Do you think not being able to afford to take your dog to the vet is inhumane?

Answer 1

Even if you can't afford to take your dog to the vet, You should go any way. Tell them that you can't afford the treatment. They can make arrangements or payment plan. Even in my city they have programs for people to get aid in helping to pay a high or expensive vet bill. (This information is available at your vets office if they have it .) You might even find that what the illness your dog has in not that expensive in the first place.
I also find it sickening that people have to ask in the first place. If your dog got hurt or is sick, TAKE IT TO THE VET.
This also includes people who don't even call their vet too.

Answer 2

Sometimes it's a major crunch but I don't think there is any excuse for not taking the dog to the vet especially in an emergency.
It has'nt come to it yet but I'd pick aluminum cans out of peoples trash to pay the bill if I had too.
The old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is most defineately true.
$5.00 does'nt buy much anymore but if you put just that much in a savings account every week for vet bills then it adds up fast and it does'nt hurt so much when you get that big bill.
Keeping your dog safe is not that hard.Keep trash picked up.Puppy proof your house.Don't let it eat from strangers hands.Keeping an eye on it and not letting it wander off.Giving it the best food you can give it and putting it on monthly heartwormer and flea treatments helps.Also I am the biggest tightwad that ever walked.I have no problem discussing holistic treatments for our dogs rather than giving them harsh drugs that will undoubtedly cause other problems that will be evan more expensive to deal with.
Accidents happen no matter how well prepared and careful you think you are.I've been in that position and fortuneately I had the credit so got a loan to pay the bill.

Answer 3

I think anyone who cannot afford veterinary care should not own a pet. To do so is totally irresponsible, because if the dog or cat becomes ill, is the owner just going to sit by and watch the animal suffer and die? Inhumane? Yes, I would say so.

Answer 4

They're probably lipomas. Benign fatty tumors, which are really common in older dogs. If they're growing slowly, if they're growing at all, they aren't causing any pain, and she is acting otherwise fine I wouldn't even worry about it. If you can mess with/squeeze them, and the skin over/around them doesn't seem tight or irritated then I doubt she even knows they're there. The discoloration of the fur is probably excess oil, or maybe even like when hair grows back a different color over scar tissue. My shih-tzu had several of these, and we didn't worry about them, but we knew right away something was wrong when she developed a mast tumor(A malignant tumor, very bad!). Honestly, if her behavior is unaffected, and she's in no pain, just ignore them for the most part, but keep an eye on them. The second they seem to cause her any irritation you should see a vet, maybe start saving up here and there for the possibility.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, many people see owning a pet as a birth-right and think it's other people's responsibility to pick up the slack. Not taking your pet for vital healthcare is inhumane, yes. In most places you can be reported for neglect, have your animals seized and be prosecuted if you fail to get medical attention for a sick animal.

Humane associations are great places for pets whose owners can't afford vets; but I also think they're responsible for feckless ownership in part. If irresponsible people know there's a place they can go to get free healthcare, then they're less likely to consider whether or not they can afford a dog, it seems.

If you become unemployed for the forseeable future, get into debt that's going to take months or years to get out of, or are otherwise going to be lacking in funds to pay even on a payment plan for some time and love your pet, surely the kindest thing to do is find him or her a new home where they can be cared for properly.

Answer 6

Yes, if it is bad enough. Sometimes people have to go to low cost clinics and get generic meds for them pet, and that is fine to me. But when someone purposely neglects an animal who is obviously in need of medical attention, it is cruel, and I think it is against the law.

We had a cat come into the vet clinic where I work, she had an eye infection for almost 2 months before her owners brought her in. Her eyes were so bad they were almost mush, and they were bleeding. She was in horrendous pain. We gave the owner an estimate to treat her, and right off the bat, she said no way, I can't afford that. So we tried to work with her, giving her different cheaper options, she couldn't do any of them. So unfortunatly the last option would be euthanisia to relieve her suffering. But she couldn't afford that either, she said she would just take the cat home, and her husband was going to just run her over with the car! She actually said this to us! But it was a good thing because the Veterinarian had her sign that cat over to us, we ended up having to remove both eyes after treatment wouldn't work, and she is now happily living with one of my co workers.

This was the worst case I have ever seen where an owner couldn't afford to care for a pet. Luckily it had a happy ending.

Answer 7

I wouldn't call it inhumane - I'd call it careless and irresponsible.

There are times when someone lost their job, or are in debt, and they really can't afford a Vet at some point.

But it's the people who get a dog KNOWING they can't afford the Vet before hand and just think "Oh what are the odds that he'll get sick?" And not even bother TRYING to get their pet to a vet.

Answer 8

Yes, it is very inhumane. If you can't afford to take your dog to the vet, call the ASPCA or SPCA and ask if they have a low-cost program where your dog can get medical care. Good Luck.

Answer 9

Yes!!!! You knew when you first got the dog that it would need vet care. If you can not afford to keep up with all of the expenses that come along with owning a dog, you shouldn't have one.

Answer 10

It is when they have made no attempt to get financial assistance and they are sitting on the internet. I cannot truly afford to cover an emergency situation right now. The difference is: I will sell, pawn and do just about anything that I possibly can to get the money if I need it. Hopefully I can send the payment in soon to get started on a pet insurance plan and then I won't have to worry so much. That is where the line is. People who are able bodied who cannot afford it and make no effort to find the help they need and those (like me) who will do whatever it takes to get that care.