When you can't afford $12,000 pet surgeries

[Anonymous]

You either put the pet down or dump it in a shelter and make it someone else’s problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most dogs don't require insanely expensive surgeries until they are elderly, and at that point most people opt to put them down, understanding that they've lived a good life.

Unless your dog is a purebred from a sketchy breeder who doesn't health test (or a purebred from a rescue, which assumes sketchy breeder), the odds of something like hip dysplasia or an ACL tear in a pet dog is minimal. (This is assuming you are keeping them at a healthy weight and doing a reasonable amount of fitness with them). Most mutts are relatively healthy.

Nope. Fixed 100% ACL tear on 4 yr old dog. Surgery was completely successful. Dog is 12 yrs old now. Cost back then was 5k and pet insurance covered over half. Other dog died of seizures at 6 yrs old. Did MRI/scan of brain to see if had a fixable solution. 2k+. Again insurance covered most. Both dogs are/were mixed breeds. Currently also have a purebred golden retriever 8 yrs old. No health issues at all…yet.

Have had pet insurance for last 20 yrs and always worked great. However, for whatever reason as I did not bother to ask, premiums almost doubled this year for both dogs so I am not renewing policies. Does not matter as can easily pay for any care/procedures they need. But pet care is expensive in northern va.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most dogs don't require insanely expensive surgeries until they are elderly, and at that point most people opt to put them down, understanding that they've lived a good life.

Unless your dog is a purebred from a sketchy breeder who doesn't health test (or a purebred from a rescue, which assumes sketchy breeder), the odds of something like hip dysplasia or an ACL tear in a pet dog is minimal. (This is assuming you are keeping them at a healthy weight and doing a reasonable amount of fitness with them). Most mutts are relatively healthy.

Nope. Fixed 100% ACL tear on 4 yr old dog. Surgery was completely successful. Dog is 12 yrs old now. Cost back then was 5k and pet insurance covered over half. Other dog died of seizures at 6 yrs old. Did MRI/scan of brain to see if had a fixable solution. 2k+. Again insurance covered most. Both dogs are/were mixed breeds. Currently also have a purebred golden retriever 8 yrs old. No health issues at all…yet.

Have had pet insurance for last 20 yrs and always worked great. However, for whatever reason as I did not bother to ask, premiums almost doubled this year for both dogs so I am not renewing policies. Does not matter as can easily pay for any care/procedures they need. But pet care is expensive in northern va.

PP noted that ACL tears are rare in dogs at a healthy weight and who are regularly and carefully exercised. Perhaps your dog wasn't.

[Anonymous]

Choose a high deductible. Get the insurance. I didn't want to ever have to make a heart-wrenching decision

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most dogs don't require insanely expensive surgeries until they are elderly, and at that point most people opt to put them down, understanding that they've lived a good life.

Unless your dog is a purebred from a sketchy breeder who doesn't health test (or a purebred from a rescue, which assumes sketchy breeder), the odds of something like hip dysplasia or an ACL tear in a pet dog is minimal. (This is assuming you are keeping them at a healthy weight and doing a reasonable amount of fitness with them). Most mutts are relatively healthy.

Nope. Fixed 100% ACL tear on 4 yr old dog. Surgery was completely successful. Dog is 12 yrs old now. Cost back then was 5k and pet insurance covered over half. Other dog died of seizures at 6 yrs old. Did MRI/scan of brain to see if had a fixable solution. 2k+. Again insurance covered most. Both dogs are/were mixed breeds. Currently also have a purebred golden retriever 8 yrs old. No health issues at all…yet.

Have had pet insurance for last 20 yrs and always worked great. However, for whatever reason as I did not bother to ask, premiums almost doubled this year for both dogs so I am not renewing policies. Does not matter as can easily pay for any care/procedures they need. But pet care is expensive in northern va.

PP noted that ACL tears are rare in dogs at a healthy weight and who are regularly and carefully exercised. Perhaps your dog wasn't.

They are incredibly common in site hounds

[Anonymous]

12k is a lot and past my limit for pet care.

[Anonymous]

We had a $12,000 bill when our 12-year-old lab got cancer. Combination of surgery and chemo. If we couldn’t have afforded it we would have put him down due to his age. He’s 15 now so it was worth it IMO. But it’s a different calculation with a 12-year-old dog than say a 3-year-old dog. We’ve never gotten pet insurance for any of our four dogs and that’s the only huge bill we’ve ever gotten, so I don’t think we will ever get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most dogs don't require insanely expensive surgeries until they are elderly, and at that point most people opt to put them down, understanding that they've lived a good life.

