How much would you spend to save the life of your dog?
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chi ... x?id=79855 Should we as pet owners, and while we are not under emotional pressure, come up with sort of our pet's living will and advance directives to set limits or at least guidelines on spending on our pet's health? |
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| I am probably going to be sorry I am posting this, but...
This is an ongoing moral dilema for me. Everybody who knows me knows my dogs are at least well treated and cared for. However, when I know that there are limted resources in play (mine and societies) when I hear about animals getting open heart surgery, and I know there are people who can't get the same treatment, when I know children go hungry, etc etc you get the picture, I am very conflicted when I hear these stories. On the other hand, my late Max had an emergancy spleenectomy and it cost only $400 so maybe these people only need to find a less expensive vet  |
| I think we would answer differently in varying situations. |
| Ron - I don't think you can't answer that question until faced with that decision and every situation is going to be different (i.e, whatever decision you make couldgo out the window depending on the situation)
Last year I stopped counting at just under $10,000 to save one of my dogs who was paralyzed due to an FCE. That was something like $3500-4,000 in diagnostics including an MRI before we could even know what we were facing and how to address it, and then the therapy etc needed to teach her to walk again over the next six months or so. I only had one moment of doubt - when I picked her up to at the emergency clinic to drive her to the vet school for her MRI. What happened then is between her and me, but I promised her that if I couldn't give her a decent quality of life, I wouldn't make her hang on just for me. Not saying this isn't an interesting discussion but I learned a long time ago not to second guess someone when they are trying to make these decisons. And hypotheticals don't matter much when it's your dog and the crisis is now. Kristine |
| For me it really comes down to quality of life.. and I mean for them and not me. If they are not comfortable and you can tell them I think it is time. In emergencies, to me, it depends on how bad the situation and the quality of life after that. I know that in the heat of the moment things can always change but money to me isnt an issue but keeping the situation at hand in mind there may or may not be things I am willing to put them through. For example: My last sheepie was 12. She went to the emergency clinic with belly cramps, she was bleeding internally due to her spleen. They could see spots on the spleen. She had really low red blood cell count. I took her to the specialist in the morning to do an ultrasound. They saw more spots on the spleen but it had stopped bleeding in the mean time. She would have needed surgery, transfusions, ICU stay, post op care and a long recovery time. She was very excited the day she left us so I think I made the right decision because I didnt want to put a 12 year old through all that and then only maybe give her a few months on top of that after such a long and hard recovery. It wasnt about the money at all it was about her being happy and comfortable and that day I knew she was but if I had gone through with the surgery then she would have been uncomfortable for a quite a while post-op and I didnt want her to have to deal with that.
At the clinic I work at we see a lot of critical patients and you kind of start to become more "hard" i guess would be best regarding some situations because we as vet techs see things from a different point of view because we are not the owner. I really hope that if it comes down to it for my kids I can keep that same state of mind as when I am working. |
| I think th equality of life is good point. SUbjecting an animal to endless surgeries etc must be confusing to them. If you have ever had to deal with critically ill people, its hard enough to explain to them that this (whatever is painful tot hem at the moment) is going to make them better off in the long run - how do you do that with a dog (or a horse etc.)?
As you can tell I have spent alot of time thinking about this - although not so much time having to deal with it. We have been very lucky, but it hasn't stopped me from obsessing about it in the meantime. |
I think for lots it does depend on income my mom loves her dogs and when she losses one she is so down for months and can not afford to high expenses to find out what causes what the dogs may have AND then treat them it's the unknown are they going to be better? Once on of her dogs went in for blood work thought of it has no a concern... my brother said he would pay because we thought she had an infection..... she got worse for the few days at the vets, hardest part there was my mom never got to say good bye, just passed her to the vet see you in a few days and walked out the door, for my mom very big deal. it was cancer in the end and she dies while at the vets. Then I have an aunt... now she loves her dogs but not like my mom.... she has unlimted amount of money and will pay whatever the vet asks for, money to her really is nothing.(Wish I had it  ) |
| I once met someone that had spent 10,000 saving the life of their beloved dog. I'm not sure of the circumstances of what was involved just the monetary fiqure.
