Among Friends

[shy bobcat]

I haven't had a pet in years so, I am really out of touch with current vet bills.

My DS and DDIL have a sick senior kitty, umm, cat.  I was shocked to hear they were charged $500. for an overnight stay at the animal hospital.  The kitty stayed two nights. This did not include the cost of any treatments and medicine. The kitty was discharged to the care of the primary vet and the testing continues.  We are so glad the kitty is better but with four vets involved, the diagnosis remains unclear.

I loved all my pets dearly and always took good care of them but, I am stunned how expensive vet care has become.  Perhaps pet health insurance is something to look into.

[Carmie]

I think Vet care is super expensive.  I have pet insurance, but that is getting expensive too.  Every year it goes up. 

One of my dogs had surgery in 2011 with a four night stay.  Her bill from the specialist Vet was over $8000, plus around $2000 for the animal hospital.  I, thankfully had pet insurance that covered 80% of the bills.  The surgery was life saving.

[fthunt]

Had pet insurance on my dog............ins co dropped her when she hit 10 range.  Vet cost a reason I don't have another.

[shy bobcat]

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@Carmie wrote:

I think Vet care is super expensive.  I have pet insurance, but that is getting expensive too.  Every year it goes up. 

One of my dogs had surgery in 2011 with a four night stay.  Her bill from the specialist Vet was over $8000, plus around $2000 for the animal hospital.  I, thankfully had pet insurance that covered 80% of the bills.  The surgery was life saving.

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@Carmie 

Gulp!  Glad you had insurance and above all, your dear pet is better!

[kaydee50]

As much as I would like to have a dog, the responsibility and cost make it a "no" decision for me.  My bro has 2 German Shepherds.  Last year he and my SIL spent $12,000 on their care.  We all have our priorities and mine isn't spending that much on a pet.

[chvall99]

It is true pets can be expensive but it might depend on breed too.  I grew up with border collies that had consistent exercise on the farm.  We spent next to nothing on their care (other than rabies shots) and they lived to ripe old healthy ages.  We now have an accident-prone mini dachshund.  He is only 5 years old and we have spent thousands on his care.  He will swallow anything and we have ramps etc. to save his back. Fortunately, as he is getting older and we are getting wiser things are getting better. But still. 

We adore him though and he brings us so much happiness on a daily basis that it is money well spent. 

[Ainhisg]

The area of the country in which you live makes a difference in the cost of vet care. I live in Southwest Missouri, and while our vet care costs have gone up, it's not near what I read about it costing in other areas. After our two are gone, I don't want any more for the reasons others have listed… Responsibility and the cost of their care. My husband doesn't necessarily feel that way, but he is open to a period of no dogs after these are gone to see if his desire wanes for them. If he had to do all the medicating, walks, play time, feeding, and attention-giving I have to do, I think he would feel differently. As I've gotten older, I long for the ability to get up when I want, go when I want, take an impromptu trip, etc. without having the responsibility of pets.

[Neetgal2]

At my age, they no longer bother me.  These animals that I love like children have never failed a college course, never got numerous parking tickets at college, over and over for the same thing and only talk to me with a bark, meow, tilt of the head or eyes!

I am not complaining about my wonderful kids who eventually got their act together with advance degrees.

I am fortunate to be able to say this and do it.  I help shelters with vet bills along with my own.  My relatives always said, way back, do not put wreaths or flowers on the graves, donate to the shelters, that is what Grandmom wanted.  In is in my genes I guess.

[rescuedogmom4]

One of my dogs had a herniated disc, which required surgery to repair.  The neurology office charged us $14,000, which included his 3 nights of post-op in the hospital.  He also had heart issues, which took us to the cardiologist every 6 mos--$600-$700 per visit.  Meds.....more money.  Eye issues too.  My other pets have had issues too, but he was by far the most expensive.  Loved that little bugger!  I've looked into pet insurance before, but at the time I had 4 pets, and it was so expensive that my husband and I decided to just save that amount each month and use it when needed.  

[hckynut]

@shy bobcat 

From what I read in your post, this feline must have been taken, to an Emergency Vet Clinic of some sort. Weekends and late night emergencies are not cheap anywhere. We live in a Midwest State that is far more $$$ friendly than coastal states, and that type of care can easily add up to numbers you gave in your post.

Our primary vet is nowhere near the cost of any of our Emergency Care Clinics. Unfortunately, we have had occasions where we had little choice, but to take several of our many felines to a couple of them.

Taking good care of our furry family members costs money, period. Generally speaking, as any pet ages, veterinary costs go up. Just like humans, organs start to fail, and special types of treatments are required to try to keep lives happy and comfortable.

If a person is concerned about care costs stretching further than they can financially handle? Our furry kids are much more perceptive than many seem to think. They understand stress and sorrow of those they own. Many are smarter in that respect than many humans I have known over my decades.

Hoping for a good remaining life for the "senior kitty" you mention. We have had many that lived into their very late teens, and each one of them needed special care. The kidneys and urinary tract are known to be troublesome for cats as they age. We have given IV fluids to several over the years, including 1 of our remaining 3 at the present time.

hckynut