How far are you willing to go for your pet?
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There are some things you obviously can't plan for. Just like humans have accidents or develop catastrophic illnesses that cost ungodly amounts of money to treat, the same thing happens to pets.
But in general, I don't think people put enough thought into this question BEFORE they get a pet. They don't think about how big of a pain in the *kitten* it is to house-break a puppy. They don't think about how expensive quality pet food can be, especially for large dogs or households with multiple pets. They don't think about the regular vet bills for young, healthy pets, let alone the vastly more expensive and more emotionally taxing experience of taking care of an aging pet.
And it really makes me want to punch people who act like this is all a big shock and just give their pets away because they didn't think about or plan for these things before they brought said pet into their home.0 -
My dog is 11 years old now, he has a heart condition. I am paying about $70 a month on pills for him, it's been about a year since he had to start taking them, so I guess I have spent $840 on him so far.. plus all the tests in the beginning would put that well over $1k, might not sound like TO much, but for someone living paycheck to paycheck and in debt with the hospital for like $8k it's a lot and it adds up, but I love him. He's been here for me always since he was a puppy and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him if I can find a way.0
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no limit as long as they're not suffering.0
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I would take out a second mortgage if need be. People would never put down their kid... my dog is my kid. People argue that it isn't the same... except that it is. No actually it isn't, dogs are better than kids.0
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I'd put it down. Not spending $5,000 on a pet.
This. Some people got to the extreme for animals. If you can afford it then go for it but some people are just nutty.
My high school teacher had a pet pig, it got cancer, they spent tens of thousands of dollars treating it and it did not survive. They were bankrupt, she had a mental breakdown, was relived from school after scaring us several times with her behavior...Maybe she was just a crazy person or maybe letting it go with dignity would have been an easier end.0 -
I would in a heart beat if it ment mine could make a full recovery
Paid for xrays and medication for mine and found out she has something wrong with her hips, if I didnt pay for it I wouldnt have found out and could have caused my pup more trauma and quickly now we no she has to take it easy or arthoritus will kick in alot sooner.
When it comes to it il pay for her medication without batting an eye lid I COULD NOT imagine my life without my dog
I think its fantastic theres alot of people out there that care just as much for theres as I do for mine
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I would take out a second mortgage if need be. People would never put down their kid... my dog is my kid. People argue that it isn't the same... except that it is. No actually it isn't, dogs are better than kids.
^^^ I love this!! totally agree my dog is apart of my family just as much as everyone else in my eyes0 -
My friend spent $7,500 for surgery on a parrot. That is way too much for a stupid damn bird.
Well a couple factors for me here, how old is the parrot? They live a very long time. Also it's a parrot, a lot more personality and therefore usually more emotional attachment than a finch for example. Also did she have the $7500 or most of it to spend, if she had it she can spend it however she wants, people spend that kind of money on a lavish vacation that lasts only 3 weeks, that bird can last 20 years or more.0 -
You might check in your area or state for a vet school...my 1st dog had bad hip problems when it was a pup and I didn't have the money to get it fixed. I found the closest vet school and they did the surgery on the dog for a quarter of what my vet wanted...oh and it was my vet that told me to look into that option....
We have a a vet school at Purdue University and they cost about 5x the local vet offices.0 -
I'd put it down. Not spending $5,000 on a pet.
This. Some people got to the extreme for animals. If you can afford it then go for it but some people are just nutty.
My high school teacher had a pet pig, it got cancer, they spent tens of thousands of dollars treating it and it did not survive. They were bankrupt, she had a mental breakdown, was relived from school after scaring us several times with her behavior...Maybe she was just a crazy person or maybe letting it go with dignity would have been an easier end.
I am gonna say that your example is definitely a rare one........that lady was definitely nutty and most people prob wouldn't do that0 -
I grew up on a farm with outdoor animals. My mom wouldn't let us have indoor pets. We loved our dogs, but they were our pets. Not family members. Some dogs died because they were just dumb, some got hit by cars, some had to be given away because they would kill chickens or chase cattle constantly so I had many dogs growing up. One of them got his legs nearly sheered off from a cycle mower, and because he was an outdoor dog, it wouldn't have made sense to try and sew them back on, because they would have frozen off in the winter.
To me, they are just animals. Do i love them? Yes. Would i spend 5K to have ACL surgery done on it? No.0 -
There are a LOT of other healthy animals waiting in shelters who will be put down. If it came down to $5k to save my cat, that's a lot of money for one life. From a holistic point of view, I believe it is better to put those resources elsewhere. That can go a long ways towards giving other animals a chance at life.0
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$10,000. But we don't have kids so it's much easier for me to justify. My pups are my kids.0
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I had a friend who paid that type of money to have Dauschand's back surgery. He was never the same -- he had to be carried up and down stairs, lifted to laps, chairs etc. She actually had to help him empty his bladder ( he could go, but never well enough to clear the bladder like you need). He lived a long time after the surgery (7 years), but he had periods of paralysis that he would need to go in and have steroids. Then the steroids would cause other issues.
