Pet ownership should be for the wealthy

[spottybaghottyhag]

Pre emptying this by saying we are low income, get topped up by UC and my pet is eligible for PDSA treatment

My ddog 13 has been eating less than usual and not keen to go out as much, but otherwise bright and seemingly well. Made an appointment with the above vet. Due to his age they wanted to do x-ray/scan under sedation. Was very shocked to discover he has a tumour in his stomach. Vet basically said (over the phone) that as they are a charity hospital they cannot do anything further, the options are either a referral to a specialist vet to ascertain if it's cancer, or PTS. She said the referral + tests would be circa £1k, which wouldn't obviously include any actual treatment or surgical options.
Personally I don't want to explore other options regardless, he's 13, had a great life and I don't think major surgery or chemo on any elderly animal is fair. We are making sure he's still comfortable and will PTS when we feel he's not.

Onto the AIBU: it really made me feel that you should only get a pet if you can afford expensive vet bills. The PDSA are very limited in what they do (very understandably) and you cannot rely on them as a complete veterinary service. Insurance doesn't always pay out. Someone asked me will I get another dog when ddog goes and my answer was we cannot afford it. She felt I was being very unreasonable. Am I?

Two years ago my cat was in vet hospital for 3 nights. Had oxygen, fluids and antibiotics. Bill was £2,500

As someone who donates, I have no problem with you relying on the PDSA. You took in an animal who might have ended up in far worse circumstances, or cost a rescue charity a small fortune to keep until he was rehomed. You didn't plan on getting a dog, you gave shelter to a homeless creature, met his day to day costs out of your own pocket, and now you don't plan on getting another because you recognise it would not be a responsible decision. You made sure one little soul didn't have to know any suffering and it sounds like he brought a lot of good into your family. And you did make contributions, you are not an irresponsible person.

You also sound like you have a lovely family so do not NEED a pet they way some might, so it right that you don't get another pet for a little while. I think if you suffered without one, and there are so many animals looking for good homes post-Covid, then you shouldn't feel guilty about relying on a charity for a bit of occasional help. I couldn't judge harshly, for instance, an elderly person who didn't see or talk to anyone all week, who wanted the comfort of a pet, even if they know they have to be reliant on the PDSA. That decision feels like survival rather than a luxury. And that doesn't take into account people who might be reliant on the PDSA and don't have the wherewithal to make decisions in the same way as you would do. I know a girl with learning difficulties who needs a lot of mental and financial support (which she gets from her family) with her dog, who she loves dearly and is a good owner in many ways, but long term financial planning is not something she is able to do. Not everyone in her position has the support network she has, keeping an eye on her life.

We have 2 large dogs. Food and insurance alone costs us £300+ a month. I don’t consider us wealthy but maybe that’s because I’m shelling out the best part of £4k a year on my bloody dogs! 😳

We rehomed the largest at 8 months old from a couple with a young family. He was being fed the very cheapest puppy food that you could buy, was unwormed and unvaccinated. I’m sure they had the best intention but they simply didn’t have the resources to have a dog that size. Had we known how bigger the fucker was going to get, I’m not sure we would have taken him on 😳

But we did and we adore him. I’d definitely think twice before committing myself to feeding such a large breed in future.

I once longed for an Irish wolfhound. Until I met someone who had two and she told me in great detail what they ate and how much it cost. I think I went white as a sheet! I will stick to my terriers, thank you very much!

reminds me of the time we were buying school shoes and there was a family in the shop buying for 4 children and when the cost was rung up dh and I just looked at each other and said “nope, we’re not going to 4!”

@krustykittens sums up my thoughts completely!

I've had my dog since she was 3 months old (she's 16 now) and I've noticed a huge increase in the cost of vet bills over the years.

I love having a dog and she's been the most amazing companion, but I'm not sure I'd choose to get another dog in future because of how expensive it can be to care for them.

I'm so sorry about your pup 💜 my dog had cancer a few years ago and it was a really upsetting and stressful time.

I disagree. I think that as long as you can afford to euthanise a pet, if you can give them a good life then that’s ok.

It’s a very sad situation that pets are languishing in rescue centres and a factor is the high costs of vet care . Two of my friends have lost dog’s recently and aren’t replacing them because of vets fees .

@OffTheHookNow - the problem is that many vets who are owned by massive corporations put huge pressure on the vets working for them to drive the maximum spend from each client. So, you're right in that the individual vet doesn't benefit but the corporation who owns the vets and their investment partners most definitely do.

That's why I have insurance, I only ever have to pay the excess. Means I can afford to have pets.

Yes, insurance really helps, but so much pet treatment isn’t covered by insurance. And, with my insurance, I have to pay a £120 excess.

When one of my cats was hit by a car around 18 months ago. He broke his pelvis. We had to pay a considerable amount upfront before the insurance had confirmed that they would pay out.

So yes, I agree that, whilst it isn’t necessary to be wealthy to own pets (I have 3 and we’re definitely not wealthy), you should definitely consider carefully whether you can afford a pet before owning one.

