Is It The Delivery, Or, The Message?

It's beginning to feel like an island around here.

Dr Elizabeth Potter is challenging the insurance company system who denies care without following the law, or putting patients needs above profits.

Everyone is too afraid to be anything but A. A cheering squad, Or, B. The firing squad.

Then there's me, still here. Still squawking. I know I am here because I can physically, emotionally, and financially handle it. I know it's getting worse for those who have pets they love like family, and struggle to find care for. It is getting bleak and I know they also feel alone.

When you feel alone, afraid and alienated you seek companionship in the safest place you can; your pet. How ironic is that? Vetmed holds so much power. 

Do we forget that? 

Do we think that the shelters house so many extras that this one, this particular family pet, is replaceable? 

See the reaction from fellow veterinarians about this post here.

Here are some of the arguments I have heard vets provide as we justify the ever increasing cost of care.* 

• Our costs have increased.
• Our debt has increased.
• We want to practice better medicine and offer better treatment options. Think CT scanners, endoscope, big ticket/expensive equipment.

The reality is all of these, AND, there is a new player on the field; venture capital. They see limitless profits because there are almost no guardrails for pets, pet parents and the emotional bond is unparalleled. They have no emotional stake in the game. They never have to look into the eyes of the patients. parents, family. They have vets in gag orders. They are the fox in the henhouse. They are the evil in medicine. I mean that. I believe that. I see their consequences everyday. I have to look into the eyes of need, desperation, suffering and ask myself if I will be the only hand of mercy. I will hear everyday for the rest of my days a sneering, seething pessimists who want me to fail. They want the apple cart to land on my head and cause total system failure. That is the dilemma to being out here on this island, alone.

I feel like I have to explain myself over and over again. That is wearing thin. I suspect that people react to my message, but the intention, the audience, well that can get lost in the delivery. The passion comes through, but that elicits some stoking of the masses who finally feel heard and acknowledged from the source of their pain, AND, anger from my colleagues who (incorrectly) assume I am blaming them as the source of the problem.

None of this changes the (inarguable) fact that veterinary medicine is becoming out of reach to the majority. 

None of this changes the fact that all of us are deserving of love, compassion, hope and mercy.

None of this changes the collective responsibility to address the needs of our patients and pet parents. It is not ethical to simply shift the problem to the providers below you. (..and lets not dismiss the perception that specialty feels GP is below them. They don't have to make time, or compromise for patients who aren't their problem). How often am I reminded that "they simply cannot do it/whatever/for that price? When I want to reply, well, what can we do for this pet at an affordable price? (Please don't respond with "euthanasia").

I get so much, "you care, you figure it out." 

I get very little, "how can we do it together?"

I get back handed replies like; "she will die under the burden of trying."

The professional backlash feels like a deflection of some tapped into guilty conscious, some misplaced frustration. If it didn't strike a chord I would only fall on deaf ears. There would be no island, there would just be alone. Instead there is a purpose with a problem and a whole bunch of broken.

So, is it the delivery? Or, the message? ... and as long as treatable patients are dying so some billionaire can pay for his yacht docking fee on some tax-free sheltered island do I even care?

* "Over the past 2 decades, veterinary service inflation has surpassed general inflation rates by > 60% in the consumer price index, making it harder for pet owners to budget for their pets’ health care needs." Reference link here.

More about this on Instagram, Krista Magnifico

FaceBook, Jarrettsville Veterinary Center page here.

Pawbly.com, Ask questions for free. Share your pets vetcare experiences here.

Pet Good Samaritan Fund. The 501c3 we work with to help provide affordable care and support the other providers also providing life saving care to pets to avoid economic euthanasia.

The Shame Of Pro Bono

 A follower on our Jarrettsville Veterinary Center FaceBook page summed it up well;

"A lawyer doesn't get shamed for providing free services.. vets shouldn't shame other vets for offering low cost care."

...and yet these are some of the comments left about me after a post advocating for pet parents to find other options elsewhere if they meet overwhelming obstacles. There is a storm of change brewing and it will include transparency, options to seek care elsewhere, and low cost options targeted at avoiding economic euthanasia.

Here's the post I put up on Jarrettsville Vet Facebook.

Here's some of the comments from a veterinary group that took opposition to it.

