I’ve had the vet put down a couple of cats that I “helped” raise and was really attached to, and believe me it wasn’t easy. it was a definately a ‘financial circumstances of the time’ decision at that time, now, eh, now I just feel differently about pets
When I was 18, I spent about $3000 saving my cat after she’d gotten out of the house and severely torn up by dogs. This was at a time that I was making $4.75 an hour, so it was a major outlay. The vet suggested euthanizing her, but I wanted to try to save my friend. I’d had her since I was 8, and I couldn’t just give up on her. She lived for another 14 years, so it was a great investment. Interestingly, I didn’t go for the $2000-or-so therapy offered by the vet when she was 24 and finally succumbing to her old age. I think the amount I’m willing to pay is a combination of cost and quality of life afterward; $3000 was a huge amount, but I knew at the time she was still spry and likely to have a long life. $2000 cost less (and I certainly made more than $4.75 an hour), but she was an old kitty, and she was certainly not enjoying life any more.
For the current cat in my life, I think I’d go over $10000 if true recovery of health was possible.
I worked for the animal rescue league of a large city.
This experience really changed my opinion on pets. So many animals get put down without ever having a chance at life. So, even if I love my dog, I’m not going to plunk down any major dollars to save him. I know that sounds cold, but taking a pet off of death row is a great feeling, and you’ll be giving another animal a chance at a good life for a while.
If you have seen the number of dead animals I’ve seen, you’d understand. I’d go up to $100 or so, because I’m not a completely heartless prick.
Whatever it takes. No, I wouldn’t mortgage the house, but I’ve already spent in the $1K-$5K bracket.
:eek: :eek:
You folks are big spenders.
$499.99 is my limit. I love animals and I have paid for an operation on a previous dog. But it was only $250. No way am I giving a vet thousands of bucks.
“Irresponsible” depends on what your family can afford at the time.
Unless you truly cannot afford to take a cat to the vet to be put down, it’s a dick move to pass off the responsibility to someone else. It’s also a dick move to make your sick cat die alone in a cage, unless you truly have no other option.
Most vets will charge a nominal fee for a visit whose only purpose is euthanasia.
I know I was prepared to pay just over $2000 for our cat. He swallowed a rubber band that tangled up in his intestines and stopped everything up. That’s what it would have cost to do surgery.
The vet suggested a laxative first. There actually exists a product call “Cat Lax”. It did the trick, so thankfully we didn’t have to pay that much. But, we would have.
Yeah, I’d spend much more for my pets than almost any human of my acquintance. Honestly, if anyone but a close family member came to me and said “I need $3000 for surgery”, my answer would be no. I have 14 animals. They get the surgeries they need if I can afford it, and if their quality of life would be enhanced and prolonged.
StG
Bearflag70 - You aren’t thinking about the fear and loss your cat will feel, stuck in a cage for a few days in an unfamiliar place, to end his life unloved, alone and in fear. And with some of these places, the euthanasia techs aren’t always so kind or competant. It’s much kinder to have your vet euthanize while you’re holding your pet. The end result is the same, but your animal won’t suffer as much.
StG
I spent $2500 when my 8-year-old husky contracted a viral lung infection. She died anyway.
Don’t have a pet, don’t want a pet… but if I ended up with one through a combination of misadventures, I’d go to $100.00 at the vet.
Well, I said 5 - 10k. I know I would spend at least 5, as that was what my recent bills came to for one of my dogs. She was diagnosed with mast cell cancer. Between surgeries (2) and chemo I spent just a hair over 5 grand. I am happy that I did it, as she was cured (or at least in a long term remission). She is the dog on the left in this pic.
Annual vaccinations are more than that.
I said 5-10K but as with others, that amount varies. If I was pretty much guaranteed a good outcome, I would pay that for both dogs. If it were 50/50, I would probably go half that on one of my dogs and still pay whatever they asked on my favorite dog. Less than a 50% chance would be a tough call.
That’s what I said. It depends on what you can afford.
Do they put sick cats in a cage or do they just go straight to euthanasia if they know it’s sick?
Not everywhere, they’re not…you can purchase DIY vaccinations (except for rabies which must be given by a vet) and most farm or pet stores for about $6.00; rabies alone can be as low as $10 by a vet here in the midwest. I pay about $40 for rabies and core vaccines at the vet. Through a local non-profit clinic, spay/neuter for cats is $40 (vaccinations an extra $15) and $80 for dogs (ditto on the vaccine cost.)
Also annual vaccinations are unecessary, but that’s a topic for another thread.
I’ve taken animals to be euthanized and stay with them until they’re gone, they aren’t stuck in a cage. I volunteer a lot in rescue and have had to do this quite a few times with animals that I don’t own, but for which there are no resources to care for or rehabilitate, or if it’s a lost cause.
Have you ever dropped a terminally ill animal off at the ASPCA, and left without knowing what became of it, as suggested by Bearflag70 as a peachy keen way to save $40?
Absolutely not…AC charges $10 but I won’t do that because they are horrible here. I have taken terminally ill or injured animals to either of the two vets ($30-53) I go to so I know they go with kindness.
/glurge
Depends on the size of the animal, the general cost of the area, and the type of procedure performed. Our 50-lb dog had a tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) done by a reputable area surgeon whom I trusted 100% (one of my instructors), with digital X-rays, dedicated surgery suite, morphine/ketmine drip for pain relief, laser wound treatment and a regimen of post-op checkups all included. THAT was $2200. The sedation/xrays for diagnosis ran about $300, and the visit to the emergency clinic the next day (a Saturday) when she ripped out half her stitches was an additiona $300.00
Tibial plateau leveling ostotomy is even more expensive (TPLO), but the older “fishing line” procedure is less so.