicines is slow, with few varieties and high prices. When existing drugs cannot treat certain diseases, some veterinarians resort to using human medicines. These phenomena reveal deep-seated problems: low industry entry barriers, with veterinary licensing exams having low academic thresholds, and current veterinary education not fully preparing practitioners. As a result, some operate with fake certificates, making qualification thresholds meaningless. Moreover, the industry lacks a mandatory continuing education system, leading to slow knowledge updates and misdiagnoses or improper drug use in complex cases,” Liu said.

“Shortages of specialized veterinary drugs, slow approval processes, limited varieties, and the lag in developing pet-specific medicines cause the ‘no medicine available’ dilemma in clinics. Despite legal provisions, enforcement resources are limited, making daily supervision difficult across numerous clinics. Additionally, behaviors like over-treatment are hard to regulate due to their technical complexity and vague definitions,” Shi Yucheng added.

Increasing Effective Medical Supply and Reducing Information Asymmetry

According to public data, the number of pet hospitals in China has reached about 30,000, nearly doubling in five years. As the industry market size continues to grow, regulation must keep pace.

Xu Qianyu, managing partner of Juyiyou Law Firm and founder of Migo Legal’s pet industry legal team, told Beijing Business Daily that currently, China has no dedicated law specifically for pet medical care. The relevant regulations are scattered across laws such as the “Animal Epidemic Prevention Law,” “Management Measures for Animal Diagnosis and Treatment Institutions,” “Veterinary Drug Administration Regulations,” and “Measures for the Administration of Licensed Veterinarians and Rural Veterinarians,” forming the basic legal framework.

Without targeted laws, consumers’ rights protection becomes very difficult. Wang Qing told Beijing Business Daily that when she reported the hospital to the local ecological environment bureau, they confirmed violations but did not impose penalties. According to her documents, the hospital’s actions violated Article 28 of the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Radioactive Pollution,” which states that units involved in the production, sale, or use of radioactive isotopes and radiation devices must obtain permits and register. The bureau confirmed the violation but did not penalize because it was a first offense and the violation was minor. Zhang Xin’s complaints have gone unanswered; he posted on social media seeking justice for his pet. Wang You continues to insist on rights protection, but after two years, she has yet to see an official apology from the attending veterinarian. She said, “Our goal is to have the law record their misconduct.”

Xu Qianyu believes that the difficulty in consumer rights protection is due to multiple factors, including incomplete legal regulations in the pet medical field. “First, pets are legally classified as ‘objects’ rather than ‘people,’ lacking specific compensation standards for veterinary medical accidents. Courts often award insufficient damages to compensate for mental distress, and the burden of proof follows the ‘whoever claims must prove’ principle. Pet owners often lack professional knowledge, have incomplete medical records, and face obstacles like lack of monitoring records, with favorable evidence often in the hands of defendants. There are no authoritative pet medical accident appraisal agencies or standards, making responsibility attribution difficult. Moreover, supervision mainly falls to agricultural and rural departments, which cannot handle civil cases and only mediate. Pet owners also lack knowledge on how to collect evidence and protect rights; judicial procedures are time-consuming and costly, and compensation may be lower than the cost of rights protection, leading many to give up,” she explained.

Liu Lang sees the key to a healthy pet medical industry as balancing development and regulation—primarily increasing effective supply and reducing information asymmetry. He recommends establishing regulations for companion animal diagnosis and treatment, clarifying special exemptions for human medicines, and alleviating doctors’ concerns. He also suggests creating a green channel for pet drug approval, encouraging pharmaceutical companies to develop new medicines to address shortages. Strictly cracking down on certificate fraud and ensuring licensed veterinarians are on duty are also necessary. For unlicensed practice and fake drug sales, a blacklist system should be established with significantly increased fines to raise costs of violations. To promote transparency, implementing a “diagnostic project menu” listing individual costs for tests, medicines, and surgeries can prevent bundled pricing. Industry associations could also develop treatment guidelines and fee ranges for common diseases, helping consumers understand costs. Additionally, insurance supervision can play a role.

Regarding consumer choices for pet hospitals, Liu Lang offered advice: “First, screen hospitals before visiting—preferably those with clear zoning (separate consultation, hospitalization, and surgery areas) and normal odors. Check the ‘Animal Diagnosis and Treatment Permit’ and veterinarian qualification certificates through official channels. During visits, ask what the purpose of each test is and what diseases can be ruled out or confirmed. For medications, if human medicines are prescribed, ask whether equivalent veterinary drugs are available and what the risks and benefits are. Always take photos of examination reports, fee lists, and prescriptions. For major illnesses, consider consulting another hospital for a second opinion. When surgery is needed, inquire about the surgical plan, the attending doctor, and anesthesia methods. A responsible veterinarian will provide clear answers,” he said.