What is your financial threshold when it comes to a sick pet?

WildFlower2350

My poor cousin is going through hell with her 3 year old boxer...about 2-3 months ago the dog started showing signs of being unable to move the way she normally does (couldn't jump up on the bed/couch) and it got progressively worse to being nearly fully immobile, all while whining and crying in pain.  They've been to one vet, then a second for another opinion (the diagnoses dont match up) and are treating her with meds at home but this weekend was awful and now she (the dog) is at vet hospital with specialists.  The reality is that her problem could be a multitude of things (neurological, skeletal, auto-immune) and each requires a different test.  The costs could be well into the thousands and they have already spent quite a bit thus far.  My cousin is having such a hard time b/c she loves her dog and she is so young but the reality is that the tests may not even offer an answer in the end..or they do figured it out it may indicate a very poor quality of life.  It's so hard to hold on to a glimmer of hope that they can figure it out and give a reasonable treatment where the dog can live like a dog...I guess the scenario could be spend thousands and thousand to still be left with no answer. 

WildFlower2350

When I say thousands...Im talking over 10,000 ....this is terrible,

mcskatcat

Wow, 10k is a lot.  We spent about $2800 on my cat to have emergency surgery last year, but there was a bit of cost-benefit analysis going on.  She was 7ish at the time, so she's probably halfway through her life.  And we were also dropping about 10k on a roof at the time, so I guess I looked at it (at the time) as "Hey, we can spend this much on the house, but not on my beloved kitty?"  

I think the line I would draw is if it were a chronic disease and my pet were going to spend the rest of their life miserable - but that would be a hard call to make if my pet were young like your cousin's.  I do have an aunt that spent every last dime to keep her extremely old dog alive, and I'm pretty sure he was miserable for the last few years of his life, so I don't think that's something I would do (and it's not something I would want for myself as a human.)   

bpphoto785

That's really tough! I love our dog but there's no way we could spend $10,000 on him. I guess we would just do whatever we could to make whatever time he had the best and most comfortable it could be, especially since he's so young. I'm sorry to hear that your cousin is going through this.

SURFERxGIRL

I'm sorry she is going through this! A few years ago our lab had to undergo surgery to prevent some cancer from spreading. At the time money was really tight (I was still in college) but I finally found a place that would allow me to do a care credit plan and pay it off little by little. After all was said and done I think all the tests, surgery and stuff ended up costing around $8,000. If I wasn't able to spend money on that, I would have shifted my focus to just making her life as comfortable as possible and keeping her happy. Good luck to your cousin!

Djinxs

We got pet insurance for reasons exactly like this. The pup we have is of a breed that has a lot of potential health issues (cruciate tears, hip and elbow dysplasia, etc) and a lot of those surgeries are SO expensive. Everyone we talked to who owns giant breed dogs told us to get insurance. Saved them big bills. 

We would try to do everything we could, of course, if the bills went way over budget or we exceeded the insurance maximums for the year, but there's really only so much you can do for big, really serious issues unless you're rolling in dough.

Caz1221

What a difficult situation, especially since it sounds like after all the tests, they still may not know what the problem is.  Ultimately, it's a personal decision.  We have an emergency fund for our pups just in case they need very expensive care (whether it be emergency surgery or longer term care/meds).  Luckily, we have not needed it to this point (my pups are 6 and 7 years old), so I can't say from experience how much I would spend, but I would have to weigh the factors PPs have discussed (dog's age and likely life span, likely quality of life, etc.).  T&Ps for your cousin and her pup.

LuckyAngel07

I'm so sorry your cousin has to deal with this. Like PPs said, I think it's a very personal decision. Everyone's situation is different, and without insurance you really need to weigh how much you can handle.

Even having Care Credit as an option, I wouldn't be able to afford to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars and still pay all our other monthly expenses. It's a heartbreaking decision to make when finances keep you from doing all you want to for a beloved family member (which I absolutely see my pets as). 

I hope your cousin is able to get some answers for her poor Boxer girl.

WildFlower2350

Thanks so much for all of your kind words...we are crossing our fingers/toes/eyes and everything b/c the docs have a hunch and are seeing if this is a serious bacterial infection that can be treated with medicine..if so...the tables may be turning in a positive direction.  Thanks again the the T&P!!!!

chrisnjay05212010

Sending lots of t&ps for your cousin.  I have to agree that we cant afford to spend thousands of dollars on our guys. It is a horrible decision to have to make and one no one should have to.

Gisellerina

Sorry to hear about your cousin's dog.  Especially one so young.  I have an older cat that I was considering a kidney transplant for a few months ago.  I've passed the $10,000 mark and I'm still spending.  For me, I will keep spending as long as a.) The medical tests/procedures I am having done to my cat do not cause her quality of life to deteriorate and b.) I can spend the money without neglecting my financial responsibilities or going into debt.  At some point, if I had to, I would consider going into a reasonable amount of debt (like the Care Credit mentioned by other posters earlier) depending on the diagnosis/prognosis/pet's age. 

It's a hard decision to make - there's no absolute right or wrong amount to spend.  Everyone's pets and life/financial circumstances are different. 

I hope things turn around for your cousin and your dog. 

WildFlower2350

Sad update.  Please pray for healing...my cousin made the choice end her dog's pain, she was put to sleep last night.  She was only 3.  Broken hearts all around .

chrisnjay05212010

@WildFlower2350 i am so very sorry to hear this. Sending lots of prayers to your cousin. I hope she can find comfort in knowing that her baby is no longer suffering.

agoodse

So sorry to hear, but it sounds like she took the dog's quality of life into account, and made the best decision she could for her.  Hugs all around.  Having a dog put to sleep is the hardest thing in the world...  Lots of love.

Jliongrrrl

So sorry to hear about your cousin's loss.

musac15

I'm sorry that you're families going through this sick a tough thing to do.

LuckyAngel07

I'm so very sorry. Sending soothing and healing vibes to your cousin. It is never an easy decision to send one of our beloved pets on their way where we can't follow, but it's so much harder when they're so young (I know; I've been through it with a kitty). I hope your cousin knows her pup is running free and happy now and knows how well she was loved.