I remember my frustration and pain when Snoopy passed away while I was on a weekend baseball event. It would have cost 1,000 at that time to save his life and give me another year with him. My mom opted to have him euthenized. He was 17 and was discovered to have a tumor in his tail. I would have paid the money so that I could have been there to say goodbye as the regret I endured lasted for many years that I hadn't been there. That was based on emotions however as 17 for a Samoyed/Lab was a long life and surgery would have been difficult at his age. With Shaggy, my ex said those famous words "let the stupid mutt die" when the initial cost was only 400. He held the purse strings in the family and I had swore after the experience with Snoopy I would never let money be a factor if a pet were to live or die based on that. In reality that's not easy as realistically many of us may not have the funds to pay thousands. In the end I pawned my engagement ring, got rid of the "ex" and paid for her care which over time came to 4,000. I got to spend another 6 years with her but ironically the traditional meds -chemo, steroids didn't work and it was a holistic diet that eventually saved her life. With a cat that needed amputation to save his life it cost 1,000 but Ralph lived on to the grand age of 19. He was athletic and the loss of a limb never affected his life. He was an Abbysinian and Tabby mix. He still continued to jump up and race around on three limbs and so the choice was a good one. He had the surgery at 10 years old. Should something happen to any of my pets I now have the freedom to make the choice solely on my own. I would, depending on the circumstances and above all try to base it on the quality of life of the pet afterwards as that is the most important thing. Financially, I don't have the funds to pay in the thousands but would use my home as equity in order to get a bank loan. It would mean no vacations or other things for some years but that's a personal choice I would make. It's a difficult choice that any pet owner would have to endure and a personal one. I know many factors would come into play, the age of the pet, and the quality of life afterwards. I'd have the rest of my life to pay off the debt, is the way I would look at it and life is the choice I would make over material things. Marianne |
| If it was something one of the dogs needed that could prolong a good quality of life for them, I wouldn't hesitate to spend whatever was needed to be spent. I've always felt that way. There is no way I could put a price on the head of animals that I hold so dear to me. We live our lives in the way that we can afford to do for them whatever they need and we got each of the dogs with that in mind.
I feel like setting a limit would be like saying, "Yeah, we've spent enough on keeping grandma alive, I guess we have to let her go now because she hit the $10,000 cap." Just because they're animals doesn't mean we shouldn't hold them in the same regard. Heck, I like animals more than I like most people. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Heck, I like animals more than I like most people.
well, yeah. |
Ditto.  |
| The local vet performed a kidney tranplant on a dog--I believe a cocker. I don't remember the specifics, but the cost was over $10,000. I love my dogs, truly and deeply, but I would not have made the same decision, I think, no matter what my financial circumstances.
Two years before he died, Merlin had a tumor on his front,right leg. We had it removed; it recurred and was removed again. The vet wanted us to take him to the U of M (over 2 hr drive one way) for radiation. She had no idea of the cost--for a cat who was one of her patients, it was over $3000. We thought about it--hard. With 2 kids in college, the cost was not trivial to us. The vet seemed to think we were wrong to consider the cost--but if it had been for me, my insurance would have covered most of it. And finances would have figured into medical choices for me. But the truth was, that he was 12 years old and I wasn't sure I would be doing the kindest thing to subject a dog who was approaching his final years to radiation and whatever came with it. He had no voice, so I felt particularly compelled to make the most humane decision I could. He had a tough time with the second surgery and neither the vet nor I wanted to put him through a third. I decided that if it were me, near the end of my life, I would probably forgoe the treatment. If the tumor recurred and it caused him pain, we would euthanize--although it would have broken my heart. As it turns out, it was a good decision. He did not have another recurrence and died of other causes 2 years later, just shy of his 14th birthday. I am glad I made the decision I did. |
| We spent well over $15,000 when Beau was diagnosed with cancer. Radiation, surgery, meds, etc. , add up quickly over two years. I consider that a bargain as we gained two really good years with him. At what point could someone say I love you $500 worth but not $1000 worth? I have never regretted the money, only that I wished we could have had more time with him.
