Unfortunately for the dogs, they cannot say "I'm hurting, I've had enough, let me go."

Any conversation about how much we are willing to spend on our pets' medical care should include a mention of palliative care and knowing when to let go.

Sometimes it's just time to let the pet go. I had a dog that lived til she was 15, but for the last two years of her life, she couldn't get up so it meant she would often just let loose her bladder where she slept. It was a pretty sad sight.

alternately, he could have put his efforts into finding another wife. perhaps she'd have ideas on how to better spend $18k

I spent $1100 last year for teeth cleaning, routine check up, and some other tests for my two elderly cats (11 and 13). Happily, there were no major problems, but I am still trying to recover from that. At this point, I don't think I could justify more than $200-300 to keep them around.

pets are great and everything, and it's hard to say good-bye, but once a pet has hit it's normal life span, I don't think it's the best idea to spend all your money on making it live longer. There are plenty of animals that need adoption and you should just close that chapter of your life and start a new one. You have memories of your old friend, but you don't know what new joy a new friend could bring into your life.

I freaked out when one of my cat was hit by a car in '03, but those things happen. I now have two new furry creatures that are just darling! :)

I would spend as much as it took to keep my pet(s) alive, as long as it wasn't prolonging misery. There's a balance to be achieved, something we might possibly adopt someday for ourselves.

This is the reason why I don't want to get a pet even though my wife wants one. If you are not willing to spend the money, than it's unfair to the animal. I'd rather just don't have one than to have to make the decision that I don't want to pay hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on vet bills.

My cat Cobalt, at 4 years old, got a urinary tract that almost killed him. I payed had to borrow money to pay the $1200 emergency bill. They cathetered him, put him on IV's, and nursed him back to health.

I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat. There is no question.

He's 9 now, and I wouldn't have to borrow money to pay for vet bills at this point. Now, I don't know about spending tens of thousands trying to cure kitty cancer, but if it was a procedure under 5k to save his life, I'd have a hard time not coming up with the money.

-Aox

I paid $1600 to save my cat and her kittens... My former roommate was being a prick and kicked her while she was pregnant, and it hurt her pretty badly. I was faced with doing nothing, and losing her and all of her babies, or trying to save the one thing that had been there for me, even when I was sick and almost dying in the hospital...

$1600 is nothing... She's a major part of my life, and I can't imagine that I would have been able to deal with myself not doing something to try and save her.

urinary tract *infection :P

NO pets for me, sorry, just not going to happen.

My dog ran away (he's still alive, and running around 5 miles from home)
I would pay anything to have him just be in my house right now. I mean, I would beg from my parents, drain my savings, and max out my credit cards.

When he's finally caught, I plan on telling the vet to do every test and give every shot they need to, in order to get him back to 100% healthy.
Of course, I also plan on suing the fucking asshole who let him out of my house (on purpose) for the vet bill.

I think it depends on what problem the pet has. There are times such as extensive cancer (even for human patients) when you just have to call time. But other times $3000 is nothing compared to senselessly putting a dog down for a torn ligament. It all depends on the suffering involved and quality of life.

My Min-Pin is only 1 year old. He has had the misfortune of two broken front elbows. First time someone sat on a couch and made him fall off when he was asleep. Second time my other dog pushed him off a chair and he put all his weight on leg #2 because leg #1 was still healing. Total cost: $2500 a leg. $5000 total.

Now he has a mystery illness where each and every month for the past 6 months he gets a fever of 105-106 (deadly). Like clockwork every 25 days. It comes, it stays a couple days, it goes. Cost of diagnostics over the past 6 months is about $1500. They still haven't figured it out and it still happens.

He also gets sick with something new all the time costing various vet fees.

Total cost including all the above, medication and vet visitation fees: about $7000.

He is only a year and I'll go $100,000 into debt if thats what it takes (it wont)

I knew a woman once who had about 5 cats. One was very old and had some kind of horrible cancer. This woman went into debt trying to save that miserable creature. The thing was not enjoying life at all - how could the vets even go through with the "life saving" procedures? Finally the thing passed away after years of suffering and the woman went into deep depression. Sad, for all involved.

