Where To Draw The Line With Vet Bills?

[mokhahouse]

I recently took out pet insurance so I don't ever have to be in that position.

I have insurance on both my dogs but it is more complicated than it first seems. It was great to say go ahead with Mokhas elbow surgery knowing we would get a big portion back. Would I have done the surgery any way even without insurance. Yes, no doubt about it. Mokha has one elbow and potentially both hips that in the future could require replacement surgery. My insurance may not pay for it even though they say the cover dysplasia, they may however cover a salvage type surgery. I was shocked to find this out and if Mokha would be better off with a hip replacement than say an FHO I would want to do it. Potentially it could cost me more than 15,000 to do all three surgeries, I would pay it but the question would be would I want to put him through all that surgery and the recovery afterwards. This is what I struggle with not cost. How much is too much to put them through to extend their life when you cant explain to them what is going on?

[rastus_froggy]

I am not sure on what my limit would be, I was in a very difficult situation a few years back when my Stimpy got sick with a mystery illness. Her regular weight is 7kg and she got so sick and refused to eat, she got down to 5kg. I was paying out so much money and they just didn't know what was wrong with her, they did all sorts of tests, I was starting to wonder then if I was nearing my limit. I was in a very difficult situation financially at that stage, and wondered if she would ever get better.

I just kept extending the limit on my credit card and eventually she did get better - although they never found out what the problem was. Then it happened again a year later. I just did the same all over again, just with more hope that time.

[Tilly]

I don't necessarily look at the costs ... but I do look at the outcome.

If there is a reasonable chance they will make a full recovery and live a health life then I go ahead ... if not then I consider what is best for the animal.

We had a rottie that was injured on the job ... he required both hips replaced but there was a 80% chance he would never walk properly again and would have serious damage to his functions in the rear end. At the time it was going to be about $7000+ without any real chance of a good outcome - so we made the decision to PTS.

Our older GSD boy took ill and $4,600+ later he made a relatively full recovery ... and then another $1,000 for paralysis tick. He is healthy (but it has taken some toll on his overall health) and happy and we think the money was well spent.

[Kaffy Magee]

Ive just been through this with one of my pups. My other dogs are insured but I had not got around to insuring this one. Of course, it was him that I nearly lost. The specialist vets were telling me his operation would cost around $10,000 if not more(thats on top of what my own vet had charged me already for treatment). I was devestated, WE had just bought a house, I had my husband, vet and mum all getting in my ear about the money, "you have to think of the family", "you cant afford it"etc etc. I knew I could probably scrape $5000 together but $10000 was just too much, and I didnt think it was fair to my OH. He doesnt love the dogs as it is. I wasnt going to make that decision thought to put him to sleep. My last resort would have been my own vets doing the op, not a specialist, atleast he would have had some sort of chance. Turns out I cam eto an agreement with a specialist that my boy would come back to my vets for aftercare, which would cut the costs greatly. So we went ahead and the best news I have ever heard, He didnt need an operation!.

One thing for sure is I will ALWAYS get a second opinion! To think I could have PTS and I didnt need to. It still cost me $4000 all up but I dont care. I still had people tell me they would have put a bullet in him than spend that money ;)

What it comes down to is there is a line, I never thought there would be, but I knew in my heart I simply could not afford 10 or more thousand dollars. Maybe in the future if I have a better paying job then it wouldnt matter about cost but I will now always have pet insurance. I dont ever want to go through that again, if I had the insurance, I could have just said yep do it and not worried about price.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Kaffy Magee

[Loraine]

Quality of life for the dog is important to me. My beloved Coco cost heaps (stopped counting 'coz it was scary), that was dealing with Cushing's. Zedley, one way and another is costing me a small fortune too. I guess I will always try to find the money so long as the dog has a good quality of life, and I can find the loot. I know that I will go without and scrimp and save, but some things could become too large for me to handle.

[labsrule]

This is not an easy one to answer and it is very personal and we all have to make our own decisions on this based on our own pesonal circumstances and I agree with the posters that say it would depend on illness, prognosis, age of pet, quality of life etc.

