What Would You Do If Your Dog Was Sick

[aussielover]

This question is stemming from the screening potential puppy owner thread.

I am interested in what people would do if their dog had an accident or became very sick and they couldn't afford the treatment (the treatment will save the pet/give it a better quality of life)

I understand that not everyone is made of money and some veterinary procedures/treatments are extremely expensive.

Some options i thought of are:

1. try to get an account that you can pay off slowly at your vet

2. get a loan

3. sell something valuable you own eg car, jewelery

4. ask the vet to reduce the price/ do it for free, out of the kindness of their heart

5. surrender the dog to the vet and have them rehome the dog if it recovers

6. Borrow money from family or friends

7. Try to get the breeder to help

8. PTS

I'm sure there are other options that I haven't thought of. Of course I realise in this situation you wouldn't know what you would do until it actually happened to you but I'd be interested to hear what others think they would do.

I would probably try for no. 1 and no. 6

Edited June 6, 2010 by aussielover

[Kyra]

I have a credit card for emergancy vet bills but if it was more than the limit on my card I'd get a loan.

[lanabanana]

I am able to run an account at my vet.

They are fantastic. We only just arrived from NZ and my dog got sick (ended up being PTS - cancer and was not best for her to treat - long story) and they let me run an account right away.

I will do whatever it takes to pay my vet bill so my "kids" get the treatment we need. If that means we have to starve for a few weeks, the we celebrate the fact we are goign to lose a few kilos LOL

[indigirl]

I was faced with this very problem twice while i was a uni student. Both times I asked friends and family to help and thankfully they did. Plan B was to sell my and possessions to cover the cost.

[Greytmate]

This topic upsets me, because sometimes you can throw all the money in the world at the vet, and he still can't fix your dog. :rolleyes:

Another option is to move the dog to a vet surgery that has lower overheads and can provide cheaper service.

Good idea to have pet insurance too.

[DerRottweiler]

Any of those options, except, PTS.

[Dame Aussie]

I'd try for an account at the vet, otherwise probably get a loan. This is assuming I didn't have a credit card with enough on it.

[Baileys mum]

Any of those options, except, PTS.

Same here, although I do have an emergency account put aside for any vet fees.

Sometimes animal hospitals are a little cheaper & have pay off systems. My friends horse got a severe case of Colic late last year, & had to be hospitalised for about 10 days. The Werribee animal hospital took really good care of her at a reasonably rate & has allowed my friend to have a pay off system with them. :rolleyes:

There is also the option of taking out pet insurance as well.

[shmoo]

The only reason I would PTS is if the dog was not going to have quality of life after the treatment. Otherwise I would exhaust all options first. (and no I don't have a high income, I am currently a student.)

[Aidan3]

I self-insure and recommend it for those with the discipline to do it. So far one of my dogs has had about $10k worth of emergency surgery in her 8 years. The other has had a bee sting and a couple of hot spots and ear infections (in 10 years), so I average it out to make myself feel better... When I looked into it insurance was not an option for my older purebred dogs.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Aidan2

[macka]

I have pet insurance for both my dogs precisely so that I don't have to face that situation.

[DerRottweiler]

I just clicked on the banner up the top for Pet Insurance, for my dog (3 y.o Rottweiler), it works out to be around $40 bucks a month full cover (accident + illness) with a $100 excess.

That's pretty good given that it will give me piece of mind.

[tdierikx]

My vet of long standing will allow me an account if I don't have the money up front - but they know that I'm good for it through years of knowing me and my dogs.

Other options are definitely using the credit card or getting a loan, and my mum is always happy to front money for my dogs if needed... but I pay her back too... *grin*

My fosters are covered by the rescue that I foster for, and I take them to their preferred vet unless it's an emergency (my vet is closer).

T.

[Elsha_UK_AU]

I took out Pet Insurance on both my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and took out the highest cover with a $200 excess. They are each insuranced for around $12,000.00 per year. Failing that, I'd ask the vet for a payment plan and failing that would use my credit card.

I knew I'd have to take insurance out on the boys, I spent $1000's buying the 2 of them, so knew that if something went wrong, I needed to be able to finance their treatment - that being said, I think I have spent more on toys and faffy stuff than I have on vets bills, so far :rolleyes:

Susan

[Sheridan]

Unfortunately, those of us with older dogs don't have opportunity to get pet insurance to cover emergencies. I haven't found one yet that will cover Grumpy for anything other than basics. I pay into the vet's account each fortnight.

[Miss BeRidgierent]

I have pet insurance for both my dogs precisely so that I don't have to face that situation.

With the pet insurance I have you have to pay all costs up front then make a claim is that the same for you?

I have a credit card for emergencies and if that doesn't cover the costs I ask my parents. Unfortunately I learnt the hard way with loosing my girl I fronted up with the money then and there from every place I could and am still paying it off a year later. So I strongly suggest anyone who hasn't got a plan make one, get emergency vet numbers and get an animal ambulance number, Have the numbers handy at all times because accidents happen when least expected.

[macka]

I have pet insurance for both my dogs precisely so that I don't have to face that situation.

With the pet insurance I have you have to pay all costs up front then make a claim is that the same for you?

I have a credit card for emergencies and if that doesn't cover the costs I ask my parents. Unfortunately I learnt the hard way with loosing my girl I fronted up with the money then and there from every place I could and am still paying it off a year later. So I strongly suggest anyone who hasn't got a plan make one, get emergency vet numbers and get an animal ambulance number, Have the numbers handy at all times because accidents happen when least expected.

Yes I'm pretty sure you have to pay upfront then make a claim. I'm with PIA - full accident and illness cover.

[Lucy's mama]

We have pet insurance but yes- costs have to be paid up front then claimed. We have a credit card we coud pay with, and if that is not enough we can re-draw extra payments from our mortgage.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Lucy's mama

[MavericksMission]

Luckily I work at a Animal Hospital so I could put it onto my account and pay it off.

If I was no longer working there, I would put it on my credit card and or sell my possessions if need be.

This really is a sad and touchy subject.

Where I work there are hundreds of animals a year either PTS or surrendered over to the shelter, as the owners can simply not afford to pay for the medical bills, for one reason or another.

On the other hand, there are alot of people who think it is okay to have there animal PTS in the hospital because they don't want to pay for the medical cost because it is just an animal. :rolleyes:

90% of the time these people walk around to the shelter (where our vets had already given us the heads up) and want to buy a "replacement" animal, because their kids would have a hissy fit if they came home without any animal!

Edited June 6, 2010 by MavericksMission

[noisymina]

We've never been faced with an absolutely huge vet bill.

This question is a bit hard to answer becasue the decision to spend on an animal has a lot more to it than just the cost.

One has to weigh up the age of the animal, the type of condition, the chances of successful treatment, what will happen if it is/is not treated, how much discomfort/pain the animal will go through, whether it is kind or not to do that to them, maybe a couple of different treatment options etc etc.

Often the answer comes without consideration of cost. I don't think I've ever had to make a decsion based on the cost - it has always been the other factors that have answered the question as to what to do.

Having said that, we have never taken on an animal without having some resources available to meet at least moderate vet costs if they were to be needed.