Do you keep spending? When do you make the decision to stop. (weight, enemas)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For me though I don't think it would be a $ it would be the disease - the outcome.
Say I could spend 2,000 and make X horrible disease go away completely or 2,000 and make Y horrible disease may or may not go away or may go away for awhile but has a chance of coming back.
The 2,000 is a no brainer for me on disease X because the disease is gone. But the same 2,000 is something to consider because of the actual outcome - the prognosis.
I think that may be how you have to look at it sometimes. Say, just for a few moments, you cats treatment were FREE would you still put it through whatever test, and treatment for whatever disease they have?
Sometimes that's simple - say you cat needs X-rays and antibiotics - so if money was NOT a factor then those things are really easy to do and not hard on the patient. So yes, you would do them.
Say now you're faced with something harder. Say your pet needs a surgery, not a bad one, easy enough recovery and a few meds for two weeks. Most people would do that.
Now a tougher call. Your pet has something pretty awful. A long invasive surgery, two months or more of recovery with multiple trips back to the vet for checks. Several meds to take that will make him really sick.
Even if this last treatment were FREE many of us would probably not do it if we could think logically and take our hearts out of the mix. Buy putting a dollar amount on a treatment we feel when we say "no" we are saying our pet's life is not worth that dollar amount. Let me qualify that I have spent many thousands of dollars on one cat in the course of a year - so I'm NOT coming at this from an angle of saying don't spend the money on a pet. What I'm saying is sometimes we have to think from another way.
I learned from a co-worker in a vet-hospital that sometimes just because we CAN doesn't always mean we SHOULD and I think there is truth in that. It's very hard as the pet owner - but sometimes we have to learn that - after exhausting options and knowing we have sought the best medical advice that saying "enough" is not the same as saying "I give up on you" or "you're not worth that". It's saying "I won't put you through that". It's okay to say no if you're comfortable with it.
BUT if what you're asking for is COMPLETELY a money answer - I would personally sell my blood if that meant the absolute REASONABLE difference for one of my babies.
From July 20th to yesterday I have spend $2000.00 on cats. My Booboo is very sick and is going in today for a feeding tube... the vet thinks she has pancreatitis but is not 100% sure. Which means more tests, maybe an ultrasound, maybe a specialist, maybe exporatory surgery....
Frankly, I am in shock. Booboo is only 8yrs old and been like a horse her whole life until now. The only change in her life at home is that I got a 14month old from the shelter but they have been getting along quite well after the first 10 days of getting used to each other.
Years ago I spent a ton of money and heartache putting 2 cats through alot and then they both died. I decided to never do that again.
So, now I am faced with the same problem only a much younger cat. I adore her but I have to be realistic.
What have you done? What do you do?
I was in the EXACT situation as you VERY recently.
At this point, you have no answers as to what the problem is. It could very well be an easy fix. I hope it is.
The BEST decision I ever made was contacting DrPierson@catinfo.org for a consultation. She will send you a form to fill out (via email) to clue her in concerning your situation and then she will set up a time for a phone consultation. There is a consultation fee, but she is worth every penny. She knows her stuff! She is mindful of expenses. She is kind, yet to the point. She won't waste ONE SECOND of your time or money.
I worked with Dr. Pierson AND my vet. Dr. Pierson told me what questions to ask and/or what tests to request. I sent her test results. Doing so, kept the costs down, the guessing to a minimum, and my cat didn't have to go through a lot of unneeded poking, prodding, and suffering.
Kittymom4 made some GREAT points, about how much to spend or not spend!
This is how my hubby and I looked at a recent medical situation...
If our cat had a broken leg (somewhat of an "easy" fix) and it was 2000.00... we would be alllll over it. It is a boat load of money, but the cat would recover and be able to carry on a long and healthy life.
Saber had pancreatitis near the end, and THERE IS a definitive test for it. I would Really consider finding a new vet ASAP. It sounds like this one is either not up to date on current IDEXX tests (which is highly unlikely since that lab is THE go-to lab for tests and results) or this vet will put your animal through hell just to make money.
I feel the vet I was using for Saber was barely competent (now that I've become better informed) but even she knew about the IDEXX test and figured out that he should be tested for pancreatitis.
Also, I don't see the point in telling your current vet about the IDEXX test, or asking Them to do it because ... you really need a vet that is smarter than your forum group, AND is ethical.
Quote:
Originally Posted by leanansidhex
What vet are you supposed to take her to today? I could try to research them on industry sites ... see what I can find. I don't know anything about protocol for feeding tubes, but why today? why not yesterday or when they last saw her?
When did she last eat at home?
Also if the vet is a part of a chain hospital that doesn't always bode well, or, if they have all the latest machines and technology, the business model is to [have] to use them to make them pay for themselves as well as using them to generate additional tests and income.
CARBON copy of what my family went through after moving away from a real veterinarian, to an area where the chains and/or pet food industry conflicts of interest have monopolised everything.
My family and I can vouch firsthand ^ -- we need to do some research on our own, and not be as trusting as we could be before.
Fisrt of all , what is she eating? If it's Purina (mannny issues being reported on consumeraffairs.com), or some other "vet endorsed" garbage, there is endless information regarding that issue, and if you are interested, the info could quite poissibly help this cat, and future ones.
And if she's not drinking, did the "vet" administer or recommend SubQ fluids? PLEEASE run far and fast. Check DR Pierson's website, for alll the info on there, and consider consulting with her. www.catinfo.org
Last edited by Pamina333; 08-21-2012 at 10:57 PM..