When Daisy got sick we took her to several specialists, from the day she was diagnosed with an idiopathic liver disease until the day she died (three weeks later) we spent just over $3000 and if anything else could have been done without question we would have done it. I do understand that not everyone is able to spend that money for a dog and I would never be critical of those who can't. We aren't rich but they are my priority and I would sell my house if I had to. Just my two cents, it's all I have left  . Both of them were 8.5 when they died, if they had been older perhaps we would have made a different decision. |
I spent close to $15,000 trying to save Tucker, and would have kept spending if he had any chance of recovering.  |
| When Daisy was diagnosed with cancer she had the surgery to remove the growth, it recurred, she had the surgery again - then she started chemotherapy. All the time the costs were mounting up and with no insurance it was an expensive process but, until she was 10 years old she had never cost us a penny and we just though 'Oh Well, we're just paying out 10 years of treatment all at once' - at what point do you say - no more?? She seemed to be responding well to her treatment and was happy. If she wasn't, well then thats a whole different matter but we never got to that stage. Like Marianne's experience, she passed away when we were not here and I will never forgive myself for that.
Luckily we were in a position to be able to pay but it broke my heart to think that cost might have to be the deciding factor for some people whether to treat their pet if they just don't have the money. That was why we held a ball last year to raise funds for the PDSA, a UK charity that pays the vets bills for people who cannot afford them. We are holding another Ball on May 24th 2008 (Blatent Plug there - sorry!) and if anyone wants to come, please PM me for the details. You will be very welcome and it is for a very good cause. |
| This subject always brings out lots of emotion and differing opinions. For us, there was no question that we were going to spend what we needed to for Max's recovery. We have spent thousands, and, know that as he gets older, most likely his care will continue to cost beyond the "normal" expendatures for taking care of a pet. We don't question or look back.
Everyone has special circumstances and different means, and , must make the best judgement based on those factors. We had LOTS of people tell us we were " crazy" to spend that kind of money when Max had his surgery. We had one simple repsonse to them: " Don't judge us for spending money on our animal. In turn, we won't judge you for choosing not to spend money on yours" |
| In my decision, was the knowledge that whatever money I spent, would I--or more importantly, Merling--get good years. That was in extreme doubt. As it was, the cancer did not return; he had a really good year before his final, non-cancer related decline. Whatever treatment I had chosen would not have altered that course of his life. Had he been younger, I would have considered it more of an option. But to be honest, if the decision were between sending a child to college or paying for chemo or radiation for an elderly dog, I would choose the first.
