A couple of months ago, one of our two cats got sick. We took him to the vet and, before we knew it, we owed $1,300. Almost every pet owner we know has a similar story about paying hundreds or thousands to save a pet, so we wrote an article about it that's up today on Salon: "What I wouldn't do for my cat: After shelling out $1,300 on a vet bill, I had to wonder: How much is too much to pay for your pet?"
Here's an excerpt:
On a site unfortunately titled "Thrifty Fun," there's a "urinary blockage in cats" thread describing our same predicament, although some of the cat owners in there have already spent thousands. Mixed in with the complaints is some boasting: "What can I say? I love my cat!" is a recurring theme. In a Yahoo chat room on the subject, one person trying to figure out how to help his cat without spending so much money is attacked from all sides. One poster tells him, "You obviously could not care less about your cat or you would get it the medical care that it needs."
So, are poor people, or even people who find themselves temporarily unemployed, not allowed to have cats? And isn't there something sort of unseemly about spending so much money on one animal given the state of the world? According to the American Humane Society, 9.6 million animals are put to sleep every year because they don't have people to care for them. If we hadn't saved Ferdinand, we would have eventually adopted another animal from the pound, saving it from euthanasia, and we would have had a thousand dollars left.
Read the whole article here. Would you pay whatever it took to treat a pet? Or is there a limit?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 3)
1. This is a very personal subject with many variables. The first consideration, however, should not be the selfish interest of the person who made the commitment to care for the animal, but the well being of the animal. Someone may decide to euthanize an ill animal to spare it invasive procedures and cause it more suffering, for example. If an animal is young and chances of a high quality of life are good, medical costs are justified. Owners know their animals best, and if they act like responsible, compassionate people, they will likely make the best decision for the situation.
emma at 3:01PM on Feb 8th 2008
2. I have 7 dogs, I hear sh$t all the time because I purchase the pooches from pet stores. They love animals? I buy them to get them out of those hellholes where they are stuffed in glass boxes and steel crates and are not kempt. YOU ARE SUPPORTING PUPPY MILLS!!!! I say I do it because I love them and they will only, not euthanize(collateral damage?)murder them. I know they will most likely have problems in some manners medically, sometimes not. I have an acre for them to run amok, the largest dog I have is an American Cocker so plenty of room inside and out.
One had his eye popped out partially by one of the others, accidentally, my Cocker was playing with my 6 1/2 lb Maltese, ER, next day $1400 plus, the Cocker that did the little widening of the eye thing, was not breathing properly, ER, $1800. I go away it costs for 10 days $3200. These are not 'just animals', they are 7 dogs each with distinct personalities and mannerisms. Vick and his pitbulls, I will give you odds on favorite that the person that abused them in the most egregious manner we could envision, they have the rescued pitties at a lace akin to a wildlife habitat used for this purpose only, to reteach them kindness, love and soft touch, they remain there for life, if tht guy walked in they would run up tails wagging. It is what they do, they love, it is all they know.
rhodalee at 3:00PM on Feb 8th 2008
3. There are too many damn criminals in this country. Doctors, dentists, vets, insurance industry people (god what a racket). Republicans.
david scott at 5:21PM on Feb 8th 2008
4. It matters which pet. We have a dog, a cat, and a rabbit living at our house. The cat and rabbit don't contribute much. The dog, on the other hand, is a loving companion. I suspect I would spend a shameful ampunt of money to save my "bitch".
I think the cat and rabbit are my wife's and son's favorites, so they may have a differing opinion .
mac at 5:55PM on Feb 8th 2008
5. I have a 8 yr old Great dane, he is the love of my life. we bought him because he was in an abusive environment and would have died had we not taken him from that situation , we learned quickly just how vile and disgusting most "breed for profit" breeders are.
4 yrs ago he attacked and mauled an intruder who was in the process of attacking me.
even if that had never occured, I would still do ANYTHING for him that i would do for my own child to keep them alive and thriving. if you do not have that mind-set when considering a pet, then you have no bussiness having a pet at all..PERIOD!