Also when people are confronted with an emergency or life threatening situation with their dog, they may act differently than they thought they would, irrespective of finances.

Last year I was confronted with a terrible situation when my 10year old lab boy had to have a major emergency operation (splenectomy) at a vet specialist centre followed by 4 days intensive care to remove a large tumour from his spleen. When the tumour was discovered via an ultrasound I was told by the specialist that it could be a hemangioma which is benign (non-spreading) or a hemangiosarcoma which is malignant, but if he didn't have the splenectomy then he could bleed out and die any time ;) I was also told that if during the surgery they found the tumour had spread to other vital organs then it would be kinder to PTS as that would indicate it was hemangiosarcoma which is terminal, but fortunately I did not have to make that fateful decision, as the tumour had not spread.

They told me before the surgery that if the tumour had not spread then they would have to send the tumour or parts thereof away to pathology for testing to get a diagnosis on whether the tumour was a hemangioma or hemangiosarcoma. Unfortunately for my beloved boy, it was hemangiosarcoma, so I agreed to chemo treatment on the provision that I would stop it if it impacted on his quality of life, which unfortunately it did and I stopped it and later I had to put him to sleep when the cancer spread to his lungs in September last year :D . I tossed and turned about putting him on the chemo treatment because I was told that my boy only had limited time once he was diagnosed with the hemangiosarcoma cancer and the decider to proceed with the chemo treatment was because he had recovered extremely well from the emergency splenectomy and without the chemo, his survival time would have only been anywhere from 20-60days and given that he had been thru so much and came thru the surgery and recovery so well, I wanted to buy him some extra time whilst he was well, but only on the proviso that his quality of life would not be impacted ;)

I incurred some pretty hefty vet specialist bills for the operation, intensive care and chemo treatment which fortunately for me I did have the money for so did not have the added stress of having to try to borrow from family or friends or make a fateful decision based on lack of finances.

When I got my new lab pup I took out pet insurance for him pretty quickly and I make sure that I have enough credit on my credit card for any major veterinary emergency for him as whilst I have pet insurance, I still have to pay the veterinary treatment first and then lodge a claim. As I have two senior lab boys, one who is over 14.5yrs (15 in March) and the other 12.5yrs, I would not put them thru any major surgery or major medical treatments.

[~Myschafis~]

RAZ - When your already so emotional about the situation, unsure how to come up with the money etc, its not fun to be told, its just a dog, PTS, or how they wouldn't pay for the treatment etc etc, with our situation, the break was extremely bad, so a specialist was required, how can you say PTS you know the dog is going to be fine, just needs a bit of help. No way could i put down an otherwise perfectly healthy dog.

Our other situation is entirely different and it was touch and go for a bit, but if we didnt pay for the treatments, the care and the tests we would've lost her for sure, without questions, I just feel we owe it to them to give it the best shot they can have.

Before this all happened I dont think I could've answered this question myself, and I still really cant, its way to hard to say, not I wont pay for somethin when you know the pet is going to be fine, and even when its touch and go, you want to do everything you can to try and make sure they come out the other side.

Its hard when there are too many variables and what if's? I would always have the thought lingering over my head what IF I did pay for the surgery, would they have been ok?

I hate how disposable pets are to some people.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, I needed a refreshing dose of good willed people, I am sure there are loads that shell out the thousands of dollars for there pets as we have, unfortunately it would seem the ones that have decided to recently share their thoughts all feel that money would be better spent elsewhere and no use getting yourself into financial difficulty over a pet.

Thanks all ;)

[Tiggy]

I actually had this discussion with my sister and her hubby the other day and they said they'd spend whatever it costs which is great but it irked me that they think if someone isn't willing/able to spend say $10,000 they're cruel and they shouldn't have pets. This is coming from people who have two high energy dogs with a tiny courtyard and never walk them ;) I think that's more cruel.

[shelby-001]

We have insurance for our two but like others for us it would be about outcome, not cost.