That may not be what you would choose, but it is what my family chose. I have always gotten the best medical care I could find for all of my dogs. They get a high quality food, regular medical care, including dental exams and cleanings, and most importantly, a lot of love and attention. I am not sure how much I would do differently if I had millions of dollars. Maybe I wouldn't have asked how much in dollars radiation would cost. I would have asked myself how much radiation would cost Merlin. I think I would have come up with the same answer: too much to expect of him. I don't think I loved Merlin any less than anyone here loves their dogs. Nor do I love my current dogs less. But I am not afraid of death for myself or for my dogs. I accept its inevitablility, and opt for quality. [/i] |
Quote: opt for quality
I think that is the bottom line (pun intended) |
kerry wrote: Quote: opt for quality I think that is the bottom line (pun intended) It really is. I think ultimately, you have to think if you're doing it for them, or if you're doing it for you, just to keep them alive and spare yourself the hurt. Like I said, it's not about the money, I care about my dogs being healthy and happy. |
ButtersStotch wrote: kerry wrote: Quote: opt for quality I think that is the bottom line (pun intended) It really is. I think ultimately, you have to think if you're doing it for them, or if you're doing it for you, just to keep them alive and spare yourself the hurt. Like I said, it's not about the money, I care about my dogs being healthy and happy. I agree 100%. When Beau's quality of life started to decline it was time to let him go, excruciating for us but the best thing for him. Had the surgery and radiation not helped we would have done it much sooner. |
Willowsprite wrote: I spent close to $15,000 trying to save Tucker, and would have kept spending if he had any chance of recovering. Would you have spent $250,000? |
Ron wrote: Willowsprite wrote: I spent close to $15,000 trying to save Tucker, and would have kept spending if he had any chance of recovering. Would you have spent $250,000?Most importantly is if it would save his life and allow him to live a normal, healthy life, and secondly, I'm not sure, I think if I had it I would. Crazy, yes, but I simply can't describe how much I loved that dog. It's not about money, it's about another living being, part of your family.... to me anyway... not that I think that should be anyone else's decision. It's a personal decision for each family to make regarding their own pet. |
| Ben is our 6 million dollar dog.
We paid more for him than any of our other dogs, ever. Not a Sheepie, but probably has the best bloodlines of any of our furries. Expenses over an above the usual. Cut a major vein in his leg by falling into a window. Lost control of one of his back claws as it also severed a nerve. Ate a washcloth wile on a trip. Out-of-town emergency vet, back to out ER vet, then trips to the oncall vet during the day (the ER clinic is only open at night), visit to our vet for X-rays and to the surgerical group. almost died. Nine months later, it was a sock. Regular vet for X-rays, surgical group again. Allergies - testing, special food, medications. We are well over 10,000. I prefer not to think of th exact amount, though I could figure it out. I have a Ben account that I feed every month. I can take money of it anytime, for anything. I will never let it go below 3,000 as that is the starting point for the surgical group bill. It is a quality of life issue for me also. But there are lots of changes I could and would make in my life to save my furries. We have children in college (2 working on their Masters, another may go back for his) and so far have been able to pay as we go. I think my kids would also make some changes in thir lifestyle if it meant more quality time with the furries. |
| I think it is wonderful to help people that can not afford the vet bills
So many dogs and cats too get looked over becuase of owners not having the money! Yipppe
Very nice cause Good Luck on the fundraiser! Kathy |
| When we were making a decision on our Siberian, a vet said to us "quality vs quantity" and I had him repeat it to dh and explain what it meant. I work in a ICU and see this ALL the time so I knew what he was talking about. I don't think you can put $ signs on love. If your furry one has no quality of life, IMO you are being selfish to keep them hanging on for you. My Siberian went through two surgeries for cancer and the only way to get rid of it was to take his front leg. He was 12yo. We opted to give him quality, not taking the leg off at 12yo. We had another year with him before he showed us he was no longer comfortable. To tell you the truth...I have no clue what the two surgeries before that cost and I really don't care. I just wanted to take care of the one I love. |
| I spent $1,200.00 trying to save Winston from the melamine tainted pet food. His heart stopped twice. I did not give them a DNR order because we didn't know he was that sick. I would have spent anything I could to save him, but he was only 4 1/2.
I think age has to be figured in to the equasion too. You obviously don't want them to suffer later either. Thinking back now, and it's been almost a year, the best thing was to let him go. I only wish I had the DNR so that they didn't have to bring him back for more suffering. I think quality of life would be the main question for that decision. I would spend all that was available to me otherwise. |
| I would mortgage my house and farm if it meant a chance of a longer life with a good result. Otherwise it would be really weighing up the options, the pros and cons as to expensive treatment and wether there was a good chance of comfort, quality of life and happiness for the dog.
