The cost of Pet Care....wow!

[Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye We were going to go cat free after our last rescue passed. That lasted about 2 months until someone was trying to place a found kitty. We've now had Gabby for nearly 6 years. Had to have a fuzzy kitty head to kiss! She's the smartest cat I've ever had and she's a treat to have around....except at 4:30 am. She's been pretty cheap to keep. Our vet used to do low cost vaccines. Unfortunately, prices have gone up significantly in the last two years so I have been using the mobile vaccine service. They do a great job and the price is right.

Unfortunately, we had Tony put down this afternoon. The vet examined him and said that he had many things going wrong for him. He was blind, deaf, hind legs were having problems probably due to arthritis and a low grade heart murmur, that was probably causing his coughing or it could be cat allergies. He said that his pupils did not constrict when he shined his light into them and that he could not hear when he snapped his fingers by them. He said that he could do blood work and x-rays and maybe give him a pain medicine for his arthritis or we could do the euthanasia if we wanted. My DH said he wanted to let him go. They did let him into the vet's office to be with him. I combed him this morning and gave him his treats and said my goodbyes, because I was fairly certain this would be the outcome. When I checked our records, Tony would have been 19 years old July 19.

Trixie will be 17 years old August 30.

My son has always driven to our house and taken care of our cats for us. When we are able to travel freely, I don't want to have to ask him to keep taking care of our animals. Also, we are 67 and 68, and do not want to have our animals outlive us. Both of our children have 2 dogs and 1 cat each and do not want to take our animals if we pass. I have thought of fostering cats, when we are done traveling. We will have to see.

[Teacher Terry]

Dreamer, I am so sorry. Your baby had a good long life.

[samm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby Part of the deal when we get our cats is that we will take care of them for life. And that's why we saved all that money in the first place- so we can.

Exactly

+100

Vets are professionals and charge accordingly.

[Boose]

Dreamer, I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to Tony. That's a great cat name, and I'm sure he was a great cat.

I've had bad luck with a string of indoor-only tuxedo cats (tail amputation due to self injury, plus chronic pancreatitis; kidney failure while owning only one kidney; now taking care of a 9 y.o. with small-cell lymphoma). May Gato is officially our Last Cat until I'm in the rocking chair. She cost us $1600 last year and over $3000 the year she was diagnosed!

[sheehs1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franklin OP here. Just got back from picking up the doggie. I appreciate the stories as it has been quite informative, interesting, and humorous. The dog is fine now and on the mend so alls well that ends well. But, I did have a moment while waiting to pick him up. The story.....a lady came in with her 1 year old lab (tragically dead) in her car with 3 crying children. Turns out she was the wife of a deployed soldier who was housed with family at a local military base. The dog had just received his annual "shots" yesterday from the vet at the base. This morning the lady said the dog had just died (no understandable reason). She was at the clinic today with crying kids in tow to seek help getting rid of the body. The dog was stretchered in for a cremation but the lady's credit card was denied. My heart broke (as would yours).....so you know what i did....and thanked the lord for the privilege.

This is just awesome that you did this!

[Dreamer]

Thank you, Teacher Terry and Boose. My DH and I took long naps today to try to recuperate from our loss. All of the crying wore me out. I am glad that he is no longer bumping his head into walls and crying.

[FREE866]

Love all these comments and stories of people rescuing their animals. Cost of pet care is high , but I'm totally fine with it. These animals heal our souls--to me that has no price tag!

[CardsFan]

Our dogs have been worth every penny we spent.

Number 1 was a mixed Spaniel. Pound rescue. Escaped from the outdoor kennel and got hit by a car while we were trying to corral him. We saw it happen, car never stopped. Ruptured diaphram. Surgery for about $600 (1985). Follow-up surgery 3 years later to remove the stainless staples. She wasn't supposed to last 3 years. Lasted about 11 more.

Number 2 was a pure bred Corgi. Great dog, very protective of DW, but for those that have not had one, Corgis have ATTITUDE. Lymphoma at about 9. Did Chemo to give her another year.

