My little 7 year old terrier has a huge bubble in her eye and the doctor wants to operate for 500 dollars!?

Question

Her heart has only 2 chambers working and putting her to sleep for the operation would probably kill her. Yet, if that eye blows out, she will be in a lot of pain. My 10 year old daughter is begging me to save her, even if I feel like we should just put her down. I am so torn as to what the right thing to do is. Has anyone else ever had this happen to thier pet? Would my daughter hate me for putting down a pet she has had almost her whole life? Why do vets charge so much money knowing folks love their pets, but can't afford such high costs as this?

Answer 1

Your question is a bit confusing..I can't tell whether you can't afford the surgery, or don't want it because of the heart condition.
If the expense is the major problem, there are a couple of options.
If you are within driving distance of a veterinary school, that would much reduce the price of surgery..I can help you find your nearest one, if you e-mail me your state..
the second option is the Care Credit credit card, which is a no-interest card, only for veterinary care...it allows you up to 18 months to repay..All they require is a steady source of income..You can apply on line, and know within minutes whether you have been approved..All the vet clinics in my state accept this card.

My parents had my old dog put down when I was 14..I really did hold it against them for many, many years..I think mostly because it wasn't discussed with me, and I didn't get to tell him goodbye... they probably could have convinced me that it needed to be done...But at least allowing my brother and I to say goodbye would have made a difference.

Answer 2

Ok, I won't even comment on the "blame the vet" thing. That has been hashed over already. I am not sure that you are grasping the entire situation here. What do you mean about a "bubble" in her eye? Is it her eye itself, like a deep corneal ulcer, causing possible perforation of the eye, or is it on her eyelid, like a cherry eye?

And there is no way that your dog only has 2 heart chambers working. The heart can't work that way. Her heart may not have normal valves, and may have misshapen and poorly working chambers, but they all have to have some measure of function, or the blood just doesn't get pumped.

Talk to your vet about which anesthesia is going to be used, how long the procedure is likely to take, and what they will do to keep the dog from dying under anesthesia. If they can't answer all of these questions, or at least address them with you, find a new vet.

And trust me, vets don't charge so much just to rook you poor unsuspecting pet owners. Vets have bills too! And if they don't charge money, they cannot stay open to provide any care to anyone.

It is up to you to make the decision. Do not try to lay the responsibility for this choice on anyone else. If that is too hard to understand, you might want to avoid pet ownership in the future.

Answer 3

What would it cost to simply remove the affected eye and suture it shut?

I'd think it would be a lot less expensive, the surgery time would be shorter (for her to be under the gas), and she's not going to be disabled with only one eye.

That would be my option. She's only 7, will probably live to be 12-14, and as hard as it is for adults to 'lose' a pet, it's so much harder on a child. I don't think your daughter would hate you, I'm sure intellectually she'd understand, but emotionally it's very difficult, especially at 10. (I'm 51 and had to put my adored 10 yr old girl to sleep last Saturday, due to advanced cancer. I'm functioning, but have cried until I fell asleep every night since. And I still have 3 dogs and 4 cats!)

Ask your vet if he can do what I suggested, and the cost. You may need to call another vet or two to see if you can get a lower price. Here in OKC, the north side of town vets charged 1/3 more for procedures than those on the south side of town!

I will let you in on this, from my own vet. They make very little on the cost of surgeries. Once they pay for the gas, blood-work, tech assistance, etc, the "labor" is almost free, unlike our auto mechanics. So don't be too hard on the vet.

Best wishes to all of you...let us know how it works out.

Answer 4

As far as why vets charge so much money...
Compare the cost of human healthcare (not your co-pay, the real cost) even though we obviously love other humans. Veterinarians go through vet school, it is as long and as expensive as human medical school and more competitve to get into. Veterinarians often operate an entire hospital within their clinics - wellness and preventative medicine, radiology, dermatology, nutrition, surgery - usually complete with anesthesia, monitoring, etc. The equipment and trained staff all cost a lot of money. The quality of medicine offered to our companion animals today is excellent and usually costs less than fixing your car!
If your pet is in pain (or likely to be soon) and you cannot afford the surgery, you have three choices - 1-if you believe that surgery is the best option, you can surrender your pet in hopes someone else will choose to care for it 2- if you believe that euthanasia is the most humane option, you can lovingly explain that to your daughter and work with your vet to make that a loving end for your pet 3-you can look into payment options with your vet (or another if your vet does not offer it) one such option is Care Credit, basically a medical credit card financing plan. Owning pets is a responsibility, unfortunately most veterinarians cannot afford to provide services for free.
FYI regarding Care Credit - it is not just for veterinary care, but also medical, dental, and a few other such services. Also, most clinics working with Care Credit do not offer 18 months credit with no interest. If there is a "no interest" period it likely requires a higher balance than $500 to be eligible for it. I don't want you choosing that option without all the information - if your vet works with Care Credit, be sure to get all the details from that vet office.

