How far are you willing to go for your pet?

Options
1…7891012

Replies

  • StrongLife
    StrongLife Posts: 525 Member
    Options
    I had to put to my dearest buddy (cat) down at 19 years of age and that was one of the toughest things ever. Never would be a money issue for me but strictly quality of life.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Options
    I'm the kind of pet owner that cannot possibly afford $5k to fix my pet.

    If I had the money, I'd do it without question.
  • Beckilovespizza
    Beckilovespizza Posts: 334 Member
    Options
    I would go to the ends of the earth for my lovely cat Jay. Words cannot describe how much I love that lil *kitten*! Money aside, if he needed treatment he'd get it regardless of the cost!
  • JohnDowding
    JohnDowding Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    Trying to find the humor in everything, I've been in the same boat, spending ~$12K on my two cats this year (one is doing great, the other didn't make it). I did charge all my vet bills on my Amazon card, so at least I've got a boat-load of Amazon points :-)
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Options
    emmydoodle, Good for you for having the means to help your dog. A young dog, and a knowledgeable owner led to this decision.

    I'm also with ldrosophila who railed at the breeders. Across breeds there are many genetic errors and it becomes exceedingly difficult for potential caretakers to make good medical decisions. There is no standard solution. Each caretaker has to make his/her own decisions on major medical. No one decision is right or wrong.

    I'm glad your pup is on the mend.

    Don't buy a breed prone to these kinds of conditions and then blame the breeder. The demand for the breed keeps these health issues alive and well. Granted, there are many breeders trying to breed out certain health problems but it's the buyer's responsibility to find those people.
  • the_dude00
    the_dude00 Posts: 1,056 Member
    Options
    I'd die for mine. However, there does come a point, where no amount of money is going to do anything but prolong their suffering. I've had to put two dogs down over my lifetime, my first ever was an Akita, Gracie. And the last, my Pit. Had him since he was a year old, rescued from a shelter, he was the best dog I've ever had the pleasure of being allowed to be with. I didn't own him, he let me be his. But when he had his stroke, and there was nothing that could be done...Could've tried steroids, but it would have, if anything, only gave him a couple months more, and he would've been in agony most of it. My sister is a vet, so she came to the house, so that I could hold him when he went. Hardest day, I think, of my life.

    If it comes to injury, or illness where there's a good chance to recover their function and live a fully healthy life with little/no restriction, then there is no price tag for me. I'll find a way to do it, if I have to eat Ramen for the next two years.

    Pretty much agree with this dude
  • Excepticon
    Excepticon Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    OP, you are awesome for giving your pet such a chance. <3 I, too, have a dachshund and worry about disc disease.

    I work in the veterinary industry and I think I have an unfair advantage over regular pet owners. I am lucky that I have tools at my disposal which most people don't. I think, personally, I go beyond my means to help my own pets. I once had one of my vets anesthetize my tarantula to pull tape off it's legs. (And we don't even treat exotics!)

    I would do anything for my pets. Like the-dude00 said, if there's a good chance of recovery, then there's no price tag too high. I have had to euthanize my 13-year old Pit Bull, Cujo, due to cancer, but he lived a good 3 years past his diagnosis and without much pain until the end. I think that every pet's issue has variables, and no two cases are exactly alike, but the more educated a pet owner is about their pet's problem, the more likely they'll be able to make a good decision about pursuing treatment vs not pursuing. It's a hard call to make, regardless. I'm just a sucker for my pets!
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Options
    I am with the OP, I would do whatever I could if the dog or cat would be able to live a happy life. They are family.

    Ditto - it's a quality of life question for me. If all the $ and all the meds etc were not going to give my kitty a good quality of life then I would end it. But if she was going to be well, active and happy, no question, I'm doing what I can.
  • xombiebite
    xombiebite Posts: 273 Member
    Options
    i would do anything for my baby girl (she is a morkie about 8 lbs). she has endless love for me and i do whatever it takes to have her happy, healthy and protected.

    She got very sick with a virus when she was a puppy and they said it would be best to just put her down instead of paying the bill $3000. It was a no brainer, we paid for the treatment.

    A person had their dog off-leash at the park and was aggressive towards her and i threw myself on top of her to pick her up to protect her, i didn't care if i got hurt it wasn't even a thought in my mind. my thought was "don't let this dog get her by the throat"

    Walking her once a 7 year old hoofed a soccer ball at my dog which i intercepted (which i was proud of myself since I've never played soccer lol) i then booted the ball over a fence and had some intense words for the kids parent, who had a :indifferent: look on their face and i carried on my way.

    I treat my dog like she's my child and i give her the best life possible. i know i sound like a psychopath and maybe i am but its the same for any family member in my household.

