would you spend $3000 on your cat's medical needs?

[laura888]

my kitty is ill and so I took him to the vet.

I just got a wopping estimate for treatment the vet prescribed: $3000.00.

would you dip into your savings for this?
at what point would you stop paying?

[greyl]

1. It totally depends on how much money is available

sadly. :(

Is a second opinion possible?

good wishes to ya.

edit: yes, if I could afford it.

[Bronco69]

2. $3000 is a LOT of money.

What is wrong with your cat?

[laura888]

3. he is diabetic and went into some kind of shock

this has made him very dehydrated and weak. He also has a urinary tract infection and there may be something wrong with his liver.

Lots of blood tests and a few stay-over nights at the vet.

[Bronco69]

11. That seems like a lot of money .

Maybe you need to get a second opinion. I wouldn't have a problem spending $3000 over a period of a few years, but that much all at once seems like a lot.

[Divernan]

13. Get more information from the vet

I had a vet remove an encapsulated tumor from my dog. At the time I'm a single working Mom with three kids at home and money was very tight. I paid for the surgery on the dog, but the vet wanted another chunk of cash to have the tumor biopsied to see if it was malignant. I asked, "If it comes back malignant, what are the options then?" He told me, you could send your dog to a place in Michigan (we lived in another state) where he could get chemotherapy."

I told him that since that was not an option I could or would consider, we would just skip the biopsy. My dog (age 12)recovered from the surgery and had another very happy year and a half of life before he cancer evidenced itself throughout his body and I had have him euthanized.

I suggest you take care of the urinary tract infection (simple antibiotic treatment), get him rehydrated, and monitor his health for signs of liver problems. My daughter's dog developed a rapidly progressive diabetes/blindness and had to be euthanized. It's the very most painful thing in life to make that decision for a pet who is often like a child to you. I've had to do that for two pets, and afterward realized that I had delayed the decision because I could not face the loss. My delay caused my pets to suffer more than they should, and I now regret I wasn't strong enough to take that step before they were in severe distress.

I'm sorry for you and your cat that you're going through this.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. We Went Through The Same Thing

Severe diabetes in both kitties, who were littermates.

We figured since we had the money, we needed to do whatever we could for our little beasties.
The Professor

[laura888]

37. are your cats ok now?

I'm thinking that this treatment WILL get my cat back to normal. Did your cats ever experience the shock thing again?

[ProfessorGAC]

39. Not An Easy Answer To That

Both have died since then. The whole thing came up when they were both between 7 and 9 years old. They were ok for about 4 or 5 years and then things got dicey.

One of them had more than one episode of the insulin shock thing. We had to feed it Karo syrup a few times to bring it back around.

At some point, though, the breakdown of the body got so bad that the cats had no further quality of life and we were forced to put them down. That's a SUPER hard thing to do, but at some point we figured out that we were keeping the beasties alive for us, not for them.

For the longest time, we thought we were being diligent pet owners, but eventually it becomes selfishness, not compassion. It's hard to find that line.

We haven't had any health traumas with the kitties for a long time. We've had two others die from old age since, but that wasn't traumatic. One of them was 18 years old, and the other was 14, but was always frail and we never expected her to last as long as she did.

But, feline diabetes is VERY hard to regulate. We ended up doing much better with it when we gave them half the dosage, twice a day. You end up kind of chained to the house when you have to be there at 6am and 6pm every single day. But, we were ok with it until there was just no controlling it.

It's a pernicious disease and there's only so much we can do about it. Eventually, you will lose control of it and then the really tough decision comes.

For us, the spending of the money wasn't that tough a decision. We weren't spending money we didn't have, so we just did it. It was much harder to know when to quit spending the money.

Take care.
The Professor

[laura888]

43. thanks for much for your thoughtful reply

so did you get other kitties after the ones with diabetes died?

[ProfessorGAC]

44. Yes. Clarisse and Josephine

And a big poochie too! Clarisse (9.8#) is very good friends with the 108# beast, (name: Barney). He's 11 times her size, and they're pals. They hang out in the same room at least 80% of the time.

Josephine is still a little intimidated by "the monster", though. It's been 3 years, so i don't think she'll ever quite get over it.

Thanks for asking.
The Professor

[Loonman]

4. Sounds like a shakedown

Does the vet drive a Lamborghini?

[Hogarth]

45. Hahahahahaha!

We just went through the same thing, but it didn't cost quite that much. Now the cat is alive and well, but wellness didn't come cheap. He got some infection from fleas that the puppy brought in, and it ended up costing hundreds upon hundreds for cat-transfusions and treatment. I became dubious of the diagnosis after the vet needed to do a type and cross-match only after having transfused with--what?--generic cat blood?

I'm not a doctor, but I'm not an idiot, either. Typing and cross-matching has to be the first step, doesn't it?

