Anyone know a way to obtain cheap helth care for my dog?

Question

Recently, my dog Skylar tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). The vet said that the surgery will cost anywhere from $700 to $2,000. I'm a poor college student living off campus and I need a way to be able to afford this surgery. I simply can't neglect my puppy but I just don't know what to do. If anyone knows of a way to pay for this or a cheap legitimate place that will do the surgery, I'd greatly appriciate it. I live in spokane, washington by the way. Thank you.

Answer 1

Try the local humane society. They usually offer low cost help for people in your situation. You could also check with local vets to see if they have any kind of assistance programs or payment plans. They will know of organizations that can be contacted for help.

Answer 2

Okay, I have a few suggestions. The first thing I would do is to ask your vet or your local SPCA if your community offers an emergency vet program that will cover the expenses for the surgery. You can read about those options here (copy and paste into browser): http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/sickpetnomoney_2.htm

Also, on the link below, almost all the way down to the bottom under a section called "Spokane Only" are some places that offer emergency vet services.

http://www.pullmanusa.net/pullmanusa/pusapets.html

After this whole emergency is taken care of, I would look into pet insurance (some people think it's worth it, others don't). Also, I don't know how your credit is, but you might want to think about getting the Care Credit card. You can use it for yourself or for emergencies regarding your pet. See this link:
http://www.carecredit.com/

Your problem is one that all us dog owners struggle with (unless you're rich) and I, for one, am very disappointed that a lot of vet offices don't offer billing. I can't imagine a poor person having to put their pet to sleep because they can't afford the $250-300 to say, have a broken leg fixed and they don't have the money right then. It's so UNFAIR!

I hope my suggestions help you. It's great that you mentioned where you live because it made searching for answers in your area easier! Please update us on what you decide for your dog!

Answer 3

I knew a guy once that had a fundraiser for his dog's hip surgery.... People donated stuff from their house and he had a big yard sale to help pay for it.

You could also go around and ask businesses for donations of larger/more expensive items and have people bid on them or raffle them off.

Do you have any friends in a band that would hold a concert fundraiser for you at a local bar or something where all of the admission tickets for the night would go toward it?

Do you have any website-building skills where you could put something together (even a blog!) asking for money and then have them send ANY donation they can to Paypal or something? Then you could post updates and pictures of Skylar and how she's doing.

Of course, you should also check with the Humane Society for any programs they have or know of, your vet for any programs they have or know of, etc... You could start calling vet hospitals and see if they would do work on a payment program.

Is there a veterinary program at your college that could/would do it for cheaper?

Good luck! Sorry to hear about your baby's pain. I hope that you find a way to help her! Get creative....I'm sure you can come up with something to at least supplement the cost.

Check out the links below for some ideas from people in your same situation! :

Answer 4

Perhaps a nearby Veterinary School could help you out. Are you near Washington State University? I see that Apollo College (Spokane) and Spokane Community College offer vet training as well. Humane Society has been mentioned. SPCA will often help as well. I see that there is a Spokane Animal Shelter which is probably run by one or the other. Good luck.