How I Happily Spent Over $5,000 in a Futile Attempt to Save my Dog
Hard Financial Decisions I Had to Make when My Dog Got Cancer
My pug Drea was a petite 18-pound, feisty pug that made me laugh for 13 happy years until cancer consumed her. From diagnosis to saying goodbye, she lived seven months. This is her story.
Learning the Horrible Truth
Giving Drea a belly rub one night, I felt a hard substance. It wasn't there before and I was immediately concerned.
Our first visit to the vet was tearful. Upon examination, he told us Drea had something in her mammary glands and needed X-rays. I didn't have a good feeling about it, although Drea didn't seem concerned. She trotted off to the lab to show them what a movie star she could be.
The X-rays revealed small masses. A sonogram was needed for greater clarity. The initial visit was $125, X-rays were $285 and the sonogram was $420. The total was $830.
Scheduling the Surgery
Our vet was patient and kind to explain the options. He said that, although there were no guarantees, the tumors appeared to be small and self-contained. Therefore, Drea had a good shot at recovery - if everything could be successfully removed. It was not a hard decision; she was scheduled for surgery the next day at a cost of $1,182.
The vet was happy - the tumors were easily removed and not embedded in tissue. He hoped he got it all - but reminded us there were no guarantees. It was just a matter of seeing what happened in the next few months.
Making Hard Emotional and Financial Decisions
Unfortunately, we didn't get months. The pathology report came back as cancer and within five weeks, the tumors grew back - this time bigger and harder than the original ones. It was difficult to believe it could happen that fast - but, it did.
Another round of X-rays and tests revealed the entire mammary area had been invaded by cancer. The bill for this was $588 and the prognosis wasn't good. The cold, hard fact was the cancer was back and spreading rapidly. The vet gave us options. We could do another expensive surgery and chemotherapy to see if she responded. However, she would go through much pain and suffering without much hope of a good outcome. The truth was the cancer was going to take her from us, no matter what we did.
The alternative was to keep her happy and comfortable for as long as we could. The doctor said she could live three weeks or three months; it was hard to know which. But, high-powered pain killers could take away her pain, without making her drowsy, for a while. The medications ran $156 a month and the vet said we'd know when they stopped working for her. They worked for seven months and a total of $1,092.
Saying Goodbye
For seven months after Drea's initial diagnosis, she was a happy, energetic ball of fire - like most pugs. She didn't know she had a problem - even though the tumors got so big, they created gaping holes in her little belly where they were trying to push themselves out. I dressed them every day with a healthy portion of antibiotic ointment and little t-shirts to keep dirt out of the openings. The salves and t-shirt changes cost about $45 a month; another $315 spent.
Then one night, Drea tried to lie down on her belly and she yelped. She tried and yelped again. The pain killers stopped working. It was three in the morning when we took her to the emergency vet to put her to rest. After a tearful goodbye, she went to sleep in my arms. The final bill was $585 - including the burial we selected.
Dealing with the Debt
Needless to say, none of this was planned; it all went on a credit card. At about 9% interest for two years, the expenses of $4,592 increased another $800 for interest as we struggled to pay for the painful experience.
The truth be told, I would gladly pay over $5,000 again just to have her back in my arms. I miss Daddy's Little Girl Drea.
Published by Terry Mulligan - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
As an artist, writer, interior decorator and pet enthusiast with an MBA and extensive business experience, I love to learn and share information on a variety of subjects. Anything creative is my passion and... View profile
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100 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for your thoughts -- supr_inno and Abbey Willow -- we share a kindred spirit in the love of our animals. Kindest regards, Terry
I spent $7000 on my cat, for just a few more hours with him. the vets brought him back to life twice and borrowed kitty plasma from other vets to keep him afloat so i could try and keep him around for a bit. it was hard and i'm still paying for it (took place over 5 years ago) but i'm glad i did and would do it again in a heartbeat. he was my best friend and the only friend i had for some time. he got my through a rough spot in life and i owed it to him to try. money is nothing compared to the love our pet friends have for us and vice versa.
