Here is the link.
My wife and I heard something on the radio a year or so ago about a poll taken among pet owners about how much is too much money to spend on a pet health care. We both agreed, somewhat arbitrarily, that the cut off point would be around $5,000.
There have been many years when I spent more on vet bills than I did on my own doctor bills. That’s not to say the vet bills were exorbitant; it’s just that my own bills were small. Thankfully, I’ve never had to face the prospect of spending thousands of dollars on my dog. It would be a tough call.
A long time ago (it was during the lifetime of the dog I had before the current one), my vet told me that you are going to spend the most money on your pet’s care during its first year of life and its last year. And it’s true. (I suppose that’s true for people, too!)
When the previous dog (a black lab) was 13 1/2, she went downhill quickly. She had a hard time getting up and her weight dropped drastically. I took her into the vet, who took one look at her and said, “Oh dear. I don’t have a magic bullet.” She (the vet) also told me that at some point you have to ask yourself are you making your pet feel better or are you making yourself feel better. I was always grateful to the vet for leveling with me that way. It didn’t make me cry any less when I had the dog put to sleep, but it gave me some solace thinking I had done the right thing.
The current black lab is four years old and, thankfully, is a happy healthy pup!
Damn, Snermy! I don’t know if I should be impressed your paying attention to me, or disturbed you might me a stalker! 
She said she loved me like a brother, and thats great, cause she’s from Arkansas!