No brainer ron, Just like children I don't think anyone would question the cost of treatment if it means a chance of success with our fur kids. My peppa at age 7 well her costs for radical cancer treatment ran into the many of thousands of dollar over a 12 month period and that was well over 10years now. I gave up adding up the costs as it was scary, but my lovely immediate family all pitched in to help with her treatment as at the time I had 2 young children and what was escalating was beyond our budget. Thank god for a great mum and dad that helped with the expense when needed. Was it worth it, MY OATH it was, we had the blessing of another 7 years of sheepie love from her. |
I think it depends on your financial status some cannot afford expensive treatments for their pets and have to say goodbye. I think it is very sad. I have to say with my Yellow Lab Savannah(Ijust sent her to the bridge in feb  )I spent over 15,000 in surgery and treatment. That did not include her medications, immunizations and reg vet visits, food , treats, toys and all the other things that dogs need. Each time she recovered and gave me more than I could ever giver her. This last ER visit was 1500. She was there 10 hours and we new it was time to say good bye. We gave her a chance and she was not able to rally back. The day before she was retrieving her favorite ball in the yard. Would I do it again . YES |
| Just a note...when Savannah had her spleen removed they did a procedure to avoid bloat (I can't remember the name of the procedure) because once the spleen is gone bloat can occur more easily. This plus the ER visit and three nights in the ICU was only 2200 so why 10,000?? Did this dog bloat post op and they were faced with more surgery???????? |
| hi guys its been a while since ive been here - we have just been really busy with life in general...
its bizarre that the first post i really notice is this one, as you may or may not know our Wilbur beat the Parvo virus at a cost way over $2000+ Including his other ailments we have had to sort out - we've been loving him since the day we got him just 4 months ago and in the time hes racked up medical bills of over $3000+ Today another visit to the vet and another $110 for this and that we got a diagnosis from x-rays that he also has hip displascia too - for which i know surgery is going to be $$$$ i honestly dont know what to do right now - i have a wedding to pay for in October, and although wilbur seems like a happy boy right now, it kills me to think he could be in really bad pain... am sorry for rambling i literally just got the news and once again am a little stunned... anyone know how much surgery costs for something like this??? |
| dysplasia doesn't always require surgery. |
| for now going to look into what meds we can get for him and monitor his progress |
wilbursa wrote: for now going to look into what meds we can get for him and monitor his progress
Before you spend a lot of money, its always good to get a second opinion about treatment options. With our prior dog, we spent a lot of money because he could not get up. One vet did x-rays for hip dysplasia and then wanted to do a milogram of his spine. When I realized that he was just fishing, I took him to another vet to diagnosed a bum knee. Medication took care of the pain and he had several more good years. |
| My brother and his wife are at the $3500 mark for one of their dogs who had emergency surgery the day before yesterday. He can come home tomorrow they think but he'll have several meds and follow ups if things go well. But, depending on the pathology of the tumor that ruptured, they will be faced with the decision of what to do from there.
It's very, very hard to be in these situations, regardless of income level. |
| When Meadow was diagnosed with mast cell cancer, I didn't hesitate at all to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to save him. What bothered me was his pain and suffering. After his first surgery and switching to a homeopathic veterinarian, he thrived for 3 1/2 years despite the surgery having left dirty margins.
The surgeries that followed when the cancer returned with a vengence I now wish we hadn't done -- not only did they again leave dirty margins, they actually spread the cells. It's very difficult to say no to a surgery that we hope will save our precious ones, especially if they are young. I honestly believe that Meadow would have lived a longer, better quality of life if I had had the courage to say no to those operations. |
Kris L. Christine wrote: It's very difficult to say no to a surgery that we hope will save our precious ones, especially if they are young. I honestly believe that Meadow would have lived a longer, better quality of life if I had had the courage to say no to those operations.