PS Carbohydrates burn out the Pancreas, cats lack Amylase enzyme to process carbs. If she is on a high carb diet, getting her on a meat, moist diet asap shoudl be the first step after Sub Q. Getting fluids = vital. EDIT: Baby foood with meat, no spices, onions, have been known to work.
If the vet happens to be endorsing (or selling) high carb food, i.e. kibble, sue for mal-practice. Cats are obligate carnivores and a veterinarian should KNOW Biology 101 for a species they study and examine.
Last edited by Pamina333; 08-21-2012 at 10:48 PM..
I have an update on my Booboo. She now has a feeding tube in and has had to stay at the vet as she needs q2hr feeding until she adjusts to it. I have to go to work but my boss is very good about letting me off early and I can go and visit with her and feed her myself at least once.
At this point the vets, 2 of them, feel it is either pancreatitis or Lymphoma and it is a GI issue. A GI panel was sent yesterday and if it is pancreatitis then for sure I will see her through it as it has its flair ups. If it is Lymphoma then I will not get her cancer treatment and put her through that.
The vets feel like there was an underlying problem and stress brought it out. The only stress would be having a new kitten in the house who is a ball of energy and wanting to play with her all the time. Booboo was used to 2 other cats that were very old and both of them died this past year so she was the only cat with me for several months. That is the only thing I can think of that would cause her stress.
For me though I don't think it would be a $ it would be the disease - the outcome.
...
You know, it can be very hard to put this kind of decision-making process into words, and yet this post by Kittymom does an excellent job of distilling the kinds of things that can go into these decisions we make with our pets and their medical care.
At least to me it does. Maybe that's just because it matches up well with my take. I certainly don't have unlimited funds, but I can take on a 4-figure vet bill if I had to. But I would want to know that Amber (or whatever cat in the future it might be) would have an outcome that justified it, a significant improvement that gave her real quality of life for months or years. Maybe it's also because it's not much different from the way I tend to think about human medical care.
To brava: I hope something works out for you and Booboo. I see you've just posted an update. Hang in there.
I have an update on my Booboo. She now has a feeding tube in and has had to stay at the vet as she needs q2hr feeding until she adjusts to it. I have to go to work but my boss is very good about letting me off early and I can go and visit with her and feed her myself at least once.
At this point the vets, 2 of them, feel it is either pancreatitis or Lymphoma and it is a GI issue. A GI panel was sent yesterday and if it is pancreatitis then for sure I will see her through it as it has its flair ups. If it is Lymphoma then I will not get her cancer treatment and put her through that.
The vets feel like there was an underlying problem and stress brought it out. The only stress would be having a new kitten in the house who is a ball of energy and wanting to play with her all the time. Booboo was used to 2 other cats that were very old and both of them died this past year so she was the only cat with me for several months. That is the only thing I can think of that would cause her stress.
Thanks all for your replies and support.
That is a lot of stress for a cat. Loosing two life long companions, then having to cope with a new lively kitten. But.....it's good that whatever the problem is, it has come to light sooner rather than later. It gives BooBoo a better chance at survival.
All paws crossed for your sweet girl.
To answer your original question, I feel the same as kittymom. I don't put a limit on dollars spent, my choices on what to spend or based on what treatment is feasible, depending on the outcome, and, most important, depending on what the individual cat can tolerate.
For me though I don't think it would be a $ it would be the disease - the outcome.
Say I could spend 2,000 and make X horrible disease go away completely or 2,000 and make Y horrible disease may or may not go away or may go away for awhile but has a chance of coming back.
The 2,000 is a no brainer for me on disease X because the disease is gone. But the same 2,000 is something to consider because of the actual outcome - the prognosis.
I think that may be how you have to look at it sometimes. Say, just for a few moments, you cats treatment were FREE would you still put it through whatever test, and treatment for whatever disease they have?
Sometimes that's simple - say you cat needs X-rays and antibiotics - so if money was NOT a factor then those things are really easy to do and not hard on the patient. So yes, you would do them.
Say now you're faced with something harder. Say your pet needs a surgery, not a bad one, easy enough recovery and a few meds for two weeks. Most people would do that.
Now a tougher call. Your pet has something pretty awful. A long invasive surgery, two months or more of recovery with multiple trips back to the vet for checks. Several meds to take that will make him really sick.
Even if this last treatment were FREE many of us would probably not do it if we could think logically and take our hearts out of the mix. Buy putting a dollar amount on a treatment we feel when we say "no" we are saying our pet's life is not worth that dollar amount. Let me qualify that I have spent many thousands of dollars on one cat in the course of a year - so I'm NOT coming at this from an angle of saying don't spend the money on a pet. What I'm saying is sometimes we have to think from another way.
I learned from a co-worker in a vet-hospital that sometimes just because we CAN doesn't always mean we SHOULD and I think there is truth in that. It's very hard as the pet owner - but sometimes we have to learn that - after exhausting options and knowing we have sought the best medical advice that saying "enough" is not the same as saying "I give up on you" or "you're not worth that". It's saying "I won't put you through that". It's okay to say no if you're comfortable with it.
BUT if what you're asking for is COMPLETELY a money answer - I would personally sell my blood if that meant the absolute REASONABLE difference for one of my babies.
All agreed with. I have had years where I have spent a ton and knew I would for my pets. For basic things...no question. I have learned over the years that if a pet is older and life will not be the same evre, I will not put them through things for a few more months. It was more... how far to go if there is something dire. I have a friend who spent 8,000 on his cats cancer treatment and after it all it just tortured the cat and my friend felt incredibly guilty for having done this to his pet/companion.
Thanks for your post.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