I think it's a matter of asking yourself, what will he be like afterwards and the vet needs to be clear on what lies ahead. To me a dog that can't run and jump and play around is not having a great life and I think the better alternative would have been to put him down peacefully.
I think it's our job to avoid unnecessary pain for our pets. It's tough decisions, but I'd rather lose a few months/years with an animal then to have him/her suffer because I'm not willing to let go.
And for those that say pets are just like kids, that's wrong. I agree that pets become part of the family (and those that don't have kids, I believe that is a stronger bond), but if you have kids and pets, there is never a question about the fact that your kid is more important/better than a pet. It's your choice if you don't want kids and/or can't have kids, but don't place an animals life above a human.0 -
As far as my money would go. My dog got hit by a car because he ran out into the street and wasn't listening to ANY commands (obstinate puppy). He actually bounded off of the bumper, but from where my dad was watching, it looked worse. When my dad took him to the vet, he gave him a $1,500 limit because that's what we could afford. I think as much as we love them, there needs to be a realistic limit to how far treatment should go. For Logan, it would have been a few broken bones (nothing actually happened to him except a cut on his paw. I have an industrial dog.. mean, that car was going 55mph and no damage was done minus a hurt pride and some bruises and a need for a week of painkillers and peanut butter.)0
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There are some things you obviously can't plan for. Just like humans have accidents or develop catastrophic illnesses that cost ungodly amounts of money to treat, the same thing happens to pets.
But in general, I don't think people put enough thought into this question BEFORE they get a pet. They don't think about how big of a pain in the *kitten* it is to house-break a puppy. They don't think about how expensive quality pet food can be, especially for large dogs or households with multiple pets. They don't think about the regular vet bills for young, healthy pets, let alone the vastly more expensive and more emotionally taxing experience of taking care of an aging pet.
And it really makes me want to punch people who act like this is all a big shock and just give their pets away because they didn't think about or plan for these things before they brought said pet into their home.
Definitely agree with this. I thought and researched for months before getting my dogs. They're big, they have known problems for the breed, they have a shorter life span, cost for having two as opposed to one, etc,...
I really want a third dog. But every time I get that urge and start looking at Petfinder.com, I remind myself of a third vet visit, another set of heartworm pills, and everything else associated with caring for a pet and back away from the computer.
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As far as my money would go. My dog got hit by a car because he ran out into the street and wasn't listening to ANY commands (obstinate puppy). He actually bounded off of the bumper, but from where my dad was watching, it looked worse. When my dad took him to the vet, he gave him a $1,500 limit because that's what we could afford. I think as much as we love them, there needs to be a realistic limit to how far treatment should go. For Logan, it would have been a few broken bones (nothing actually happened to him except a cut on his paw. I have an industrial dog.. mean, that car was going 55mph and no damage was done minus a hurt pride and some bruises and a need for a week of painkillers and peanut butter.)
Iron Dog!! Glad that he's okay!0 -
Tough call. I probably wouldnt do the surgery. I love my animals, they get good food, and they go to the vet when emergencies arise. However, that is a lot of money to spend and if he can still have a good quality of life without it. My dog recently got a big swollen eye. I took her to the vet, $131, and got her some medication. He had me schedule a follow up to check the eye. However, the swelling has gone down and she's back to her spunky self. I canceled the follow up. If I see it swell up again I'll take her, but I'm hard pressed to spend the money for a follow up when it appears normal. I guess I'm kind of cold when it comes to animals.
Oh and I have to get on my soap box. Yes I think dachshunds are adorable, cute, and make very sweet pets. However, curse the g_d damn breeders for breeding that into a poor dog. Degenerative back diseases and slipped disks are a risk for every puppy born into that breed. I hope those people who bred such a horrible trait into dogs is being slow cooked over a pit in the fires of eternal damnation. Sorry my little rant yes I love the dogs, but I hate to see them suffer because someone thought a long back was cute.
