One reason I drive to another county for veterinary care is that the rural vet clinic I go to does routine care and gives me a bulk rate - e.g., I had 8 cats and 3 dogs at one point - now 3 and 3... My animals are child subs for me - I do not call myself their 'Mom' however. They are my friends, my buddies.

Another reason I go to the clinic I do is that they understand two things very clearly - I feel that excessive veterinary intervention - especially in elderly animals is torture. I also feel that I should be told in complete details including a view of the xrays/test results exactly what is wrong and exactly in detail including costs what it will cost to fix or not. I could go to an excellent vet that I could walk to - but they won't tell you exact details up front re. costs and when asked about routine procedures - eg., teeth cleaning - are double the cost of my rural vet and add in the thought that the vet may decide to do other things e.g., blood work/medication without checking with me first. I would not tolerate that from a human doctor why should I accept that behavior from my vet?

re. torturing animals when they are dying...In the past tried to keep three of my animals alive long after they should have been left to die in peace - I cringe when I remember forcing David to eat when he was 15 years old and dying from heart failure and making him take heart meds that gave him seizures and having to have him euthanized in the end anyway because he was not allowed to go easy as he should have been. Or poor old Mrs. Cat struggling to stay alive one more day - until I realized she was 20 years old! I finally let her go and it was awful - she ddidn't die from seizures from the heart medication I kept forcing down her throat...she had to be put down also and it was not good. I sat with Mousie in an oxygen cage with lasix iv and held his paw for two days - until I took a short walk with a wise vet who pointed out that even corgie-terrier dogs of 16 will eventually die - I took him home - he died in my office in the sun. Much easier - gave us time to mourn and Mousie got to be where he belonged with his buddies. My other animals have also lived long past the usual due dates - 3 other cats lived to be over 20 and a Shih Tzu died at 18... but they died in their own good time with love around them and not in a cage with an IV as I tried to make them stay.

I do spend a lot on Vet bills - I don't have kids so why not? My neighbors state that my dogs are getting better medical care than their kids ;). I think they are joking... My animals have rarely needed ER care - My lhasa got pneumonia while I was in Seattle last year and my neighbor took her to our veterinary ER but they were rational - x-ray-antibiotics - diet and exercise instruction and instructions to follow up with our regular vet asap and sent her home with my neighbor - cost less than $300! - I strongly recommend at least yearly check-ups and ongoing treatments such as teeth cleaning and worming. I have paid for intensive care - for Mousie who got pancreatitis when he was only 10 - and I got 6 more years of one of the best dogs I've ever had. Will do so again for my current guys - but I won't allow them to be tortured if they are dying. My husband and I both have living wills stating that we wish to go easy and not be kept alive past our due dates as well...