Number 3 and current, another pound puppy. Part Corgi, part who knows what.
no big issues with her, but she has had to have many teeth removed. She is 13 this year, so time is short.

All in, I am sure we have spent more than $30k over 40 years for the 3 dogs. Counting vet costs, food and kennel time.

$750/year for a best friend, PRICELESS

[drcha]

I just bought a sack of diet/weight loss cat food for $75. It think it's 17 pounds of food. The first four ingredients are grains, they don't get to any meat (chicken) until the fifth ingredient. So I basically bought a ****ing sack of oats and barley for $75 because the vet told me to. I'm sure you'll agree with my cat that she's smarter than I am.

[CowgirlUp]

I’m not gonna lie. I’ve had a few beloved family pets humanely euthanized due to the immense cost of a treatment. Lived on a farm, so it is what it is. It’s a tough decision to have to make. Good luck with your fur babies.

[MarshaSGreen]

I have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels - my first dogs and they bring me such joy that I never knew I needed. That being said, Cavies are known for their various health problems and I will be taking my precious boy, Finn, To the Vet toMorrow for the 4th week in a row. Diabetes diagnosis 4 weeks ago and now he’s got something wrong with his eyes. My rescue girl, Molly, has a leaky heart valve which will entail very costly testing and treatments as it progresses. They are both on prescription foods and Finn gets insulin shots twice a day. They are worth every penny that we spend on them as they make me so happy and give me a purpose outside of myself.

[finnski1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OAG My buddy is a 5 year old Miniture Double Golden Doodle F1B. He is more commonly known as either Knocklehead or Miki. I have had him since release from the breeder as he was a gift from my kids to "keep Dad busy" after DW passed. By far the best gift I have ever received (and I have owned several Dogs and Cats in my 75 years before Miki, all of which died a natural, at home, death). I use a full service Animal Hospital here that provide all medical serivces including Grooming (DD don't shed but need periodic haircuts) and boarding (about 7 days in 5 years). He is extremely healthy, never a sick day, never a remedial medical cost (except when his human panics). Last time I thought about it I estimated his cost has been well over $10K for 5 years. Sort of high since most estimates I have seen a well cared for dog will probably cost that amount over 10 years, not 5. The question is, with me being 80 this year, and he being 5, who checks out first - he probaly has the odds in his favor right now - he will be more than happy to live with my DD and SIL if that plays out.

$10,000 over 5 years is still a bargain in the long run for the return you get. Here's to a long life for you both

[finnski1]

our last collie passed away last October.We had him for a few months over 12 years.
I kept every single receipt from the vet and it totaled close to $14,500.
So averaged approx $100 every month the entire time,
This was just the vet and didn't include everything else including expensive food, toys . treats. beds. kennels etc.
Probably totaled more like $25k over those 12 years but to us two dog lovers it was a bargain. We were never able to have kids and therefore the dogs filled a big void and were constantly at our side.
Having said all that our latest puppy is really trying our patience. It may be because we are now in our 60's and less patient. He is 8 months old and 63 lbs of raw strength and non neutered energy. hopefully he will mellow out like the last 3 collies we have owned.

[Fermion]

We fed our two cats (a purebred Bengal and Siamese) IAMS food that had been tainted with melamine from China (to make the protein register higher) and it destroyed the kidneys in both of them. We had no option but to put them down and it was still over $750. IAMS finally came through with a small check that did not even cover the $750, much less the initial cost of the cats. They didn't even give us a coupon for more food either.