[Bunny]

5. I don't know.

Depends on the age of the cat, the particular condition(s), etc. If it was a relatively young cat, and/or the treatment would bring about a full recovery, then I might do it. (I have dogs, not cats, but it's the same principle). If the cat was very old, and/or the treatment might not necessarily cure it or prevent further instances of the illness, I'd probably think long and hard about it. That's just me, tho. Might seem kind of cold, but you have to deal with the reality of your particular situation.

[VermontDem2004]

6. I would unless you can get a better deal and what is wrong with your cat?

If either of my dogs came up with something serious I would probaly spend that much because my dogs are more important then money. But of course you still have bills to pay as well as other necesseties.

[Khephra]

7. If spending the money wouldn't put me on the street

and I actually had $3000, sure.

We've had to face this question ourselves recently. One of our cats has a tumor, but we simply can't pay for the surgery. We'd be out on the street if we did. It's heartbreaking, but true. There isn't a real good chance that he'd recover either, even if we did the surgery, as he's 18 years old. So we're just trying to make his final days comfortable.

Hell, we didn't have $3000 for my grandmother's medical problems when she was still alive. It sucks being poor and sick in this country.

[Gore1FL]

8. If I had it I would for my dog

But there are considerations ---

Will he/she recover, or is this a "heroic" attempt to prolong a life of problems.

If the later is the case, you are talking about more than the intiial $3000, and to keep him/her alive in a painful state.

The next question to ask yourself, are you doing it for him/her, or are you doing it for you?

[Mikimouse]

9. We did exactly that 3 years ago

when my wife's cat Putzin was having back problems. The Vet' school locally put him in intensive care because he couldn't use his hind legs very well, and it had been an overnight phenomenon. They later told us that he was, on top of the back problem, diabetis, and had Addison's disease. Then, they told my wife that he had cancer (after they had told me the day before that his back problem was probably either arthritis or some kind of recent injury). They wanted to 'put him down', and I suggested (not very nicely, I'm afraid) that they should consider 'putting down' their children!). Two years later, Putzin was rediagnosed with a back injury, probably caused by our little lady cat, Tootise, dumping a chair over on him in the dark. With all the treatments (meds., CT scan, X-rays, hospitalization, and consultations), the bill came to well over three thousand dollars. I was happy to pay it (clearly we both conreibuted to paying it), because if there is one thing I cannot stand to see, it is my wife reduced to tears. Those idiots at the Vet. school traumatized her thoroughly with the cancer diagnosis, and then told her two years later that 'we may have been mistaken'. Thank goodness we didn't listen to them. By the way, Putzy is OK today, and is back to his old self.

[gonefishing]

10. Ten years ago

I rescued two Irish Setters. My Brother-in-law told me that I would wind up spending 10k on those dogs. I wish he was right. I have spent well over 20k in the last 10 years on those goofy dogs. As they get older it is going to get worse. In other words I don't know how much is enough. I do however know I love those stupid dogs.

[bleedingheart]

12. No

but that is me and with the economy in such bad shape I wouldn't want to spend money on an ill cat that I might need for my mortgage or food for my kids.

$3000 is a whole lot of money.

[meti57b]

15. My current vet says for dehydration.....

they would keep him there all day (days) on an IV but I would take him home overnight (nights). This is a cats-only vet who is truly devoted to cats and their well-being. He has six cats of his own and does a small cat rescue in connection with his practice. My previous vet had insisted they had to keep the cat overnight at some exorbitant fee.

I have been fortunate and have the benefit of steady and well-paid employment, so my perspective on the $3000 isn't of much help. But I would not hesistate to pay the $3000 if that's what it took to save my cats' life and health.

[Kamika]

16. Get a kitten instead

And let your cat die in peace.


3000 for what? 1 month extra? maybe two?

Hell I wouldn't even want my future kids to spend that on ME if I was dying and it would just be for maybe some extra month

[soothsayer]

20. who gave the cat a prognosis of a month or two?

might be years for all we know

[ajacobson]

17. My wife would say yes, I dunno

That's a fight we'll be having in the future, I guess (6 dogs, 2 cats).

Our biggest vet bill so far has been $750, I had to borrow money from friends to pay it. The specialists weren't able to figure out what it was but it went away thankfully. Presented like encephalitis but wasn't.

[bif]

18. No. $100 tops. Then dirt nap time

I know it sounds cruel, but I have two asshole cats that I can just barely stand. We have them for the kids.

[zanana]

21. Please do these two cats a favor...

Please find them good homes. They deserve better.

[bif]

24. Just because I don't like them

Doesn't mean they don't get treated like kings. They're the most spoiled, pampered animals I've ever seen. It's not like I kick them around or anything. Sheesh! Cut me some slack here. I've been a cat person all my life.

