In a nutshell my dog needs surgery to stay alive. It's about $4000 and nobody will help around the Boston area. MSPCA says I must pay up front and then submit a form. I can't pay up front and explained that I have a kid who is so chronically ill that I am tapped.
They said I could surrender the Dog and then they could treat her.

I can't stop crying I feel so alone and desperate and this Dog means everything to my kids. Anyone PLEASE any suggestions on where I can turn because I have called and I am getting no where.

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

Do you have a regular vet? I know my vet will take payments in an emergency situation for people he know will make good on the payments. I would think you would at least have to some money up front for a vet to work with you. Maybe you could put some of it on a credit card?

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Can I ask how long this surgery will prolong the dog's life?

There is something called Care Credit, I believe. It is a line of credit JUST for such things. Not all vets take it, so ask your vet. If they do, they should have offered this to you......I would think.

I was just reading in a magazine the other day that some areas offer "grants" for veterinary care. Maybe google that?

Good Luck, I know how it goes......our dog is a real money pit, but, we love her.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

She just had a physical and the Vet said all dogs should be so healthy according to her blood work just 2 weeks ago. She is a 9 lb Toy poodle so probably another 5 years.

This is too difficult right now and I am so upset that I can't think clear. What bothers me is one of the surgeons offices told me an option is to surrender her and then they would pay.

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

AAHA Helping Pets Fund

Why Use CareCredit® Veterinary Financing? (Payment Plans for Pet Vaccinations, Pet Surgery, Tests & Affordable Veterinary Medicine Procedures)

We have used Care Credit for our dog's biopsy. If you pay it all in 3 months, there is no interest added on. Like an interest free loan. You can apply on-line and get immediate approval or denial.

Be proactive, like you are, and you'll find something.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

Can you contact universities with veterinary programs in your area, ask if they do that surgery and what they charge? When my friend was studying to be a vet she & fellow students treated sick animals and assisted surgeries (with a real vet doing the surgery of course, and supervising anything the students might do like give an injection) at a clinic at the university. Their prices were generally lower than a vet office but they also had the surrender policy for people who couldn't pay.

I guess I don't understand the logic behind them saying if you surrender an animal, they will pay for the operation? Then what?? Do they try to find another home for the animals after, when the animal already had a good home? There are so many animals in shelters now looking for homes. Maybe its just me, but that makes no sense...

I hope you can get this taken care of. Have you offered to work it off for the vet clinic? Perhaps they need some cleaning or something done. You could have a fundraiser a garage sale or bake sale with pictures or the dog and/or the dog. When people see what you are raising money for they will give extra.

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I was wondering the same thing....

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

I completely understand why surrendering the dog is necessary. Vets do a fair amount of pro bono work for shelters,and if a dog is owned by a shelter it qualifies.

Not to sound callous... but if this were a car that needed repaired, nobody would think that the mechanic should do the work for free. If a vet gets the reputation as being one who will do expensive surgeries at no cost if you tell him you can't afford to pay, suddenly nobody will be able to afford to pay and he will be out of business.

Also, it's possible that the local shelter received grant money to pay for services of indigent dogs, and yours is not one of those. If that is the case, they really are not at liberty to spend that money on privately owned pets. They have to spend it on shelter animals, so your only option is to turn your pet into a shelter pet.

I was going to suggest the care credit too.


I had one other idea, but I don't know idea if it would work.


If the dog is surrendered what happens? Does she go to the local shelter to be adopted? If so is there any way you can make arrangements to re-adopt her? See if you can pay the adoption fee (most places range from $100-$250) and then every month give a donation to the shelter until you reach the cost of her surgery?

I have no idea if that would work, but it might be worth a try.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

Try this Boston-specific Alliance for Animals Web site:

Alliance For Animals - About Us

They claim that they "provide veterinary services all pet owners can afford - to keep animals alive and in their homes"

I have no personal experience with them. I found a link to their Web site from the Humane Society of the United States Web site.