    *edited for spelling
  • AyeCorona
    AyeCorona Posts: 204 Member
    Options
    I've had my share of vet bills like almost any other pet owner. I view them as family members, not just posessions. So, when Bunny, my 14 year old Miniature Pinscher, had a tumor there wasn't a question as to whether or not I would fund her care. This was 5 years ago and she's doing great for her age. We've since added Brooks, a German Pinscher rescue, that we adopted from a shelter when his previous owners dropped him off with heartworms (which seems irresponsible for something so easily preventable). And Gizmo, our ferrel rescue kitteh, whom we found nearly dead and abandoned on our property when she was 2 weeks old.

    I digress. One thing that has helped when sticker shock sets in at the vet has been our Care Credit card. Most vets accept this card and it usually comes interest free for like 18 months.

    75fcc085-5adf-4812-a062-a72bbff110e9_zpsd50356b2.jpg
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    Options
    I would do anything for my animals, after all, they are my furry kids. Would you spend $5000 on your child? I would think so. Well my animals are my kids and I would go to the end of the world for them. With that being said, you also need to ensure the quality of life would not be hindered in any way,shape or form.
  • jojojo909090
    jojojo909090 Posts: 205 Member
    Options
    We spent close to $10,000 on one of our cats a couple of years ago. She was young though.

    We are a little more pragmatic with older cats. By rule of thumb, once over 10 we evaluate the impact of surgery or treatment on the cat's quality of life, and whether we are looking to prolong life because we don't want to go through the loss of beloved pet or because the cat will fully recover and have many more happy years of life.

    Two years ago our adored 12 year old Abyssinian had cancer, and we were told we could extend his life by 6 months with the cat version of chemo. This would have meant weekly trips to the vet, and transfusions every month. That sadly didn't weigh up as the kindest option for him....and there was never going to be recovery.
  • DasGoff
    DasGoff Posts: 55
    Options
    As much as it takes, when you purchase a pet, you are purchasing a life that you are completely responsible for. Purchasing a pet means you have to be prepared for big medical bills, food bills, costs for bedding, toys, heat mats, filters, lamps and so on. In the same way you do if you conceive a child. It's a responsibility and if you aren't prepared to consider dishing out a large sum of money at some point for potential medical issues and stuff you should really consider how fully prepared you are to care for that life.
    Though I do agree with some previous points on quality of life, sometimes treatments can result in animals who continue to live due to their treatment but the treatment is merely extending their lives a little bit as opposed to helping them get better and relieving pain so the animal continues to suffer for a longer period of time. That I cannot agree with.

    I have two turtles, an axolotl, and a snake and my family have a dog and, until recently, a lovely cat who passed on at the ripe old age of 18, R.I.P Dweezil. We'd all go to the ends of the Earth for our animals. I've put them before myself on occasions when I have had a limited budget simply so they continue to have a good quality of life.

    Edited because of my awful dyslexic brain preventing me from spelling simple words. -.-'
  • NBeehler
    NBeehler Posts: 24
    Options
    I'm the crazy pet mother who would jump in the middle of the road to stop my dog from being hit by a car.

    With that being said, I also don't have kids. Priorities may change. But right now, I'd do anything for her.

    ^^^This sounds like me :)
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    Options
    Well.. I paid $2k in total when my cat got bitten by a brown snake - the anti-venom on it's own is expensive & not ever guaranteed to work. And we pay $180 a year to get her fur shaved in the summer time...My passed kitty (taken by a brown snake) we spent about $2k on him when he had a urinary tract infection/blockage. So. I guess I would do a lot for my pets even though they drive me nuts. They are like family, even still after we have kids.
  • jennifermcclanahan50
    jennifermcclanahan50 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I agree with jojojo909090. once a pet is older you really have to think if you're prolonging their lives for them or for yourself. That being said, when my 3 year old dog needed a new hip we refinanced the house and used the equity to pay for it. I don't regret it for a minute, he was the best dog ever!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Options
    I don't have a pet. Unless Mark Cuban counts? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1133569-i-got-confuesed-also
  • BAFilek
    BAFilek Posts: 139 Member
    Options
    I paid $42 for a hamster to have her pouch sewn up after the vet took out impacted bedding. What does that make me?
  • pseudomuffin
    pseudomuffin Posts: 1,058 Member
    Options
    My fiance and I are pretty well off (not saying this to brag, just in response to the 'most people I know that have money that wouldn't spend it on their pet' in OP's post) and our dog is absolutely 100% a full on family member and we'd do anything to insure a happy and healthy life. Even if he needed medicine three times a day, a wheelchair, tens of thousands of dollars in surgery... whatever! We'd do it.

    030e495a-3e3f-4f65-aea1-53e34dc978b2_zps87adef4d.jpg
    Waffles, my fur baby <3

    I do think there is a point at which you have to think about the pet's quality of life and if you're just being selfish in keeping him/her alive then yes, it may be time to let them go over the rainbow bridge... Sometimes you have to make really hard decisions like that.
  • xombiebite
    xombiebite Posts: 273 Member
    Options
    I paid $42 for a hamster to have her pouch sewn up after the vet took out impacted bedding. What does that make me?

    awesome:heart:

Categories