Ideas on getting help to pay for emergency vet bills

[LisaR]

I know it's too late for this to work in their situation, but I would encourage pet owners to get a pet insurance policy (I use Trupanion) that will cover these types of bills. With Trupanion, you can adjust your deductible in order to find a monthly payment that works best for you and they cover 90% of the expenses beyond your deductible.

I can't imagine "Mary" and her husband have enough discretionary income to make monthly insurance payments on a cat who may have never needed the insurance to begin with. They sound like they probably have a hard enough time paying for their own health insurance.

 

[Dentam]

I can't imagine "Mary" and her husband have enough discretionary income to make monthly insurance payments on a cat who may have never needed the insurance to begin with. They sound like they probably have a hard enough time paying for their own health insurance.

Which is why I started my post by saying it wouldn't work for them but is something I would encourage for people who decide to own pets.

 

[LisaR]

Which is why I started my post by saying it wouldn't work for them but is something I would encourage for people who decide to own pets.

I understand that, all I was saying is that people with those types of daily financial hardships simply aren't going to be able to afford to do that. It's unfortunate.

 

[Dentam]

I understand that, all I was saying is that people with those types of daily financial hardships simply aren't going to be able to afford to do that. It's unfortunate.

I agree with a previous poster who said that people need to make sure they are financially able to care for their pets. It is unfortunate, but I know people who lost their jobs, are always posting on Facebook about being broke, even set up a go fund me page to help them with their expenses to try to save their business (which they ended up losing), and then posted pics of the TWO puppies they just adopted. They can't even afford their own medical care and they now have two dogs. That's upsetting to me. I understand that pets can be very comforting companions, but they deserve quality care and families that are able to provide that care. Instead, if anything happens to the dogs, I'm sure there will be a go fund me page set up so that other people can pay the bills for them.

Sorry... got off topic a bit. It just upsets me to see pets in these situations.

 

[Planogirl]

Part of the problem is that it has gotten so expensive to care for pets. Just like any other medical care the prices are out of hand.

I hope that they figure this out. It sounds like they got caught up in some bad situations which can happen to anyone.

 

[ndelaware]

They could have euthanized the animal. Are they expected to give potentially thousands in completely free medical care?

Feel free to make generous donations to them if you'd like them to be able to provide free vet care to whomever needs it.

What were they supposed to do? Just provide and pay for the surgery out of the good of their hearts? Where would that money come from? What else could it have been used on?

The situation stinks, but the Humane Society is in NO way to blame for any of this. At least they gave the cat a chance.

The HS has an interest in doing what's best for an animal, and I'm not saying this was their logic, but sometimes just because a home is a loving home doesn't make it the best home. If a pet owner is just barely scraping by, then the HS could have a legitimate concern about welfare. Food is not the only expense for a pet. A responsible owner needs to be able to afford anything that comes up. I know the HS I volunteered for was very thorough about adoptions. References, job verification, sometimes even home visits. They have a vested interest in making sure their animals go to a good place because if they don't, they'll be relinquished AGAIN. My cat had been given up twice before, so they were very sure I was serious about adopting him.

A private vet may have put the animal down or refused to treat it if they couldn't afford even a payment plan. At least the HS saved the animal.

So if this was a human child, should the child be adopted out, since the parents could not pay?

 

[lovin'fl]

So if this was a human child, should the child be adopted out, since the parents could not pay?

A pet is a luxury that one should not have if they can not afford to care for it.

 

[Jennasis]

Part of the problem is that it has gotten so expensive to care for pets. Just like any other medical care the prices are out of hand.

I hope that they figure this out. It sounds like they got caught up in some bad situations which can happen to anyone.

On the contrary. I find the costs for veterinary care to be highly reasonable, particularly when compared to the cost for human medical care. I own 7 horses and run a boarding barn with 30. Vet care is part of my daily life. The last two surgeries my horses had were a fraction of what that same surgery would have cost me or DH. For example, one horse had broken a leg and required orthopedic surgery to install plates and screws. The procedure included driving 2 hours away to the emergency hospital at 10pm and a 10 day stay at the hospital. A plate and 8 screws later the bill was $3400. Another had eye surgery this summer...$774. We use Care Credit. I shudder to think what either of thse surgeries would ahve cost a human being LOL!

I think veterinary tecnology has changed so much that there is WAY more that can actually be done for our pets. I also think people need to figure veterinary costs in when deciding to get any pet. My sister just adopted a little terrier...two days after he came home they discovered he had massive bladder stones and needed emergency surgery. She was prepared to pay.

 

[eliza61]

Part of the problem is that it has gotten so expensive to care for pets. Just like any other medical care the prices are out of hand.

I hope that they figure this out. It sounds like they got caught up in some bad situations which can happen to anyone.

Amen Plano.

My dog hobbes developed diabetes when he was about 7 years old. we did not have pet health insurance. His daily insulin is 140 month including the needles.
Then he developed cataracts and went blind. cataract surgery?? $5,000 bucks. we put that on our credit card.

Now he's about 14 years old, if he has anymore issues I simply am not willing to pay for it. I have college tuition and am about to retire.
Yes my family was/is able to care for my dog but come on, sorry I'm not kicking out 10's of thousands of dollars to do it.

