Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have insurance for my dogs and it’s a lifesaver. One of my dogs has had a $12K surgery. I’d spend almost any amount.

I did the math on the insurance and I think it’s just as good to put the equivalent of the premiums aside in your savings, unless you’re in a really bad cash position.

That makes sense as well. In my situation, I got my dog when I was in an entry level job (making only around $60K a year) and wouldn’t have been able to cash flow this sort of thing. Up until my dog was 8 or so, it was under $100 a month so I honestly think I’ve come out on top. Also worth it for me for the peace of mind.

I am not spending 10k on a dog in any scenario. Not to obtain it; not to keep it alive.

I don’t know what my limit is, but it is definitely lower than that.

We declined additional diagnostics for a 12 year old dog. And a year later the bloodwork numbers returned to WNL, so I consider that a win, though I know it could easily have gone other ways.

Anonymous wrote:I have insurance for my dogs and it’s a lifesaver. One of my dogs has had a $12K surgery. I’d spend almost any amount.

I did the math on the insurance and I think it’s just as good to put the equivalent of the premiums aside in your savings, unless you’re in a really bad cash position.

I would probably spend $25k without thinking but I doubt that would happen because the older I get and the more times I go through it, the less likely I am to put a dog through anything involving major trauma and/or difficult recovery

I have insurance for my dogs and it’s a lifesaver. One of my dogs has had a $12K surgery. I’d spend almost any amount.

I spent over $30,000 on my first dog over the 9 years I had him. The second one was healthier and just had regular vet bills.

For me, prognosis and comfort are key pieces of information. I’m willing to do whatever I can

It depends on the age of the pet and the likelihood of recovery. I spent thousands of dollars on my cats teeth. But when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 18, I had him put down. Quality of life is the first consideration.

$20K

I think it depends on a few factors.

1) Your current financial situation.
2) Age of pet
3) Prognosis

So, if you're in a tight financial situation, and your pet is 18, it's three digit numbers only for sure. Maybe not even that - I might not even opt for diagnostics in that situation. Any issue means a visit from Lap of Love.

For a young, otherwise perfectly healthy pet, with an acute health condition that can be completely solved with a one time treatment with a 99% success rate and no lingering issues, I'd probably max out around $10k or $15k, assuming I had that much and more sitting in my emergency fund.

I can't ever see spending more than $15k on a single issue for a single pet in any situation.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know (educated, wealthy, etc) treats their pets like non-humans. Ie, they are not child proxies. After a certain age, they do not get expensive cancer treatments that might or might not work, or invasive, unpleasant things done to them. They get palliative care and if need be, euthanasia.

I have yet to meet a pet owner who treats their pet like a human, frankly.

Me again. So for ex: my 8 year old medium sized dog keeps having intestinal blockages right now, which necessitated two separate overnight hospital stays that totaled about 7K. He might need a CT scan to figure out what the heck he has. So far, he's had X-rays and ultrasounds. I am willing to pay because he's not elderly yet, and when he's not in a blockage situation, he's a very happy dog. There's hope for him.

But if there's no hope and he can't be a happy dog, then my plan will change.

Everyone I know (educated, wealthy, etc) treats their pets like non-humans. Ie, they are not child proxies. After a certain age, they do not get expensive cancer treatments that might or might not work, or invasive, unpleasant things done to them. They get palliative care and if need be, euthanasia.

I have yet to meet a pet owner who treats their pet like a human, frankly.

100%. I don't dare tell my friends, neighbors, etc. that my pets aren't my children and I don't value their lives over some threshold of money. But c'mon, they are animals and there are plenty more ready to take their place when the unfortunate happens.

Somewhat depends on the age of the pet. I have a large 10-year-old dog. From here on in, it's going to be minimal intervention. I love her to death but she only has a few years left and I"m not going to sink 10K into medical treatment. Please just don't tell the kids...

If you have a pet, do you have a limit that you would spend on its care? At what point would you say the expense is unreasonable given the fact that the patient is a pet vs a human? I love my pet, but vet bills are astronomical. After this one, no more pets for me.