The downside of having pets

[Aberdeenplotter]

There is absolutely no doubt that pets are an absolute source of joy and VC's puppy thread reflects that. In the days leading up to delivery of her early xmas presents, I couldn't help thinking about the possibility of something going wrong and that there might be a need for veterinary intervention the costs of which can be astranomic. Thankfully VC didn't have any such problems and everything in the garden is Bessie (Why couldn't her name have been Rosie? ).

Anyway, this thread was prompted by my daughter's experience with a young female cat(coincidentally named Rosie) she adopted. The cat was expecting kittens but got stuck in delivery. Her own vet was on holiday and on phoning his surgery, she discovered that but was also referred in the recorded message to another vet's practice. She phoned me and I took her there in the car with the cat. The vet decided a c section was needed but quoted my daughter over £1000. Difficult decision to make. Pay the money which she didn't have and couldn't afford or have the cat put down. She paid the money as most folks would for a loved pet.

I was scandalised and disgusted at the at the cost.

Anyway, that's my gums bumped and I'm glad my fears for VC's financial welfare were unfounded

[mrswadders]

I know what your saying AP, we lost our dog Gino suddenly on holiday this year,we took him to the local vets and obviously as a much loved part of the family we wanted him cremated,obviuosly we were in total shock at the time and were quite happy topay the cost - £127 plus VAT. That was the cheaper version - we had him in a ''shaker'' tube but if we'd wanted him in a box you could double that figure. Bless him we loved him so much but he cost us a fortune this summer as we had to go and collect him 2 weeks later- so another tank of petrol. His now residing under a beautiful red cordyline in the greenhouse along with his favourite toy and various ches and biscuits we've discovered that he'd hid for a later date!

[mrswadders]

Gino't the brown one! cheeky monkey

[Hazel at the Hill]

The worry of something like this happening is why it is important to have insurance, I think.

We've discussed pet insurance before, I know - it's expensive, but gives you piece of mind if your pet does need it. Another idea is to put what you would spend on the insurance premiums into a savings account so the money is there if you need it (to an extent, at any rate) and if you are fortunate and don't have vets bills, unlike paying for insurance, you still have the money in the bank.

Also this tale highlights why it is important to have your pets neutered (assuming that AP's daughter wanted to adopt one cat and not a whole heap of cats!) - someone has to adopt the kittens.

I'm surprised that the Sanctuary that VC had Bessie from doesn't have all rehomees (is that a word?) neutered as a matter of course (I think that both Dogs Trust and Cats Protection to) - it's hard work for them to get their charges adopted so a bit self defeating if they then produce a load of offspring who will subsequently need new homes somewhere!

[mrswadders]

unfortunately with Gino although we had insurance it didn't cover the cost of cremation - only vet bills, not that I begrudge spending the money, i've got him home which is what matters

[veggiechicken]

I'm surprised that the Sanctuary that VC had Bessie from doesn't have all rehomees (is that a word?) neutered as a matter of course (I think that both Dogs Trust and Cats Protection to) - it's hard work for them to get their charges adopted so a bit self defeating if they then produce a load of offspring who will subsequently need new homes somewhere!

They do have them neutered, Hazel, but Bessie was in season when she went in and she was only there for a week or so before I had her. It would have been done in a couple of months - still will be

Re the costs & insurance - most of my recent adoptions have been of older dogs who've had hard lives. Insurers charge extra/or don't want to know about old dogs. So I just pay up as necessary.

Ap, I had Rosie, before Bessie. Spent £2000 - £3000 having corneal grafts plus all the ongoing medication - but she was worth it. You can't put a price on the joy and companionship that a pet can bring to your life - but its foolhardy to have a pet, if you can't afford to look after it. Sadly, that's why so many animals end up being dumped, because they're sick and the owners can't afford the treatment.

[muddled]

I can see that private medical care is expensive both for humans and for vets.
And yes, we need to insure our beloved animals (which I do)
But sometimes I think vets act their own best interests rather than the animals.

For example; My fifteen year old staffie had terminal cancer and was just quietly living out his last days. When we moved we took him to meet his new vet.
She insisted he should have a full general anaesthetic for a teeth clean because he had smelly breath.
Needless to say, in the three weeks he had left...he didn't go back there.

Our vet now is very good BUT out of hours service is contracted out to someone else. The charge to go there is £165, then you pay on top for the consultation and any medicines. Gawd help you if they keep the animal over night until your own vet opens.
It's all very well being insured but you have to have the money (or a credit card) up front and claim it back from the insurer afterwards.
It's a licence to print money.

