Help with potential vet bill

smallzoo2 · 24 October 2021 at 3:01PM

Long story but due to looking after my elderly mum 24hrs a day I have not worked for quite a while. My wife wages have just about covered the bills and I have managed to pick some part-time work up

We were just keeping our head above water when our dog developed cruciate ligament injury. We understand from the vet it can be very expensive to fix ( £4000 )

We are not going to put him down and we dont have pet insurance ( we cancelled it many years ago as we couldn't afford it..yes I know it was a bad call )

We are not on any benefits so we dont seem to be eligible for most help

I'm guessing there is no simple answer for this but any suggestions from anyone ?

thanks

JJC1956 · 24 October 2021 at 3:16PM

If your Mother needs constant care she should be entitled to benefits such as ‘Attendance Allowance’ or ‘PIP’ depending on her age, if she is, then you will be eligible to claim ‘Carers Allowance’ check out GOV.UK, CA is means tested, so there is a ceiling to how much you can earn with your part time work but worth checking out as CA pays about £290 per month, and AA starts from £260 per month, bringing another £6,000 plus to the household per annum, (assuming your Mother lives with you).
This may go some way to helping to pay for Vets bills. I’m sure there are other bloggers will also come up with suggestions.

AntoMac · 24 October 2021 at 3:19PM

Might be worth looking at pdsa.org.uk

MalMonroe · 24 October 2021 at 3:43PM

JJC1956 has some great info about financial help. And What AntoMac says is good too. I have been looking into some treatment for my cat (started off insured but had to abandon as costs escalated so much) and clicked on PDSA. They aren't able to help me as I'm not on benefits but they did have a link, explained below -

"We know you might be worried about your furry friend and we want to help. So, we’ve teamed up with JOII, an innovative online veterinary service, who will offer you a half price online video consultation with a qualified vet

Sign up below for your special discount from PDSA meaning your first online video consultation will cost just £10 (instead of the usual £20) for peace of mind and help for your furry family.

You will get a video call with a JOII vet who will complete a remote online consultation."

There's more information on the PDSA site. I understand that you already have a diagnosis but it's something to think about.

RSPCA and Blue Cross also offer medical treatment at reduced prices in some cases. It's worth having a bit of a google.

If all else fails, you could try speaking to your vet and ask to be put onto a payment plan, many vets do that nowadays.

Nebulous2 · 25 October 2021 at 2:19AM

Has the vet suggested any alternatives?

I met a woman regularly whilst walking her dog, didn’t see her for a longtime, then met her again.The dog had injured its cruciate and she had no way of affording surgery. The vet had suggested limiting its mobility for a prolonged period of time and gave her detailed instructions on what to do.

The dog made a fairly decent recovery.

I suppose there are lots of variables, type of injury etc, but there may be less intrusive options to try.

GBNI · 25 October 2021 at 2:11PM

What kind of dog is it? If a smaller dog, you can limit it's movement an it should come right. I had a schnauzer that did both of hers (thankfully not at the same time!) and with the right pain relief and very limited movement, she came right.

Another option could be to ask your vet for a payment plan. Not all will offer this but it is worth checking.

Soot2006 · 25 October 2021 at 2:23PM

I managed to rehab a GSD x Rottie with a serious cruciate tear without surgery. She couldn't have general anesthetic so it try non-surgical rehab or say goodbye. It took a long time and it was very hard work and it wasn't free, either, as she needed medical support (pain relief) and then also progressed to hydotherapy which was £20/session. She was insured, so it wasn't a financial decision, just that we knew from prior experience that she couldn't tolerate the GA and the vet didn't think we could risk it as with her intolerance and now getting older too, it was just too high risk. Have a chat with the vet, be honesty about your circumstances and good luck!

Borders2017 · 25 October 2021 at 3:45PM

You can go to PDSA with the dog under your mums name.
there isnt much other choice.
Dont make a stupid mistake like not having insurance again...

lordmountararat · 25 October 2021 at 4:14PM

Dont make a stupid mistake like not having insurance again..

There's nothing necessarily stupid about not having dog insurance, which, in my experience, is a complete rip off. I self insure with a £5K deposit in a designated fund to which I add sums occasionally. The interest it earns is derisory these days, but at least I'm not adding to the insurance companies' coffers. Of course, there is risk, but with co-payment rising to 50% after the dog reaches nine years old (which was the case with my insurance), one I'm prepared to take.