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How much are you willing to pay for life saving treatment for your pet?

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I was at the vet today with my dog. He has an eye infection and it cost me about $100 for the visit. It got me thinking about a few years ago when I paid $1600 for him at the 24 hour vet hospital when he cut his leg and was bleeding like a stuck pig. So where do you draw the line? 2k? 3k? 5k? Im sure age/prognosis/kids influence decision.

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Money is relative, its entirely dependent on personal finances. 1k to Peter is pennies to Paul. Basically what you are asking is if you would spend what one would personally consider a lot of money to save a pets life. In my case, no, although I love my pets dearly.

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Tana is right that money is relative. Also taking into account the animals age, general health and quality of life. A year ago my then 9 y/o dog lost an eye. That cost $3500 but I did it cause hes a great dog, had no other health issues and could live for another 5-6 years.

 

Today a year later I probably wouldnt pay that much. I told my dog he gets one major surgery. It also took a little t out of him and hes noticeably older and slower ever since.

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My 5 year old dog lost an eye in a fight with a bigger dog this year. I paid $1,200 at a 24 hour emergency vet. If she loses the other eye I will be putting her down.

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To me it's not so much the money but the expected outcome. I'd drop $1k+ to save our cat but my past experience has always been that they are on death's door and no procedure would save them. :dunno:

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when he cut his leg and was bleeding like a stuck pig.

well, first off, you need to understand that this is a symptom of a much larger issue. How is home life? Are there any stresses beyond the normal day-to-day? Perhaps something's happening at daycare? Regardless, it's important that you get to the bottom of this.

 

Is this the first time your dog has engaged in self-harm?

 

Often times, this can be a manifestation of sexual abuse. The way for your dog to regain some level of control that he feels that he doesn't have anymore.

 

I would certainly recommend an appointment with both the veterinarian and a counselor. It's important to let your dog know that whatever is happening is not his fault.

 

But if your dog is cutting himself, this likely won't be the last time. Thoughts and prayers to you both. And don't be afraid to engage outside counseling. Perhaps some sort of group therapy? Maybe even some intensive inpatient care is in order. Regardless, it's important to let your dog know that you love him and that he did nothing wrong. Has your dog ever manifested any sort of gender ambiguity issues?

 

Also, are there any new family members in the house? Have you noticed that you're going through peanut butter faster than usual?

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My 5 year old dog lost an eye in a fight with a bigger dog this year. I paid $1,200 at a 24 hour emergency vet. If she loses the other eye I will be putting her down.

My fish lost an I.

 

Now it's just a fsh.

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My fish lost an I.

 

Now it's just a fsh.

Weren't you saying you had a kitten a while back? Did it get killed in a car wreck too?

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Grandpa said a .22 bullet costs 5 cents.

 

I would imagine that back in the day, given the cost effectiveness of veterinary medicine, that many family pets were taken for their last walk.

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I was going to say $1k

It sounds like that isnt enough for todays surgeries.

 

Our dog is 13 years. I dont know how many years he has left

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I love my dogs. ALOT. Depends on prognosis. Good prognosis = 1k max. Poor prognosis = put down fee.

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I would go with what the vet recommends, but would probably limit it to $5k.

Your vet will likely recommend you give him 5k.

Their upsell is sickening

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Your vet will likely recommend you give him 5k.

Their upsell is sickening

I am sure some are like that. Our 12 year old lab tore a ligament in his leg. Vet actually recommended not doing the $3k surgery. I was shocked.

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Well if my animal gets hurt and is bleeding like the OP Said, that's one thing. Because I would think the cure would be effective.

WHen it comes down to old age and a vet wanting to spend oodles of dollars to keep a pet alive, so it can have 6 more months and a lousy quality of life, I say no.

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Your vet will likely recommend you give him 5k.

Their upsell is sickening

I have found that it's mostly a mixed bag - by necessity.

 

Virtually nobody becomes a veterinarian to get rich. But yeah, they're definitely cases where they use a sliding scale. For every time I've seen a vet Slide the scale up for some nitwit who can obviously afford it and treats their dog like some sort of purse accessory? I have just as often seen a vet leave his or her home in the middle of the night to care for a truly sick animal regardless of cost.

 

It's not perfect, but I've never met a vet who got into the gig for the wrong reasons either.

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Our vet is really hot. Every time I take our dogs in, I'm hoping she asks for sex as the form of payment. No such luck...yet. I think she's waiting for one of those $5k procedures so we get more time together.

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Our vet is really hot. Every time I take our dogs in, I'm hoping she asks for sex as the form of payment. No such luck...yet. I think she's waiting for one of those $5k procedures so we get more time together.

Ask her to express your anal glands.

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Like $2,000......that's it.

I would say about this one time.. maybe slightly more if they offered a low interest payment program

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I would say about this one time.. maybe slightly more if they offered a low interest payment program

I did this one time. Then things got a little tight and I missed a couple payments.

 

Nothing sadder than seeing your old dog with a damn boot bolted to its leg.

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I spent a little over $4000 dollars to save my goldfish. It was really strange though after the surgery when the vet brought him back he was a lot bigger and a different color.

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