Small Door Veterinary trying to change the industry

Small Door Veterinary Clinic is trying to change the industry model with their New York City locations.

Small Door Veterinary is aiming to shake up the veterinary medicine industry in New York City thanks to a new pricing model aimed to increase trust and minimize unwelcome surprises.

According to their website, the goal of Small Door Veterinary is to “deliver superior veterinary care for pets while providing a personalized, modern, and convenient experience for pet parents.”

To do so, they use a members-only subscription pricing model, just like Amazon Prime or Netflix, which is designed to increase the trust level between the patient and the clinic.

“Traditional billing methods and compensation structures pervasive in veterinary today incentivize the wrong things,” Small Door Veterinary cofounder Josh Guttman told Dog O’Day in an email.

Most vets are paid on commission, so they earn more when they bill more. While this makes sense on one level – they have to pay off their school debt somehow – the colossal sticker shock on vet bills can feel unfair as a patient.

“This structure works for lawyers and accountants, but not for doctors,” Guttman continues. “At Small Door, our mission is deliver best-in-class care.  Full stop.  Because we are a member model, we don’t need to worry about maximizing every invoice.  We know our members are committed to both their pets and to us, and this allows us to invest in long term, trusted relationships.”

A venture capitalist who specialized in healthcare and real estate, Guttman’s Boxer Morris began experiencing mysterious stomach pain, which eight different vet clinics and thousands of dollars were unable to pinpoint. Frustrated with the haze of secrecy over medical records, lack of personal access to the doctors and the nearly-universally depressing nature of waiting rooms, he knew things needed to change, which led to the creation of Small Door.

There are three plans for members to choose from, Access, Premium and Premium Plus, which cost $12, $75 or $89 per month, respectively. (These are the prices for Dog Membership, Cat Memberships are $8, $60 and $74 respectively, and include all the same benefits with the addition of a screening for common viruses )

The Access plan enables clients to members-only personalization, an integrated approach to wellness, same- or next-day appointments, unlimited 24/7 virtual care, priority access to specialists if needed, onsite lab and diagnostics, pet wellness reminders and access to your pet’s medical records.

The Premium plan enables clients to all of the above, plus all vaccinations, a comprehensive annual blood panel, an annual advanced biomarker screening, two fecal screenings (four for puppies), tick and heartworm screening and deworming.

The Premium Plus plan includes all of the above in addition to flea and tick prevention treatment and heartworm prevention treatment.

They also clearly label up front exactly how much a procedure will cost, transparently dividing it measurable chunks like the time the vet, vet tech or nurse put into it, facilities maintenance, and laboratory costs. Small Door accepts all forms of pet insurance and all major credit cards.

For example, a routine wellness exam would cost $99, divided up as $28 for the vet’s time, $25 for the nurse’s time, and $46 going to facility upkeep.

“Our goal is to continue doing what we’re doing, delighting our members every day and delivering extraordinary care and experience,” Guttman said. “We pride ourselves on helping our members become better pet parents, educating them on conditions they may be managing and various treatments relevant to their pets.”

A complete list of Small Door services includes 24/7 advice, wellness exams, sick patience exams, walk-in appointments, vaccinations, travel certificates, emergency services, surgical services, behavioral consultations, onsite pharmacy, dental care, diagnostic testing and radiography (X-rays), dermatology, nutrition counseling and euthanasia.

The West Village practice, which opened in November 2019, is located at 15 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10011, with another location in East Side Manhattan opening later in 2020, while a third location is currently in the works.

Small Door Veterinary can be followed on Facebook, listed simply as Small Door Veterinary, and on Instagram and Twitter at the handle @SmallDoorVet.