[soothsayer]

19. my sister spent $10k on her stray, getting him chemo

and then radiation,which seems to have worked as he can walk normally again and is a very happy cat. He gets accupuncture now, too, which seems to help his appetite (she gets it for him even tho she doesn't believe in it----my sister is confusing).

She had to cash in savings bonds to do it, and I've wondered if I would have done the same thing if I were in that position. Don't know....

[GabysPoppy]

22. Would you spend $3000. on your child?

Before everyone jumps on me, consider that for many people their pets are their children.

Also consider what the decision means to the kids who see their pet as a sibling. Show a cold feelingless decision and consider how much money you will be spending later in life on psychologists for your your children.

It's a different story if the money is needed for the basics of life but if it's money for a new adult toy, I think the $3000. is better spent on the cat.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

23. Get a second opinion-$3,000 seems like a lot of money

if not, see if the vet has some kind of payment plan (they usually do-I was in this predicament when my first cat was ill).

[Bertha Venation]

26. second that -- get a 2nd opinion! n/t

[Bertha Venation]

25. Yes, I would, if they'd give me terms and if

kitty would have good quality of life after the treatment.

I would stop paying if kitty wouldn't have good quality of life or if they couldn't give me terms (which I think they would), or if I knew I couldn't complete the payment schedule.

There is pet health insurance. You might look into that.

[Throckmorton]

27. No

I would not.

[Toronto Ron]

28. I would (and did)

Spent almost $3000 in a week trying to save one of our cats last year; $2000 of that was spent in 2 days at a vet hospital, knowing that her chances were slim. She didn't make it. But we don't regret spending the money at all, even though it was a good chunk of our savings. Little Tilly, a tortie, was only 5 years old. A year and a half later, we still miss her dearly, and are sad to think that our daughter (who was just about 6 months old at the time) won't get to know her. But a few months after, we rescued two more cats (now have three), in Tilly's memory.

I offer a mild disagreement with the poster who suggested getting a kitten: Everybody wants a kitten, which leaves older cats unwanted (often abandoned by owners who thought a kitten is so cute but don't want to care for an older cat).

[Kathy in Cambridge]

30. I agree-Adopt an older cat. I adopted two in May

Reno is 7 and Noah is 6-they're still frisky but not nuts, and they are so affectionate! Older cats are great if you don't like the idea of kitties bouncing off your head at 3 AM.

[trogdor]

29. Gee, for 1/100th of that, you can get a new cat.

Of course, a good cat is hard to find. I suppose it all depends on how attached you are to the beast.

[Lindacooks]

31. Absolutely, I have and will again

The way I measure whether or not to continue treatment is the cat's quality of life, whether or not they are too stressed out by doctor's visits, etc. We had a beautiful Russian blue cat (from the Humane Society, as are all our cats) who developed leukemia (not Feline Leukemia Viral Disease) when she was 15. This was a cat who freaked out when we changed the sheets on the bed, so we knew she would NOT tolerate treatment at a vet's office for days on end. We just took her home and made her life the best we could. She lived for 11 months longer, amazing the vet, and one day everything just failed. The vet came to the house to put her to sleep. I wouldn't do anything different.

[Beaker]

32. No way. and I have 3 cats.

$750 is my approximate threshhold. They don't live forever, and if you've given it a good and comfortable life for the time that you've had it, you have nothing to feel guilty about if it needs to be put-down.

[dreissig]

33. Get Another Cat

How many unwanted cats are euthanized every day? Thousands! If you rescue one of them, you can re-pay the karmic debt you incur by euthanizing the sick one.

Don't do anything heroic to save a cat, there are too many of them. And don't call it a special cat, all cats are special.

It's nature's way. Cats die.

[SoCalDem]

34. As someone who HAS spent thousands for vet treatments,

I can only offer a few bits of avdice:

If the cat is young (under 12), and was in otherwise good health before, AND you can either make payments or have the ability to pay, DO IT..

Diabetes in animals is very much like adults.. If the cat will have to be on insulin from now on, be sure before you spend all that money, that you have the lifestyle and the kitty has the tolerance for the daily regimine.. If you travel a lot or are forgetful, you will be facing many more high vet bills, and the eventual outcome will not be good.. ( it would be hard to get a friend to administer the meds when you are gone.)

If there are other health problems, this might just be the start of a steady decline..

It's a hard decision to make, and often you do not have lots of time to make it.. Whatever you decide, you WILL have second thoughts about it, so prepeare yourself..

Here's hoping that your kitty rebounds and makes the huge expense unnecessary.:)

[alwynsw]

35. Only with this exception:

if it were a valuable breeder that could potentially return the investment through sales of its offspring.

Pets are not people. I personally cannot justify more than a couple of hundred bucks on medical treatment for a companion pet. It's not an issue of availability of funds: it's an issue of value of the animal.