Max" went into congestive heart failure, although the vet care was excellent I have to say the vets and the hospital prayed upon my grief and panic
I mke a modest living and have to pay for my own health care as well as my dogs, as I can not be insured because of pre-existing conditions, I make about 1700.00 a month and with all mi ne and my dogs combined medical costs I have had to move to a 30 foot trailer up in the mountains, the good news is we live on 300 acres and he has never been more happy , he has all the freedom and fresh air he could want. the downside is we live in a 30 foot trailer in the middle of nowhere. his meds alone cost me over 500.00 a month and there is no help for me. but as long as he is on it he is like a puppy, happy, healthy and thriving..combined our meds cost over 700.00 a month, his being almost 4 times the cost of mine. these vets pray on our love for our pets and I am sure this is an industry that goes verely unchecked, the pet insurance companies are a sham and a scam and when the chips are down you find out just how useless they are. you can usually get a charitable orginization to help out a little in a one shot deal , but they are no solution and almost as worthless . they just dont have the funds to really do any good if you need any long term help. and the vet hospitals will and do in fact let animals lie and die unless you put the money down first. they let my Max lay in agony for over an hour knowing he was in his " Golden Hour" and precious time was slipping away, but would do nothing until I went to the bank and withdrew the estimated 1000.00 it would cost to START treatment. I had rushed him in in such a panic I forgot my wallet/I,D and everything, good thing my bank knew me well. I was disgusted with the sheer lack of humanity I encountered, however after they recieved my 1000.00 they treated and pulled him through with the same latest technology that would have been used on a human.
I have made this too long, but so much I had to say on this subject...the vet industry is greedy, inhumane and heartless in my experience and well funded by us who love our "babies" and this will always be.
Lyn Martin at 8:29PM on Feb 8th 2008
6. I have horses as well as cats, and am currently looking for a dog. I was a horse crazy child and got my first horse at 14, after years of collecting models, reading anything about horses, and begging! My parents are not wealthy and my husband and I are certainly not. When we married, my husband knew I came with horses...and vet bills. (Most of my money goes to all the four-legged family members.) I have had some huge vet bills, well into the thousands, but I have never been hit with something like a colic surgery, which requires a long recuperation period in the hospital after the surgery itself. This sort of medical care can run $10,000 and more. Needless to say, many horse owners cannot afford such treatment and so, the horse must be put down.
Would I have such a surgery done on a horse of mine? It depends. First, success rates of such treatments, while improving, are still not as high as one might wish. Next, the recovery is difficult, often long and certainly painful. I would not consider surgery on a old horse, or one that was not otherwise extremely strong and healthy. I would also not have surgery done on any horse who had problems dealing with routine medical proceedures; it would be too hard on both animal and vet.
I see nothing wrong with spending the money on expensive vet care if it will not severly harm your family's financial situation and if the animal in question is an appropriate candidate. I can also understand the decision NOT to go ahead with treatment. Each situation is different.
Incidentally, I have been generally happy with the vet care my horses have received. Large animal vets are VERY hard-working and it takes a lot of money to run an equine hospital. I sometimes think I'd have been better off seeing the vet than the doctor for some of the injuries I've had over the years!
Lucy at 10:23PM on Feb 8th 2008
7. The real story is to get the facts from your vet, do some research (if it's not an emergency) then make up your own mind based on the information. My cat slit my boston's eye.For almost 4 weeks I listened to the vets.He was on morphine for pain. THe opthamologist had me in 3 times! It was 2 times too many, I figured. I said, take out the eye. Despite her protest to give it more time, 4 weeks is more than enough time,I was adamant. Take it out ASAP. He looks like a pirate now and had no trouble adjusting to one eye. Most importantly he is not going through the pain. Don't let your vet make decisions for you. Speak up. Advocate for youself and your animal.If I listened to common sense, I would have saved the dog suffering and myself 4k.
boredwell at 12:03AM on Feb 9th 2008
8. I HAVE A 7 YEAR OLD TOY POODLE. ONE OF THE POSTERS SAID THAT CATS AND DOGS KNOW ONE THING, LOVE. THAT'S ALL MY DOG KNOWS ALSO. WHAT I DO IS SHOP AROUND. THERE IS A BIG DISCREPENCY HOW VETS CHARGE FOR SERVICES. MY REGULAR VET WANTED $600 TO $1,200 TO CLEAN HER TEETH DEPENDING ON EXTRACTIONS. I CALLED ANOTHER VET AND HE SAID $500 AND CHANGE. MY LAST CALL QUOTED $145 SO i TOOK HER THERE. THE BILL ENDED UP TO BE $247 DO TO EXTRAS THE VET FORCE FEEDS YOU BUT STILL A CONSIDERABLE SAYINGS. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND FIND THE BEST PRICE.
