Noone in the world loves their animals as much as I love mine. My dogs are my babies, and It would kill me if anything happened to them, but tonight an episode of the George Lopez show got me thinking about just what I would do if my dogs became sick or got hurt and needed an expensive operation or treatment to save their lives. They thought his dog had a tumor and the vet said it would cost $3000 for the operation to save him, and then it wasn't even sure it would save him, as they couldn't be sure it hadn't spread. George said no way, but if I were in his shoes, I really don't know what I would do. Some would say, they're only dogs, it's not worth spending thousands of dollars to save a dog, especially if its an older dog, like my Jazmine who is almost 8. She's almost 8, that means that she's been in my life and in my heart for 8 years, she's like my child, so how could I think of denying her anything if it will save her. This is what my heart says, but my in my head, honestly, I don't know what I would do. I remembered reading this article a few months back http://slate.com/id/2176521/ "But doc, the dog's Already Dead" and it really hit home, because I've seen it happen. Most vets these days guilt people into unnecessary treatments and tests, and do ridiculous things to run up outrageous bills, and if you try to protest or question if it's the right thing to do, then you obviously don't love your pet. If your child were sick, wouldn't you do everything possible to save him, then how could you have qualms about paying to keep Fluffy alive, too. Don't you love Fluffy? He's a member of the family!
Luckily, this will never happen to me with my pets, because I take them to a local animal clinic where the vet, Dr. Frost, is a no nonsense, get em in and get em out, kinda guy who doesn't charge for office visits, he only charges for the treatment received. He doesn't run unnecessary tests or charge extra fees for anything. His clinic is always full, with people lining up out the door and waiting in the parking lot to be seen, and he examines your pet quickly and efficiently, and gets you on your way. I brought my cat, Clyde, in when he came home one night somehow minus a back leg, thinking it was going to cost me a fortune in operations to fix him, but it cost me 15.00!! He bandaged the leg, handed me some antibiotics and said bring him back if he has any problems. Done! I did bring Jazmine to a regular vet once when she was a baby, and I'd never do it again. She was about 3 months old and I stupidly fed her some chocolate without thinking, it was peanut M&Ms, and just a little bit, but it was enough to make her deathly ill. She threw up for 2 days, couldn't keep anything down and seemed not long for this world, so I took her to a local vet's office, in tears, racked with guilt, and I told him about the chocolate. He examined her and announced he thought she had Parvo! He then suggested we do tests, that would cost a few hundred dollars, and if she was positive for Parvo, the treat could be 1500.00, and then it wasn't guaranteed to work. I looked at him dumbfounded.. excuse me doc, I ain't no vet but did you miss the part where i said I fed her chocolate and she got sick??. I told him no thanks, I'd have to find a way to treat her and just pray she got better. The nurse/receptionist was nice enough, when I explained to her how she got sick, to suggest feeding her Pedialyte and just trying to get her to eat, even if she threw it back up. I gave her Pedialyte and boiled chicken (the only thing I could get her to eat) for 3 days, and she was fine. Parvo, my azz! If I'm ever faced with the decision to pay $1000's to keep one of my dogs alive, it would break my heart to say no, but I really don't know if I'd be willing to spend that kind of money to save them. I'd want to.. I'd really consider it, but in the end, would I do it?? I just pray I don't ever have to find out.
What would you do?
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Comments: 12
But a pet? A wrenching decision.
When I have a sick pet I take them to the University of Sacramento Veterinary School. Several hours drive, but the best care and no-nonsense diagnosis. So if there is something like that close by, I'd suggest it to folks.
I was faced with that decision.It was going to cost 1200.00 for a surgery on a young dog and luckily I bartered my way thru the expense. But what I didnt realise was the effects the surgery would have on the dog. She only lived three years after the surgery and had aged ( in stress) probably five.She was in such terrific pain just after the surgery. I wont put an animal thru THAT again.
We have also have a dog that got Parvo once, and you can save a lot of money if you can get the Vet to let you treat her/him yourself. The real cost is in kennel maintenance and attention time, besides having to be segregated etc. I paid for the daily antibiotics/medicine and equipment for the saline(?) water injections IV, and they showed me what to do. You have to empty one of those IV bags of water under the skin creating a big bubble that eventually gets absorbed into the animal. Anything orally she just threw up. In fact, I had a hard time holding her down long enough by myself to get the IV needle with fluids in (man what a big needle), and they let me come by and with the dog still in the car helped me to do it out in the parking lot for days without charging me more. It didn't cost anywhere near as much as having her hospitalized there and I think the test to find out was the most expensive thing. She recovered and came out fine by the way.
You can save a lot of money by giving your dog your own shots too if you want. The only one you need the Vet visit for is the Rabies shot (here anyway). We buy them from our regular pharmacist.