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Thread: The High Cost of Keeping our Pets Healthy...........

  1. #11
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BikingLady View Post
    I felt I got railroaded on this costly pet care ride in life. I have had dogs all my life, I love these wonderful mutts no more than all the ones that came before them. However the last 10 years I have seen a change in my trips to the vet or should I say the bills. Everything is offered from pills to surgery, to treatments, therapy and X-ray . Surely I must be a bad owner if I do not do all these things???
    No, I don't think it makes you a bad owner. Everyone has to decide for themselves how far to take it. I feel like if your pet is in pain, you should treat it as best you can, but I think there's a lot to be said for letting nature take it's course.
    Everything in this country is getting so advanced and high-tech and expensive. It's sort of crazy. I would always treat a pet for pain, and be good to them, but please don't feel like you have to do all those other things in order to be a good owner.

  2. #12
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    double post

  3. #13
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    I will ask about these things, thank you, CathyA. I do do glucosamine/chondroitin already

  4. #14
    Senior Member Tradd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flowerseverywhere View Post
    The reason we no longer have pets. We volunteer at the no kill local shelter and that gives us our fix. Funny how we all gripe about health care costs and yet shell out a huge amount for pet medical care. Our last pet was so expensive at the end it did not make sense in our situation.
    I was going to mention this. Friends who are less well off than they used to be get their pet fix by volunteering at the local no kill shelter, as well as pet sitting for any and all when folks are on vacation. It puts a bit of cash in their pockets, and the pets get loved on when their humans are away.

  5. #15
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    Life without a dog after forty years or more of having them...has been very freeing. At this stage of life, I get my fix by fussing over other people's dogs.

  6. #16
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I have had dogs that past 13 years. Some we got young and some we rescued when old. WE have had 4 dogs for the past 10 years. It has gotten crazy expensive. I was paying 300/month for meds. One died in June and one today. Now the meds cost 65/month for our big old dog. We did get a puppy 3 weeks ago because I knew our 4 old dogs were going to die from various conditions they had. Josie who died today had kidney failure, seizures, dementia and a sore leg. She was on pain pills and other meds but it became clear the past 2 weeks that all of a sudden her quality of life went from good to bad. She was 20 yo. Our big dog is 12 and 80lbs so don't expect to have him much longer. We also have a 13 yo Maltese with no health issues. At some point we will be down to just the puppy and intend to keep it that way. The cost has gotten crazy. If a dog is young we spend a lot more $ then when old because obviously we are all going to die. With that being said in the past 3 years we have spent 3k on the big guy for curable conditions. Our vet clinic also has the state of the art equipment. But once a dog has organ failure we do meds and keep it comfortable and then let go when their life is no longer good. I wish more states did that for people that want it. My friend with Alzheimer's died a slow, painful death from cancer the last 4 days of her life because they could only give her meds every hour and she needed them every 45 minutes. She spent the last 15 mins of every hour thrashing. It was horrible.

  7. #17
    Senior Member pony mom's Avatar
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    Last year I adopted a 15-16 yr. old deaf dog. Her digestive issues have required expensive human grade food and supplements. Hopefully all this will keep her around for a few more years.

    My horse is 32 years old. He has Cushings disease, which is common. His rx meds costs $3.50/day; his dose may need to be increased in the future. His NSAID drug is about $1.50/day. This makes him very comfortable and has totally changed him. However, he tore a ligament in his hind leg a few months ago. He's had two ultrasounds and will have another in Oct. He may or may not be rideable when it heals. I'm just hoping to be able to ride him at a walk to keep him busy since he's very young for his age and does not like being idle. Oh, and on Monday he had a tooth pulled out....$285.

    I have basic health insurance and don't go to the doctor. Haven't seen a dentist since 1987.
    Last edited by pony mom; 8-31-17 at 8:03pm.

  8. #18
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pony mom View Post
    Last year I adopted a 25-26 yr. old deaf dog. Her digestive issues have required expensive human grade food and supplements. Hopefully all this will keep her around for a few more years.
    Good heavens..........is that a typo? I've never heard of a dog being that old!

  9. #19
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    Tammy, I am sorry for the loss of your Josie.

    We just took our puppy to the vet yesterday for shot round number two. I can't believe what the vet charges. We already bought the "new puppy plan" of 332 for three rounds of shots. But then on top of that, one optional lyme disease vaccine and one Trifecta pill for heartwork and fleas-- 59 dollars.

    It bums me out because I have another dog due for boosters and I can go to tractor supply and buy them myself and give the shot myself for less than 20 dollars. I don't want to avoid the vet, but I could do that and she would have her shots and I'd probably save a hundred dollars.

    And like Pony Mom, I don't go to the doctor anymore because I can't really afford it. I can't afford my prescribed asthma meds each month.

    I'll probably do the Tractor supply clinic for low cost shots for the retriever.

  10. #20
    Senior Member CathyA's Avatar
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    We spent close to $300 for a visit, lab work, kennel cough vac, heart worm and flea and tick med (just a couple month's worth) last week. Then this week, we spent another $200 for special arthritis shots (about 10 of them) and more of her thyroid med. Now I have to look around for the cheapest gall bladder de-sludger med.....which usually runs around $4-$5/tab and she has to be on it every day. I told the doc........."Good thing she's so old."

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