Yes, people own animals and can afford to take care of them propperly... However, it is when a unexpected emergency arrises that can leave a animal lover to make heartbreaking decisions. I agree, it is important to have money put away for emergencies. However, i do believe it is vital to have a good vet who is willing to work with you . Everybody's situation is different, and it not right to point fingers at someone who may not have the means to pay a $800 vet bill. That does not mean they do not love their animals, or take care of them. Emergency situations for most people are out of the ordinary. It makes me mad that a few people will put down a animal lover and feel they are not good pet owners because they can't afford a high vet bill. :thumbdown

Don't get me wrong....I feel horrible that they turn away the sick ones because their owners cannot afford it. I think if I were a vet I would be broke because my emotions will get the best of me...but I knew I had to have a back up plan for my furbutts because I do not ever want to be in this situation.

My experience has been that your regular vet will usually work out a payment plan if you have a good relationship established. It is the emergency vets who always require payment up front.

If vets regularly treated patients who couldn't pay, the cost of that treatment would have to be passed on to the rest of their patients. Why should my vet bills be higher because other people aren't financially responsible when it comes to pet ownership?

Yes, that is very true . I have family that will help me if i ever get into a bind. It is very important to have the support if you can't pay for a emergency. It is dreadfully expensive to treat a injured pet. Pet owners do need to be prepared for it..
I just wanted to make it clear that just because a pet owner can't offered a huge emergency vet bill does not make them a bad owner, Or gives anyone the right to point the finger at them, thinking they should not have a pet. :(

Great link Ladymom, this is something that everyone should read when buying a pet or adding another to their family.

That's how the regular vet and the ER vet's office works here and I completely agree with you on the other.

The truth is, an $800 vet bill really isn't that unusual. Lady had a stubborn UTI a few years ago that cost that much. Between the sterile cultures, x-rays, vet visits and all the antibiotics we tried (a few were $80 and didn't even work:(), her bill got up there quickly.

One bout of pancreatitis because your family member slipped your dog a piece of ham usually runs about $1,500. Yorkies with luxating patellas are more likely to tear their ACL with just normal activity. That surgery will cost at least $1,500.

Expect the unexpected is the best way to approach dog ownership IMO.

I have said the same thing to my hubby so many times. I would be one broke @$$ vet!!! LOL. Seriously, I would. I just WOULD NOT be able to turn an animal down for emergency care...I mean there is just no way I could do it - I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. :cry: Knowing that there is an animal out there that I COULD HAVE helped, and had to means to help, but didn't because their owner couldn't afford to pay such a high vet bill (all at once) would just eat at me and eat at me until I made myself sick over it.

I TOTALLY agree with you about having some money put aside for your babies though - or ANY emergency situation really. BUT, one thing that I just now thought of is that if you only had, say, $500 put aside and the bill was $1000, well, that still wouldn't cut it :( Geez, hopefully in THAT situation the vet would let you pay the first $500 and just bill ya (or at least let you post date checks or SOMETHING) for the rest :(

Ahhh I don't know, my heart just hurts for the animals is all :cry: It's just a shame that things are so darned expensive these days. It cost almost as much to care for our animals as it does to care for ourselves! Sad. :(

Brooke you are such a sweetheart!!! I am sorry you are so upset. I used to be the same way, but I guess I am somewhat jaded now. I wish I wasn't.

It is such a hard call to make. My husband is an equine veterinarian at an emergency/refferal/sugery center- it is one of the best in the northwest. They will not accept new clients without payment in full, or a large down payment (usually no less that $2000) for surgery or extensive medicine treatment. It used to not be like that, but unfortuantely they had so many unpaid accounts, it forced them to change. If people are regular clients, they will accept a percentage down and accept monthly payments. Many, many clients have "running tabs." A typical visit for a sick horse that needs ONE night stay w/ fluids is $2000. If a client quits paying their bill, they refuse to treat the horse in the future. It is really hard but they just cannot do it.

I know it seems to everyone that vets should make an exception "just once," but in all reality, DH gets at least one call every time he is on-call (one weekend a month) that he has to turn away because the person cannot afford it. Usually it is for surgery (colic surgery- equivalent to a stomach obstruction in a dog- is between $5000-10,000). That is potentially a $40,000 loss every month. They can't do it, and shouldn't have to.

I think the humane societies offer lower cost veterinary medicine, don't they? Or is it just low cost spay/neuter?

I think you can go to Carecredit.com and apply there or look for their contact number on their site.

I got the care credit card by accident! When my hubby was getting our first yorkie ,he applied for credit in order to buy him. Well it was a Care Credit account! I have never heard that you can purchase a dog with this type of card but these people did.
Anyway its only for medical expenses including Vet expenses. You just have to call around to see which vet and emergency hospital accepts it.
I have had it for 4yrs and have ONLY used it for vet emergencies. It has saved me from worrying if I could afford such an emergency.

Genie

There is financial help available in an emergency if you aren't prepared. This thread was just permanently posted as a stickie in the Sick & Injured / Emergencies section.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...-you-need.html

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Yep. Sometimes these threads end up so hurtful with some folks saying "so and so shouldn't own a pet" etcetera. The thing is - *look* how many people have BABIES who can't afford them in the least - and we don't say they're "bad" parents, or shouldn't have babies (well, some people do say that). With humans though, luckily - they really cannot be turned away from an ER.

With pets, I think the really sad part is when folks get a pet without truly understanding what could happen, financially. And they almost have nowhere to turn - which is really disheartening to me. I saw an in-depth story on Pet Insurance - and the bottom line was - IF your family could afford a worse case scenario event (ie, 5k surgery) and be okay, don't get insurance. IF NOT, then get insurance - because in an emergency, it could mean life or death - as possibly seen with this puppy.

yep you're right, you can apply for it on their website and they will tell you right then and there if you are approved and for how much.
I think it is such a life saver. After dealing with my cat who was a victim of the toxic food we didn't know what to do about the vet bill, it got outrageous and had to be split up on all different credit cards.
I was so relieved when I found out about care credit

Vets
 

...if human Dr's refuse to treat sick people with no insurance or money, why are we so surprised an animal is turned away??

The problem is, the COST of vet services are out of control, like many things in 2008!

Btw, there is now a STICKY in the Sick/Emerg. Forum on how to get help w/ vet bills. :)