While listening to NPR this weekend, I heard a fascinating discussion about pet expenses on “Marketplace Money.” Here is the link:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/your-money/putting-price-your-pets-health
I had my own taste of “how much would you spend?” with my beloved Dino. While cancer took Perdy within two months of her diagnosis, Dino survived for over a year. We spent a lot of money. We do not regret a penny. The whole point was to provide him with a good quality of life as long as possible.
We were very fortunate that we could afford to provide him with the care he needed. That being said, we did say no to some things. When we first learned of his diagnosis, we were given the option of taking him to a fancy pet hospital out of state. They could attempt to remove the tumor that was wrapped around his adrenal glands. The chances of a successful operation were slim. Even if he survived, the best we could hope for was another year or two. We decided against the operation. The risk was not worth the reward.
His vet worked with us too, prescribing affordable medicine when he could. His staff also showed me how to administer subcutaneous fluid infusions that kept him hydrated. This saved us expensive vet visits since he needed these infusions every other day.
Unfortunately, we must consider these issues when we adopt our furry friends. The NPR story did a great job discussing those issues. Enjoy!
Rescue Mommy
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