Here's what medical doctors say about you when you offer others free care, low cost care, and advocate for the patients we all came here to care for.

"she's a holier than thou piece of shit."

"Disney villian movie wish."

"magnific-u-next-Tuesday."

"bless her vacant, soulless, narcissistic heart."

"she's an asshole."

For all of the arduous effort it has taken to actually start talking about offering a spectrum of care within veterinary medicine, we sure aren't helping those who are actually doing it.

I put up another post that talked about a pet who was given a $7-8,000 estimate for an exploratory surgery. The pet parent had $700. We found them a place a few hours away that did the surgery for $300. When I shared it a group of vets got pretty furious assuming I was bad mouthing the original ER. Sounded like a lot of guilty conscious redirected aggression to me.

On some of the posts I have put up there are vets who "wish me to go under as I give everything away."

Or, accuse me of poor pay, workplace standards and care, and presume I can only do this because I have "family money."

There are a million little reasons I am here. Broadcasting affordable care as a practice owner. Promoting the ethos that you can do good and do well. Sharing real-life examples in the faces of the angry mobs of doubting Thomases.

Pro Bono care is an option in every single scenario at our clinic. There are so many instances where our team members mental health supersedes the income generated from a good or service. Pro Bono euthanasia is the primary best case example. If a patient is suffering, has a grave prognosis and you feel it is in the best interest of all we donate a euthanasia. 

We also provide pro bono care for long time clients in need of assistance. Homeless pets, and almost daily a case that just needs a little extra help. Xrays are done if the vet feels it will help them sleep better at night and not worry. We remove obstacles so that everyone can feel better about the choices and care we give. Why? This is a hard job and if we can help make it easier, less stressful, and get to happier endings together than we do it as a team.

Any pet who is brought to us is given options. There are at least three. We practice what we preach. We have some significant advantages at our clinic. We have been here for over 80 years. We know almost all of our clients, and have known them for a very long time. We know what they can do, will want to do, and what they need from us. Some will always take a referral if needed. Some will never go. Some cannot afford to go. We offer, talk about options, and every decision is a discussion. There is almost never a discussion about Gold Standard, or any kind of incremental care. We listen, talk, and we trust each other. There are written report cards that summarize every exam. We write down the current patient plan and a next step plan. We give written estimates on any plan we propose. We list our prices on our website. I advocate for transparency in pricing and therefore I post them. I also list most of my surgeries on Pawbly.com Storylines section. Real-life cases with the complete itemized list of the procedures costs. 

The backlash of being a bit of a rebel for the best interest of our patients and their families has been dizzying. The profession is advocating openly (finally a decade after it became a viral video plea) and even promoting how this can be done in our December 2025 JAVMA (our professional journal), but, we are expected to do this quietly. Don't rat on your colleague who charges $7,000 for a pyometra even though they aren't a specialist, and know it is a third of the cost in 12 hours 5 miles away.

There is a storm brewing. It is a hailstorm of greed, shame, ugly insults, and denying care if it is not profitable for them. 

Why is there so much nastiness towards me, and why are so many others who also offer pro bono, low cost care so quiet? Well, just look at the names you get called if you are on the side of our patients.

Here's the video that started all of this hatred.

Here is the video I put up today. 

For any pet parent who needs help you can find it here;

Pawbly.com

Pet Good Samaritan Fund

Jarrettsville Veterinary Center website

All In

 After 20 years as a veterinarian and practice owner, I have come to realize that what my best clients want two things;

1. Be present with them.

2. Be all in.

Madelelaine March 2018

Sure, it's super helpful to have gone to a great veterinary college. Invested myself in learning, growing and challenging my skill set, but, above all of this, people need know/believe/feel that you are genuinely there for them in their greatest moments of need. 

It's what all of medicine needs.

Madelaine Sept 2018

Too often the medical relationship is intentionally, and almost always detrimentally, compartmentalized. The soul gets overlooked as the rest is dissected into its parts for inspection. We lose the whole organism as we focus on the individual pieces. While we can provide exemplary knowledge in the minutia, the organs, systems, the specialties called cardiology, respiratory, orthopedics, etc.. as you divvy them up people begin to feel denigrated to insignificant when weighed next to their parts. Medicine, the true art of it exists in its greatest beauty when the individual remains at its highest value when viewed from its inherent, individual, amorphous self; its soul. We each have our own. We are each our own being beyond the organs, flesh, and carbon connected bits.

