Euthanasia and your pet

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by Table 5

That's more than a little extreme, don't you think? Would you be ok with your entire livelihood being destroyed because of one client not being happy with their bill? I agree that his daughter should've been told about the costs upfront though, but maybe she was...

Not sure JAG took his hamster to the emergency hospital, but I know those places are about twice as expensive as a regular clinic. They don't care if you bring in a hamster or great dane, that exam fee is probably the same.

And nope, it's definitely not cheap, but there's a reason. What people tend not to understand about vet costs is that these medical expenses aren't subsidized like they are with humans, therefore they have to be passed onto the client. Vets have to buy the same (human-grade) equipment and medication as human hospitals, and this stuff is amazingly expensive. As I mentioned before, my dad is a veterinarian in Calgary, and some of the costs he has are pretty staggering. There are machines in there the size of a book that cost more than a new 3-series...and that's the small stuff. I can see why they charge what they do.

Medication is an expensive business, people just don't tend to notice it when they themselves get sick, because those costs are paid for them. If there was no public health care, you would be paying the exact same types of figures if you went to a physician for a paper cut.

Like I said...people really need to consider pet insurance. This stuff get's amazingly expensive pretty fast, and if you can't handle the finances (like we couldn't with our kitty yesterday), some extremely tough decisions have to be made.

Sorry for the late reply, but I missed your reply the first go around.

As I mentioned in my original post, I said if his daughter is under 18, they should have consulted him about treatment and what the costs were going to be. $270 to treat a hamster is a tad outrageous. I was at my Vet this morning having my dog looked after and mentioned this to her and she said it's hard to judge without knowing the whole story, but at first blush, this Vet sounded unethical.


If this is standard operating procedures for this guy, yes he should lose his license. I don't care how many expensive book sized pieces of equipment he has to pay for. Capitalizing on a customer's emotional bond with their pets is wrong.

I have 13 year old dog who was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago. My original vet wanted to start him on an agressive treatment regime that would have cost thousands and extended his life by 2 or 3 years, maybe more. I went to a second vet and was told that we could treat him but considering his age it probably wouldn't make a difference.

We went with plan B and have done nothing but enjoy every walk since then and my dog has had a way better quality of life than if I had put him on an agressive chemo plan.

[Vena]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

It's very true. I had my dog put down this past Tuesday, and when I walked in, everyone was giving me the head tilted to the side I'm so sorry look. When I walked out, no one made eye contact at all.

It's a hard enough decision to make, but the even tougher thing is to actually carry it out. I brought my dog in and I had trouble looking at her, because I felt like she was giving me the "Why are you letting them do this to me? You're supposed to protect me" look. It's so painful, you know it's for the best, but it's just brutal.

The other thing was that my vet seemed somewhat callous about the whole thing. Granted, I was certainly in a very sensitive state, but he walked in and said "sorry about this," but there didn't seem to be any sincerity at all there. Then, after it was done, I asked what happens now and he started on about putting her in a bag and then a freezer with the other euthanized animals, before the truck comes at the end of the week to pick up the bodies. I wasn't expecting some story about putting her in a golden coffin while someone recites a prayer, but he must have said 'freezer' and 'body' 20 times in his little two minute explanation.

Sorry for your loss. That is a bit harsh of the vet. Perhaps he should have been taking in account your state of mind.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

It's very true. I had my dog put down this past Tuesday, and when I walked in, everyone was giving me the head tilted to the side I'm so sorry look. When I walked out, no one made eye contact at all.

It's a hard enough decision to make, but the even tougher thing is to actually carry it out. I brought my dog in and I had trouble looking at her, because I felt like she was giving me the "Why are you letting them do this to me? You're supposed to protect me" look. It's so painful, you know it's for the best, but it's just brutal.

The other thing was that my vet seemed somewhat callous about the whole thing. Granted, I was certainly in a very sensitive state, but he walked in and said "sorry about this," but there didn't seem to be any sincerity at all there. Then, after it was done, I asked what happens now and he started on about putting her in a bag and then a freezer with the other euthanized animals, before the truck comes at the end of the week to pick up the bodies. I wasn't expecting some story about putting her in a golden coffin while someone recites a prayer, but he must have said 'freezer' and 'body' 20 times in his little two minute explanation.

Your Vet was a dick.

I think you misread your dog. She was saying, "I'm going to miss you something awful and I'm sorry that this is making you sad, but I appreciate what you're doing for me."

[SeeBass]

I had found my best friend had passed away in the middle of the night a few months ago. My vet is the greatest he came to my house and treated him with respect. I demanded that I carried him out to the van in his favourite blanket.
It had cost us $275 to have him cremated seperatly and have a cedar urn for his ashes.
I shook the vets hand and asked him to take care of my best friend and the vet said of course and he gave me a hug and even his assistant was crying. I couldn't have asked for anything more in what was the hardest day of my life.

[Dion]

Sorry for your loss Eastern Girl....

Your vet sounds like a callious uncaring a hole.

[burnin_vernon]

Geez, I don't know why I open this thread. Every time I tell myself not to do it but I never listen.

[Akai-Sesui]

This page gets me every time, and usually I read this thread at work.
For the first time ever, I'm reading this at home and crying by myself.

My dog came over and insisted on cleaning up my face of all the tears.
We've probably got another 5 years...but I'm absolutely dreading the day that I have to do what you all have done.