I am sorry for your loss of your pet- and I agree that there is no expense that is too much for a beloved furry family member. I hope you have peace in knowing that your little pug is now in a place where she is feeling no pain, and that you did all you could. God bless
Hi "Shannon", are you working hard to support my dear old dad?
Vet care is pricing us out of pet "ownership". Our last dog cost us almost $3k in the last 3 weeks of her life. We MAY have been able to save her IF we spent thousands of dollars more, but the vet recommended since she was 14 that we put her down. Isn't it sad that you have to weigh money against life? I don't know how vets do that? "I might be able save your pet, but you have to able to afford it." I know it sounds bad, but isn't it tragic that so many lives are snuffed out because of the greed of a capitalistic society.
@ John, sorry if that was offensive to you or anyone. None the less,studies have found those facts to be true. If there are both children and animals in a home, and one or the other are found to be being abused, further investigations have revealed that in almost every case, both are being abused.
As for costs for vet care, keep in mind that vets need higher scores to get into vet school than your MD does to get into medical school. = your pets doctor is likely to be smarter than your family doctor.
Your vet makes pennies on the dollar compaired to you family Dr. and usually has less financial support through school so her/his student loans are higher and take longer to pay off.
Overhead is comperable for office space, equipment, medications and support staff.
When you think about it, vets are a better deal than any "Black Friday Deal" every day of the week.
I am gratefull for the vet care that my dog has been given. Advances in more high tech advanced care options have given my family an additional years after our dogsd diagnosis with two very rare cancers. Just finished a third surgery that cost 3,300.00 not including the travel to an animal cancer center some 800 miles away. This brings the total cost of her cancer treatmentsto to a bit over 14,000.00.
If I had the same chemo treatments, CT's, PET scanns, surgerys, hospital stays that she has had, my bills would no doubt be somewhere in the 200,000.00 - 300,000.00 range. Maybe even more.
Now before you say that I am crazy, keep in mind that this dog is a national hero dog that has served her country her entire life starting with 9/11 at the Pentagon.
I was looking for a dog to ride on my motorcycle with me. I knew that the Jack Russell was a good candidate so I set out to find one. Free if I could. I advertised on Craig's List and I got 30 replies. 29 wanted to sell me a Jack but one said she had to part with her 5 month old female Jack and I could have her for free. Needless to say I took her and have felt blessed ever since. She is everything I wanted and a whole lot more. I set out to find a vet that was as reasonable as could be expected. After a short search I found an established vet with a good rep and a very accommodating business ethic. When he surmised that I was not rich he asked what I did for a living and I told him I was a metal fabricator with a woodworking hobby that I felt skilled at. To make a long story short his wife needed a huge dining table to seat her large family. I built the table and for that I received lifetime vet care for my puppy. So far I would have spent $1250 on her. Spaying, shots, de-worming,etc.
I am attending school as a vet tech and I have seen and heard both sides of the issue regarding pet care. Some will put off vet care entirely (owning a pet brings responsibility. Do not have a pet if you will not take care of it). Others will spend upwards of $20,000 for dialysis. That is their decision. I probably wouldn't go that far to care for a pet unless it is young. The older the animal and the more poking and prodding it must go thru at the vet, means more stress. Many vets use high tech equipment to diagnose. That equipment may not be needed if the pet is given regular exams to rule out potential problems. Yes, some vets will use everything at their disposal to bring in clients and revenue...but not all vets are that way. Some, like the one I work for, cares about the pet and the client and will only charge what he deems necessary. He does not work for the money, only for the pet. But, of course, it is still up to the owner in the end and many owners will state exactly what they want, even if it means shelling out more money on their pet.
If I was walking down to a fork on the road, one side the dog got hurt and still living while the car is going to run over the dog but other side of the road a child walking on that road the car is going to hit that child? If I am only one to saved a life. which one that I choice too? Think about that question, who are you going to save a dog life or a child life? Some people love animals, but save a human life is more or less valuable? I wonder about that many times, should I saved the dog or a child?
For those that are offended by spending such a sum on a pet - that's the great thing about America. We can choose how we spend our money. Some choose to squeeze out kids like their womb is a revolving door. Kids my taxes pay to educate. Others prefer to spend our money on our pets. Again, beliefs vary and what ever brings happiness and piece of mind is what matters.