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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

What happens if you refuse vet treatment?

40 replies

whateveryousay · 15/01/2020 21:28

Recently, one of my dogs had an accident which left him in pretty bad shape. When the animal ambulance arrived in the first instance, I really didn’t think he was going to make it, he was in great distress and pain, and I asked the vet if she thought it might be better to just pts, as the suffering seemed unbearable, and he didn’t look good. I was also highly distressed.
The vet was lovely, and she said that she wouldn’t pts at this stage, and that if I refused to pay for his treatment, she would hand him on to another vet, she still wouldn’t put to sleep. She was telling me this to reassure me that there was still hope, and so of course we did everything necessary, and he is ‘out of the woods’ and on the slow path to recovery, for which I’m grateful every day.
But I’m just curious, what would have happened if I’d been unwilling, or unable to pay for his treatment? I made a decision years ago to ‘self insure’, and so I don’t begrudge a penny, I have saved on premiums over the years, but I’m wondering what happens to the poor dogs who aren’t insured, and the owners won’t pay 😞

OP posts:

TheReluctantCountess · 15/01/2020 21:39

I thought they would PTS if the owner didn’t want to pay for costly treatment.

Loveablers · 16/01/2020 00:23

They wouldn’t PTS

They’d usually either offer a payment plan or take you to court.

Loveablers · 16/01/2020 00:24

I don’t see how this is refusing treatment - you’re actually asking what would happen if you refused to pay

BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger · 16/01/2020 00:32

I have refused treatment, a few years ago, for my lovely Lab.

It was horrible, as your heart tells you to do whatever it takes to save your dear pet.

In my case, a costly operation would have given him a slim chance, he would have been in critical condition for 48 hours. IF he pulled through, there was a high probability that the same thing would happen again at some point, and we would have had to go through the same decision process again.

He was prepped for surgery when we said goodbye, and at the age of five he wasn't an old dog. It was horrible.

Now with some distance from the emotion of it all, I am certain I made the right decision. If the vet had interfered at any point, it would have been an even more stressful process.

Original poster

whateveryousay · 16/01/2020 07:46

Bitter, that sounds very difficult, sorry that you had to go through that. Thank you for answering.

Loveablers, I am wondering what happens if the vet says ‘we need to do x, and it will cost £££’, and you say ‘no, don’t do it’. Eg ‘your dog’s leg is broken, it’s not life-threatening, but will cost £££’, and you say up front that you aren’t prepared to pay for it.

I have tried to google it, and come up with charities for people on low incomes etc, but I’m just worried about what happens if the owner has the money, but isn’t willing to spend it, iyswim.

OP posts:

doxxed · 16/01/2020 10:01

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

5zeds · 16/01/2020 10:04

I think you can choose to have your dog put down any time. The dog is your property.

doxxed · 16/01/2020 10:21

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

RougeVinEtFromage · 16/01/2020 10:25

@doxxed we're the hedgehogs just to try cheer you up

doxxed · 16/01/2020 10:30

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

Nigglesmiggle · 16/01/2020 10:37

I’m interested in this. We have an elderly dog who is now too expensive to insure for more than the basic package so if he was to need extensive surgery or treatment we would probably have to refuse and pts. This is partly financial but mostly because at his grand old age I don’t want to put him through difficult procedures which would confuse and upset him in order to prolong his life for a few extra months.
He’s a wonderful dog and I will be devastated to lose him but he can’t go on forever.
I wouldn’t want a vet to take him away because of that decision!

purpleme12 · 16/01/2020 10:44

I'm sure I've heard from a very nurse I've known that they do put to sleep if the owner can't afford/doesn't want treatment. I'm sure there are cases where the animal goes to rescue or something like that but I think they do put to sleep if the pet is very poorly and the owner doesn't want to/can't pay

RougeVinEtFromage · 16/01/2020 10:44

@doxxed that's amazing I remember doing work experience in a vets and hoping I'd get to do stuff like pet hedgehogs and look at mites. Instead I spent the entire week doing loads of washing, drying and folding in the cellar with an angry crow screaming at me!

tabulahrasa · 16/01/2020 10:56

I’m pretty sure if you want your pet PTS they more or less have to do it. (I’m not sure if they can refuse if it’s completely healthy)

With something treatable but you just can’t afford it, some vets can let you pay later or there are cheaper alternatives... or you can relinquish it to a charity who will then take over their medical care and rehome them.

