The vet rant

On tv you see these shows on Animal Planet and they take abused and neglected animals from people. Then they are taken care of and put up for adoption. The people that work on these animals are heros.

What other planet do private practice vets inhabit? What schools do they go to? Are they funded by hedge fund managers? Is the bottom line ALWAYS the simple fact?

I have a dog that when he chased a rabbit in the park, hurt his knee. The primary vet after an exam said I needed to take him to a specialist. At the specialist, they said that he may have a slight ACL tear, and that an operation was in order. There are apparently two kinds. One more successfull than the other. The cost is big for me. 2,500 or 3,600. The more expensive one is the one the vet prefers.

I am not asking them to do it for free. I am just asking if they can split it up into four payments.

No.

So then people wonder how bad things happen to pets. I can understand people not affording to take care of their pet, but then giving it up. I want to have the operation, but cash on the barrellhead in FULL is the only option.

I am just a landscape architect. What I do does not concern the bigger picture items in life, as much as my clients would want them too in comparison with a vet.

Why do they do what they do? I do what I do because I cannoty imagine doing anything else. Oh and yes, my clients pay me in installments. Why do vets do this if they love what they do? How do they tell people willing to pay them to help their dog that they cannot because they need to pony up first? Is it a Scottsdale thing? Is it a typical nauseating Scottsdale thing like everything else in this freakshow paradise of twisted consumption and the vulgarity of the swimming pool rich that populate this seventh circle of hell?

Are all vets like this?

Let me know, because then instead of my dog being in more and more pain, I will have to put him down. I cannot stand to see him in pain. From what I understand from the front office staff, to put down a dog is only 400 bucks.

Paid in full of course.

you're being cheated. I changed vets for same reason.

$400 for putting a dog down? JFC!

I hope you're able to find one who can work with you. :hug:

... euthanasia is costing $400.00.

My father had to have one of his cats put down, he'd used Hartz flea products on her and she developed uncontrollable seizures. It was only $25 to have her euthanized.

If you can find a vet that DOESN'T overcharge but you still can't afford it, check out CareCredit -- that's how I was able to pay for my cat's care over the summer. It was over $1000 with how long he had to spend in the animal hospital, he had really bad bladder stones, he was completely blocked. They usually have a zero-interest option if you pay it off in a certain amount of time.

Thankfully I have a credit card! That said - call around! My dog's surgery was under $3000 - I can't remember the exact amount, but it didn't hit 3k as I'd expected. Do you have a college with a vet program in your state that's not far away? I took my dog to one and they were AMAZING. I also think they may work out arrangements regarding finances.

That said - start restricting your dog's activity NOW. That will help immensely with the pain. I also gave my dog 4 baby aspirin (he's 70lbs) 2x/ day when he seemed to be hurting until we could finally have the surgery - and it was a looong time between his injury and the surgery. Try to keep your dog on lead as much as possible - don't let him go outside and run and play. Take him out to go to the bathroom on a leash. Don't let him jump! I built my dog a ramp that I used to help him into bed and into the car - I also 1.5-2x dosed him per day with glucosomine by way of special dog treats - something he's on for the rest of his life now as prescribed by the vet that did his surgery. Anyway - by doing all of these things my dog rarely showed pain until we could get the surgery done. He'd occasionally favor his leg if I got too lax in restraining him properly, but it never got *bad*.

Whatever you do - don't give up. Do some research online, find other places nearby the perform the TPLO surgery, etc. I'd say it's also not a bad idea to look into the number of these surgeries a vet has performed. It's no joke - they actually cut bone and change the anatomy of the leg.

I wholeheartedly understand your frustration, but please ... don't give up.

He is a hundred pound Bull Mastiff/Rotie mix.

I give him Synovi G3 soft chews that have the Glucosamine. He never goes off leash, and I never let him run, even if he feels happy and wants to play. When we play, he lays down and uses his front paws. Then I give him 100mg of Rimadyl every 12 hours. I carry him up and down three flights of stairs half the time.

He favors his leg, especially when he wakes up from sleeping, but then when he walks, he favors it less.

I work at home, so he is always here with me in the apartment, and can't run around.

I should check to see if UofA has a vet school....that's a good idea.

