Pet vs $$$

[Bird]

When he was 2 years old, he blew out a knee while chasing a ball. The cost of that repair was $5400. I used our entire vacation fund to pay for the operation, and have never regretted it.
I was warned after the surgery, that there is a good chance the unrepaired knee might fail. It only took about a month for that to happen. Another $5400, this time out of the emergency fund, to be paid back later.

I'm not real sure what "blew out a knee" means, but the biggest single, or individual, expense we've had with the Chihuahua was about $700 for the surgery to repair a "luxating patella" in February, 2007. I've been told, and read, that when one goes, the other will likely follow, as your dog did, but so far (knock on wood), it hasn't happened in 10 years.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I would sell a Kidney to save one of our girls.

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[coobie]

My dad and I had Brittany's for about 20 years, a long time ago I had one expecting pups that went limp and energy less overnight, the pups were delivered emergency C section and with other treatments the bill was near $500 dollars I think. That dog was a hellacious hunter, I would have loved for her to have survived but she died on the table. A few years later another female I had had problems at birth and had a reaction to the anesthesia and didn't make it. She was just as much a hunter than the other.
One of my dogs a year ago in November, who was the lone survivor of a litter of eight from my first Brittany I lost, we think died of kidney failure. He died in my arms at the vets office trying to figure out what was going on with him.

My oldest Brittany I had to have put down just after Christmas last year at 15 1/2 years old. At one time I had been offered $7000 for him but declined it and hunted the heck out of him for the next 10+ years. That one was probably my cheapest in overall vet bills as he only required stitches a couple times (sheared metal T posts can make for a heck of a slitting item when they are about 6" tall.. found in an old fence row while hunting one day), feed and shots/vaccinations/worm medications.

But the lifetime of memories I have with those dogs was priceless. That being said I don't know what amount I would have said no to on my oldest living one.

Now I have horses, two to be exact. One is a 20 year old gelding 'Whisper', the other is a 23 year old mare 'Tonka'. My 7 year old daughter and Tonka are best buds, I hope when its Tonka's time she goes quick and isn't a long drawn out affair. I also wish that I had that horse about 7 or 8 years ago when I had awesome birddogs, I think my team of horses and my birddogs would have worked in the field well together.

Love our britts also.Had 4 britts. the last 45 years.Pics of lucy & brandy who passed few years back.

 

[oosik]

From the day I was born - I've lived with family pets - dogs. My dad raised dogs for upland game bird hunting and we always had a dog as a family pet. The upland game bird dogs - Lawellen(sp) Setters were NEVER family pets. The first dog I remember as a family pet was an English Water Spaniel. He and I were always getting into mud puddles and having all sorts of fun. THEN my mom started hosing me down along with the dog when we got so very muddy - that was fun too.

I can never remember having to take a dog to the vet for anything other than annual vaccinations. I've pulled quills and sewn up all sorts of skin rips and tears from dogs getting involved with barb wire. Hook needles, long nose pliers, heavy thread, antiseptic, gauze pads and elastic binding gauze has always been a part of the family first aide supplies.

So what I'm saying is - I've only once had to make the decision to put a family pet down. Was not easy - but it had to be done. NOTHING was going to save the dog - he was beginning to have long bouts of pain and I wanted him to go down while he was still pain free and in my loving arms. Just typing this still makes me tear up - I put my little best friend down seven months ago.

 

[tcreeley]

You do what you can. I will not go into debt for a pet veterinary bill. Not everything can be fixed. We should ease up prolonging the inevitable at great cost. - I read that a rich guy that died recently at age 90, had 7 heart transplants. - 5,6 too many.

 

[Will_C]

If you can, spend what you wish to. I haven't had a pet in years. When I owned my German Shepherd Sam, I may have been able to afford a few hundred dollars for a vet bill. If I had a pet now, I could afford a few thousand if it was a young pet with a good prognosis after treatment.

Will

 

[MossRoad]

We have a cat that is in kidney failure. I've been giving him subcutaneous injections of fluids twice a day since January. 100ml each time. It's the only thing keeping him alive. We stop that, and he'll die in two weeks. Fortunately, he doesn't fight me on it, and actually purrs while getting his "juice". He goes through a bag of juice every 6 days. It's about $10 a bag. Plus the needles and the tube. So we're looking at $600 a year, at least. Then there's the $35 per bag kidney diet cat food... about 4 bags of that per year. So another $150, that's $750. Then there was the initial hospitilazation, diagnosis, tests, etc... and you're looking at a $2K cat. And he drinks water like a fish, so he goes through kitty litter a lot faster. I could go on and on.

Anyhow, the cat isn't suffering. He's happy as can be. 99% quality of life and we can afford it, and we actually like this cat, so why not?

If you can afford it, the prognosis is good, the animal isn't suffering and has good quality of life, then do it.

On the other hand, we've had pets that we've spent $1500 on emergency only to find out they have cancer, or a stroke, and we've had to put them down anyway. Those hurt a little financially, but we have an expectation that animals will cost us money, and budget accordingly.

I've spent more money on stupid stuff than I can count, so I don't feel bad spending money on a beloved pet if it has a decent chance of recovery and a good life quality.

 

[mopardude318]

All I ever bought for my dogs was shots and dog food. Never will I pay ridiculous vet prices. If and when they get too hurt/sick to where they can't recover quickly, I put em down. I live on a ranch, and thats ranch life.

 

[jerrybob]

Everybody feels differently about their pets.......do what you gotta do and can financially afford. We are more humane to our pets than we are to our fellow humans.........neither should needlessly suffer.

 

[goeduck]

We have a cat that is in kidney failure. I've been giving him subcutaneous injections of fluids twice a day since January. 100ml each time. It's the only thing keeping him alive.

I had a dog in kidney failure and did the injections for 5 years. She didn’t like it much at all. I used to warm up the fluid in a hot water bowl ahead of giving it to her which helped. It took both my wife and me to get it done, however.