I hope they can help!

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

I just read an article about this very problem. Steep vet bills, sour economy doom more pets - Pet health- msnbc.com

They have some tips on getting assistance.

There is a web site for people to ask for help: Steep vet bills, sour economy doom more pets - Pet health- msnbc.com
According to the article, they're getting more than 200 requests per day. Good luck.
Steep vet bills, sour economy doom more pets - Pet health- msnbc.com

What's wrong with her that it will cost $4000? You need to weigh your options -- is this a surgery that will cure her of something or just prolong her life for a little while. How old is she now? You need to think long and hard before you pay a vet $4,000 or go into debt if you're already strapped for cash.

Maybe step back and look at your options.

My son recently adopted, from a no-kill shelter, and later found the dog had heart worms. The quotes in this area were over $400, which he could not afford. He was talking to some gal online who lives in this area and she suggested a vet in southern Missouri. He called and the treatment was about $120. Even with gas it was much more reasonable. So I guess my suggestion is to look further out in your state.

I also just looked it up and Tufts has a veterinary school called Cummings. If you haven't called them yet, I would certainly give that a try. Another possibility is to look for a brand new vet who is just starting his/her practice. They might be more reasonable because they need the clients.

Have you had any luck finding funding or help, oraf7?

cj/

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Thanks everyone!!! Well we took her to a specialist/surgeon for a second opinion and she Thankfully didn't need emergency surgery. I was so distraught I couldn't think straight at the thought of losing her and I decided she was worth every penny. She just got an excellent bill of health at her physical a couple of weeks ago so this sudden problem (prolapsed vagina) came on quickly and threw me a non expected curve. She is worth every penny spent this past week! Thanks again for all the advice above.

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

WOW! That's shocking to me that the first one would consider a vaginal prolapse repair a $4K ordeal. I'm just... shocked! I can't imagine what there is to that procedure that would be that involved. I guess it might be more typical to see a uterine prolapse, and I think... well, just thinking through the biology of it all, it just doesn't sound like $4K worth of work. We had a dog whose back hip joint was removed (not replaced - just removed) and the vet did it for free (long story...) but had we paid for it it was going to be around $400. Your repair should probably just have involved sutures to tack it into place, I'd think.

I'm just speechless! Good job getting a second opinion!

Ok... here come the flames. I know pets are one of the best things that can happen to a human being. ... but.... $4000.00 and you are not guaranteed. A couple of years a go our cat came down with kidney disease. The vet wanted to do a ekg, blook work, anyways. a weekend of vet bills was going to to cost 1200.00. My husband thought that was crazy. I cried my eyes out, took the cat home and took him to another vet. The second opinion vet told me that I could treat the cat with dyalisis but the disease would not go away and he could live from one week to years down the road but it wasn't guaranteed. The cat was 11 years old, was eating the nutrigena brand cat food (dry) I still think that is what hurt him. Anyways, we decided since the cat was so sick and we believe in qulaity of life and not quanity, I bawled my eyes out, said good my goodbyes and the vet put him to sleep. I know i made the right decision, the cat was not a human, I woulld spend every dime, quarter and nickel on my family and pets are family too but they do not have the lifespan of a human (well, most of them don't) and we are the ones that treat them like family, not God. I know it's hard to do but at some point you have to think what is best for the pocket book and the pet in the long run. Good luck with everything.
I love my animals but if I had money floating around, just think of the pets you could save with it instead of saving just one.

Alex, I'm the same way you are. Inevitably, chances are that we will outlive our pets and at some point will have to grieve their loss. My father was a veterinarian and I spent most of my childhood at our animal clinic. In good conscience, he often was not able to recommend a procedure that was only going to prolong the inevitable. Eventually... they're going to die, and pets do come and go and can be replaced. Doesn't mean you love the one you have any less... but replacing a beloved pet is different than... it's not the same as if one of your children died. I know we say our pets are 'just like our family...' but as you pointed out so well, when we acquire pets, we expect to outlive them. And when I think of how many children there are in this country that have nobody investing anything in them, and yet we're willing to take out second mortgages to 'buy' an extra six months with a pet... I just couldn't justify that.