A few months before we got Boof n Lilly my first dog got PTS after being runover by a boat trailer. She was in my parents care for the last few years and both of us were financial to say yes to surgery however the vet said due to the break in her spine she would never get use of her hind legs requiring a trolley and given how active she was she would never have been happy again. We couldn't do that to her. We were all in 100% agreeance with the decision, as gut wrenching as it was.

[~Myschafis~]

Rusty Bucket

The insurance company I've got puts a limit around the $15000 a year mark. But maybe I'd cough up more.

It depends on a lot of things, mostly being on the chance of a good quality of life after spending the bikkies and to a lesser amount - what else could I do with the money - ie if I get another dog that is healthy. Like how many dogs could you rescue for the same money?

I am sure I could've saved hundreds of dogs with the money we just spend, could've built fantastic kennel facilities housing more dogs etc etc.

But I am not responsible for those dogs and they have not spent a good chunk of their life making my life happy, I owe it to MY dogs first to take care of them, before I start helping others.

We do rescue, we have done rescue for years, but my dogs still come first and im sorry if money is going to be spent it will be to the animals that have made our lives whole ;)

I could rattle off a fantastic list of things I could've done with the money lol and boy would I love to do those things, but I just feel my pets have stuck by us, no matter what we wear, how we look, how much money we earn, where we moved to, they dont complain, so yup I owe it to them to make their life as comfortable as I can make it be whilst ever I have the power to do that.

JMHO :D No offence directed at you personally, just that comment"what else could I do with the money" hit a raw nerve ;) I am sure it was not intended the way I have taken it

[~Myschafis~]

On the insurance note, we had looked at insurance prior to this all happening, and thought, we really cant squeeze in an extra couple hundred a month for all our pets to be insured.

Well it would've taken 10 years paying those premiums to amount to what we just paid in vet bills ;) So it goes to show in a crisis perhaps it really would've been the cheaper option. I hate hindsight

[Mason_Gibbs]

I spent $5000 on my dogs allergies last year as he has allergy testing and then the Rush immunotherapy plus all the spot on skin treatments, creams etc. Loads of people asked me why I bothered as its just a dog and why dont i just get rid of him and get another one. I would spend all the money I have ( which is not much but we survive) to make his life more comfortable.

[stormie]

This is such a difficult topic to think about, particularly with Orbee laying at my fate staring at me!

To be honest, I really have no idea what I would do or how far I would go. It's something we've discussed at work amongst ourselves after hearing stories of thousands spent.

I have often said it would depend on the problem. For example, if Orbit got hit by a car now and needed thousands spent, I would do it. I know I have friends who would help me out and of course my Boss would do what he could. But if it was something like Chemo which could only buy me months, then I really don't know. I often say no, that I wouldn't do it, but I know if actually faced with the reality of having to decide, I'd find it so damn hard to say no to something even if it only bought him a few more days. The thought of losing him is just so soul destroying that I'm pretty sure I'll be a wreck, begging that specialists from overseas be called in to do something.

I'm thankful though, that I have a really amazing boss who would talk sense to me and probably be the one to tell me if it was time to draw the line.

I'm also grateful I have a Boss who is going to keep Orbit alive forever and ever ;)

[Sheridan]

As for others, it depends on whether my dog/s will have quality of life. Am I hanging on to them for me? That said, while I could get pet insurance for Mini, I can't for Grumpy as he's too old. I pay $100 into the vet's bank account each fortnight. It's come in handy recently with tummy troubles and when I needed to buy some veterinary diet food for him.

[cavNrott]

I knew when my dog was diagnosed with cancer that her time was limited but she was energetic, happy, playful and enjoying life. She was in the care of an oncologist who recommended amputation and chemo. I declined both. I don't believe either would extend life for an osteosarcoma dog. She had great quality of life and I wanted her to enjoy it for as long as possible. She was put on a new trial protocol of drugs and saw the oncologist every 2-3 weeks.

