Why are vet bills so expensive?

Its true vet bills can be very expensive, even more so when you are dealing with emergency or critical care situations. But please don't think for a second that the whole reason for this is because all of us who work in the veterinary field are just greedy people who just want money. In fact most of us don't really make very much as compared to the skills and hard work we put in every day. Unfortunately it is just a fact that these things cost money. It is still a business and has to be able to pay for everything that goes along with running a business and being able to provide the best care that we can. It is not like a human hospital where a good amount of the cost is covered by insurance. One of the worst parts of my job is having to have that talk with a owner about money and seeing the concern and hurt a owner has when they feel like they can't help their pet because of cost. I provided a link to a couple of really good article's I think help make people think some more about why vets cost they way they do.
http://www.vetlive.com/2010/10/25/why-is-veterinary-care-so-darn-expensive/
http://news.vin.com/vinnews.aspx?articleId=22351