[NateW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NateW I feel your pain and agree. Emergency pet care is very expensive, especially if it involves acute kidney failure. Two months ago my 14 year old cat had acute kidney failure on a weekend (blood in urine, was afraid there may be a blockage) and I took her to the emergency animal clinic. Put on IV fluid therapy, antibiotics, lab work, several tests, heart monitoring, frequent blood pressure checks, and a sonogram that found a mass. The vet wanted to do a biopsy via open surgury (I said "no" due to the added trauma it would cause) The cat was in the clinic for 2 days, cost $3,600. During this ordeal I was reading all I could about feline acute kidney failure and a couple of articles noted that acute renal failure is one of the most expensive illnesses a pet can suffer. But I thought some costs were very excessive. Example: $35 for a 50 cent tablet of mertazapine (split in quarters) to stimulate appetite. Unfortunately the cat had to be euthanized a week later because her kidney numbers did not improve (my regular vet was seen) and she was in bad shape. Blood work to check kidney function, euthanization and cremation with ashes returned was reasonable and 10% of what the emergency clinic charged. I was fortunate that I had the funds to cover the emergency clinic visit without it being a hardship and knew going in what it would cost. I also knew there were no guarantees. During the course of my reading about pet acute renal failure, I read a few comments after one of the articles and a couple people ended up with bills on the order of what Franklin and I paid and they flat out could not afford it. They had no savings. They did not pay their rent that month and borrowed money from family. It was really sad reading those comments.

Here are pictures I took of the veterinarian invoices. The first one is the ER clinic (total was almost $3400 and not $3600 as I originally stated) and the second one is the follow up with our regular veterinarian (tap the images to open them so you can see them clearly).

[NateW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fermion We fed our two cats (a purebred Bengal and Siamese) IAMS food that had been tainted with melamine from China (to make the protein register higher) and it destroyed the kidneys in both of them. We had no option but to put them down and it was still over $750. IAMS finally came through with a small check that did not even cover the $750, much less the initial cost of the cats. They didn't even give us a coupon for more food either.

I am so sorry to read this Fermion. Please accept my condolences.

[Elizrogers]

This is long because I want to respond to all I’ve read and comment on my experience with everything from the deception and lack of care from shelters to how much faith to put in one vet. My bottom line advice is pets are worth whatever you spend on them, but if you aren’t willing to go in debt, skip a luxury or postpone a vacation if you have to for them, then please don’t get one.

Pets are like children. You may have happy, healthy ones that never see a doctor, but something can always happen and then you must do whatever it takes to keep them from pain, discomfort and misery, without thought to how it costs you. I have owned cats for over 40 years. Usually, one at a time, but currently have 3 due to rescuing from shelter and people who couldn’t care for them after taking them.

I would like to say that the right Vet can make all the difference and all do not know or think the same, no matter how caring. Just as you would get a second opinion on any major illness or treatment, it is okay to do the same for your pets. When my 19-year-old baby, who I’d had since he was 8 mos old, passed away, I decided to have no more pets for awhile. I decided to donate cases of leftover food to the local shelter and while there, saw two cats with euthanasia dates set just 3 days away. I asked why they were being put down and was told they’d been there over 6 weeks and that was too long. It was winter, there was ice and snow out and no one was going to be out looking to adopt. There were also empty cages, so there was no need for the space. I tried to negotiate to pay daily boarding fees if they’d give them a couple more weeks, but there was nothing I could talk them into, so I decided to rescue them.

One was 6-9 yrs old, the other was 12-15. I felt like a senior should spend his golden years in comfort and love, even if only for a short time. I was told they were healthy, but that the old one had a slight cold and wasn’t eating well, because he didn’t like dry food. Of course, I always take them for a full exam before ever bringing them home. It turned out that the older one did not have a cold, but an upper respiratory infection, an ear infection and only 25% kidney function. I didn’t care. He deserved better treatment in his final years than he’d obviously had. We cleared up the infections, but his kidney function wasn’t diagnosed until I changed vets, but it was irrepairable and could only be treated. He went in periodically for IV hydration, until it got so frequent that I began giving it daily at home. It was much cheaper to order the IV and saline online and do it myself. He never liked it, and when it got up to 3 times a day and he no longer seemed to enjoy anything in life, of course, he was put down. That was 4 years after I brought him home, so he had a few good years.