Unless your dog is a purebred from a sketchy breeder who doesn't health test (or a purebred from a rescue, which assumes sketchy breeder), the odds of something like hip dysplasia or an ACL tear in a pet dog is minimal. (This is assuming you are keeping them at a healthy weight and doing a reasonable amount of fitness with them). Most mutts are relatively healthy.

Nope. Fixed 100% ACL tear on 4 yr old dog. Surgery was completely successful. Dog is 12 yrs old now. Cost back then was 5k and pet insurance covered over half. Other dog died of seizures at 6 yrs old. Did MRI/scan of brain to see if had a fixable solution. 2k+. Again insurance covered most. Both dogs are/were mixed breeds. Currently also have a purebred golden retriever 8 yrs old. No health issues at all…yet.

Have had pet insurance for last 20 yrs and always worked great. However, for whatever reason as I did not bother to ask, premiums almost doubled this year for both dogs so I am not renewing policies. Does not matter as can easily pay for any care/procedures they need. But pet care is expensive in northern va.

PP noted that ACL tears are rare in dogs at a healthy weight and who are regularly and carefully exercised. Perhaps your dog wasn't.

They are incredibly common in site hounds

Sight.
As in vision. (sigh)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most dogs don't require insanely expensive surgeries until they are elderly, and at that point most people opt to put them down, understanding that they've lived a good life.

Unless your dog is a purebred from a sketchy breeder who doesn't health test (or a purebred from a rescue, which assumes sketchy breeder), the odds of something like hip dysplasia or an ACL tear in a pet dog is minimal. (This is assuming you are keeping them at a healthy weight and doing a reasonable amount of fitness with them). Most mutts are relatively healthy.

Nope. Fixed 100% ACL tear on 4 yr old dog. Surgery was completely successful. Dog is 12 yrs old now. Cost back then was 5k and pet insurance covered over half. Other dog died of seizures at 6 yrs old. Did MRI/scan of brain to see if had a fixable solution. 2k+. Again insurance covered most. Both dogs are/were mixed breeds. Currently also have a purebred golden retriever 8 yrs old. No health issues at all…yet.

Have had pet insurance for last 20 yrs and always worked great. However, for whatever reason as I did not bother to ask, premiums almost doubled this year for both dogs so I am not renewing policies. Does not matter as can easily pay for any care/procedures they need. But pet care is expensive in northern va.

PP noted that ACL tears are rare in dogs at a healthy weight and who are regularly and carefully exercised. Perhaps your dog wasn't.

Nope again. Dog is/was very athletic and healthy weight (as are her human parents 😁) with minimum 1 hour walk twice a day every day. (Now that she is 13 yrs old she gets to cruise around old town in her doggy stroller and just get out and walk her favorite blocks). We are just managing her pain now but she is still very alert and energetic about life. We are happy to do this as long as she wants to keep going/living. She has a very bad elbow and hips are now weak. But no other problems with the ACL after being fixed many years ago. Yes this dog costs $$$ and is totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

Two pound dogs here. One developed cancer around 11 and it was pretty well advanced by the time we noticed anything. By that time, she was miserable, and we weren't going to prolong her suffering.

We recently spent around $10K on another equally old dog, but it was for a discrete problem that was fixed by surgery. I'm sure if you calculated the $: life expectancy ratio, it didn't make sense, but it's worth it to us to get another year or two. But surgery was hard on him, and if anything else comes up, we know it's time to say goodbye.

[Anonymous]

I just had a friend who had to put down a puppy, less than a year old, because he needed a $10k surgery. She'd already spend $5k trying to figure out the issue and treat it without surgery. She couldn't do it. It was horrible, but they had to put him down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You either put the pet down or dump it in a shelter and make it someone else’s problem.

Of those 2 options, putting the dog down is a MUCH kinder route for the dog. Instead of them ending up scared and alone and in a cycle of more testing etc. No.

[Anonymous]

It really is an awful situation. As sad as it sounds, I would try a GoFundMe. You never know. Innocent animals do pull on heartstrings.

Does anyone know of any nonprofits that help with pet care for those who can't afford it? There has to be something like that out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really is an awful situation. As sad as it sounds, I would try a GoFundMe. You never know. Innocent animals do pull on heartstrings.

Does anyone know of any nonprofits that help with pet care for those who can't afford it? There has to be something like that out there.

There are people who die because they can't afford healthcare, I really hope there aren't organizations funding pet health care

[Anonymous]

We got pet insurance for our dog for accidents and big surgeries. It doesn't cover normal vaccinations / check ups or meds. for exactly this reason. If he was hit by a car and survived it would be $$$$ and we'd want it covered.