[Hack&Lube]

Whenever I see this thread on the main page, I keep thinking to myself:

"The youth in asia would love to eat your pet"

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Whenever I see this thread on the main page, I keep thinking to myself:

"The youth in asia would love to eat your pet"

Attention whore.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

As I mentioned in my original post, I said if his daughter is under 18, they should have consulted him about treatment and what the costs were going to be. $270 to treat a hamster is a tad outrageous. I was at my Vet this morning having my dog looked after and mentioned this to her and she said it's hard to judge without knowing the whole story, but at first blush, this Vet sounded unethical.

If this is standard operating procedures for this guy, yes he should lose his license. I don't care how many expensive book sized pieces of equipment he has to pay for. Capitalizing on a customer's emotional bond with their pets is wrong.

I think people expect way too much out of businesses. As Table5 explained, the costs to run an animal hospital are high. The expertise of the vet didn't come cheap and the vet has the right to make a profit off his time, the use of his equipment, the use of his facility, his assistant's time, etc.

I have to explain basic economics to the odd customer that comes into my shop from time to time when they want to consult with our foreman for an hour on a $50 job, or have us come onsite but not pay for travel time (for example).

Usually people are pretty reasonable once you explain how they would cost you money if we proceeded how they expected; however, there are usually one or two a year that think we are trying to rip them off just by trying to meet our basic - and obvious/transparent - costs plus add a modest profit.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I think people expect way too much out of businesses. As Table5 explained, the costs to run an animal hospital are high. The expertise of the vet didn't come cheap and the vet has the right to make a profit off his time, the use of his equipment, the use of his facility, his assistant's time, etc.

I have to explain basic economics to the odd customer that comes into my shop from time to time when they want to consult with our foreman for an hour on a $50 job, or have us come onsite but not pay for travel time (for example).

Usually people are pretty reasonable once you explain how they would cost you money if we proceeded how they expected; however, there are usually one or two a year that think we are trying to rip them off just by trying to meet our basic - and obvious/transparent - costs plus add a modest profit.

I'm all for making money and don't expect my Vet to work for free. My issue is with Vet's who suggest expensive procedures when they know that the animal is beyond help.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I'm all for making money and don't expect my Vet to work for free. My issue is with Vet's who suggest expensive procedures when they know that the animal is beyond help.

Yeah for sure that is lame. You would like to think they don't do it on purpose but I'm sure some do.

[Huntingwhale]

[HeartsOfFire]

Our eldest cat -- 2 years old -- has recently gotten sick. From what I've noticed, he has become slow and lethargic. He shies away from physical contact. His meow has become hoarse, and he's not eating or drinking (from what I know. Admittedly, this started happening just as I was starting a shift, and I work 12 hour days, so she's had more time with him than I have). Yesterday, he began spitting up what looks like saliva. No hairballs, no vomit, no food. She says that he wolfed down some Tuna that she gave him yesterday morning, though.

Girlfriend and I are taking him to the animal hospital tonight after work to see what's what. Since this is the first time we've had an animal health emergency come up, I've made it clear to her my stance on animal health expenses: I will contribute no more than the cost of a new cat adoption to vet bills in a single calendar year. If vet bills run higher than this amount, either she covers the rest, or we euthanize the animal.

I am not looking forward to the outcome tonight.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

Our eldest cat -- 2 years old -- has recently gotten sick. From what I've noticed, he has become slow and lethargic. He shies away from physical contact. His meow has become hoarse, and he's not eating or drinking (from what I know. Admittedly, this started happening just as I was starting a shift, and I work 12 hour days, so she's had more time with him than I have). Yesterday, he began spitting up what looks like saliva. No hairballs, no vomit, no food. She says that he wolfed down some Tuna that she gave him yesterday morning, though.

Girlfriend and I are taking him to the animal hospital tonight after work to see what's what. Since this is the first time we've had an animal health emergency come up, I've made it clear to her my stance on animal health expenses: I will contribute no more than the cost of a new cat adoption to vet bills in a single calendar year. If vet bills run higher than this amount, either she covers the rest, or we euthanize the animal.

I am not looking forward to the outcome tonight.

Best wishes for your cat. A few years ago my cat was doing the same and it ended up being kidney failure; or at least that was the initial diagnoses before I said "Now how much will it cost to confirm, what are my options here." In the end I had to euthanize Mouse. Apparently kidney failure at around 2 years is fairly common.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by fotze

Isn't a new cat pretty low, like $50-$100. I don't think I've ever been to the vet with a bill under $125.

With spay/neuter and it's first shots, it's usually around $200.

[HeartsOfFire]

Girlfriend has been in touch with a couple of veterinarians over the phone. One from the Fish Creek 24H Animal emergency hospital recommended to us by the Meow Foundation, and another recommended by a co-worker that works part time as a vet assistant in Crowchild.

Both vets, upon hearing descriptions of the symptoms, believe without hesitation that it's an upper respiratory infection related to the stress of our newest kitten being introduced into the family a week ago. She asked if it's potentially fatal. The Crowchild vet said 'No,' and the Fish Creek vet said 'Potentially, in senior cats with decrepit legs and grouchy demeanors. Not in 2-year old spring chickens like yours.'

I feel relieved.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by FireFly

With spay/neuter and it's first shots, it's usually around $200.

Trans Canada on 16th does all of this for around $100.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

Trans Canada on 16th does all of this for around $100.

Is that just for the spay/neuter and first shots? Because I was talking about adopting a cat... from the SPCA or whatever, there's an adoption fee, plus you're paying for the spay/neuter and shots so it's more than that.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by HeartsOfFire

I've made it clear to her my stance on animal health expenses: I will contribute no more than the cost of a new cat adoption to vet bills in a single calendar year. If vet bills run higher than this amount, either she covers the rest, or we euthanize the animal.

Your a real hard ass aren't you