The Cost of Care

When a horse colics, the bill can hit $10,000 to $15,000 fast - and the hardest part is often not the medicine, but the money conversation. Dr. Dawn Hoover of Mid Rivers Equine Hospital shares how veterinarians can prepare owners for emergency costs, difficult decisions, and the reality that not every case ends the way anyone hopes. Marie Rosenthal talks with Dr. Hoover about what actually goes into pricing equine care, why some services cost more than others, and how her 24-hour referral hospital balances routine visits, sports medicine, and emergency cases. They also unpack why horses are so medically fragile, from GI issues to tendon injuries, fractures, wounds, and eye trauma, and why even experienced owners can be caught off guard when a crisis hits.