‘I’m blown away by the cost of veterinary care these days’

One of my daughters made the decision early on that with her health problems (and perhaps the wrong companion) she would not have any children. Instead, she brought several fur babies into her life and has loved them unconditionally.

She has two British Blue cats, they’re the ones that have that blue-grey-coloured fur, a bit of a chunky body, and a charming broad face. I’m told they are worth a bit of money.

Recently, one of the cats escaped. My daughter was naturally devastated. She spent the day calling him and searching for him. Hours later he strolls casually up the path and was as cranky as could be with her.

My daughter also has two little dogs, one of which was feeling a bit ill and needed to be seen by a vet. Imagine my surprise when she informed me that the visit set her back $500, but that there was no resolution to the problem. When she took the pup to the vet again, she paid $300 and was still given no diagnosis. I’m not familiar with the actual costs involved in providing veterinary care, but for me personally, having to part with that amount of money without a result doesn’t exactly scream value.

My daughter has been informed that her beloved pet could have an autoimmune issue. A blood transfusion was recommended. I was amazed when she told me that there are actually donor dogs for such things (they need to be more than 20kg, she says). However, despite having the transfusion there hasn’t been much improvement in the dog’s condition. I don’t want to think about what all that just cost her!

My daughter tells me that the cost of keeping her dog is irrelevant, and that there is pet insurance available to assist with such things. I wonder if she’d be saying such a thing if she were on an aged pension?

My other daughter has Malamute dogs. When one of these guys got sick and required veterinary assistance it set her back $2,500. How is it that vets can charge these fees?

I can understand many people treat their pets like children — my daughters certainly do — but money is money. Perhaps the thing that concerns me most is that I have been in a position where I’ve struggled to keep food on the table and then been forced to make a decision about the life of my family pet. It was one of the most difficult decisions in my life, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Do you have a pet? Are you concerned about how you’d finance your pet’s care if it became ill and needed veterinary treatment?

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