Big money goes toward our furry friends

[The Straight Story]

MPNnow.com —

Last year, Robin Bill racked up nearly $1,000 in medical expenses to nurse her beloved dachshund, Rusty, back to health.

“He had to have ultrasounds, testing to find out what was wrong with him,” the Canandaigua woman said. “Then, I had to put him on medication and they had to do some more tests.”

Ultimately, Rusty had to be put to sleep. But Bill doesn’t regret spending the money. Nor does she think twice about shelling out money for food, vet visits and even little outfits for Oscar and Lana, the two dachshunds she has now.

“I think it’s because there’s a bond,” Bill said. “It’s almost like an empty nest; when the kids go, you try to find something to replace them.”

But, she admits, “it used to be cheaper to have a pet.”

http://www.mpnnow.com/ontario_county/x1798433244/Big-money-goes-toward-our-furry-friends

[WatsonT]

1. That's kind of absurd

I mean it's her money and I love animals as much as the next person, but putting that many resources towards an animal while millions suffer in your own country is bizarre.

[Silent3]

5. $1000 isn't all that much money for medical treatment for a pet these days

Not that everything costs that much, but it's not hard for anything but the most routine procedures to get up that high. Just getting a cat's teeth cleaned runs $200-$400, because they need anesthesia to have their teeth cleaned, and they often need blood work before you can give them the anesthesia.

I do have my limits on what I'd spend on a pet, but what would you recommend the next time someone's pet requires an expensive procedure? Snap its neck and send the same amount of money to a human charity?

[WatsonT]

12. "Snap its neck and send the same amount of money to a human charity? "

Well clearly those are the only two options. Literally that's it: either murder your pet or spend a limitless amount of money to extend their lives by a trivial amount.

[Silent3]

17. $1000 may be a lot, but it's hardly "limitless"

It's difficult for me to put a hard limit on how much I'd spend on a pet's medical needs. A lot depends on the age of the pet, the chance for a good recovery and good quality of life after, and how much the pet might suffer during recovery.

If your standard for how much money you should spend on a pet is tied to what the same amount of money could do for a human, however, then is there any amount you'd spend at all on a pet? Even $10 can go a long way toward providing food or medicine in some parts of this world, so I guess spending that on a pet is out of the question too.

Why did I say "snap its neck" rather than a cozy euphemism like "put it to sleep"? Well, if again your criteria is always human benefit, it can cost $100 better spent on human charities to put an animal "to sleep". Best to do that as cheaply as possible since the end result is the same.

[WatsonT]

20. If you can't afford to euthanize it you shouldn't have the animal

and I never said that no amount was worthwhile, merely that after a point it gets ridiculous.

It's like if your neighbor decides to convert his house to a multi-billion dollar mansion and you ask him if that's maybe a bit much especially considering that his mother is dying from cancer and need money for treatment. He retorts with "well what do you expect me to do, live under a bridge until everyone is cancer free?".

Obviously there are other options than just those two. And no one expects him to personally suffer until the entire world is perfect, but he could tone it down a bit.

[Silent3]

25. If you're drawing the line at $1000, however...

...that's a line that leaves very little wiggle room given current veterinary treatment costs. In the terms of your analogy, getting upset at the $1000 expense is more like getting upset because your neighbor puts in new kitchen cabinets rather than sending the money off to pay for somebody else's grandmother's treatment.

[WatsonT]

26. Well I guess to some people a thousand is pocket change

to me it is a large sum.

[Big Blue Marble]

6. How much of your income goes toward the poor?

What in the hell would you have people do? Throw their sick animals on the street to die.
It is not the fault of the pet owners that veterinary costs have skyrocketed just as human
medical costs have. Or that almost everyone has less discretionary income these days.

If people are willing to make the sacrifice to care for their animals that is their business.
Your lack of compassion is telling.

[WatsonT]

11. Hahah, wow

yeah you go ahead and spend a grand or more to extend the life of a cat by a few months.

Then send a letter to this kid explaining how you spent your money: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-KrcV2IhOYM/R9NbOjcwsUI/AAAAAAAAATo/0j_xtaEBHx4/s400/Starving+Childres.jpg

I'm sure he'll compliment you on your compassion.

[REP]

19. I spent $10K in one year on one cat (he's still healthy, four years later)

Please tell me how to spend my money. Please.

