I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

and was wondering...what's the most you would spend to save your dog or cat?

I spent 4K when Chloe ate a string on 9/11 of all days. It got caught in her intestines and they had to open her belly to get it out. She is absoutely perfect now. I told the docs to do anything they need to in order to save her. I feel that I am fortunate that Chloe is my only dependent and responsibility and can afford to spend whatever on her. What do I work for but to take care of the ones I love right!

But if I wasn't in that position and had kids, husband etc to care for...what would I do...what would you do???

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I think this is a loaded question..... as unless I answer that I would go into bankruptcy to care for my pets, I'll be flamed for not being a good pet owner.

Truth of the matter is- with a mortgage, 50,000 in student loans, and a baby on the way, I just don't have 4K to spend - so unless my pet insurance covered it, or I could do a payment plan then there would be no other options

Message edited 12/30/2006 8:17:39 AM.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

We just had over a 1K bill for DH's cat Zoe. We thought it was a bladder infection, treated that but it came back and they found a calcification in her bladder wall Poor, poor girl they had to open her up, pull her bladder out, get the calcification out, sew that up and stick her all back up again We called her Franken-Zoe from her stitches.

Yes, it was a lot of money and thank God it wasn't this time next year. I know for me it would be determined by the age of the pet and how far along the problem is. I put my 10 year old husky to sleep years ago because she had throat cancer. The doctor said it would buy her maybe two more years and cost 4K. While I loved, loved, loved her my Dad had a stroke 6 months before so I was consumed by that. I didn't want to prolong her life just to have her suffer needlessly.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

When Misty ate the Gorilla Glue they quoted us $4 to $6K to remove the ball of glue and we just looked at each other and said whatever . We took out a pet credit account cuz we had just bought the house and certainly didn't have 6K laying around. Anyway, it ended up "only" being $3K and it was well worth it.
I really think it's hard to have a preset amount. It totally depends on the age of the animal, how a person's finances are and what each individual is or isn't willing to sacrifice for their pet.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

We've spent $1800 so far on Katie's surgery/chemo. My guess is it will be about $2600 by the time chemo is over.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I paid about $1K for Gizzy's knee surgery back when he was 7... I was 17/18 years old so that was A LOT for me back then.


eta; There would be no limit to how much I would spend.

Message edited 12/31/2006 10:24:48 AM.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I really cannot put a specific amount, I think I would spend as much as I possibly could to save my furbabies.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I spent $3000 at an emergency clinic for my 12 year old cat. Then another $1500 at our regular vet for her surgery.

We finished paying that off...and then spent $500 on one of our rabbits!

I'm so grateful that spending that money was an option for us.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

Hmm when Ebs had bloat, I had a 7K bill - and no DH to help me, either. I took out Care Credit and paid no interest.

When he got lyme disease, that was a few hundred I guess.

When he got sick this last time (meningitis), my bills came to a total of over 8K - tests and more tests, MRI, ICU, heart monitor, and then private cremation and all that included.... I paid with a credit card in 2 installments, and just paid the outstanding balance yesterday.

When the Dr. called to say he had suffered a heart attack, did I want them to try CRP - the last thing that entered my mind was $$.

We now have insurance for Scout.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

DH and I just paid $1400 to have our doggies bum eye taken out. Luckily my BIL's girfriend is a vet and her hospital did the surgery for 50%, or else it would have been about 3K. Still would have paid it though.

I think it all depends on the situation.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

If I had to, I would go into debt. I wouldn't even think about not doing what is best for my dogs or cat.

We have spent of $4000 on my Sarge because he liked to eat rocks and get them stuck in his stomach. He had to surgerys for that.

When Hershey got heartworm, we spent over $1000 on treatment.

When Giggles (our cat) was having behavioral problems, we brough him to the vet and spent about $500 for the visit and meds.

They are my babies to me, I would do anything for them.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I just spent $1250 on Benny's knee surgery last week and another $115 when he needed to get his incision stapled after he chewed out the stiches on Saturday morning (totally my fault for letting him out of my sight without his elizabethan collar on.)

I don't think there's a price I wouldn't pay. If he was an older dog, I might reconsider, but he's about 6 years old - still has some years left! I'll do whatever I can to keep in around.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

I spent $1200 on Tiny when we had to take him to the ER in Plainview for eating Rabbit Feces.

He now has Pet Insurance

Scott

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

i just got slapped with a $1700 bill for my cat, Owen. DH would've paid anything for him to get better.

Now we have pet insurance.

Re: I just paid the vet bill ($4K) for Chloe's surgery....

With Austin, we would just find a way to pay whatever we had to. I just can't imagine not having him here with me.