Letters to the Editor
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from a vet technician
I have been a veterinary technician for about 6 years and have seen everything from the people who will do anything on earth for their animals to those who balk at $100 treatments to save their pet's life. I think there is a lot of room for choice in the way we take care of our animals. I probably would spend thousands of dollars for any of my animals, but I don't judge people who can't do that or who just don't want to. A humane death is not the worst thing. And if a pet of mine had cancer, I would definitely have reservations about putting it through chemo.
That being said, I resent the many letters about vets being money-grubbing scam artists who only want to empty your pockets. Of course, there will always be unscrupulous people, but in general people involved in vet care are doing it because they love animals and take their care seriously. In answer to a previous question, a basic chem panel for a cat costs us about $65. Then you have to factor in the time and energy and expertise it takes to get blood from the animal. It's not like people bring us samples and we just send them off. Also there are drug bills, rent, food bills, payroll for staff, and the unpaid thousands that the clinic in which I work is owed from people who were willing to do anything for their pet at the time of its illness and later decided that they actually didn't want to pay for the treatment that saved their pet's life.
Basically, I think we should just agree that some of us would pay almost any amount for their animals and some wouldn't. That's the choice we are able to make as pet owners. But I do think that there is a certain amount of responsibility that we take on when we adopt an animal and we should keep that in mind when problems happen. It might also help to think about what your personal limit is BEFORE something happens, so you don't have to make hard decisions when you are stressed and panicked.
By the way, the ASPCA offers pet insurance for cats that costs about $150 per year and which covers major illness and emergencies, which is probably all that most people need. As soon as your cat gets hit by a car, it'll more than pay for itself.
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pets may not be the same as kids, but they're not the same as material possesions either
I sympathize with the author's predicament, but personally, I would put myself deep in debt and then some to save my cat. Though, I can see how for many, this just isn't possible. Of course, if you can't afford at least regular vet visits, maybe you shouldn't have a pet. That may sound harsh, but no one is worrying about the harsh reality faced by the pets. So they're not human....so what? They're also not like possessions like cars, TVs, etc. They have a consciousness, feelings and emotions.
Pets shouldn't be some disposable commodity you keep until they break down, then throw away and replace as cheaply as possible. People who get a pet should look at their pet not only as something that will enhance and add to their life, but as an opportunity to enhance the life of the animal. Otherwise, don't bother getting a pet.
Is it really ethical to have, say, 8 cats living in a barn if you can't afford to even take care of one of them by taking it to the vet for regular visits? I don't think so. I don't expect everyone to be willing to go into debt the way I am, but the people here who are talking about pets as if they're just another material possession for humans to do with what they please are sick.
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YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON THE LOVE OF A PET
Last year our Sam cost us $4000. She had inflammatory bowel disease and was dying before our eyes. Today she is plump and happy. Would we do it again? Goddamn right.
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try the humane society on 59th street
The humane society on 59th might have been cheaper. I had a male cat with urinary tract problems, and believe it or not, they do grow out of it. He stopped having crises about age six. In my neighborhood of the city, they encourage you to yearly get your cat's teeth cleaned, which is $250-300 a pop, besides the physical, which is more. I've shelled out by the way more than that on vet bills -- six is young, hopefully he won't have more problems until he's 15...
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pet care
I have 2 cats, one with bad kidneys, and a boyfriend that is allergic to them. If it ever comes down to it, kitty will not get dialysis or a transplant.
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Thanks for saying the unmentionable
I have been in insane amounts of debt for my dogs. My pug cost $4000, after being diagnosed with literally hundreds of bladder stones and an abnormally small liver. I would "need" to bring him to a "liver specialist" to determine the cause of his small liver. I discovered that "doggie liver specialist" was my personal uncrossable line and opted to treat him with a "human grade" diet and crossed fingers. He's now happy, healthy, and completely unaware of his "small" liver.
At least part of that bill was paid for by my pet insurance. When I got my dog, I looked at him and realized that it would be an unacceptable choice, euthanizing him because I couldn't afford the medical bill, so I figured I'd BETTER get insurance. While it's true that if you have a healthy pet, it may seem like a "waste of money," but if you have a pet like mine, you quickly discover that pet insurance can pay for itself many times over.
I should note that the vet "offered" to sell me prescription "liver-health" dog food at a cost of $3 a can, significantly more expensive than the $1 a day it cost me to feed him beef and rice and veggies. He would have sold me potassium citrate (to prevent the recurrence of stones in his urine) for $35 a can and put up a fight when I requested a prescription which would allow me to buy the exact same product on the web for $20. All of which leads me to believe that there's more than a little good old-fashioned greed being thrown into the mix. We simply cannot trust vets in the same way that we might trust our own physicians. (And maybe THAT'S a mistake too, but that's a whole other discussion.) There are some great ones out there, some truly noble people, but everyone has to make a living, right?
Pets are not toys. They are living beings, and when we bring them into our homes, we owe them our compassion and care. But we've all got to go sometime, and we do have to be willing to acknowledge when their illness has surpassed our ability to care for them. Then we owe them a peaceful death, at least. I have known compassionate vets who come to people's homes to euthanize elderly dogs so that they may die in peace and calm, in their home. That's what we owe them. Don't get them if you can't care for them but ultimately, we've got to learn to accept mortality, either for ourselves or our pets.