After multiple vet visits, and more than $1,000 in bills, a veterinary cardiologist diagnosed her with heart failure. And as this happened, veterinary prices began to rise—a lot. Even as overall inflation got back under control last year, the cost of veterinary care did not. Pet owners used to have an easier time accepting the short lives of domestic animals. The market researcher Packaged Facts found that a full third of pet owners say that they would take their animal to the vet more often if it were less expensive.