IF your pet is that important to you, by all means spend the money. I recommend that you think twice before committing to it.

[Bertha Venation]

42. "it's an issue of value of the animal" -- ugly, IMO

I realize some people are into animals for the money, but I don't know anyone who is who does not care so much about the animals that they wouldn't be willing to spend to save its life.

Pets aren't money. To some people, animals are. IMO such people are largely animals themselves, in some ways.

[Cleita]

36. I just spent $1,500 on my kitty so I am sure I would

spend $3,000. I put it on a credit card though. My savings are pretty much down to zero with other emergencies I have had. I decided as long as kitty was young he deserved to live. If he were an old cat I might have opted to put him to sleep instead because he would have died if this operation hadn't been performed.

[ronnykmarshall]

38. Yes

When Mickey was sick, we were willing to pay to get well. We had a wonderful vet that told us they were going to take off a lot of the bill since we were fighting for him and he had a chance. Sadly, he died. The vet bill was $800.

[geniph]

40. Yes, and I have

I spent $2200 on him last year, and am looking at spending another $1500 this year. The way I look at it, I can make more money. I can't make another Cappy. He's my baby - the only kids I'll ever have are the ones with fur, feathers, fins, and scales.

So long as whatever you're paying for prolongs a life with good quality of life, and paying it does not adversely affect your quality of life, I believe in doing whatever one can to keep an animal happy and comfortable and healthy; otherwise, you shouldn't have it. If you truly can't afford it, then humane euthanasia is sometimes the only choice.

If the money only keeps an animal alive for a very short period of time, or if their prognosis is still poor, then it's probably time to consider saying goodbye. In my case, the problem is completely resolved by the surgery, so I consider it money very well spent.

By the way, I had a diabetic cat some years back; many people are able to stabilize their cats very successfully with diabetes and the cats live long, happy lives. One of the tricks is to never let the cat's condition deteriorate too horribly; keep a close watch on it and take measures before things get too serious.

Pet insurance can be worth it for some conditions, but my experience with it has been that I'd have been better off just putting $10 per cat aside in a special savings account.

[Padraig18]

41. If I had the money, yes.

:)

[doubleplusgood]

46. Yes

...if you can afford it and if the cat won't suffer from the treatment and could expect a good quality of life, then I would do so.

3 years ago one of our cats was diagnosed with lymphoma. Our regular vet suggested another vet specializing in chemo. Initially, I was extremely sceptical of this kind of treatment, fearing that our cat would suffer hair loss, nausea, etc. like in humans. However, that turned out not to be the case and, except for the inconvenience & discomfort of receving the treatment, our cat made a complete recovery.

And, yeah, the total cost was $5000+, but we don't regret it at all.

[harper]

47. I don't know if I would

I love my three cats, and I make sure they have a good life, but I would look long and hard about spending that much money. But aside from the money, I would look down the road at what all was entailed keeping the cat healthy. Twice in my cat owning life I've embarked on a long course of vet treatment for one of my cats and then really regretted it at the end. It wasn't the money that was the issue, it was what I put the cat through in an effort to prolong it's life.

I've decided that vets are keyed into trying every option and sometimes someone needs to take a step back and decide if the option being put forth by the vet is humane.

We all love our pets and I firmly believe that sometime the best thing we can do for them is to let them go.

[gpandas]

48. shoot the cat

And send the money to someone who helps PEOPLE.

[joeybee12]

49. YES--for me, the money would not be the point, the quality of life is

How are the kitty's chances after treatment? If he/she can live a good life after all this, then do it. If this just means future treatments, etc., you have to consider if it's fair to keep the poor thing alive if it's in pain or uncomfortable.

[corarose]

50. If I had the funds I would pay it

If you have the funds pay it otherwise make payment arrangements with the vet.

[rbnyc]

51. Yes, but only if there were no alternative.

We had to take Bevy to the animal hospital when our vet was away and they gave us a huge estimate. We told them we didn't have much money and they came up with a much more conservative alternative, and Bevy is fine.

[onebigbadwulf]

52. No if he needs that much to be healthy he is suffering way too much

let him rest in peace!

[SiobhanClancy]

53. Of course!! if I had the money....

I know they would do it for me,if they could and the situation were reversed. My cats are FAMILY,and like any other family members,they get the best I have to give them.

[VOX]

54. Depending upon the prognosis, yes.

If there was a good chance that the procedure required by my cat would mean his being around several more years, and that his quality of life would not be significantly impacted, then yes.

These little guys are treasures, and they give so much and ask for so little (being thoroughly spoiled aside).

I have dynamic, interactive relationships with my cats, and perhaps have a bit more emotion invested in them than the average person:
They make me smile, they help me forget the cares of the day, they give unconditional love.

I would easily put $3K on a credit card if my cross-species pal's life depended upon it.