What Would You Do If Your Dog Was Sick

[aussielover]

We had a family that recently spent $30 000 on saving their dog. The dog had a paralysis tick and had to be ventilated for a week.

Having nursed at a Sydney clinic in a high income area, and also had my own dog on a ventilator at Sydney Uni from a tick, I find this very difficult to believe.

Well perhaps there were other outstanding charges (but this clinic doesn't generally do accounts) but I personally took the payment from the owners.

[ravenau1]

We have a fairly decent 'emergency fund' set aside for things like unexpected vet bills (we don't have a dog at the moment but we have cats). If it went over what we have set aside then we could borrow money from family, or sell something. Have to say that we would be hard pressed to put together $30,000 dollars for a vet bill though!

[Miss BeRidgierent]

We were charged over $700 for Renae staying overnight in a vet clinic, (she only went in about 5.30pm) and she didn't even have the full IV all night for her dehydration, as she escaped out of her cage sometime after the vet came to check her (once) at about 10pm! They found her wandering the surgury the next morning at about 8am!

They did give us some medications (AB's) and a tin of science hill diet food, but I can't understand how it still came to that much!

I would be most happy with that price..... I had Bella at the vets for less then 12hours $3,500 later..... with the result we dreaded.

[julesluvscavs]

We were charged over $700 for Renae staying overnight in a vet clinic, (she only went in about 5.30pm) and she didn't even have the full IV all night for her dehydration, as she escaped out of her cage sometime after the vet came to check her (once) at about 10pm! They found her wandering the surgury the next morning at about 8am!

They did give us some medications (AB's) and a tin of science hill diet food, but I can't understand how it still came to that much!

I would be most happy with that price..... I had Bella at the vets for less then 12hours $3,500 later..... with the result we dreaded.

what did Bella have done in that time tho? I think i might have missed reading about it??

Yes that is a lot of money!

Edited June 7, 2010 by Jules♥Cavs

[Miss BeRidgierent]

We were charged over $700 for Renae staying overnight in a vet clinic, (she only went in about 5.30pm) and she didn't even have the full IV all night for her dehydration, as she escaped out of her cage sometime after the vet came to check her (once) at about 10pm! They found her wandering the surgury the next morning at about 8am!

They did give us some medications (AB's) and a tin of science hill diet food, but I can't understand how it still came to that much!

I would be most happy with that price..... I had Bella at the vets for less then 12hours $3,500 later..... with the result we dreaded.

what did Bella have done in that time tho? I think i might have missed reading about it??

Yes that is a lot of money!

Im not sure exactly what was done.... pretty much everything to try and keep her alive and it was after hours. No Idea what was wrong with her. But she was seizing and having convolutions for a long time which resulted in over heating herself and damaging her vital organs and possibly brain damage. Therefore was PTS. still doesn't get any easier thinking about it.

[MolassesLass]

I have a GE Care Credit account with the limit set at what I can afford to repay for this type of thing - if the treatment would be beyond this amount I wouldn't do it (significantly larger, not just 1c over). But without the card it would be credit card, personal loan or loan from family.

[julesluvscavs]

Im not sure exactly what was done.... pretty much everything to try and keep her alive and it was after hours. No Idea what was wrong with her. But she was seizing and having convolutions for a long time which resulted in over heating herself and damaging her vital organs and possibly brain damage. Therefore was PTS. still doesn't get any easier thinking about it.

I'm so sorry to hear that Miss BeRidgierent *gentle hugs*

RIP Bella

[sas]

It would depend how much it is, everyone's affordability and what they can borrow/sell is different.

[cowanbree]

I don’t really understand how some vets are so expensive. Cowan spent over 2 weeks at the local vet, was on a drip for 90% of that time, had plasma and 4 operations, 3 of them very long and serious. The total bill for all that time would have been under $3,000. We then had to go to a specialist for 1 night and a minor operation taking about an hour and that cost $2,500. I realize you are paying for the expertise of the specialists but that is a dramatic difference. I personally wouldn't have said he got any better care at the specialists

Edited June 7, 2010 by cowanbree

[Meea]

I had the stereotypical acute accident a couple of dogs ago and of course Ihad to commit to pay before they would take the bleeding screaming dog out of my arms - in that case I was 4 grand in overnight and really how do you stop then? With the benefit of hindsight I would say that I should have not have proceeded but in the emotion of the moment away you go. That incident left me approx $12K in the red and it took me many years to get out from under it. Dog survived but never really a well boy everafter.

Never darkened the door of that surgery every again - even though it is just down the road.

These days every new animal is insured and I have a low rate CC in the knicker drawer for emergencies. My vet does over the GE payoff option as well. But of course since I am prepared I have not had to use it!

[PRADA68]

This is an interesting thread however to throw even more trouble into it what if your on centrelink unemployment, disability, aged pension etc and live fortnight to fortnight without savings or credit cards and there are many that do, including me. I have pet insurance for my dogs and pay good money for that but if I have to pay up front prior to claiming the money back I am sorry I would have to seriously consider putting to sleep. I could come up with the excess that is no problem but if the bill run into the thousands I could not raise that even with the help of family and friends. So in this instance I guess we are stuffed. Heartbreaking really, for me and the dogs.

[Nekhbet]

To me it comes down to quality of life. If the dog is going to have a long term problem then I am happier to PTS while it is still reasonably functional then wait until it's totally decrepit or on deaths door. Cost is not that huge an issue although if it was stupidly astronomical I would have to have a good look at it. I love my dogs but I am not going to bankrupt myself or put the dog through hell. When my DDB had a lump I decided if he needed chemotherapy then he would be PTS. Too much money I dont have and frankly that is suffering in a creature that has no idea why it is experiencing what the procedure.

[rastus_froggy]

I was in this situation a few years ago, my little dog had temps of 42+ was losing weight at a rapid speed (she went from 7.5kg down to 5.2), she would not eat or drink, after a week at the vets on the drip she came ggod. They did every test they thought could shed light on her condition but came up with nothing then she just got better. I was not in a good financial postion back then but was lucky enough to get the limit on my credit card upped.

Now 2 years on she is right now back there with the same issues, they are trying their best and conducting more tests now that might help them find her problems. If I need to the credit card will be extended again, I would rather owe the money to the bank than the vets.

Can't wait to be able to bring her home, I miss Stimpy.