March  2019

The beauty of being a general practitioner is being witness to the arc of each life. The spectrum that it displays. Appreciating the beauty and glory of the beginning as much as the end. Being present for all of it. That place where life is new, curious, and unmapped. The reason puppies and kittens are so compulsively adorable is to offset the lack of these established emotional bonds. The oxytocin infusion to the unknown being that depends so completely upon its new parents. To the final days where the emotional ties are so deep the roots won't allow the being to depart. There is so much power in the end that it leaves us changed. Forever missing a part of our lives that we cannot displace the hole. We, I would argue are ALWAYS better off knowing that these holes exist within us. They verify our existence as being genuine. You can attempt to love your spouse, your kids, your parents, your best friends fully and unconditionally, but none of them will truly exist simply for you. Your pet companions will. Your pet will be all in. All in for you and your life, even at the expense of their own. Who could we ever ask this of? Not another human.

May 2021

All in inherently requires that you be genuine. I believe that we all came into this field because we genuinely needed to be here. Somewhere along the road the death by a thousand paper cuts cost us our vulnerability, our mutual trust in other humans, and our deflective desire to be needed as much as we need our patients. I don't know how to untrain that, but, I will attest to being so protective of the naive vet I always dreamt of being has proven to be my greatest attribute.

July 2022

I will live and die within this profession and always be grateful for every tear it cost me. It is the purpose in every breath I own as mine. It is the reason I will post videos, blogs, stories and content that infuriates the rest of my profession as I advocate for the companions we are all here to be advocates for,,,, I am all in.

September 2023

July 2024

January 21, 2026

Madelaine passed away Friday January 23, 2026. Her mom, and grandmother loved her as much as anyone could ever be loved. She was with them every moment of her life. She was the luckiest, most beloved girl. I am so honored to have known her, and them, and been able to be a part of their lives. She is my WHY, just as much as she was theirs, She is everything vetmed could ever hope to be. 

I will miss her, never forget her, and never be able to live any other life than this one. 

Sending her family all of the love that sent us every day of her life.

January Dulldrums

Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry,

and,

never make executive decisions in January. 

Neither will end well.

Hazel

It took me too long to realize these. I am a slow learner. More trial by fire than contemplation. (Aren't all successful endeavors found through tripping and slipping than skipping?).

It's January. I am melancholy. Or depressed. Tomato/tomatoe. 

Willow

It is time for me to look back at the clinic, our progress. Our wins vs. losses. Figure out if the clean slate is a blessing or disguise. Resurrect the little kernel of caring that is the tinder in the passion-driven heart. That heart as too often been my compass. Perhaps it was supposed to be the machine just pushing oxygen and nutrients to the rest. Not the workhorse that was responsible for all that led and followed from it. Maybe I just placed too much expectation on one little organ? 

Biology was my favorite course. For all of the many ways people love math. The building an argument to arrive at a finite, firm, answer. Laws that are concrete. Rely on each other. One need met by many steps and a solution.

Raffles

The hardest part was always the separating myself from the equation. Feeling like I was the defining character needed to get to the solution. The camel with all of the straw. The law that cannot be omitted. Gravity. Decay. Death. Eventual loss. 

Tomato/tomatoe.

Its January. I will go cut out pink, red, blush hearts. Paint, glue, sequins and make Valentines. February cometh if I can get through today.

Left foot, Right foot. Try to see the good in all that is today. Tomorrow is never promised.

Maybe I am just hungry?

Maybe it's time to go to the grocery store?

Tomato?

.... or kittens?

Burdens and Burnout

My veterinary friend Pam sent me this news article. She lives far away and we console each other on the ever challenging state of vetmed. She is a true friend. The kind that sticks by you no matter how muddled in the mire you get. She also understands. Empathy holds tighter when you know another soul really gets you.