Answer 5

Vets don't make a whole lot of money, I'm in school to become one now. I don't know enough to help you though... I can tell you having a major heart condition should make your decision a little easier. Your daughter is going to be very upset if you put her to sleep, but when she gets older she will come to realize it was best. If your vet is telling you there is a good chance she will die in surgery I would advise you to put her to sleep. Her eye is probably in a lot of pain now, and since your vet is recommending removing it, it is not going to get any better.

The only thing I can tell you for sure is don't lie to your daughter about your decision. She will be very upset that her loving companion has died, but she isn't going to hate you.

If you live in or near a large city you can call the SPCA or any humane society or related place... they often have programs to help pay for unexpected vet care like this, but I'm not sure what the requirements are or how they do it in your area.

Answer 6

IMO the best way to make your decision is to weigh quality vs quanity. If you cant or dont have the money then the most humane decission would be to put her down so she isnt in pain. And with only 2 chambers working in her heart she probley has a 20/80 chance of not making it and if she dosnt you are still stuck with the bill. Your daughter will understand if you sit her down and explane to her what is going on like and adult. She will be heart broken with either bad outcome but at least she will have the peice of mind that she isnt in pain and she is in a better place. and tell her that you will get another dog in time. As far as the price 500$ isnt bad we paid 2200$ for my dogs eye surgery. Best of luck and best wishes. Kelly

Answer 7

$500?? Thats cheap!! My little Shih Tzu cost me $800 just to stay over at a vet hospital!!!!

I would say you might want to put her to sleep if you think $500 is too much. It is better than your dog being in pain isn't it? Tell your daughter that if she really loves the dog then putting her out of pain is better than watching her suffer for the rest of her life.

I have had this pain. A dog I have had for quite a while I had to put to sleep due to internal bleeding. It was a very tough choice but better than letting him suffer. An operation could of happened but his chances of living were slim.

I hope you make the right choice. In my honest opinion it is time to pull the plug. I'm very sorry. Maybe you can adopt another when the time is right?

Answer 8

It's going to be hard on the whole family, so support is a must.
When my Boston Terrier had a stroke, I didn't think it would effect me any great amount. When it came time to do the deed, all of the family discussed what would be best for our, friend not what would be best for our feelings. We live in the country and itis akin to putting down a horse that has broke its leg.
I called my Father in Law to do it for me, as I discovered, I cared more than I thought. I ended up doing it, because it was my friend and she deserved to have family put her down. We all cried and felt a great loss, but we also gave her pain and suffering relief.

So, Love your family friend and think hard what is best for her. Explain your descision fully to your daughter as she understands more about pain, suffering, and death than we think they know. If it's financial, don't hide that fact from her. If the pet is or will in the near future suffer from pain due to illness or cannot function physically within reason, she should be euthonized. Take it from a 41 year old man who was 37 at the time, I cried like a baby and I never cry, I still miss my baby and think about her regularly.

Answer 9

She's a small dog, could live another seven years. See if the eye could be removed entirely. She'll adapt in a heartbeat. I work with one-eyed dogs and three-legged dogs all the time-- they just move on and enjoy life. I've had serous budget problems with vet care too, but have always been able to work it out over time. Really, $500 isn't so much, but I entirely support humane euthanasia if that's your decision. I've had to do it several times. Your child will have to learn that her pet's death is just the next phase of her journey. Your daughter will survive until the next right pet presents himself.

Answer 10

Hello mom,
What a hard situation you are in!
When I was 12 or 13 I had a Berlin Shepherd, well the family did. She developed a tumor in her paw. For months it just got bigger. My mother and I had taken her in to the vet already and they to wanted some money to help her. She was older and not happy. My mother sat me down and explained to me in "my" dogs side of view what life is now like and how scary if she even made it through the operation. As a kid this worked with me. I cried for weeks but my mother made it so I understood. You may try doing what my mother did?
I have yet as a parent had to go through this that is putting a pet down. Our critters have all been pretty healthy, knock on wood. We have had pets die, this is sad and very painful for a parent to see there child go through.
Good luck with this terribly hard situation