Bill at 10:34AM on Feb 9th 2008
9. I adopted one of my cats from the local animal shelter; they gave me so much grief about adopting him, finally relented, and when I got him home I spent the next year and a half I spent time in and out of the vet's office because the cat's... ahem, backside glands kept getting infected. He went through a few painful procedures that usually involved cleaning the wound, suturing it up, and taking antibiotics (no fun for cat or owner!)
Finally I asked them if we could just consider removing the offending glands. In the multiple times I'd seen them for the same recurring issue, *I* was the one who had to do the research and broach the subject. I did ask them to call me during the procedure and let me know how it was going and if it would be better to put him down if it wasn't going well, because I'd decided this was it.
Thankfully this story has a happy ending. The surgery went well, Pep's recovery period went fine, and the only times we've ever been back to the vet in the two years since is for his regular yearly checkup. He was young and otherwise healthy, so finally springing for the extensive (and expensive) procedure has assured him a greater quality of life, and me a loving household companion. As for other people in similar predicaments, it all depends on the person's situation and priorities. If the animal is worth that much to them, and the regular household (home, necessary bills, children) doesn't suffer, they should act accordingly. If they can't afford it because the regular household will suffer, they too should act accordingly.
J.R.R. at 10:07AM on Feb 9th 2008
10. You know, I've been through the urinary tract thing with a cat I owned for 9 years - when I heard the cost I was devastated because I knew the choice I'd have to make was to have him put to sleep. I was fortunate enough to have a vet allow me to make monthly payments by postdating a series of checks. Now days I'd be screwed because NO ONE would be so kind. Yes, I paid the money to save my cat even though I didn't 'have it'. Again just recently, i shelled out nearly $500 to treat Stomitis in another cat only to have the problem reoccur. The 2 cats I have now have been with me for over a decade & I would HAPPILY pay to have my beloved pets healthy, no matter the cost... but my life has changed during the course of these years - my 2 children were born. Since the cats I have were not aquired AFTER the birth of my children, is it fair to be judged harshly because I now have to ensure my children are happy/healthy BEFORE my pets??? I am a single parent, with aging cats and young children, difficult combination let me assure you. haha I've had to move into a small apartment where cats aren't allowed. I've tried calling the so called 'rescue' facillities only to be told they aren't accepting CATS 'at this time'. I've been offered by a friend to let my cats fun free on his Ostrich farm but can't bare the idea that this man would never all the cats indoors when it's too cold or hot outside. So, my situation is this - I hide my pets in my apartment, I care for them as best I can given the situation. What else do I do, have them put to sleep? They are members of my family but not covered under my employers health insurance. PLEASE do not judge us who cannot afford major surguries for our pets but are too attached to consider the alternative. Sure, maybe if I knew then (when I rescued my cats as kittens) what I know now, I never would have taken them in...
V at 11:57AM on Feb 9th 2008
11. Fifteen years ago I had a cat I bought from the
pound. One day he came in from the garage and was
limping. When he was under at the vets they said you
could take his back leg at the "elbow" and spin it
around. They "suggested" surgery at the tune of $1000.00. Having yound kids at the time I asked what the next option was. A $100.00 dollar cast for four to six weeks. BUT he would probably walk with a limp after that. Well he did walk with a limp but
only for six months. After that he was his normal
cat self. The vets did try to put a BIG guilt trip on me for choosing the cast so I chalked up to greed. Milk the consumer for all you can.
stacy at 12:26PM on Feb 9th 2008
12. i think it depends how much you love your animal.