I know that isn't a popular or PC position to take. I love my cat and my dog... but in 20+ years of married life, this is our fourth cat. I cried when the previous ones passed away, missed seeing them come around the hallway corner for a week or two... and then we got a new cat.

I absolutely love this post on this blog. I can relate to it on many levels! Makes me tear up every time I read it... Confessions of a Pioneer Woman - ThePioneerWoman.com

>>>I know that isn't a popular or PC position to take. I<<<

This is how I feel.

I do not agree w/the anthropomorphasation of our pets. They are not human, are not our kids.
I cringe when hear the term *furbabies*, even though I understand the feelings of closeness and love for our pets. My kids' and dh's needs will always take priority over that of my beloved pets.

I have loved some of our pets more than some fam members or beloved friends. I currently have one elderly cat that I would consider nearly my best friend.

But the humans in my life will always take priority.

That said, I have warned my fam doc that when this cat dies I will need help getting through it.

When DH and I had no children, we spent thousands on strays and our keeper pets.
Once kids started to arrived, so did our priorities.

I wish, oh how I wish! we could financially afford our pets the priority we give to our kids cuz they are precious to us.

But it just ain't so.

We currently have 2 giant breed elderly dogs and 2 elderly cats as well as a mating pair of geckos.
They are all dear to me. Yes, even though goofy geckos.

DH and I have have had many discussions in the past few years about future pets. We can not imagine a life, even to the very end, w/out pets, but we've had to be realistic and planned for the care of any pets we may have when we die.

We feel the need for dogs as protection/alarms, but also have had talks w/our kids about who would take any of our livnig pets if we die before the animals.
And I, personally, can not envision a life w/out cats.

We have decided for many years to not own more pets than we can afford to supply with the best possible vet care once they become elderly (and that has been very hard for me, a bona fide pet sucker , but it's not enough.

I would have many more cats and dogs right now if their future care costs werre not a considersation. I am a disgustingly anumal sucker.

And that's a tough one. We've had so many pets w/unusual health needs that we realize what it may cost to keep a pet alive w/a good quality of life.

We have, through experiences, learned that so many things can go wrong with pets that we never woulda anticipated.

So when our current pets meet their maker and we look to replace them (Is *that* ever possible?!) we will keep in mind breed life expectancies and known breed quirks.

I feel so much for anyone having to struggle with a sick pet that will require more financial resources than anticipated. BTDT, have the old cc bills to attest to it -), am embarrassed to say how may times.

*Now* there is such a thing as pet health insurance that wasn't available to us when we were first married, and many more ways to keep pets alive w/a good quality of life.

Pets aren't people, but ,man oh man, they sure do come close to it, don't they?

OP, I sincerely hope you will have a fabulous outcome, I surely feel your pain.

Please keep us updated.

Well, having just poured $120 into my pooch today....... I can relate to both sides of it. We got her almost a year ago, and what a beautiful puppy she was. I had her picture as my avatar.......well, she was a rescue puppy from the Humane Society. We no sooner got her home, and the problems emerged. We were originally told it was mange, and the constant vet bills, OMG!!!! Well, w/out doing a Bx, we had no clear diagnosis, and our old vet said "must be allergies....." knowing I was hesitant to spend any more money on her.

Xmas Eve her toenail came off and off to another vet we went the day after XMAS. We LOVE this new vet. She is so thorough, and a real animal lover. We got the Bx done ($600) and finally got a diagnosis - Dermatomyositis. She is on prednisone right now, as well as Trental (can't use the generic) at $63 a month.

Today when we went in for her recheck, somehow that same toe nail came off......at the vet's office. I looked down, and there was blood on the floor. I guess it's a good thing it happened there. Daisy's disease is not curable, but, manageable. I told DH before the Bx that, yes, it's a lot of money, and we may need to put her down after it is done, but, I can't just put her down w/out knowing what was wrong.

