Man’s Best Friend
How much is that doggy in the window?
The one with the waggley tail may seem like a bargain these days compared to the dog with the $3,000 pacemaker. Or the cat with the $8,000 kidney transplant. Or the pet chicken undergoing radiation therapy after cancer surgery.
Medical care for pets now rivals medical care for humans, with veterinary oncologists, neurologists, cardiologists and other specialists providing high tech, big-bucks treatment for Fido and Fluffy.
But when cats have chemo and dogs have dialysis, their owners have something too: unexpected ethical issues triggered by enormous medical bills.
“Is the 15-year-old tabby worth $12,000 in dialysis?” asks a newspaper story with the nagging headline: Do some pet owners go a little too far?
“I admit sometimes questioning the reality of spending $11,000 on my cat when there are greater human needs,” said a California college professor, who readily paid for feline chemotherapy and pancreatitis treatment.
U.S. pet owners will spend more than $24 billion this year on pet medical care, an amount greater than the gross domestic product of more than half of the world’s countries.
But when man’s best friend is a integral member of the family, the question of whether it’s appropriate to spend top-dollar for animal medical care is often more emotional than financial. With the unconditional love, friendship, and support of a beloved companion at stake, many pet owners feel they don’t have the option of not providing—and paying for—expensive medical care.
It’s not a simple issue, said one veterinarian. When you hear of a medical bill of $14,000 for a dog, he explained, people ask, “Should you not just buy a new dog and give the money to charity? That, I have to say, is a non-starter of an argument. You then have to ask all sorts of questions about how people spend their money—should they spend it on big cars?”
Tell us what you think: When it comes to expensive veterinary medical care, is it more responsible to pay for a pet or perhaps give the money to charity instead?
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Ms.
Responsible human beings do not take on the care of dogs lightly, or without consideration to what happens, once the going gets rough.
Unequivocally, if an animal in my care becomes injured or ill, I do everything in my power to help my animal. Competent veterinary care is essential. Euthanasia is a last resort for an animal, defensible only if the animal cannot recover, or suffering greatly.
For people who have reservations about expenditures, physical, emotional or financial, ownership of any animal is a poor choice. Regarding my choices and what I spend to meet my obligations to my animals, I offer no apology or explanation.
Kathleen Cole | 3 months, 1 week ago
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SUE F.
PUPPIES IN THE WORLD LOVE YOU
RAGAN REANN COLE | 3 months, 1 week ago
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Heroic measure or unnecessary suffering?
I was trained at an Animal Technician and I have worked in private practice. It is my opinion that many times pet owners spend thousands of dollars to postpone the inevitable. For me, the question is — are we spending the money for extended and expensive medical therapies which may really benefit the animal or do they serve as a means for prolonging the life of the pet because the we are so attached that we don’t want to lose the pet? If the therapy actually increases the quality of the animals life, then it is a worthwhile expense. However, if putting the animal through painful and expensive treatment for terminal illnesses which only cause the animal to live a longer, more frightening and painful life, why do it?
Meg Ritchey | 3 months ago
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sad story
the story was realy sad I was about to cry .
kim | 3 months ago
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mans best friend
what is it like ?
shea lynn ward | 3 months ago
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Sweet Pea was Worth Saving!
I am SO GRATEFUL that we have vets willing to work on little critters for as little as they make. (No, I’m not a vet, nor is my husband). A few yrs back my husband got two new knees at once. The hospital bill was $120,000.00 alone. Shortly thereafter something happened to Ms. Pea, a little feral cat we allowed to live with us (we live in a very low-traffic country setting so the cats are allowed out in a fenced backyard – but she climbed out now & then…). Her right leg had the hock joint (ankle) crushed. Her left leg had a mangled knee and very damaged tendons & stuff. She had bone grafts for her hip put in where the bones were crushed, she had metal pieces and screws put up and down her legs. The operations & after-care ran $4,000. Our cats live with only two adults and we’re very nice to them, but I never realized just how delicate these creatures are until half of Ms. Pea’s little body was shaved (we called it her “buffalo cut”) and you SAW how little they are under all that fur. I have a feeling it took more effort to rebuild her little kitty legs by far than my husband’s; and the vet and his crew made a pittance by comparison. I know there are differences in fixing humans vs cats, but it’s just wonderful that some people are willing to do the amazing things for animals and for so little money. The staff where I went made her leg wraps and decorated with holiday things, orange for Halloween/Thanksgiving, red with a green Christmas tree & gold star for Xmas, etc. They went above and beyond. And my little feral girl who never let anyone but “her daddy & mommy” touch her, was an angel for this bunch of compassionate strangers. God bless those who had the capability to fix expensive humans, but who chose to fix sweet little creatures and take fewer vacations!
Mary Gunderson | 3 months ago
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dog rash
my pit bull has coilitis,, and she also has a rash making her ears, stomach, reddish,,,and bumps on her head which are probably red under the skin…..i gave her a benadryl…..it makes me concerned about the rash…..she is being treated for colitis, but now this and i cam very concerned/
colleen haas | 3 months ago
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our great dog
We just spent a small fortune on our 17 year old dog. I think it may cost more for the vet than it does for a person. After the surgery she was able to go with us on walks and just be a dog. Then she had an infection and was hospitalized which now our bill is up to around 7,000 all together. She was a free dog originally and she was very healthy and so loyal for all these years. So we owe it to her to get her healty again and she is such a fighter, she seems to want to keep on living. We also give to charity. We are not rich we used the credit card care and the wellsfargo for pets card too. There are ways to help your loyal pet ok even if you do not have the cash on hand.I would advise people to have pet health insurance that helps a lot. There are some very reasonable health insurance plans out there for your pet. I wish that we would have had insurance before our dog needed medical help. She is now on a plan along with all our other animals but it is better to lock the dog in a insurance plan before they turn 10.There is even cheap plans if you have many animals. Then there are people that never have a vet bill because the animals stay well for their whole life but U never know.
carol schuman | 3 months ago
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MISS
I` LIKE CATS AND I LIKE DOGS TOO I LIKE BOTH MY SISTER LIKE CATS TOO AND MY SISTER LIKE DOGS TOO
KATELYN MARIE HOBBS | 3 months ago
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hope U can get the shots for Ur animals
I believe Ur local pound can often help U find a low cost shot clinic, sometimes the low cost shot clinics are next door to the pound.
carol s | 3 months ago
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