I loved my Golden Retriever dearly, but instead of spending my $3,000 on giving her surgery (which I was seriously prepared to pay), I decided to negotiate a lower payoff to my car loan, paid if off entirely, and euthanize the dog. Best financial decision I ever made so far.

We were on vacation last year when we heard that our elderly cat (who was staying with relative) had to be taken to the vet/hospital. At that point, we pretty much knew it was the end, but we spent about $2k over the next few days just to keep him alive in the hospital until we could get home and say goodbye (we cut our vacation short). We did make sure that he wasn't in any pain or distress during that time.

We spent about $100 on blood work and medication every month for the last year or so of his life to manage some of his chronic health issues. The meds kept his health issues under control, and he was perfectly happy.

This little guy spent almost every night on my lap, and came to meet me every time I came home. I don't regret any of the $$ we spent. It was the least I could do for him, and I'd do it all again.

@NikkiSweet: "My former roommate was being a prick and kicked her while she was pregnant, and it hurt her pretty badly."

WAS being a prick? I think he's in the permanent prick category for that one.

My kids adopted two cats and even though I'm a dog person myself (but realize I have little time for one right now so I'm being responsible and not getting one) I take the cats to a great vet (animal hospital). They are for most routine purposes, more expensive than other vets but they have, what I've been told, a great "slush fund" and will often do expensive procedures on the house. One of the cats needed $1500 surgery (no guarantees) to widen his urinary tract. That was after about $500 spent on other urinary problems. I wasn't going to pay that and I told them to put him down. Since I was a long time customer, they did it for free and the cat has been good ever since.

@MyPetFly:

I totally agree! My husband and I had that discussion when we first got our dog and the dog has had many health problems. We ask the vet often: is she suffering? Are we doing this to make the human happy or the dog happy.

A VERY rich client put it into perspective for me when he spent thousands and thousands on his pet's health problems. He could buy a bigger TV, wear nicer clothes, or have nicer art on the walls.

However, all said and done, none of those items will give him as much pleasure as his pet. For him, it's economics. When deciding on paying for your pet's health care, you decide "if I used this money for something else, would it give me more pleasure than my pet."

I would totally sell my TV set our put some of my clothes on ebay to pay for my dog's care because you know, I love the little gal, and she is an immense source of happiness for me. I figure she's cheaper than paying a therapist to keep me sane. And in the end, I'd rather keep an animal alive than buy a TV that is obsolete in a few years or buy clothes that will go out of style

Keeping my dog alive is the greatest money saver in my life.

I paid about $500 for emergency post-fixing surgery for my pound puppy, Addison, plus another couple of hundred for heartworm and mange treatment.

That's part of the obligation I incurred when I adopted her: to provide for her as a member of the family.

Wouldn't change a thing.

My dog is my baby, but it's hard to put a number on how much I'd spend. A few thousand, at least. I think it would depend on the situation. If he was hit by a car and would make a full recovery after surgery, but the surgery would cost 5k, I'd pay it without blinking. If he had terminal cancer and I was paying to prolong his life, I don't think I'd do it. It would kill me to see him die, but he's going to die sometime and better that I not financially devastate myself and my family in the process... It's a hard call, though.

I do know that I wouldn't spend much, if anything, on my two cats. They're more like houseplants than members of our family. I take 'em to the vet for immunizations and if they are sick. And they're indoor cats, so not much risk of them getting hurt. But if they were to go into renal failure, I'd probably have them put down rather than pay for surgery, etc...

I completely agree with previous posters that quality of life is a huge consideration. If the poor animal is going to be miserable no matter what, then it's time.

But, honestly, I would be one of those people who would drop major coin on the pets. I have a friend who paid $1500 for surgery to save his cat when he (the cat) ate a length of cord. I would do that, no question.

I note an error in the Dallas reader's reasoning (wholly aside from ethical issues and general heartlessness).

If he spent $110 to get his spaniel, then clearly the benefit he gains from the dog is worth more than $110, otherwise he wouldn't have exchanged the money for the dog. Thus $110 is not the maximum he should spend in order to retain the dog, but in fact the minimum (assuming the dog's perceived value has not changed).

Can't believe I majored in economics for this.

