MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Pet versus debt?

debranamelia

Andrew_Brooks wrote:

Lets get real here its a dog , I have always owned dogs all my life from newfoundlands to whippets they have all had good lives and still do but I would not have any problems having my current whippet put down if she was going to cost me £900, after all they cost £300 to buy so I would be £600 up with another dog Quids in
this is a moneysaving website isn't it ?

What is the point of owning pets at all, if you feel that way? If you didn't buy them in the first place, you would never have to feed them (expensive - pet food!), and you needn't wear out shoes by walking the dog (more money), and you wouldn't even have to pay to have them put to sleep! My pets are important to me, and they deserve respect and veterinary treatment where necessary and appropriate - and they get it!

Cacran

simontheiceman wrote:

I am a vet and I would always advise those who cannot really afford it to consider euthanasia as a realistic option. I ask people who are in for routine appointments and when the topic of insurance arises, "which category do you come under?" "Insured, PetAid, loaded or bonkers". All pet owners fall into one of these. The PDSA PetAid scheme is brilliant for those on council tax or housing benefit and I would urge anyone who has a PDSA practice in their area to seek it out and become registered. There is a NEED to be registered FIRST and then you can access free treatment but only for one pet per household. I am sick however, of those CHAVs who spend hundreds on a puppy and then say they cannot afford insurance - scabby.

I have a dilema. My dog is approx 15. We got him from RSPCA 10 years ago. He is not ill. He has, however, hardly any sight, hardly any hearing, stiff joints, sleeps most of the day, wee's and poos on the carpet and occasionally in his own bed, regularly. I don't think his quality of life must be very good. He constantly follows me around, getting under my feet. always wanting food, eats more now than he ever did but is very thin. I doubt that he is suffering, but I am, in a way. I am constantly cleaning up his mess and worried about the smell. We can't leave him in on his own for more than a couple of hours. Would it be cruel of me to have him put to sleep? what would the vet say or think if I asked them to do it?? I know this is diversifying a bit but it is so much on my mind.

JayD

Sorry but I think there have to be realistic priorities when it comes to one's responsibilities. In my family, people are more important than animals - so their needs must always come first. If my family were already in "severe debt" and "struggling" hard to make ends meet, I could not responsibly increase that debt by such a large amount, especially for a treatment which may not even work. The dog would have to go.

JayD

Cacran wrote:

I have a dilema. My dog is approx 15. We got him from RSPCA 10 years ago. He is not ill. He has, however, hardly any sight, hardly any hearing, stiff joints, sleeps most of the day, wee's and poos on the carpet and occasionally in his own bed, regularly. I don't think his quality of life must be very good. He constantly follows me around, getting under my feet. always wanting food, eats more now than he ever did but is very thin. I doubt that he is suffering, but I am, in a way. I am constantly cleaning up his mess and worried about the smell. We can't leave him in on his own for more than a couple of hours. Would it be cruel of me to have him put to sleep? what would the vet say or think if I asked them to do it?? I know this is diversifying a bit but it is so much on my mind.

You have given him a good life. I don't think any vet would feel you were being cruel or selfish. Your dog also sounds quite ill and as if life is a struggle for him. I think it would be a kindness to you both to have him put to sleep. What a loving way to part company, with no physical pain. Surely that must be better than a long drawn out and eventually maybe painful death?

Targanielle

I agree with everyone who has said that it's the animal's quality of life you should be considering. However, much as I love my cat and my dog, and as much as they are members of the family, OF COURSE my children's welfare comes first.

I have three times had to take the decision to have a much-loved family pet put to sleep. In every case, the decision was based solely on the animal's welfare. It's a heart-breaking decision to make but in the end you have to consider that the dog, cat, rat, whatever, has given you unconditional love whilst it has been living with you, and sometimes the kindest thing to do is to give them release from suffering. You owe it to them to make that decision, not just pay out money to prolong their life because it makes you feel better.

