Could You Afford a Large Vet Bill?

Jules

Jules

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A SS’s dog swallowed a toy. Surgery and a couple of nights stay cost $2000+. As he says, he’s lucky to have a good job.

I keep thinking of the many people who adopted/bought a pet during the first year of covid. I don’t know how many can afford even the basic vet bills.
 

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I have 3 dogs, just there normal care is expensive. I chose to have them so it is my responsibility to make sure they have the medical care they need. I am frugal, I might go without something wanted but not needed. I need these dogs. They are very important to me, they make my life better.

The biggest expense I have had was 2500 for a surgery. My most loved dog started to bleed internally, they could not figure out why. They removed his spleen. It was not to be, he started bleeding again. I had to let him go as I knew there was no hope. I would have happily spent twice that if he could be well.

The lesson is do not get a pet if you can't afford to give them good vet care. There will always be emergencies, just be prepared!!
 
Pepper said:
The vets are taking advantage. Their fees are highway robbery and their tactics can be brutal.
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It is that way in everything today. I am lucky, I have a good vet and feel lucky to have the funds to care of my animals. In the past they were more than kind to work with me. It is nice to know they will not withhold treatments and will let you pay out without interest if they know you. I know many vets are overcharging and not giving the best of care. Just like out human doctors.
 
Though they could afford the cost, we've gifted vet services (Trupanion) to daughter and SIL for their corgi, for the past 7 years.

It's unbelievable how astronomical vet care has become.
 
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Vet fees are just diabolical here. DD has 3 dogs and fortunately she is a qualified dog groomer so she can do a lot of the dogs care herself.... In Spain where she had her Boarding kennels, she had pet insurance because it's much more affordable there.. but here it's at least triple that of Spain.. so she pays out of pocket for Vet's Fees now..
 
Almost 20 years ago, I woke up one morning to find our little toy poodle, all 6 pounds of him, could not use his back legs. Trip to vet, who referred us to a animal hospital. They confirmed he had a ruptured disc, and they just happened to have a canine ortho surgeon on staff. Fee was $3000, up front, with no guarantee of success. Thank goodness it did go well and he lived another 15 or so years without any issues.

I remember folks in the office questioning spending that much on him, but the reality was that I never considered not doing it. It just had to be done. He's been gone >3 or so years, and I still miss him.

btw, I told the folks at the office that I took the $$ out of his college fund...
 
Pepper said:
The vets are taking advantage. Their fees are highway robbery and their tactics can be brutal.
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^^^^ Bingo. A elderly lady at the park where I walk took her dog to the Vet last year because his eye was red & watering.
The Vet pulled out a Foxtail. It took 10 seconds. He charged her $1,500.00 & also suggested keeping the dog overnight "for observation" for another $1,000.00.
She said, "No thanks; I can observe him at home; one ripoff is enough."

I took my Lab to the Vet for an infected paw pad. The Vet suggested a complete blood, urinalysis, etc. - a "Special" for only $900..00.
I said, "What for?"
"Well, he's over 16 yrs old."
I asked, "Will your exam turn his clock back so I can have him longer?"
"Uh......no," said the Vet.
I said, "Then why would I put him through unnecessary procedures?"
 
We just had our kitten neutered, and one testicle was undecended, so the doc had to go into his belly, fortunately a very small incision. We also had him microchipped. We were quoted $500.00 to 600.bucks for that , we talked to a different vet and yes they could do it before January 31st we jumped on that ! So he was neutered yesterday, and microchipped and the cost was $274.00! Frankly I preferred the vets office who did the job, and so I am very happy!
 
Our parrot broke her leg, cost a thousand dollars. Her vet is about a 40 mile drive, but the man is a genius with birds. The waiting area in his office is like a visit to an aviary in the zoo.
 
Nathan said:
Our Schnauzer/Poms- Misty & Mija :cry: had so many problems, long story~short: in about one year we spent over $7000 in vet bills for their pancreatitis/ glaucoma/diabetes ailments, it was too crazy.

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Awwww Nathan...they are SO cute! Of course you'd want to do what you could for them. I wonder if pet insurance would have been worth it for you. For now I'll forego it, praying that our Deja will remain healthy.

Re OP: I could afford it but hope I never have to spend that much (not just because of the cost but that would mean she's unwell).
 
win231 said:
^^^^ Bingo. A elderly lady at the park where I walk took her dog to the Vet last year because his eye was red & watering.
The Vet pulled out a Foxtail. It took 10 seconds. He charged her $1,500.00 & also suggested keeping the dog overnight "for observation" for another $1,000.00.
She said, "No thanks; I can observe him at home; one ripoff is enough."

I took my Lab to the Vet for an infected paw pad. The Vet suggested a complete blood, urinalysis, etc. - a "Special" for only $900..00.
I said, "What for?"
"Well, he's over 16 yrs old."
I asked, "Will your exam turn his clock back so I can have him longer?"
"Uh......no," said the Vet.
I said, "Then why would I put him through unnecessary procedures?"
Click to expand...

If you can believe it, when we inherited our Australian Shepherd from my wife’s uncle we needed to have him seen by our vet before they would groom him. My vet squeezed him in at the end of the day and found an embedded foxtail in his abdomen. He shaved his belly and found three more. He said if I could restrain him he might be able to remove them with forceps. I was able and he got all four of them. The bill? $10. He was close to retirement and really liked dogs. That will never happen again.

But the vet who replaced him was horrible and led to my search for a good one. Honestly I don’t expect them to work for free. But when that same dog developed congestive heart failure he immediately had a long list of tests he wanted run which would require boarding. I let him know this dog would not welcome even one night away from home after all the boarding he’d endured being raised by my wife’s aunt and uncle when they were in out of the hospital themselves. It was a clear case for end of life care - at home. When I was younger I extended all my dogs as long as possible no matter how miserable they were. Now I try to be more humane.
 
I've had pet insurance for years now. I have a $500 deductible. I could pay more each month for it but instead have the deductible. I haven't needed to use this insurance from the current company yet but when I had ASPCA insurance I sent in claims. Their prices went up ridiculously as Suzy got older.

Honestly, I don't know how people are surviving now a days. My Vet has doubled all the prices. I have to tell them to skip some things but nothing that is vitally essential. I bet there are even more people homeless with the price of rents and mortgages and with no job--God help them!

Can't even afford to buy meat very often but I'm going to Aldi's next week and see if they have some not too high.
 
In our development, most everyone has a dog or cat and most everyone can afford a big Vet bill like the one mentioned. However, there are a few widows and widowers that probably could not, so someone started a Vet bill collection fund that allows for payments of up to $500 in case a resident's animal comes down with a serious injury or illness. The community is allowed to donate to the fund as they wish. Of course, most of us are animal lovers so we do give to the fund weekly, monthly or however. The fund grew so large that it became a 501 (c)(3), which means we can deduct the donation, if we have enough other deductions to qualify for taking the donation. Like almost everyone else, I do give a one-time donation each year usually sometime in January. We never know who gets the money, unless we ask. That's one of the 501 (c)(3) rules. Transparency of how much is collected and how much and to who the money is given to. This prevents fraud, or so I am told.
 
The man across the street has a Blue Heeler. I never seen a dog as smart as this dog. He has this dog trained to do things my dog would only tell me to “Buzz off. Do it yourself.”
 
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