Stay on that soapbox and make some room cause I want up. I had no idea the amount of people that have had dachshunds with this issue until I started sharing what happened to me. I was shocked, I always knew they had bad backs but it's one of those things you expect to happen when they are older, not 5 years old for goodness sakes
Our vet said that this typically occurs in doxies between the ages of 3 and 7.0 -
Oh I should have mentioned just for the info. Dexter had the surgery he had a large disc herniation at T12. I work at a spine institute so I was pretty familiar with the terms and the routine even if it was at the vets. He is now 2 weeks post op and ready to get his staples out. He was never in much pain or for very long. Mainly he lost the use of his legs and couldn't pee on his own. Otherwise he was still spunky Dexter. He now pee's on his own, he can stand for a couple minutes, can wag his tail like he used to and he is starting to try to move his legs. So he is making great progress and is right on track, it will take time for the damaged spinal nerves to regenerate but we are hoping for a full recovery. It is normal for it to take anywhere from a week after surgery to a few years to recover fully. Obviously the longer it takes the less chance you have, but nerve damage is tricky and unique to each person/pet. But he is doing well and we are happy.
Glad Dexter is on the mend! It took about a month for my dog to get back to his normal movements and activities after his back surgery.0 -
To me, they are just animals. Do i love them? Yes. Would i spend 5K to have ACL surgery done on it? No.
^This. Besides the fact that spending 5 grand on surgery for an animal would be an irresponsible financial decision for me. It comes down to wants vs needs. In our home, animals are a want, rather than a need. Humans are a need. Our goal is to have at least the equivalent of 6 months income in savings. Until that happens, we've greatly reduced the amount of money we budget/spend on "wants". If something catastrophic happened and the people in my home required medical care, that would be a need, obviously. If something catastrophic happened to a pet, their medical care would be a want. If it doesn't fit in the budget, it's not happening. You can call it cruel or callous, but being able to provide for our family now, and in times of crisis, takes priority over a significant financial burden posed by being a pet owner.0 -
I spent $5000 on two ACL surgeries for my Newfie, and another $3000 on meds for the MRSA he caught. Never got rid of it so had to put him down. I'm still paying that credit card off. My wife and I agreed, we'll never spend that much again.0
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I would be willing to walk into Heaven, Chaos or Hell, wherever he is, to get him back.0
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Here she is... :flowerforyou:
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It's your choice if you don't want kids and/or can't have kids, but don't place an animals life above a human.
That's your opinion, but I place my dog before quite a few humans! :drinker:0 -
anything within my means. Being on a pension, $5000 would have been the nail in the coffin for my poor cat. People who can't afford mega huge vet bills still have the right to have a pet to love. My cat was taken to a vet by her previous owner to be put down because the owner let her get a flea infestation. she wanted to kill her because she had fleas! the vet sneaked and let her live, and she was just living in the clinic. My friend picks up cats and dogs for people who cant get them to doctors and grooming, and she brought that cat to me. That was 5 years ago and although she is old, I pray every day she doesnt get a major illness cause mama cant help in that case.0
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My cat was taken to a vet by her previous owner to be put down because the owner let her get a flea infestation. she wanted to kill her because she had fleas! the vet sneaked and let her live,
Interesting. In some countries that would be illegal, for a vet to put a healthy pet down because the owner demands it. My friend is a vet in Germany and the code of ethics there is very clear that the needs of the animal are paramount.
http://www.tierschutz-tvt.de/36.html0 -
I had 2 dogs unfortunately the 1 died 3years ago. Earlier that year, he was diagnosed with diabetes and had to have insulin twice a day. I used to faint at the sight of a needle but somehow got the strength to inject my little baby with insulin every morning and evening. I took him to homeopaths, for acupunture and took for regular hot water treatments and massages because he was in so much pain but unfortunately no matter how much money i spent. I lost my little baby. Do i regret spending the money? Absolutely not! I would do it all over again...
I guess it is a personal choice for people as to how much they would/could spend on a pet. But to me my little dog is my baby angel and he is part of my family... I would spend money on him and any other future furbabies in my life....0 -
My 6 year old dachshund hurt his back (swelling around his spinal cord) playing with our other dog about 6 months ago and lost use of his back legs and didn't have control to go to the bathroom. We weren't in a financial situation to be able to afford surgery. Our vet suggested many other low cost treatment avenues and we tried all of them. Our last chance was acupuncture. We found a vet who specialized it in and had great success with treating dachshunds with this injury. We visited her twice and the cost wasn't much more then a normal vet visit. After two treatments with the acupuncturist my buddy is good as new. He is back to his old playful self. We have to watch and make sure he doesn't over do it and re-injure himself but the acupuncture was a god send for us. We honestly thought we might have had to put him down but I am thankful we tried other options and if he every got re-injured I would take him back to her in a heart beat.0
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After two treatments with the acupuncturist my buddy is good as new.
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!! :bigsmile: :drinker:0 -
I would spend any amount of money on my dog, but I do have it to spend. I'm fortunate to be financially secure.
But unfortunately, I had to rehome my beagle earlier this year when he bit my son. That was the red line.0
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