I am just so freaking sick of going to the primary vet, and her gang there giving me shit about getting Rimadyl and then breaking up the prescription into two. That stuff is expensive! Then the surgeon, who was nice, but matter of fact....no cash, no operation, no payment plan.

Thanks for your help!

they may be able to give you some guidance. Tomorrow I can ask my sister (who lives in Tempe) if she has a rec for you.

In my opinion, if the vet won't take a payment plan for major surgery on a beloved and otherwise-healthy dog, that is a HUGE red flag.

A little over two years ago, I spent thousands in total on an elderly, diabetic cat with bad teeth--a lot of overnight emergency visits, and you know how those go. He passed away eventually, but he had a much better quality of life near the end, and his vets and everyone in the office cared about him and he knew it, and that was worth it to me. NO way could I have done it all at once, though - both clinics, the emergency and the regular one, took all sorts of payment schemes: installments, forward-dated checks, etcetera.

If an animal CAN be saved, and the vet won't work with you to make that happen, then that is a bad vet.

Same deal with human doctors, really - there are those in it for the money and status and drug company perks, and there are those who'd take a bullet for their patients.

I've known vets I'd rather have treating ME than a lot of human doctors I've met. They're out there. This creep is not one of them.

as the ones I have contacted want it all. NOW.

I agree with everything you wrote. I don't understand it. Four freaking payments to make 3,600. No, Nada, pass on that....

He is only six, and I do not want to lose him.

Bad vets are out there. Back in 2000, my boyfriend at the time's cat went missing for a few days. Poor guy was devastated, putting flyers up all over the neighborhood. He went to a shelter and, miraculously FOUND HIS CAT THERE. But the "vet" (and this is a well-respected Chicago shelter) told him Digory's spine was broken and he'd never walk again and they were about to put him down. Greg, thank God, demanded a second opinion and snatched his limp, miserable cat away in a box and we went to Petsmart, and the vet there told us...no broken bones. At all. Sprains on his hip, sure, back legs painful, probably been hit by a car, but was lucky. A couple weeks of TLC and he'd be fine.

And that was true. Digory is fat and sassy and frisky to this day. But if Greg had listened to the first "professional"...

This is something worth going briefly into debt for, if you can.

surgeon and the specialty center that I went to for the consultation, the reply was oh, they are great, that's who we use.

I am going to have to try harder to get this done.

I am happy that Digory is fat and sassy!

If so, that's a good source. Talk to your local devoted charity no-kill shelters too. A lot of them have connections to places that offer good low-income vet care and know vets who will do installment plans. I don't know your area, but that's what I would do.

Have you looked into getting care credit? You can make the full payment to the vet and your 4 payments to the credit.

Vets do NOT make big bucks, most vets I know work at least 2 jobs, their primary practice and work with rescues, pet stores, state fairs, etc. just to make ends meet. Vet school is NOT cheap, about $200,000+ NOT counting the cost already incurred getting a bachelors degree and the starting salary for a 1st year vet is usually something in the area of $30,000/year.

Also, I haven't used them but I've seen other people on DU post that they've used a company called CareCredit to make payments on vet procedures and were pretty happy with them.

Edit: You might want to ask in your state forum to see if anybody can suggest a good one.

oops :blush:

I've had Old English Mastiffs for the last almost 20 years, and my parents had Bullmastiffs - so I know exactly what you're going through, with regard to an injury to a large dog. They can't handle injuries as well as lighter-weight, smaller dogs. And it stresses their hearts greatly as well.

We've gone to University of Pennsylvania vet hospital for the serious stuff. Do you have anything like that there? The cost *shouldn't* be as bad, and they've worked with me and with my parents on a payment plan.

I wish you luck. This sucks. :(

And hugs to you and your doggie. I just LOVES the big puppers. :hug:

http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/whycc.html

I'm not sure it will help but it sounds like your situation might be the very reason it exists.

Time to find a new vet. There are vets out there, believe it or not, who don't charge to put pets down. They would be the same ones who help your pet first and let you pay in installments. Very unusual, however, so at least find one who won't rob you blind. I've never heard of CareCredit, but it looks like a good thing to try.

Good luck! I hope you'll keep us updated.