Ongoing vet bills - at what point is it too much?

[dianamator]

I know there are plenty of breeders with high quality, high priced animals that would go to great lengths for their herd.

But I am curious about the value placed on standard, pet chins.

For example, a pet quality standard whose never-ending, reoccuring vet bills are $300/yr. Would you continue to pay this year after year? Would the chin be worth it to you?

[cutiepieacres]

To me it wouldnt be the price of the vet bills but the quality of life for the chinchilla. It would seem if they are always at the vet somthing is really wrong and with the stress of the vet so often and depending if the procedure is painful everytime and what kind of life the chin has at home. Maybe going to the vet that often would be worth it for the chin maybe it causes more pain then good. It would depend case by case on the the chin but I would never put a price on a chins life no matter if I paid a ton for it of if I didnt pay anything.

[chinchilla_boy]

Is this question directed towards breeders who may have some chins not good enough to be put in their breeding program, or just pet owners like myself, or both? :confused:

[CTChin]

My very first chin is a pet standard. $300 a year is nothing. Sure I'd pay it as long as his quality of life is good.

[smokeyrd]

I would say that the value of any animal is based on how much of a family member the animal is. My horses are not terribly close to my heart, so their value is how much they can make me. My chins, I really love, so even if they cost 15X their value, ill still do whatever i have to to keep them healthy. It also depends on how much money you have and if you can afford the bills. Its not an easy question to answer, but its really one you have to ask yourself. :/

[tunes]

My horses are not terribly close to my heart, so their value is how much they can make me.

Well, thought out to bring some interesting comments from pet lovers/owners.

I pay until I can't pay anymore and then I beg or borrow if I need too. As mentioned above, quality of life is what is important. If I am paying $300.00 a year and the chins have to be syringe fed every day, twice a day, I don't consider that quality of life. However, as a PET owner first, and a breeder second, whether they are particularly close to my heart or not, it's my responsibility after agreeing to raise/breed/have animals to do my utmost to care for them when they need it, regardless of "what they make me."

[CTChin]

I would say that the value of any animal is based on how much of a family member the animal is. My horses are not terribly close to my heart, so their value is how much they can make me.

I'm sorry but that strikes me as a little harsh. How do you figure out your vet bill allowance for each horse?

[equus_peduus]

Deciding how much vet bills are "too much" depends on the owner, the use of the animal, the quality of life, the value of the animal... the list goes on.

I don't know what smokyrd does with horses, but if they are a business to him (say breeding) and he needs to be able to sell them, he needs to carefully weigh the cost of vet care against what he will be able to get out of them. Horse businesses are hard enough to break even without the added expense of chronic veterinary care beyond the basics.

Many animal businesses - cattle, other livestock, dog breeders, and others - will weigh the costs of the extra care against the market value of the animal. It's not that they don't care about the animal, but they do care about them being able to make a profit - because if they can't make a profit or at least break even, then they can't keep going. It sounds callous, but it's basic business and economics.

However, many pet owners are willing to put themselves into debt for their animals. The question then becomes, is it worth it to them to be in debt versus the animal continue to live; is the animal's quality of life going to be high enough to justify that expense, and is the owner willing to take the extra time and effort that whatever the problem is needs as far as management. Many owners will pay that extra $300/year or $3000/yr without a murmur, but many will decide that their pet isn't worth that expense or time or that the animal's quality of life will be low enough that it will not be worth it. Some are willing to spend a huge amount for a one-time deal, but not so willing if it's chronic. But you'd be amazed at the number of owners who will put their pet through cancer therapy - which costs thousands or tens of thousands of dollars - to give their dog, cat, rabbit an extra 4 or 6 months of life...

[kaiteedyd]

I would say for a small animal I'd be willing to spend approximately $750.00 total on vet bills. Ofcourse this is coming from someone who's never had to pay over $350.00 on a vet bill for a small animal at one time so I might feel differently if I was actually in the situation. In general I would not feel comfortable going into debt for a small animal no matter how much I loved it.

My horse on the other hand I would got into debt to do anything medically for her. I keep a small fortune in savings specifically for her. I would never have bought a horse without a little emergency fund for it.

I do not have a dog but I would also go into debt to save any dog I owned. My family spent over $3,000.00 trying to save my dog from cancer.

[CHINCHILDREN]

quality of the animal's life FIRST AND FORMOST!

i have paid $500 to try and save my son's guinea pig ($20 to purchase him) and almost as much on my other son's hamster. i just could not put a price on how my son's felt about these animals.

i have paid $650 on a chin i bought as a probable non-breeder (i had hoped she would breed since she is really a 'looker' but still no kits) but i figure that if i get an animal i am responsible for it.