[Pet Friend]

We all love our pets, but I was wandering how much people really are willing to sacrifice if it comes to the choice: their pet or their hard earned money?

$700? $1,000? $1,500? $3,000+?
I am interested in how much we spend (or are willing to spend)

[codyman144]

Whatever I could afford, right now no more than say 500-750 but if I had more money...

[TexasParent]

I had this choice with one of my dogs. However, the vet said it may buy him 8 months. Dogs don't know time, so why delay the inevitable.

So we decided to put him down, was money a consideration, to some degree; but if the vet said that he had a 70% of living another 4 years I would have found any amount of money.

However, under the circumstances a few extra months and the chemo and everything the dog would have had to go through; it would have been cruel to subject him to it.

[starbuck8]

I would spend whatever it would take! I would sell things, beg, borrow... anything I could! I would never put a price on my fur babes life. Last month she had a medical emergency, and I needed to call the after hrs. vet on the wkd. At 4am.

It cost me $200 just to put my hand on the vets doorknob, and by the time I left with her and some antibiotics and pain killers, and other meds, barely 30 minutes later, my bill was almost $400. But, the important thing was that she was all right, and going to recover.

Last week I took her for her yearly check-up. They did blood work along with her exam, and booster shots, and deworming. Her bill for that was $106.

On top of that, just this yr. alone, she has had to go in for surgery because of a badly ripped dew claw, had surgery because she was brutally attacked by an Akita, and required 84 stitches, had to take her in to after hrs emerg. when she got sprayed head on by a skunk, and went into convulsions. The vet has now called with the results from her bloodwork and wants to see me. I'm very worried. So, just this yr. I have probably spent somewhere in the neighbourhood of 3 grand, and I will spend more if need be, just to keep her healthy.

Before anyone thinks, oh she's some rich broad, that is totally not the case. In fact quite the opposite! I am on a very limited disability income at the moment, and have a hard time keeping up with my bills, I worked out a pmt. Plan with my vet, and also had to borrow money. My dog saved my life one time, and it's the least I can do, to return the favour! :)

I am now looking into pet insurance, so a big bill doesn't come all at once.

[starbuck8]

We all love our pets, but I was wandering how much people really are willing to sacrifice if it comes to the choice: their pet or their hard earned money?

$700? $1,000? , $1,500?, $3,000+?
I am interested in how much we spend (or are willing to spend)

I'm also curious. Are you asking because your pet may have cancer? My sisters dog had cancer. He was 13 yrs. Old when he was diagnosed, and because of a new drug she found, he didn't have to go through chemo, and he lived to be 17. The vets didn't think he would live even for another yr. after he was diagnosed. I still have the website addy for that drug if you would like it.

[TexasParent]

We currently have a cat that has Hepatic Lipidosis and have been feeding him by syringe every 1 1/2 hours for the past month; just in the past 3 days is he starting to eat on his own again.

Just like doctors, some vets are great, others are so so. If we hadn't met this other vet (through a clinic where we took our dogs for vaccinations) we would have been under treating our cat that is sick because the vet we took him too was very vague on the treatment I think because they wanted us to pay for getting him a feeding tube. We didn't because he was so anorexic (17 pounds to 10 pounds) that we didn't think he would survive the surgery with the anethesia.

So we were lucky, so just a warning for those of you who think you have no option but to put your pet down. One you get a diagnosis, find out all you can and see if there are other options as some vets want your cash; and for those who face the reality that they can't come up with the money and chose to put their pet down; wait, their may be another option. At least find out all you can and be proactive in your animals health and recovery if possible.

[TexasParent]

starbuck8 agrees: I agree that if they are in pain, and aren't having quality of life, that sometimes you need to make that very hard decision.

It took me a week after hearing the diagnosis of my dog having cancer to make the decision and I bawled my eyes out everyday wrestling with the notion of playing God and I'm not really and emotional person. I'd never taken the life of a treasured pet before. When I finally made the decision I made up my mind that I would be damned if I let "Gatsby" die in a vet's office, scared by an unfamiliar environment, so I hired the vet to make a house call so that he could be put down around family and friends in his home.

It was one of the hardest days of my life (up to that point in my life), he was scared to. When it was finally over, me and my kids and some of the neighbourhood kids honored Gatsby by having a funeral in the backyard for him; where he was then buried.

I now have 3 dogs and 2 cats, and I am not looking forward to the day I have to put any one of them down as we love them all so much.

[starbuck8]

I understand completely! I so agree that you need to do all of your research and exhaust all of your options, before you give up hope.

I have had dogs all of my life, and gone through many of them getting sick and dying. I do agree with getting the vet to come to your house. It seems so cold and impersonal to me to take them out of their home, and lift them onto a table in unfamiliar surroundings, to say your last goodbyes to your wonderful family member.

All of my dogs deaths were very hard, but I don't even want to think about something happening to my Niki. She is only 5 right now, so I hope we have many many yrs left together, but if she were to become ill, I think that would be the hardest out of all the others. Not that I didn't love the others also, but Niki is with me 24/7, and has just been the best dog ever!!

To think that if I hadn't rescued her the very day I did, she would have been put down. It makes me sick to my stomach to even think of that, but so happy that I was there at just the right time to get her! I just couldn't imagine my life without her!

[rex123]

If he was in pain, I wouldn't want him to live a life of pain. But if I could save him from the pain, lets just say there is no set amount, I would do what ever it takes.

[sugar_snap123]

Well, we had a puppy st Bernard.
He was very poorly and had a nerve problem - his bag legs had to be dragged behind him (like and army man on the floor if you see what I mean)
It would have cost £25,000 POUNDS to have him sent to a special centre - but it was still 50/50 and he would live a year at the most. He would have been in too much pain so we decided to have him out to rest. However I would have found that money. He was my baby.

It does seem a bit silly to spend that amount, but would you put your grandma down because she would cost too much?
That's how I look at it!
X

[HistorianChick]

I love my baby. He's a Highland Lynx (cat) and owns my heart... as well as my apartment! Thankfully, I've never had any serious problems with him and have not had to answer this question. I couldn't imagine having to choose.

Honestly? If the situation came up where he would require serious medical attention, I would find a way to get him the care that he needed. Vets, more often then not, are really willing to work with you on payment plans and such.

I signed up for the Banfield Pet Clinic (inside PetCo.) for the first year that I had my baby. It was a monthly payment of $20 and included all shots/care/visits. Emergency visits were also covered - pet health insurance, if you will!

For any animal lover, it is SO worth it! :)