Whats the most you've spent on a pet's medical care in a year?

[madison2000]

Poll question: Whats the most you've spent on a pet's medical care in a year?

[madison2000]

1. My dog had a cancerous tumor so I had him treated at the

UW vet school. They cured him. After that I came back for a surgery on each of his hind legs. Cancer $3500; Left leg and right leg $2500. That was 5 years ago and he is doing fine, so I consider it a bargain.

[NJCher]

2. Bravo for you, Madison2000

Where there's a will, there's a way.


Cher

[Merlot]

3. I got taken to the "Cat Cleaners" a couple of times

Once my cat got sick, and I had to take him to the emergency vet near my house. It was sunday, and my resonably priced (and very good) vet was closed. He had a stomach ache and I wanted some sub-cutaneous fluids and maybe antibiotics. So I take him in for what I thought would be some medicine, and they do $350 worth of tests!

I was outrged, because I knew what he had wasn't that serious and I hated the fact that they did useless tests on him and pretty much intimidating me into thinking it was necessary. My regular vet would NEVER subject an animal to the discomfort of tests to make an extra buck.

Long story short, I never took my cat there again, and bought a book on natural/homeopathinc medicine for cats. He's much healthier now.

I also told my cat I was SO sorry that they had done all that awful stuff to him. He forgave me, but he's a little nastier wit the vets now...

[Blue Diadem]

4. We didn't keep track because

We had to run from vet to vet depending on who had what equipment to do the necessary tests..so I never really kept track.

First two surgeries were 9 months apart. The first, a major abdominal surgery to remove a 5 lb benign splenetic tumor & his spleen, the 2nd surgery, removal of a cancerous tumor on his paw right above the paw pad.

20 months after the first surgery, he was back in for abdominal surgery to remove ANOTHER benign splenetic tumor. Vet opened him up, tried to removed it and decided she didn't want to take the chance. Three days later, we took him to a specialist who removed a 10-lb splenetic tumor..the size of a basketball.

His arthritis/pain med's cost us $90 a month for the last year of his life.

One year after the last surgery, at the age of 14, he developed breathing problems and was once again diagnosed with another growing splenetic tumor. His breathing rapidly deteriorated and we had to make an emergency visit on Thanksgiving day 2003 to eliminate his suffering. :cry:

[madison2000]

5. That's a sad story, but you did all you could for him

:pals:

[yellowdogintexas]

6. the year that CatZilla was neutered, then about 2 months later

broke his leg. Combined total was more than we spent on all the other cats in the house combined and then some, and that included shots for 4 young cats, spay for two females, neuter for 2other males, euthanasia for 2 elderly cats

The vet probably got a new car off of us that year.

[steely]

7. This was for our cat - she needed a resection(?)

She played with a hoody draw string, chewed and swallowed part of it, and then decided to chew off part. The draw string (with a knot in the end) got stuck in her gut and pulled the intestines in a bunch. It was a Dr. visit, an xray, surgery, and viola. quite a bill back then for a couple of newly-weds, but she lived 18 yrs.

edit: spelling

[laheina]

8. I had a similar event with my cat.

Although her intestines had closed up because of tumors. It took the vet a little while to figure out what was wrong, but 3Gs later, I got my kitty-boo back. It was a small price to pay. :)

[hippiechick]

9. HippieDog Hank got hit by a car when he was a pup

and needed orthopedic surgery to put pins in his hind left leg.
ER treatment: $435.
X-rays $200
Surgery and post-op $900

This past December - 2 weeks before Christmas - he was chasing a squirrel and snagged himself on some barbed wire that must've been left when the developers cleared for the nature trail.

ER treatment including anasthesia, prep and stitches: $390
Follow up treatment because the stitches pulled out and they replaced them with staples, and antibiotics: $190.

All for a dog I paid $70 to adopt from the Humane Society.
But I'd do it again in a second, cause he's my best pal.

[lavenderdiva]

10. What a great looking dog!

..."ER treatment: $435
X-rays $200
Surgery and post-op $900"...

Best Pal: PRICELESS!

[benny05]

11. Cat ate Ibuprofen

Regular vet didn't know what was wrong with him. He was expected to die of renal failure, but my spouse took our sick kitty to the vet school. They flushed him out, and provided 24 X 7 care. He was the favorite patient as he never cried or complained; he was still affectionate with the staff. With check-ups and medicines, total cost$1500.

Worth every penny. My spouse and I are fortunate that we keep reserve money around for emergencies like this. Moreover, we don't have children. Today our cat is in really good health, drinks plenty of water, chases his sister, and is still the favorite cat amongst our friends. He's hours of laughs, loquaicious, and I would be devastated if something dreadful happened today.

[Hans Delbrook]

12. We're in the 3k to 5 K category

Though that estimate is probably low. That was the year our dachshund hurt his back, had to be hospitalized and then underwent weekly acupuncture treatments. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
His name was Max, he was a juvenile diabetic (contracted diabetes when he was just 10 months old), so it was insulin, needles and frequent hospitalization most of his life. And then he died after a protracted battle w/ immune mediated hemolytic anemia at 9 and a half. And you know what? He was worth every penny and I still miss him three years later.:cry: