WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A former veterinarian says some U.S. vets push unnecessary shots, tests and procedures to make extra money.
Andrew Jones, a 17-year veterinarian who left the industry after getting into a dispute with his medical board over marketing issues, made the allegations in his new book, "Veterinary Secrets: Revealed," ABC News reported Friday.
"I'm clearly not making friends within the veterinarian industry, but I feel I'm saying things that need to be said, that aren't being said," Jones said.
Jones said he first encountered the practice of upselling while working at a veterinary clinic in British Columbia.
He said he told a dog owner to monitor a lump he believed to be benign, but was later told by his employer he should have implied the lump may be cancerous.
"The practice owner ... said, 'no, that's not how you do it... what you need to do is get that dog back in... It's going to be much more profitable for the practice,'" Jones said. "He said that it might be cancer. And it's -- usually the 'c' word, pet owners get really concerned and they say, 'do whatever you need to make sure it's not serious.'"
Most veterinarians are ethical and try to do the right thing, but pet owners should be wary of those that do push extra shots, tests, and procedures, he said, because a veterinary clinic is "a business ... which is there to make a profit."
