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How much do you spend on a sick pet?

Exactly what others have said, if it will improve their quality of life you spend it if you can. If it is just to prolong a miserable experience, do them a favor and let nature take it's course.

We have a fifteen year old pound puppy mutt. Five years ago we moved into our first house after he had been couped up in apartments his whole life. Our first week in the house he blew out his knee running around the yard. We spent $1,200 to have it reapaired. It was worth it though as he is the most active fifteen year old dog I have ever seen and our two and a half year old daughter loves plaing with him. Now that he's fifteen, is beyond his life expectancy, and is having hearing and vision problems, we would have to think hard before spending that much money again.
 
My sister volunteers at a pet shelter. Her view is that there are a lot of animals that would make great pets and are being euthunized due to overcrowding. Instead of spending the money on extending the life of a pet for a year or so, maybe a better alternative would be to adopt a pet that has many years to live.

I'm not sure I would agree if I had a costly highly-trained pet, but I can see her point.
 
zumbro clones said:
My sister volunteers at a pet shelter. Her view is that there are a lot of animals that would make great pets and are being euthunized due to overcrowding. Instead of spending the money on extending the life of a pet for a year or so, maybe a better alternative would be to adopt a pet that has many years to live.

I'm not sure I would agree if I had a costly highly-trained pet, but I can see her point.
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That is an admirable idea, but when you've had a companion for 14 years, the decision isn't that easy. You don't just say, "let's just put this pet to sleep and go get another one to replace it." They become part of your family.
 
CloneAggie said:
That is an admirable idea, but when you've had a companion for 14 years, the decision isn't that easy. You don't just say, "let's just put this pet to sleep and go get another one to replace it." They become part of your family.
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we just put down one of our labs in January, 12 years with the family but she had gotten arthritis and was to the point where mobility was an issue. Vet had made a reccomendation of some drug running about 60 a month, I figured I am money ahead now she has been gone 3 months.
 
I grew up on a farm where the dog's and cats were outside. Never have been close to a pet. So max I would spend is the cost of a 22 shell.

My wife and kids say they want a pet for inside the house. I say as long as it's stuffed go ahead.
 
I had this big old iguana back in college. He started acting weird so I took him into this vet. The vet basically told me that it wasn't going to be worth it to fix him. I was outraged. So I took my iguana, Stan, home. Eventually Stan died.
 
tamjam said:
I had this big old iguana back in college. He started acting weird so I took him into this vet. The vet basically told me that it wasn't going to be worth it to fix him. I was outraged. So I took my iguana, Stan, home. Eventually Stan died.
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OK, I'll ask the question: how can you tell that an iguana is acting weird?
 
Tough question and not sure anyone can answer it until you are placed in that situation. I grew up in the country and still live in the country. Pets were a big part of my life growing up and also now as a parent of 2 daughters. Young people can learn a great deal about life from animals and how people treat them, plus the obvious "circle of life" connection. I have not ever had to make any major decisions regarding pets, but I do know that if the request was not a financial burden AND the quality of life could be maintained for them, I would think long and hard toward spending the money.
 
A few years ago I had this cat that orginaly belonged to an old girlfriend. Basically when we split up I kept the cat. The cat got sick and I spent a ton of money trying to get it better. In the end there was nothing more the doctors could do so I had to put little MC Skat Kat to sleep. Do I wish I had that money back now? Probably. Sometimes opposites don't attract.
 
The most important question is when are we going to have pet healthcare reform? It's ridiculous here, just go to Canada and get your dog fixed for free. Sorry, they don't accept cats.

Skys the limit for me on what I spend for my dog. As long as her quality of life stays the same.
 
Questions I ask:

Is said medical treatment going to promote an enjoyable existence for the pet?

Am I prolonging a painful or miserable existence for this pet because of my feelings? In other words, am I making this pet live in pain or misery just so I can feel better, or so that I can avoid dealing with feelings that are eventually going to have to be dealt with anyway?
 
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When I was a kid, we had to make that call early on with our 1st dog. She came to us with worms, and the vet thought that she might make it six months. (There might have been more to the story. I kind of forget.)

We made the choice at least to try to see her through it, and give the treatment a chance. She had a real nice 15 years after that.

It's hard to say, but in our family, pets have tended to live a real long time. Mom is out of pets now, for the first time that I can remember.
 
tamjam said:
I had this big old iguana back in college. He started acting weird so I took him into this vet. The vet basically told me that it wasn't going to be worth it to fix him. I was outraged. So I took my iguana, Stan, home. Eventually Stan died.
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We "iguana sat" for a friend of the ex's when I was in the Army. Her friend actually had a walking harness leash thingy for his iguana. I was "walking" it one night out in the yard while some passersby were out with their (massive sized) dog, who was not on a leash. The dog went for the iguana, I jumped in between, got thumped in the chest by the dog, and whacked in the calf by the iguana. All parties escaped serious injury, but I had a "nice" red mark on my leg from the iguana's tail. Apparently, as I found out after the fact, iguanas, can use their tails in a "whipping" motion for self defense. A five foot iguana whose body was half tail. Yeah, that was a good time. :wink:
 
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