It's ridiculous. MOst people do not get a dog without being financially fit. No one gets a dog and then says' Jee I think I'll lose my job". I have friends who got waffled when Superstorm sandy came through. Yes a dog is a luxury but they really didn't think a hurricane was going to wipe their house off it's foundation.

I'm sure op's friend Mary should have known she was going to get cancer before she got the cat.

 

[mom2rtk]

A pet is a luxury that one should not have if they can not afford to care for it.

I see what you're saying. But that's really a complicated stand. If people stop adopting pets, what happens to them? Sure, in an ideal world, everyone would spay or neuter, and there wouldn't be so many excess pets. But let's face it. Pets need homes. Those that don't find them get put down. Isn't it better to have them adopted, even if occasionally this sort of situation comes up?

 

[eliza61]

A pet is a luxury that one should not have if they can not afford to care for it.

they probably could afford it. life happens every where else but the dis. Mary got cancer. Most folks don't walk around saying "I wonder if I can afford this if a hurricane rips my house apart or if I get a life threatening illness"

When most folks get a pet they usually are thinking about feeding it. they don't plan on losing their jobs.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Sounds like The "Humane" Society is anything but........

Of course, they are humane. They provided the necessary treatment for the cat.

 

[eliza61]

Op, just another thought. Do you guys have a college with a Vet school?

I'm in Philly and we have University of Penns vet school and I know they do a lot of charity cases.

 

[robinb]

Sounds like The "Humane" Society is anything but........

I absolutely do not blame the humane society AT ALL. They saved Maury's life.

Good news! Maury came home with Mary and Dave last night! I don't know what they worked out, but I will be sure to come back to the thread when I know. Attached is a photo of that lucky kitty .

 

[nkereina]

I agree with a previous poster who said that people need to make sure they are financially able to care for their pets. It is unfortunate, but I know people who lost their jobs, are always posting on Facebook about being broke, even set up a go fund me page to help them with their expenses to try to save their business (which they ended up losing), and then posted pics of the TWO puppies they just adopted. They can't even afford their own medical care and they now have two dogs. That's upsetting to me. I understand that pets can be very comforting companions, but they deserve quality care and families that are able to provide that care. Instead, if anything happens to the dogs, I'm sure there will be a go fund me page set up so that other people can pay the bills for them.

Sorry... got off topic a bit. It just upsets me to see pets in these situations.

I also agree, but in this couple's situation, it sounds like they ran into a series of unfortunate events. Sounds like they had the cat before the woman was laid off. Typically, cats can be relatively inexpensive to care for, and this was a freak accident with the cat breaking a leg. While I agree that those who have financial hardships shouldn't be spending money on pets, they may have ended up in that situation as opposed to people who are already there and take it upon themselves to get a dog or cat when they have no business doing so.

 

[Dentam]

I also agree, but in this couple's situation, it sounds like they ran into a series of unfortunate events. Sounds like they had the cat before the woman was laid off. Typically, cats can be relatively inexpensive to care for, and this was a freak accident with the cat breaking a leg. While I agree that those who have financial hardships shouldn't be spending money on pets, they may have ended up in that situation as opposed to people who are already there and take it upon themselves to get a dog or cat when they have no business doing so.

Yes, I wasn't talking about the people in this situation. Sorry, like I said I got off topic. I feel badly for the people mentioned in the OP's post and hope they're able to get their cat back somehow.

Also, veterinary care has come a long way with what they can do with laparoscopic surgeries, cancer treatments, and alternative therapies. I really strongly believe in purchasing insurance as soon as you get your pet so you can give them the best care possible without putting a bill for 5k on a cc.

ETA: Just read the update that the kitty is home!

 

[robinb]

Also, veterinary care has come a long way with what they can do with laparoscopic surgeries, cancer treatments, and alternative therapies. I really strongly believe in purchasing insurance as soon as you get your pet so you can give them the best care possible without putting a bill for 5k on a cc.

Can you recommend an insurance company?

 

[minniecarousel]

Nice update! Glad to hear Maury is home with Mary & her husband.

 

[Dentam]

Can you recommend an insurance company?

I use Trupanion. You can adjust your deductible based on how much you can afford to pay monthly. They will cover the other 90%. They don't cover spay and neuter though. There are other companies that do I'm sure but Trupanion was one of the best ones in terms of covering cancer treatments so I went with them given that my dog's breed is prone to cancer. If you do an online search for best pet insurance companies that should give you a good list.

 

[yoopermom]

I'm very happy for the kitty and its owners.

And just a PSA, we just had a TERRIBLE story here in WI about a woman who tried to kill her elderly black lab because it had medical conditions that she couldn't afford to treat nor could she afford to euthanize it (supposedly). Luckily, the poor dog survived, good Samaritans took it to the nearest shelter, it's being treated, and there are already multiple offers to adopt it. The shelter has been on the news reminding people that if they can't afford medical treatment or euthanasia for their pet to PLEASE sign it over to the shelter. This dog was lucky enough to have survived, but a kind, quick death would be preferable to being zipped in a bag and hit with a hammer repeatedly and left for dead.

Terri