@sir_eccles: Exactly. I spent $1000 last year on my 7 year old cat when she needed emergency surgery. The surgery was a success and she'll likely live another 10 years. If the prognosis hadn't been good, or if she was an old cat, I probably wouldn't have spent it.

It really depends if you're just prolonging misery, or holding on to something that's hopeless. If I had a dog that could only walk on 3/4 of his legs and had cancer, no I wouldn't spend very much (more than $ on medication) to keep it alive. Yes, that did happen. He lived to the age of 4.

There's a time when you really just need to let go.

I have a cousin who spent something in the neighborhood of ten grand to save her yellow lab who required lots of blood transfusions and all sorts of other things. I don't think it was ridiculous for her, because she had that money to spend. If anything happened to my parents golden retrievers, I'm sure they'd sell their house and live in a tent so the dogs could survive.

I paid $1000.00 for spinal surgery on my 3 year old Dachund, (and this was 15 years ago). He lived to almost 15 and I would happily have done it again.

However, if he were 10 or 12, I would not have performed the same surgey, as his remaining lifespan potential would have been much more limited.

Another huge issue in the pet industry not talked about is the value of an animal. High tech treatment options are increasing. MRI's, chemotherapy, heart transplants, etc. Your vet will 'use' the animal - patient bond to encourage you to spend and spend and spend on your pet's health, and there is subtle guilt factor if you don't concur.

BUT - and this is huge, you can't effectively sue for malpractice, because the 'value' of an animal is simply it's original purchase price. Your animal is legally considered property and your damages are limited to the cost of the property.

So a doctor can general hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees, with almost no liability or risk. Veterinary associations have agressively lobbied AGAINST legislation that would allow for loss of companionship, etc.

I'm in an odd place. My dog has a couple of conditions that aren't super cheap. Stopping treatment wouldn't kill her, but it would make her suffer for the rest of her life. I have a harder time cutting her off of that than I would putting her to sleep if the choice was death or a $5k vet bill.

We spent ~$5k on knee surgery for our 5 year old dog. She had two torn ACLs in BOTH knees but was otherwise completely healthy. I think for me is that she was suffering from something that wasn't terminal and she had many more happy years ahead of her. She's good as new and we've since paid for the surgery. Everyone is happy :)

id spend $5,000. why? thats how much the my own health insurance out of pocket is.

I think a lot of it depends on the age of the pet, how greatly the treatments / surgeries / whatever can improve quality of life, and the degree to which the pet is a part of your family. My three-year-old german shepherd was diagnosed with lymphoma earlier this year. Grand total for a 25 week chemo program? Between five and six grand. She went into remission around week three and hasn't looked back since; she seems bouncier and happier than ever. With as young as she is, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. When she's 12 or 13 and has lived a full life, maybe not so much. People will say "oh, it's just a pet", but to a lot of people, they're so much more than that.

Well, to chime in here, I would spend what I could at that point in my life. Right now that number would be a couple hundred tops, maybe in a few years I might have the extra cash to spend more. There's always a limit.

One alternative is to only buy pets that have the personality of a house plant. I had two African pygmy frogs (totally aquatic) that lived for about a year after I bought them before they died. I was honestly more upset when an ivy plant my sister gave me that I had for 3 years withered and died. Granted, something like a hermit crab isn't as fun or lovable as a kitten, but there's less of an emotional investment. Plus, you usually don't know they're sick until they actually die, so you don't have to make an agonizing decision to extend their life, if you somehow manage to find a vet who specializes in crustaceans. Downside is that those kind of pets are really more like living conversation pieces than companions.

On liability for damages:

"In the United States, domesticated animals (either pets or animals of a commercial importance) are considered the personal property of the owner. Animals have no independent legal rights for the most part (i.e., animals cannot be a party to a lawsuit in court). As a result, when a pet is injured or killed, it is the owner who must file a lawsuit to recover damages. Unfortunately, the traditional computation of damages for the loss of pet is the market value of the pet - the amount of money someone else would pay for the identical pet of the same, age, breed, and condition. Since most of our beloved cats and dogs are not pedigreed or are of mixed breed, they have little or no market value. Thus, despite the grievous nature of the act that injured the dog, owners are left with no compensation."