Kingston

Email from Nov 22, 2025, 5:50 PM 

Not such a nice way to frame it I hope you’re doing ok. From FB seems maybe you are suffering from compassion fatigue? Or perhaps you always are, like many vets

Pam XXX DVM

This article is from News 5 Cleveland;

Veterinary bills are rising, but so are the chances your pet will survive

By: Elizabeth VanMetre

CLEVELAND — A single social media post asking whether viewers had noticed their veterinary bills increasing quickly became one of News 5’s most-engaged call-out posts ever, prompting hundreds of Northeast Ohio pet owners to share their struggles with affording care.

Some comments described heartbreaking choices between paying for a pet’s treatment and covering basic household expenses.

Veterinarians said the rise in prices is real.

Dr. David Wong and Dr. Victoria Smith, veterinarians at PetVetWell in Mentor, said their work has evolved dramatically in recent years.

“Generally with exams, too we don’t only talk about pets," said Dr. Wong. "We get to know the clients really well.”

Smith said the shift largely stems from how pet owners see their animals.

“Our pets are now viewed as part of our family and sometimes our children,” Dr. Smith said.

That deeper emotional bond has led many families to pursue more advanced treatment options, even when the cost is steep.

Jennifer Rogers, a Northeast Ohio pet owner, shares her home with two bunnies, two cats and three birds. She considers them her lifeline.

But the price of caring for them, and for pets she has lost along the way, has pushed her deep into debt.

Rogers estimates her veterinary expenses total roughly $50,000.

“We’re looking at six maxed-out credit cards from my son," Rogers said. "Two from me. It’s to the point where there is no more credit cards to pay. So it will come down now to do we make the mortgage payment? Do we make the car payment?”

According to the Consumer Price Index, overall prices are around 25% higher than they were five years ago. During that same period, the cost of veterinary services rose approximately 41%, according to U.S. Labor statistics.

Veterinarians said that the increase reflects the fact that they can provide better medical care than ever.

“We’ve seen a lot of advancements in veterinary medicine, I’d say even in the last five years," Dr. Wong said.

That means the veterinarian you see today has more training and more options than ever to treat your pet.

“We’re running the same diagnostic approach you get when you go see your doctor. The blood work. The x rays. I mean we can do CTs. We can do MRIs in this field. Which is something we haven’t been doing in the past," Dr. Smith said.

The investment in equipment, medication and specialized staff has raised operating costs for clinics.

“More modern equipment [and] more advance treatments all end up costing a little bit more,” Dr. Wong said.

As costs continue to climb, veterinarians say communication and early care are key to avoiding overwhelming, unexpected bills.

Tips to not Waste Your Money on rising vet costs

1. Consider pet insurance: Monthly premiums can help offset emergency or long-term treatment costs. Use comparison tools like Pawlicy to match coverage to your pet’s age, breed and medical history. Not all plans cover the same conditions, so read the fine print.

2. Don’t skip yearly exams: Many costly health problems, from dental disease to organ issues, are cheaper and easier to treat when caught early. Preventive care can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over your pet’s lifetime.

3. Ask about payment plans: Some veterinary clinics offer in-house payment arrangements, CareCredit, or other financing options. Establishing a relationship with a trusted vet makes these conversations easier.

4. Price-check medications: Pet prescriptions can often be filled at human pharmacies for less. Ask your vet if a generic or alternative medication is safe and available.

5. Build an emergency fund for your pet: Even a small monthly contribution can help cushion unexpected care. Setting aside money consistently reduces reliance on high-interest credit cards or loans when emergencies happen.

While I agree with almost all of the above advice, I will add my own derivations. You get back what you put in. If your relationship with your pet is one of the most important and vital parts of your life there are people who understand and relate. Build impenetrable bridges with them. Your vet should be a local, capable, independently owned business who gives back. Every town has one. 

Pippin

Here is my reply to her.

Hello,

God only knows what I am suffering from. Life as an empath in a world full of greedy assholes. 

Compassion fatigue is a constant. A constant motivator and detriment. 

I am not going to lie in my grave feeling anything other than accomplished. I am really grateful for all of it. Even the hard parts. I won’t be angry or feel cheated. I asked for all of this and turns out the universe is delivering. 

Where there is struggle there is also hope. And I know I am not alone. Which honestly is the most consoling part. I’m just not afraid to speak up. Bear it all. Be vulnerable. But it isn’t a sign of weakness or resignation. 