It's such a hard call to make. You want to do the best thing but don't always know what that is, which makes it more difficult. It doesn't help that you are trying to make a rational decision when your emotions are high and different vets are offering different opinions and methods of treatment. That's one reason this forum is so valuable, people are so willing to share what they know from personal experience. |
bestdogsx4 wrote: That's one reason this forum is so valuable, people are so willing to share what they know from personal experience.
Even more so than that, though I certainly don't disagree  , is that many of these things cannot be predicted. Hindsight is always, you know. You make the best decision based on the available information and since no two dogs respond exactly alike so no matter how much is known, there is always an element of "it's a gamble". I think that's part what makes these kinds of decision so incredibly stressful. You do the best you can and, no matter what the outcome, you remember that.
A good friend of mine lost two of her Goldens last year - siblings. Seven years old. One to lymphoma and one to a brain tumor. She did everything in her power for both of them - chemo for one, brain surgery for the other. In hindsight she may now feel that she should have done things differently - I don't know and I refuse to ask. In reality she listened to the experts and her heart and did what she felt she needed to do, and there's really no second guessing that. That's why I dread that horrible question: "What would you do?" I can't answer that. Everyone has to answer that for themselves. And that's a really lonely, scary place to be. Kristine |
| This is such a difficult question, and it comes down to a case basis and ability for owners to pay. Unfortunately here in the Bay Area we pay ZIP CODE TARIFFS to GREEDY VETS WHO REFUSE to SHOW COMPASSION AND REASONABLY negotiate with owners who are willing to pay even substantial sums. I live in San Francisco, and was horrified to learn what it was going to cost me to repair my beloved wired hair dachsund, Chloe. Sorry she isn't a sheep dog, I stumbled on this site doing research. She suffered two herniated discs on two separate occassions in 2008, each surgery cost approx. $6,500 probably more by the time all the visits, supplies, drugs etc are added in. I begged the vets to cap the cost explaining that while I knew it would not be free, I was capable of paying quite a substantial sum, but said $5,000 was my "max". They refused to negotiate. My choice was permanent paralysis for my dog, or euthenizing her because paralysis would have been cruel given the pain she was suffering. The course of treatment has a 90%+ recovery, so I sucked it up. My dog will recover well before my finances. For her first surgery I was fortunate we had time to shop around and found an angel who quoted up to $5,000 total for his services. I had already spent $1,000 wasting time with a price gouging facility who was quoting me $8,000-$10,000 when all was said and done. Unfortuately the surgeon who did her first surgery moved out of the country. When she suffered her second episode in December, I was forced to find a facility in the middle of the night, with a Neurologist on staff. Her second injury allowed no time to spare. We were referred to BAVs. Their quality of care leaves much to be desired, and it is obvious to me their entire facility places priority of P&Ls over client care. They quoted between $6,000 and $8,000, refused to agree to even cap the cost at $6,000. Their excuse---we can't predict complications. Well the only complication that arose was the fact they insisted on discharging my dog 4 days sooner than was expected and discussed, due to the extreme distress she was displaying. Distress that came as no surprise to me given they denied every single suggestion I made as to what would help comfort and calm my dog. When they discharged her early I figured this would go far to control my costs and that the final bill now, could not possibly exceed the "low end" $6,000 figure they quoted. Wrong. Despite being charged days early, they still managed to come up with a final bill that exceeded their minimum quote. Go figure. Thank goodness she didn't stay the entire time. To add insult to her injuries they also had the audacity to charge another $79 for the "Recheck" appt. apparently a $6,500 sugery bill does not inclue a recheck. |
My parents recently spent over $4,000 (plus ongoing costs now) on a 6 yr old Great Dane that they only rescued 6 months ago. She came down with bloat and also needs regular shots for arthritis (which aren't working, unfortunately). Sometimes I can't believe just how kind hearted and selfless people can be 
... It also reminds me why poor elderly dogs are so hard to rehome. |
| so very sorry about wilbur,, i know my derby had double elbow surgery and it was over 2000.00 worth every penny he was only 7 months old |
| My answer is, whatever's left on our credit card(s) limit.