[www.animallaw.info]

@NikkiSweet: Kicking a pregnant cat is pretty messed up. I'd have had him arrested for animal abuse, then sued him for the vet bill.

I would spend as much as I could as long as my animal wouldn't be in misery and had a good quality of life.
I love my pets. They are part of my family. All 5 of them.

I have 2 cats. One of them decided to leap out a 9th story window, and we thought she was gone (either dead or wandered off) for sure. Not so - found under a bush, and was perfectly fine. However, it did make me think about things.

These cats were barn kittens that I took over on a whim. I like them, they bring me great pleasure, and I enjoy having them around. I'd like to believe I do the same for them, but I really, really doubt it.

And in the end, I'm sorry, but they're cats. I need to deal with my future, and the cost of any kind of medical emergency would force me to leave school. There are a number of kitten rescue places in around the town where I grew up - I'd get one from them, and get on with things. Call me heartless, but it's how I see it.

Like everyone said, if it's not going to do much to help them, I'd say it's not worth while... but if my pets are still relatively young and healthy and it will help them I'd pay whatever I could... If I had the money. Unfortunately if one of my cats needed surgery that was going to cost 2K, I just don't have it... I imagine a lot of people are in that kind of situation and could only really afford something in the couple hundred dollar range.

I spent around $200 diagnosing my 2-year-old cat's gingivitis and $600 getting all her molars and pre-molars removed. 18 months later, she's incredibly healthy and her remaining teeth look great. I viewed that $800 as an investment in her general health that will last for another decade or two.

Chemo? Radiation? I don't know if I could make her go through something so traumatic without a good reason or prognosis.

Orrrrr, you could simply get the Koreans to knock out a couple of clones of your beloved animal for about $10k a pop.

[www.usatoday.com]

I spent $1100 on a Friday to keep my poor cat, Hugo, alive while suffering from a severe infection. I was told it would clear up in about 48 hours. Within 12 hours I was told it would be another $1100 to make him better again and I just couldn't pay it. My wife (who was 4 months pregnant) and I decided it was for the best that he was put down, which was another $300 BTW.

That $1400 came out of the kids college tuition fund. If the initial therapy took, we would have gladly spent another $1100 for recurring treatment down the road, but $2200 in 12 hours was too much for our budget.

whatever it takes... as long as their quality of life will still be good.

@SkokieGuy: It is nice to hear good dachshund surgery stories... I have two right now (a Brindle-Piebald shorthair and a Black-Tan Wirehair)...

A pet is an investment. When it doesn't make economic sense, you gotta part with it and get a new one. Yes, I've had pets all my life.

One thing that's missing is how much people are willing to spend to avoid the vet's in the first place.

People sometimes think I'm crazy for spending so much on grain-free, all-natural dog food (+ fish oil, raw eggs, yogurt and raw meat bones). I've even had a Vegan tell me it's immoral to feed my dog that way when people are dying of starvation in other countries. Personally, I view it as paying my vet bills in advance. There's many chronic conditions my dog will never have... such as tooth decay: his chompers are as white and bright as the day I brought him home as a pup, and he's never had them cleaned!

$0.00 When my goldfish dies he gets flushed. Then I might buy a new one at Walmart* for a quarter if I'm feeling like spendthrift.

My husband and I have a lot of differences of opinion on a lot of different things (for example, this election is not going to be pretty at our house) but I am very grateful that we are united in doing whatever we can afford to do for our pets, as long as the animal's quality of life is good.

I can deal with his pickup truck, his rap music, his Libertarian candidates, even his radio talk shows. When he rushed our comatose cat to the emergency veterinary clinic, and even learned how to do daily blood glucose testing on the cat's ears, I knew I'd married the right man.

It depends
is it terminal?
How old is she?
Will she have problems the rest of her life?

The thing is, It's heartbreaking to let a pet go, however there are thousands of homeless pets who are in good health being put down daily. If my dog gets cancer, I'll miss her but she's getting put down, I'll cry and go to the pound and get a new dog to give a good life to.

It may sound heartless, but spending $5000 on a dying animal for a year while healthy ones die because they do not have homes in my mind is crazy.

@jurisenpai: Now if only some humans cared for their own teeth like that.