Her prognosis was grim and her oncology appointments and prescribed drugs cost thousands of dollars. It was money well spent because instead of having a few weeks as her prognosis indicated, we had a year. She was playful, had a good appetite and enjoyed a run in the park and a roll in the grass.

I would have kept her going for as long as she was happy and her pain was under control. When a lymph gland blew up up to an enormous size virtually overnight I new her cancer had spread and I made the decision to put her to sleep before she felt ill and in pain. She was pts the next day.

She enjoyed a hearty breafast and a play in the park on our way to the vet the day she was euthanised. It was the most painful thing I've ever had to do but promised I wouldn't let her suffer and she would have, had I kept her going.

Of course I would do it again and as Staffyluv said, even if I had to mortgage the house to pay for her treatmment which was in excess of $20,000 and worth every cent.

At no time would it occur to me that I wouldn't or shouldn't spend the money because she was going to die anyway. Seeing her enjoy life taught me to live in the day and every day we had was a bonus. Irrespective of the cost it was special year that I wouldn't have otherwise had. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[cowanbree]

I think unless you have had your back to the wall and had to make this decision it is difficult to know what decision you would make. My 10yr old Cowan was a very ill dog earlier this year and racked up thousands of dollars in vets bill. I seriously considered having him pts but my decision was based more on his well being than any financial aspect. It also helped that the bills were just $1,000 here, $1,000 there over 3mths and it wasn't until after that I really realised just how much it had cost.

My decision may also had been different if I had other people to consider but I struggle with saying no Cowan I need that new car more than I need you in my life. Hardly the same as if I was taking food out of my families mouth. Choosing to pts doesn't make you a bad owner, leaving them in pain does.

[Miss B]

It would depend on the situation, the age of the dog, the prognosis, our financial position at that point... many factors to take into consideration.

[Edslaine]

I have insurance too. In six years I've claimed $150 - not that I'm complaining.

I haven't worked out where the line is either but I suspect it's where I'll pay whatever was needed to give Edward quality of life.

[alpha bet]

The main thing I personally consider is not to have too many animals and that way if one of them needs special feed or vet care then there is a bigger chance we can afford to pay. When you have multiple animals insurance is often to expensive to justify - which ones do you insure and what amount of cover do you get? Much too expensive and how often do vets ask "do you have insurance" - and your vet bill goes up. Personally I put the insurance money aside in a seperate account for emergencies.

It does amaze me the number of people I know with limited income yet they might have 5 dogs, 2 cats and a couple of horses - Then when the shit hits the fan - they can't afford to feed the horses correctly, or have their feet looked after, or pay the vet bills.

Therefore it is an individual thing - families have to consider - what percentage of their own income can they afford.

Edited November 22, 2010 by alpha bet

[Moselle]

To me, the quality of life my animal can expect after treatment is what dictates how much I would spend on them.

Same.

Another one here.

I would not spend one cent on my dogs if the vet could not give me an indication that treatment was likely to be successful. I would spend whatever it took to keep one of my dogs happy/healthy if treatment was likely to be successful long term and not just management of an accute or rapidly deteoriating problem.eg: CK cracked his elbow at 4 months and took a LONG time, a lot of effort/inconvenience for the entire extended family and a considerable amount of money to get him right. He is now 4 and has no problems. (Inconvenience is not really the word I want, because it suggests I begrudge doing it, I don't, but I just couldn't think of a better word.)

Before CK came to live with us we PTS a 7 month old pup with severe OCD. The vet told us that it would take two operations and ongoing pain management for the remainder of his life. I didn't even ask how much the operations would cost - that was not the point.

I would do either again knowing for us it is the right decision.

It is very personal and I don't judge anyone for the decisions they make for their animals - as long as an animal is not suffering unnecessarily.

I would go without myself to save my dogs providing that the outcome was successful and lifesaving but I wouldnt consider it if it meant that my dogs would have to suffer for the sake of only a few more weeks or a month or so of life, I would find it too heartwrenching to have them suffer unecessarily. I would rather let them go peacefully than prolong suffering but I do respect people who opt to prolong their pet's life.