Seriously though, Theeps had four major surgeries over his lifetime, and each was well over the one thousand dollar mark. The week before he died we spent 1200 dollars trying to get his kidneys going again, and it would have been a bargain at ten times that had he lived. At least he got to come home for a few days (his last ones) before we had to say goodbye forever. Prior to that he was on a lot of meds, nearly 200 dollars a month. It was tough, but with the meds he had a good, quality life. How on earth could we NOT do it? He had many tests, and I'm sure he was in the 20K range for medical needs in his lifetime (and our vet never charges for all the things he did...many of our appointments were free, medication samples were free, etc.) I cannot complain. When Portage bloated he spent a weekend in an emergency clinic. That was over three grand, and they found what they thought was advanced liver cancer. We opted to save him anyway, as they weren't sure. Another 600 dollars for an additional two days of visits, treatments, x rays, tests, and biopsies at our own vet followed. We came very close to losing him. It took him over a week to start eating again. (My mother snuck him in chicken livers. Saved his life.) It was a gut wrenching decision....do we put him through this when he may well be near the end (due to cancer)? We opted to go that route. Two weeks later...we got great news. He has nodular hyperplasia (old dog liver). It's not life threatening. And...that was over three years ago. Worth every single penny. So, I guess my answer is...I don't know what my limit is for a pet, but I do know that I haven't hit it yet. IF there's a chance of recovery and a decent quality of life, then thank goodness for plastic. So far Hudson hasn't been a bargain either. It costs a LOT to keep taking things back out of that dog! |
| What is a zip code tariff and why is it paid to a vet? |
whatever it cost, she's my buddy, my baby, my naughty little girl  |
| I've just come out on top of $6000 for my 15 year old cat.
I think if at the start someone had said "Your cat will cost you $6,000" I might have paused. But the first visit was a couple hundred, followed by many more visits, medications, surgery, follow ups... 6 months later its $6,000. Could I have spent that money better by sending it to charity? Maybe. Spending that money on my cat didn't keep me from making a donation to the MO 6-Pack. But my cat has given me 15 wonderful years of her life as my constant companion. In those 15 years, I'll bet her accumulated vet bill couldn't have been more than $700 or $800 dollars. I think I'd be a lousy friend, owner or "mom" if when my cat got expensive, I bailed out on her. That being said? I only pursued her treatment with the vet's assurance that at the end of it she'd have a good quality of life. I am not going to extend my cat or dogs live out of my own need to keep them at my side for just a little bit longer. |
ButtersStotch wrote: What is a zip code tariff and why is it paid to a vet? People who live in wealthier zip codes are frequently serviced by businesses who charge a lot of money. I think she was saying that Vet care is expensive around where she lives.
The cost of doing business is higher in places like San Francisco because it is expensive to do anything in San Francisco, so some businesses have to charge more in San Francisco. That said, I have run into the same problem with contractors around me. If I call a plumber they charge more per hour in my town than if I tell them I'm calling from another town. |
Ron wrote: ButtersStotch wrote: What is a zip code tariff and why is it paid to a vet? People who live in wealthier zip codes are frequently serviced by businesses who charge a lot of money. I think she was saying that Vet care is expensive around where she lives.The cost of doing business is higher in places like San Francisco because it is expensive to do anything in San Francisco, so some businesses have to charge more in San Francisco. That said, I have run into the same problem with contractors around me. If I call a plumber they charge more per hour in my town than if I tell them I'm calling from another town. I see. I've never heard that term for it before. Seems like it would be a good idea to call around outside the city to look for cheaper vet care. |
| That requires a car, or a taxi who may or may not transport a sick dog. |
| Renting a car is worthwhile if it'll save thousands of dollars. |
| MY sister pays a fortune for vet care where she lives, her former supervisor used to take her dogs to a vet out in the country half an hour away -- saved thousands. guess that was why she was the boss |
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