The younger one is the cautionary tale that demonstrates not to totally trust just one vet. I was taking them to a very well-known and popular vet. They were one of the more expensive in town, but touted as the best. The younger one had an issue with bowel movements that looked more like mini-cow patties. Very wet and odorous. They diagnosed him with Coronavirus (not the type we’re having in people now), which is usually a pre-cursor to FIV. It is very contagious, so I kept the two cats in separate areas of the house for a long time. I eventually cleared up the bowel problems with a pro-biotic I discovered through a cat forum online. When I had to take an unexpected trip, I needed to board them and their rabies shots were not up to date. I had to get them shots on a Sunday in order to meet the boarding requirements of 48 hours prior to boarding, so had to go to a different vet, who was open on Sunday. This vet gives you a first exam for free, so even though I only needed rabies shots, they both got full exams. This vet noticed something in the young one’s eye that didn’t look normal and suggested an ophthalmologist. Long story short, he had a disease that could have taken his sight, and eventually had surgery and is now (6 yrs later) fine, but gets an eyedrop daily. My vet had seen him monthly for over a year and never noticed anything. I asked about the coronavirus also, because the two cats had managed to get together and now lived side-by-side, but the older cat had not contracted it. The vet said they could run a test that would definitely tell for $150. I did it and he did not have it. So, the highly recommended vet that had been treating him at 3x the cost of this vet had not caught a very serious eye condition, couldn’t clear up the diarrhea and misdiagnosed him with Coronavirus. So, I accidentally found a new vet, who wasn’t any more caring, or smarter, than the previous one, but was just more knowledgeable or alert to different things and caught them. The new vet also was open 7 days a week, charged less, and was willing to offer less costly treatment options and be honest about what to expect with each. So, no matter how much you love and trust your vet, if something really serious and expensive comes up, it wouldn’t hurt to just see if other vets concur with him or have other options to suggest.

My main complaint is the cost of boarding. I do not have friends or family to watch them when I'm gone and past experience with paid sitters was not good, so I don't trust them. I won't leave them in a wire cage for 23 hours a day, as most cat kennels/condos are. There is only one place in our area that provides them an actual room, with a climbing tower and shelf to hang out on. They require me to provide all their food, and though not required, I provide litter and box because theirs are too small little boxes that my cats, especially my 20lb older cat, would find it hard to go in, and certainly not big enough for 3 cats. So, all they do is provide the room(s), put your food out 3x a day, and clean litter box periodically. For that, it costs $45 per room/day. If I put them all in one room, it's $45 for the 1st one, $36 for the 2nd and $24 for the 3rd, or $108/day. That's just absurd. So, now that I'm retired, I'll not be taking any overnight trips. But it's a sacrifice I'd make for a child, so am happy to make for my fur babies.

[Amethyst]

What a sad, sickening story. I doubt you'd want their food coupons, after such a horrible experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fermion We fed our two cats (a purebred Bengal and Siamese) IAMS food that had been tainted with melamine from China (to make the protein register higher) and it destroyed the kidneys in both of them. We had no option but to put them down and it was still over $750. IAMS finally came through with a small check that did not even cover the $750, much less the initial cost of the cats. They didn't even give us a coupon for more food either.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Our animals are pretty much like our children...well, except they never grow up. Nonetheless, this is one category of expense I don't even look at. It's not cheap in any way, shape, or form to properly take care of pets and the costs aren't something I consider. I don't run the numbers because, well, it would be A LOT!!!

[Elizrogers]

I was complaining once in my youth about not being able to do something I wanted, and was given some wise insight. I was told that we decide where to spend our money, and if we really want something we will make it a priority and give up other things for it.

I choose to keep my cats happy and healthy, because it makes me happy and are my entertainment. If sometimes I have to forego dining out, buying a new appliance or some other non-necessity, or even have to go into credit card debt for awhile to do so, then that is what I choose to do. There are years when nothing other than routine expenses (food, toys, general vet exams) come up and then there are years when there may be an emergency or major illness. But on average it balances out and it is not any different than the unexpected events that happen in all families and we just adjust and deal with them as we have to.

If you don't feel that way, then you are probably not meant to be a pet parent, so shouldn't get one. And there's nothing wrong with that.