As long as we can afford to keep her quality of life up, and keep her healthy, we will. When we adopted her, we made a commitment to her, and we do love this dog. More than our children?? No. But, this is just our personal belief. Owning a pet is a commitment. She is only one year old, and has no doubt cost us over $3,000. The bills are easing up now that we know what is wrong, tho, LOL.

When she is older, if her quality of life deminishes to the point of her being miserable, we will do what needs to be done. I hate to think that something can be done for her to prolong her life for another five years.

Gosh, the money we have spent over the years on our pets...... hmmm, surgery on a hamster, a kitten that had FUS - had to do surgery to remove his penis and open the urethera........cat with cancer.......gosh the list goes on. But, we love them, and are able to maintain their health w/out neglecting our children or other responsibilites.

It's a personal decision.....and I think I have rambled on enough. LOL.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I love cats and dogs, and we had them at different times in our lives, but that is one reason we gave up having them. We can barely afford the doctor bills for ourselves let alone what the vets want for pets. Years ago it seemed like you could go through a pets life with very little happening to it other than shots and worming. Now they seem to have so many problems. My daughter spent thousands between her cat and dog. I won't go into all the problems. Most of the vets around this area will not consider Euthanasia until you exhaust every avenue of helping them, yet with the cat-after two thousand, they said they couldn't help it (cat was 12 or 13) and it had to be put down anyway. They wouldn't even give off for putting it down after her spending that much. This is enough for me that I just won't get attached to anything. It is sad that things today must cost this much and the spca's have to charge so much for adoption. Now people are giving up their pets because of job loss, etc. It is heartbreaking!
I still babysit for my daughter's dog when they are away, so at least I get a little chance to be around one without actually owning one.

I've always had pets and I'm a major animal lover but I feel there is a limit to what should be done to prolong the life of an animal.

I have 2 cats that I love very much but I have a limit on how much I will do/spend to keep them going and at this point both of them are pretty much at that limit. They're 15 years old and there is NOTHING the vet can do that can change that fact. I have come to terms with the fact that they are old and the day is going to come, probably sooner than later, that they will either die or have to be put down. Luckily, both of them are in pretty good health for their age.

Thankfully, I was raised by two animal lovers(my parents had pets before they had kids)that were realistic about what should be done to save a beloved pet. $400 for surgery on a young cat that would solve a problem for life was one thing, $400 surgery on a 12 year old dog with no guarantee of survival was quite another.

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I hope you are able to do what is right for you and your family. We put our cat down almost two years ago. At the end of his life, he only left DH's closet to come out and eat. We had several really bad days, a few days of limping, and then he couldn't walk at all. I called DH to come home from work early-I knew the cat had to go down ASAP-he was 14, he lived a good life, and he was done. Even though we were there to euthanize, knowing it would be a one-way trip, the vet was so hardcore. She insisted on a quality of life check-up, etc., and then laid out our options for treatment-thousands of $$$. He was 14, and we had him for all of that time, and just knew it was the time to say good-bye. We told her there was no way to pay that amt. as our son had cancer and we had to pay for his treatment. Kid vs. cat.. No help offered at all There are a few other things that happened during that visit and after, that were extremely disturbing. It was really horrifying-the vet actually ended up being fired due to our complaints. I don't feel the need to post this right now for the weak of heart, but if you would like me to elaborate, please PM me.

Sorry, didn't mean to make it all about me. I am sorry that the care is so expensive. It's a tough choice to make.

Wow, that vet sounds like she deserved to lose her job! I cannot imagine the vet doing that to us. We just had our little poodle put to sleep a few weeks ago and it was hard enough with everyone being so nice. I can't imagine what you went thru! The only thing that bothered me was having to actually pay to have our precious pet put down. You would think after having the same vet take care of a pet for 17 years, they could at least offer to put them down for no charge.