“his grand old age I don’t want to put him through difficult procedures”

That’s different, for the last couple of years of my last Dog’s life the vet knew I’d have him PTS rather than have him have any invasive treatment, despite being fairly young - he had various medical and behavioural issues and I wasn’t willing to put him through anything more so we decided that if it required staying at the vet or operations, then however minor it was he’d be PTS.

I don’t know how she actually felt about it right enough, but she was aware and never disagreed with it.

pigsDOfly · 16/01/2020 10:59

Surely a vet can't just take a dog from someone unless with a court order, or whatever it is that the RSPCA needs to get to take a dog away from its owner.

Is refusing to pay for treatment and requesting the dog be pts instead actually cruelty?

A dog is classed as a possession, no one can just decide they're going to take something that belongs to someone else.

If the vet is prepared to give the treatment and the owner is prepared to sign the dog over to the vet that's a different matter, but unless the dog is otherwise completely healthy and young I can't see many vets doing anything other than pts.

I know someone who had their healthy old dog pts for no other reason than no rescues would take it and they no longer wanted or felt they could keep it. As far as I'm aware there was no argument from their vet.

Scattyhattie · 16/01/2020 11:01

My vet had a young dog in with broken leg when mine was in, it had an op to pin leg and was staying at vets as the owner couldn't or wouldn't pay it was in process of being signed over for rehoming, i suspect is more to the story as my vet would usually allow a payment plan or offer alternative treatment where possible to help make affordable.

Its an offence to not get veterinary treatment for your sick/injured animal so they probably wouldn't allow you to leave with the pet in a bad way, so would either pts or request animal is signed over.

slartibarti · 16/01/2020 11:03

A friend's dog was hit by a car and badly injured. Dog had a reasonable chance of recovery but treatment would be very expensive. She couldn't afford to pay.
Vet contacted a local newspaper who agreed to pay provided they could follow dog's treatment with articles and photos. Dog made a good recovery and became a local celebrity. Also great publicity for vet.

purpleme12 · 16/01/2020 11:04

@pigsDOfly that is so sad that he was healthy and put to sleep :-(

pigsDOfly · 16/01/2020 11:23

purleme12 yes it is very sad. And he was such a lovely old dog as well.

They'd been looking for a shelter for him for sometime but no one would take him because he was too old to be rehomed.

I must admit, I was pretty shocked when I learned that they'd just decided to have him pts. Poor old thing.

Trewser · 16/01/2020 11:32

Our dog was hit by a car. Treatment cost 4k, no payment plan, either had to pay up front or take dog home with a shattered leg and shoulder. Had to borrow money from parents. Vet was an absolute

purpleme12 · 16/01/2020 11:59

No vet I've ever spoken to has ever let me pay in installments either. I would if these vets people talk about who do are only in certain areas?!
So unfair

tabulahrasa · 16/01/2020 12:09

The payment plan thing... it’s credit, someone on here ages ago, can’t remember if it was a vet or just someone who worked at one pointed it out.

They have to be set up to lend money to do it, like registered the same as other places that do credit.

So most can’t do it, it’s not just that they won’t.

Original poster

whateveryousay · 16/01/2020 13:40

Trewser, that’s awful! When our Dog had his accident, our vet sent the ambulance, and he was in their care for 3 days before I paid anything! They did keep telling me verbally what the costs were, as we went along, but I actually had to remind them I still hadn’t paid after 3 days. I think I have a great vet.

Pigsdofly, it’s dogs like that that I’ve been worrying about. So sad.

I will ask my vet at our appointment next week what she would have done if I’d said I wouldn’t pay to have ddog treated.

OP posts:

5zeds · 16/01/2020 14:03

I really don’t agree with thousands of pounds of treatment for pets. I wonder who it serves and would be distraught if my dog was forced through too much treatment or forcibly rehomed. I think quality rather than length of life is key.

BiteyShark · 16/01/2020 14:32

I really don’t agree with thousands of pounds of treatment for pets.

It depends. I spent a couple of thousand on my dog when he was about 1 year of age as he had severe D&V which wouldn't stop and we went through lots of tests, admissions and treatments to try and find the cause. This was the right thing to do as he is running about happily now aged 3. He was insured so most of that we didn't actually pay but would have found the money if he hadn't been insured.

On the other hand I don't think I would put him through invasive treatment for a condition that would just prolong his life if the chances of that treatment was very low (thinking malignant cancer).

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