I agree you shouldn’t have pets if you can’t afford to get them treated if they get ill. Vets bills are significant, no two ways about it. If you decide to PTS when the animal could be treated and cured, just because PTS is cheaper…well, that’s just utterly wrong imo.

I wouldn't say wealthy, but you need to be able to afford vets bills, whether that's from savings/income or insurance.

But I would also say you need to consider how far you'd going in treating a pet who was ill. I generally would not go to extreme lengths, and not just for financial reasons but out of what's best for the animal.

Well we were poor growing up and always had cats,they were much loved and really enriched our childhood.
So i dont think pets should just be the preserve of the weathly.
Everyone should be able to have the joy of owning a pet if they wish.
I think the issue is that vets treatment is expensive and there more treatment options now.
But your dog has had a lovely life and i dont think having treatment which may be distressing and painful would necessarily be the right thing to do right now regardless of cost.
But i think its wrong to say you should only have a pet if you are rich.
Although it may feel like
that after each vet visit!
Im sorry about your dog.

No, a 13 year old has had a GREAT LONG LIFE

put to sleep when he’s ready. You weren’t rich, he still had a fucking ball with you

Don’t do what I did with cancer - I will forever regret this and get very sorry for myself that I did this but I loved the cat so much

he had cancer of the toe. Paid £1000 to cut off the toe, 2 weeks later it had spread - cut off the leg £2000.

2 weeks later cat dead, it had metastasised

never again, soon as any of my current pets get cancer they’re getting put to sleep. No cancer ‘treatment’. Vet kept saying they’d get a year. Total lies, dead in a month.

I know a lot of people on benefits or low incomes, and they manage their finances in a way that means their pets are well cared for.
I am on benefits and have had my dog for over 15 years. I cancelled her insurance when she turned 9 as it was over £100pm. I had also only ever claimed twice in her life, and I had paid more in premiums than I had ever claimed.
What costs more is the little things that insurance wont cover anyway. £50 just to walk through the door. My dog has had a few UTIs. £50 to see a vet, £12 for a dip test of urine, then £25 for meds. Then another £40 follow up appointment with wee again for another test. But I manage because she is family and that is what you do.
Even though I would be eligible for PDSA help, I do not live in the catchment area for one. My vet is an independent one, and they have always been really good when my dog has needed them. They have never pressured me for tests etc.

This! Also, £800 for a CT scan for a CAT is batshit! ^ Similar to the example I spoke about. It doesn't cost that much for a human to have a CT scan, so why the hell is it that much for a cat?! I suppose someone will say 'oooh but specialist animal medical training lalalalala.' ROT. It's a bloody rip off. End of.

Also, DH and I are knocking the door of 60, and have had cats (4 in all) since the year 1999, and our last cat died in April of this year. We have had to make the decision to not have any more cats, (in fact no more pets at all!) Because for a start, any new cat/kitten may outlive us, and as we're not getting any younger, having an exciteable cat running around our feet when we're maybe quite unsteady on our feet (as we hit our older years,) isn't ideal, and the cat sitting (when we went away) was starting to become costly. Then there's the cost of food, and anything else a cat needs - bed, toys, scratching post, etc etc, and the preventative vet treatment.

But the main driving force for us not having any more cats - or any pets at all - is the cost of vet fees. They started to get OTT over the past 2-3 years or so, and as I said, several other people we know have had eye-watering vet bills. We have some money put away, (mid 5 figures,) but it's for our older years/pension years. I'm not using 10 to 15 grand of it to pay for a fucking vet bill.

.

@Zov we have the NHS for humans, so it is easy to lose sight of what vet fees consist of. Have a look at the bills people get in the US for even simple things. We are so lucky here.

You are not just paying for a cat to go in a scanner for a few minutes. That fee has to cover everything to do with the vets, including the lighting in the room, heating, the receptionist's wages, maintaining the grounds etc.

Also, a human does not have to be sedated to have a CT scan. An animal does, and that also costs too.

Money grabbing vet here 👋

If you can’t afford a pet, you shouldn’t have one. Simple as.

If you seriously think vets are in it for the money, I urge you to think again.

Try having two dogs with existing health conditions and being 11 and 12 years old!
I HATE these smug 'well, I have insurance' quotes.
Yes, I had insurance for my two. Early doors, to be fair, they both had surgeries, but when I was paying £180 per month PLUS an excess on any treatments I called a halt.
I've lost one, but still have a 12 year old lab who will have everything she needs to have a comfortable, pain free old age.
I paid my £180 per month onto a savings account, and there's still 4.5k in there.

Pet insurance is vital. I would always take it out with a young dog. I would NEVER maintain it past 'old age" ( varies according to breed).

I don’t think that’s a good comparison. I’ve had several horses over the years and might as well just throw my cash around in the breeze for other people to catch.

But plenty of people get a pet when they can afford them and circumstances change. Should they just abandon their pet at that stage? Would you feel the same about children? At least you admit to being money grabbing and come across as completely lacking in understanding of how circumstances can change as well, which are not combinations people want in a vet.

Yes, I am on benefits now but life was a lot different when I first got my dog. Very different.