[Jay22]

We had insurance for both of our dogs with one of the leading companies who 'plan' for your 'pet'. We were with them for years when the older dog had to have an operation for a perineal hernia. Claim was paid no problem, just a couple of hundred pounds to the vet himself. Two years later the same happened on the other side along with the added complication of a deviated rectum...poor boy. He was sent the Glasgow University Small Pet Hospital who were absolutely wonderful and soon had him back to his old self, this after a major operation. Cost, almost £3,000!! Approached the insurance company who refused payment as they classed this as a pre-existing condition because he had had a hernia on the other side two years previously. Needless to say they get no more of our hard earned money! Small boy (the younger dog) since the day he came to live with us has had everything from pneumonia to heart problems to epilepsy and has cost us a fortune in medication etc over the years because the insurance company we are with now will not cover his epilepsy or any neurological complaint. At 13 and 11 respectively they have done not bad for all their problems especially the younger one...he is a little fighter, but boy they have cost an arm and a leg over the years. Makes you wonder why we take insurance out.

[Alicante]

Pet insurance companies are a shower of b*****ds! They will do anything to get out of paying up if they can! My 9 year old collie has been insured all his life. Last January he went for his jabs and I mentioned that he had a small skin tag on his shoulder. The vet said to keep an eye on it, which we did. In May I noticed it had got bigger, so we took him back to the vet and it was removed and sent away for tests. Luckily the tests were fine. The insurance company would not pay up, as the first visit for his jabs was within 14 days of the policy starting. It was not a new policy, just the renewal from the previous year!

[Guest]

My Mickey monster was never a pet he was a member of the family and as such - costs for his health and well being were irrelevant. We looked at insurance but found that most companies were a bit of a joke. Some only covering this or that, some wanting to charge because he was a large and/ or older dog so money just got put to one side. As for cremation and return, it was costly and it was our wish. Poor old vet though had me ringing up asking about where he would be cremated and had anyone from the practice been the the crematorium (Unfortunately due to hearing horror stories) but they were really good and no amount of money will ever equal peace of mind.

I will stop waffling now

[Feral007]

Couldn't afford to have all my mob insured! Luckily our vet will let us pay off any large bills. I often joke to his wife (receptionist) that I should just organise a deduction from my pay each fortnight.

[Jeanied]

With my cat and the two dogs I seem to be at the vet most weeks! Petal has been the most expensive so far as she needed hospital treatment the day after I got her home and stayed in on a drip for 4 days. I have the two dogs insured now - and I have noticed how the vets bills have skyrocketed in the past two years since my old vet retired. However my insurance doesn't cover Petal's most likely problems for another two years - so really it is there in case of injury or accidents not diseases.

I have to balance the expense with the health benefits I get from having them and taking them for walks!

[noviceveggrower]

We can't have pets where we are as we are in rented but in a way if we could I would like either a rescue grey hound or a border terrier.
One of my main concerns would be vets bills and what they actually charge you for and what insurance companies will or wont pay for.
My mom and dad use to have a golden Labrador called Emma. She was fairly well I suppose middle aged when she started to slow down a bit but then started to have a strange cough. After 3 trips to the vets, and seeing 3 different vets, it was diagnosed that she was starting with heart trouble so she was given some very expensive tablets. The cough didn't go and over a series of 4 days you could tell something wasn't right. So my dad took her back and more tablets. They didn't work.
So my dad took her back again and the vets attitude was just give her the tablets. That night she was taken really poorly and we had to call the vet and he came out. Keep taking the tablets. My dad told him they weren't working.
So the vet said "Bring her back in the morning and I will give her some stronger ones"
My dad said" They aren't working nothing is"
Vet said nothing.
About 30 mins later she had a massive heart attack. I can still see her going down and crying. My dad rang the vet and told him to get his sorry ar*e back and put Emma to sleep. Took the vet 20 mins to get back to us. I will always remember her crying and not being able to do anything to help her.
The vet had to take Emma with him because it was February time and the ground was still frozen. Worse thing was the vet charged my dad £5 for the black bin bag he put her in.
I know it was February because my mom went to a WI meeting with a friend and they gave her some biscuits for Emma as a get better present. So my mom left we were sat watching tell and when she came back we were all just sat there saying nothing.
In a way I suppose I don't think I could go through anything like that again.

[Alison]

It's all very well being insured but you have to have the money (or a credit card) up front and claim it back from the insurer afterwards.
It's a licence to print money.

That's not my experience at all. We lost one of our cats the other week who was insured through PetPlan and has been since she was a kitten. To be honest the main reason we insured was our other cat came with starter insurance from Cats Protection when we got him and we claimed a three figure sum before we'd paid more than one months payments as he was a very adventurous cat. We regularly thought of cancelling her insurance as she never really went out much but by the time she got into her teens she had kidney failure and then pancreatitis, both of which required medication and in patient treatment. Our vet was wonderful and they claimed on our behalf so we didn't have to pay up front at all and apart from one minor hiccup due to incorrect paperwork we never had a claim refused over the two year illness.

[muddled]

Our vet claims directly as well Alison....but she also uses an 'out of hours provider' who doesn't and whose fees are astronomical before you even get seen.
A fact we didn't know until we had cause to use them, by the way.

So please folks, do check your vets out of hours arrangements.