I appreciate that you think about me. And send these along. I am here. Anything you need just reach out. 

Take good care of yourself. 

Xoxo 🐾

Krista. 

Sadie

Why am I sharing this? Well, because it is honest. So many people feel that vulnerability, honesty, and being outspoken about any or all of it is a show of weakness. A red flag of imbalance. A reason to resist less, be more self-centric. Me, well, there are too many souls out there in need of help who don't have a voice. Who aren't given a place of compassionate liberty. I will not stop until I cannot continue. On my own terms in my own time. 

Am I incredibly grateful to have friends who reach out? Absolutely! I am most grateful to those who also walk in my shoes and know how real the burden is.

The Best Advice For New Team Members

There isn't one of us in vetmed who didn't start out as a kid with a dream. Typically we were a kid who wanted more pets in the house and parents who weren't consenting to acquiring more of them to the degree we longed for. 

I am asked daily to allow a young pet enthusiast to visit the clinic.

Volunteer. Start there. Don't expect me to give my time and skills without you giving the same, or more, back. (P.S. The secret to thriving in a profession built on compassion is to always give more than you have to,, and be fulfilled in giving more than anyone else. Especially if you are in vetmed, because no one ever gives more than our patients do).

Cookie. She is always the most generous hugger in the building.

Here is the advice I gave this morning;

"Here’s my first piece of advice for being the best vet tech ever;

Always start every new interaction with a pet and their parent with a genuine hello and a smile on your face. The best techs in the world are not the smartest, or the ones with the most accomplishments (like certifications and letters after their names), or the ones with the most diverse skillset (we can teach you all of that), but the ones who are the kindest and the most compassionate. You don’t have to go fast, or know everything but nothing will ever make you more valuable and appreciated like being kind.

It also really helps to say hello to your patient. You don’t have to let or touch them (they might be scared and a caution). People always want to feel like they are at a place that cares about them and their pet and you are the first (or second) person they see. So you make a huge first impression.

See you later!"

Seraphina. My WHY,

Veterinary Ethics Bio

Kisses from Cookie

I was asked to do a podcast from the Vet Ethics Committee. With that I had to add a bio. ChatGPT helped. It was an odd way to add an unknown perspective to a life I have outside of the clinic and its reach. Here's what I submitted...

Dr. Magnifico is an innovative veterinarian and passionate animal welfare advocate. She hopes to continue to build a legacy of being known for her commitment to an innovative, ethical and a patient-centered approach within veterinary medicine. She sees every animal, and their caregivers, as being worthy of compassion and is committed to preserving and maintaining the bonds we have with the pets we call family. She is currently specializing in the management and treatment of FUO/blocked cats by utilizing a minimum database, managing costs with outcome and budget as the starting point, and never giving up regardless of the obstacles presented. In essence she practices the way her patients need her to; the old fashioned way when integrity, loyalty and trust were all paramount to longevity and viability.

As the owner of Jarrettsville Veterinary Center, Pawbly.com, founder of the Pet Good Samaritan Fund (a 501c3) and Not One More Pet, Dr. Magnifico operates with a strong ethical foundation, prioritizing compassionate care and client education. A key area of focus is finding solutions to economic euthanasia, where financial barriers often force difficult decisions for pet owners. By offering a spectrum of affordable care from the onset, Dr. Magnifico ensures that every animal, regardless of their owner’s financial situation, has access to the veterinary services they need, thereby preventing unnecessary suffering and premature decisions.

Dr. Magnifico is an advocate for fair access to care, transparency in treatment options, and informed consent in every facility, in every case. She has proven that you can do good and do well in your practice. For every act of kindness, good will, and pro bono care the return has doubled. She shares her cases, challenges, and obstacles on multiple social media outlets and has built an Army of change who support others in kind. It is possible to be ethically driven and financially successful. She has also proven that it is also possible to wear your grubby, fragile, intense heart on your sleeve and be peacefully content within your practice. It is possible to be the vet your little girl self dreamt of becoming.

With a dedication to both medical innovation and ethical integrity, Dr.  Magnifico works to shape a future where veterinary practices are accessible, sustainable, and rooted in compassion for both animals and their families. 

Thank you again for considering me and for all that you do to help others.

With gratitude,

Krista