[WatsonT]

21. As I said initially

it's her money.

I just think it's a waste.

Invest your entire life savings in beanie-babies if you want, I won't stop you. But I will point out the foolishness of such an endeavor.

[kestrel91316]

8. $1000 isn't outrageous. Owning a pet is a big responsibility.

Euthanasia or painful, lingering death are not, nor should they be, the outcome of every illness and injury in our companions.

I DO happen to think clothing for pets is silly and a waste of money better spent elsewhere.

I also think spending on veterinary care is one of many ways to extract money from wealthy people and getting it into circulation where it can help working people by circulating further.

[demosincebirth]

10. True, some have their priorities a little mixed up. I love my little pooch, but

there is only so much money I will spend on him no matter what his chances are.

[Terra Alta]

13. Pets are like members of ones family.

Would you let a member of your family die without doing anything you possibly could, no matter how much it cost, to help them?

[WatsonT]

15. Past a certain point . .

if they were suffering yes.

Euthanasia is sometimes the kind choice for people and animals.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

18. my pets are the only children I will ever have

I don't regret what I spend on them for a second,

[LisaL]

23. There is nothing absurd about it.

People get unconditional love from a pet, which really is priceless.

[virgogal]

2. I couldn't afford to do it,but have no problem with people that do.

It's their money.

That said,the pet clothing,toys,beds,and fancy "hotels" and all that type of thing are ridiculous.

[undeterred]

3. I have pet insurance and it is reasonable.

I pay $34/month to insure one dog. On friday he cut his paw pad and needed to see a vet for treatment (wound cleaning, glue) plus meds (antibiotic, pain). $137 so far. He may need surgery. The cost on each of these items is reasonable out of pocket, but even more so because I am being reimbursed for much of it.

It is VASTLY more reasonable than the cost would be for human insurance per month and the cost of a human being cutting their foot- no comparison. And BTW, I don't have health insurance.

If you are interested in pet insurance, check out VPI.

I would feel terrible if I couldn't take care of him when he got hurt. This is why I only have one pet and why I have insurance for him. Its a responsibility I take very seriously.

[RebelOne]

9. Yes, I had VPI.

And it really helped out when my Rottweiler was so ill. She had arthritis and had to have VOM treatments. But then she developed bone and liver cancer. I did all I could to keep her pain-free toward the end. And her meds were very expensive. She was just 2 weeks short of her 13th birthday when she passed. But without the insurance, I could not have afforded all her vet care. The insurance covered about a little over 1/2 of all the expenses. At the present, I have 3 little dogs (Chihuahua, mini-pin and French bulldog) and they are all quite young, so I do not have insurance on them, because right now, I cannot afford it, as I have been out of work since January 2010.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Yes, it used to be cheaper to have a pet.

They were considered disposable commodities years ago. Maybe we are crazy to get so much more attached to our animals these days, or maybe it has to do with the availability of vets and specialists, but we feel an obligation today to our pets. On a personal level, I will do what I can to help my fur babies if there is hope of a healthy life in the future. On a personal level, I have.

[WatsonT]

16. Largely because treatments are available now

that didn't exist, certainly not for animals, in the past.

It's cheap when vets can splint legs, give vaccines, and euthanize.

When you throw in chemo and drugs previously limited to humans then yeah it's going to get pricey.

[Akoto]

7. For people like myself, too sick to care for a human child ...

The pets are about as close as we get. I love our dogs, and would do what's necessary to care for them. They're not things, they are a part of the family.

[Terra Alta]

14. There really is such a bond between pets and their owners.

If I had a pet, and enough money for it's care, I would spend every dime to make sure my furry friend was going to be okay.

[WinkyDink]

22. "Big money goes toward" is a completely odd way of expressing "Pet-owners spend money....."

Bad syntax.

[Brickbat]

24. I've had extended and explicit conversations with the vet about what we're willing to do for and

spend on our dogs in the event they get sick. I don't consider the dogs "furbabies," "kids," or "family members" -- they're my pets, and at the end of the day there's only so much I will do for a dog. If you have pets, I recommend having this conversation with your vet so you're all on the same page when something happens.

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. If only it were that cheap for human healthcare.

[xchrom]

28. I actually think this is good news. Nt