my cat Kikyo got very very sick, we didn't know whym she leaked puss from her personal area and had very low energy, she wouldn't get up to pee anymore. we didn't know what to do. so i cleaned her when she was wet, and gave her a full body bath with baby shampoo when i could.my grandma gave us some medication for her (she works at an animal rescue facility) and told us how to medicate her, and we did everything we could. my dad said, the cat was not important enough to take to the vet, "it's not one of the dogs" which broke my heart, because i knew my poor kitty needed vet help. after a big fight, my dad went to the pet store and bought the most nutricious food he could find, and some wet cat food to mix with, to show he did care about her. and she gradually got better, but it was a slow recovery.
then very suddenly she got very very sick again, with the same symptoms but she was throwing up this time.
i called the emergency vet clinics that were close by, they said $80 for an appointment, they charge you a fee just to go there! and that does not include the medications, tests, or anything! when i asked her how much the tests would cost, she gave me a vague responsesb like "oh well it depends, we need to see her. " you have to bring her in" i researched online before, what tests she needed and told them, and she said the same things. when i screamed at her to stop bullshitting me, she reluctantly told me that the tests i needed, were going to cost $6000 or higher. that is not including treatment, overnight stay with IV drip (she was very dehyrdrated) or medicine.
i was absolutely devistated.
my dad was just layed off, and we were barely living off my moms paycheck.
i went and found what looked like a great way to pay, at $50 #150 a month for vet bills, i called all the clinics back. and none of them had heard of the vet insurance, and said they didn't accept it.
in the end, my poor kitty died, and my dad said he felt it was personal failure to himself that he couldn't save her for me.
vets are nothing but money grabbing pigs. even my grandmother says for a domestic pet that is insane.
all the clinics out here are like that!
when our pet wolf (don't flame me please, he was rescued from a palce he was shot at, and had rocks thrown at him) someone poisoned our wolf doggy with anti freeze, there has been a rash of similar cases around this area.
the vets here said to bring him in, again, for around $6000-8000 worth of things. we couldn't afford it at the time, he got sick and died in an hours time.
even if we had taken him in, he would've died.
sometimes, no matter how much love you have for baby animals, you can't save them.
i would've done anything to save Kikyo and Bones (wolf). but even if yourb life is good for a pet when you get them, things happen, like dads get layed off, or moms have to switch jobs. they cna't help little pets before feeding their children.
Meike at 12:36PM on Feb 9th 2008
13. I would expect every pet owner to do what is within their means to keep a pet healthy. I don't believe I can put a price tag on the health and wellbeing of my pets (I have three dogs). However, I am fortunate. For those pet lovers who are able to afford it, I would suggest you help those who can not afford the cost of vet care, but who strive to give a pet a loving home. I regularly check in with my Vet to find out if there are owners trying to decide on expensive surgeries. I have helped many families with Vet expenses and it gives me great joy. I do not give to large organizations, I prefer to help one dog or cat at a time. So my answer to the question, "What is too much?" is I wish I had more to spend.
Tiffany at 1:11PM on Feb 9th 2008
14. For all of you complaining about the cost of veterinary care, remember this...the education for a veterinarian costs upwards of $150,000 or more. The equipment that they use in their clinics is of the same calibur of that used in any human hospital and costs just as much. Being a veterinarian is a chosen profession, not a charity. How dare anyone spite them for doing a very difficult job!! Remember that your doctor only had to learn the anatomy of 1 species to treat and probably specializes in one area of medicine (you don't go to your proctologist to treat an eye problem!). But your vet had to learn the differences between dogs and cats and birds and goats and horses, etc. and they do everything from wellness care to major surgery.
When you takes a pet into your household, you take on the responsibility of that animal, for better or worse. You are responsible for feeding them, for sheltering them, and for helping them when they are ill. Only take on the responsibility you can afford (if you can only pay for 1 animal--don't adopt 5!). And as others have noted, ask questions. Most vets will acknowledge that there are generally more and less agressive treatment options with differing levels of expense. But don't blame the vet...they are just doing their jobs and trying to make a living like the rest of us.
J at 2:22PM on Feb 9th 2008
15. I would spend every last dime I have, and don't have, to help my dog. When I fall, it is Scooter that comes running to lick my face and sit with me until I can regain my strength. When I am sad, it is Scooter who comes and sits quietly on my lap, soothing my troubled mind. How much? If I had to sell everything I have, which isn't much, I would do it. Afterall, he has never let me down.
Karol Hensley at 6:34PM on Feb 9th 2008