One final thing. Beware of emergency vets fees. In my own case, our much-loved 14 year old ginger cat collapsed on a Bank Holiday in May this year. Our own vet was closed so we took him to the emergency vets (based at but not part of the local PDSA centre). We were charged £89 for them just to SEE him, told he had kidney failure, and offered the chance to leave him there to be given bloodtests and treatments costing £350, with no guarantee that he would not have to be put to sleep after the two days the tests would take. We opted to have him put to sleep since he was suffering and there was not even a 50-50 chance of a good life for him even with treatment. They then charged us £150 to put him to sleep. I would also add that I was disgusted with the way the vet himself handled an elderly, frightened and suffering animal, but that is another story and he is the only vet I have ever known not to treat an animal of mine with care and compassion (and no, I'm not talking about his advice).

thrifty_get

A difficult topic. My personal opinion for the case in question, is that I would not risk my family security for a pet. I have watched a friend spend thousands on palliative chemo for a dog, hoping it will live for a max of one more year. It had to be put down in months.
My dog is three and if a life saving operation was available to him for £900 I would take it, it would hurt my pocket but not risk my family future.
I don't think its chavvy to not have insurance, as I have read here. Its a calculated risk. We insured our dog for his first year and cancelled it when we realsied that he is a sturdy beast! Its a risk but I hate lining insurance companies pockets. We save the premium each month in a seperate account-so far roughly £250!

sassy165

bordercars wrote:

The animals quality of life must come first, every time, remember a PET IS FOR LIFE, we had a situation about 5 years ago our cat had been run over needed both back legs working on , 1 required phsio for quite some time, he was a just an ordinary cat ,£500 bill, we were short at the time and someone suggested the Cats Protection League, they stumped up £100, Sammy lived with a limp for another 4 years sadly he went last year.

Which reminds me, i have a little extra right now i must send a cheque to the Cats Protetection League, anyone else feeling a little flush may i ask you to think about doing similar. Thank You

If someone is claiming Housing Benefit they can get free treatment from the PDSA who have beautiful clean and up to the minute treatment facilities(althought they do ask for a donation each visit) for up to 3 pets . They looked after both my dogs who were seriously ill and, who unfortunately, had to be put to sleep within 12 months of each other. Every effort was made for them including pain killers and various tests prior to this decision being made. IN the end I made the decision based purely on their quality of life.

I cannot commend their services enough.

copyqueen

Martin, you can't be a dog-owner if you're suggesting that's a dilemma! There's no real dilemma there at all: aren't loved ones the only thing really worth spending money on? What's the point in earning any money at all if you can't take care of those you love?

Dog and cat come first in our house. I'd bankrupt myself before letting them suffer...

Mrs_J_3

My cat is a spoiled little madam. She gets the best food I can afford and more toys than I had as a kid. However, in her own way she gives me soo much in return: if I'm down or upset she'll come over to me purring like a morobike and bash her head against me; when I come home she always makes a huge fuss and demands a scratch; she keeps my head warm at night by sleeping on my pillow; and provides hours of entertainment being a generally overexcitable bengal.

She doesn't give a monkey's about how I dress, where I work, where I live or how much money I've got, she only cares that she gets fed and that I give her my undivided attention:rolleyes: . In return I look after her to the best of my abilities, she is insured, chipped, fully vaccinated and generally treated as a cat and not a baby substitute. If the situation arose where life saving medical treatment was needed the first consideration would be how beneficial is it to her? I'm more than happy to pay to fix a broken leg, but canceroues lumps would see her quietly eunthanased at home. Currrently she's insured for £7k of vets fees, and we've already decided that we would contribute up to £3k more if needed. To sum up, if the treatment prolongs her life in a way that is beneficial to her, then I'd get into debt, but within reason. If it drags out her illness, then we pay to have her euthanased. I;ve seen many an animal struggle on as it's owners aren't ready to say goodbye, and it's heartbreaking. A dignified release from pain is the greatest gift we can give to our companions.

ktlady

It is a difficult dilemma. Don't forget there are some wonderful charities that may be able to help if you or your family are in difficult financial circumstances with a sick pet. Try contacting PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) or The Blue Cross Hospital. Don't feel too proud to ask - remember it is for your family pet who is often as much as member of your family as the humans!