What would be the max you would spend to keep your pet from being put down?

Think it depends on what kind of quality of life would they have after the surgery… what are the odds of survival afterwards… is there a possibility of full recovery… is there a guarantee that surgery will fix the issue or just prolong suffering?

@Lyss apparently it was a surgery in which she would have a full recovery. I believe my dad also took into consideration her age (she was an 8 yo lab)

I would’ve paid, but also everyone’s financial situation is completely different. 5 years ago I also would’ve had to put him down.

Take into account financial aspects and condition and survival rate. I honestly couldn't afford more than $200 at this point and would have to put down. If I could afford it and still be financially comfortable I would but my #1 priority has to be my kids then my bills ya know

My second sister has this situation happen with her and her dog. She has a German Shepard. First incident happen in July ~ it’d cost 22k for surgery . They did follow up on appointments - last appointment they said, she’ll live longer. Yay! We were all happy. Then fast forward, another incident happened couple days before Christmas Eve with the same situation/problem. The vets suggested for my sister to do the surgery but my sister hesitate with it because for 1) they want $ 2) it’s not guaranteed that the surgery will work and it won’t happen again. The second incident kind of did a good number on her (the dog), so my sister said if it happens again then she’d have to put her dog down.. We’re hoping we don’t lose another family dog 😭

This is an unfortunate circumstance. If he’s risking financial security, I would put the dog down🙏🏿

This is why you need pet insurance so you don’t have to make decisions like this

It would also depend on what the ailment is. We had a dog who needed recurrent surgeries to remove tumours that were coming back after some time. There was a moment where it was pointless even with pet insurance.

If the prognosis was good, I'd get loans out and do whatever I could to save my baby. At 8 years old, that beautiful baby could have had another 6 or 7 good years. What a heartbreaking thing to do.

There wouldn't be a set amount, more quality of life. Would it be better/easier for them to be PTS? Or would the operation/care/etc be a better option?

To me its not about the money, its about the quality of life for the animal. I had my dog put down after a year of having cancer, she was still very energtic and couldnt normally tell she was ill. But the cancer started spreading and i didnt want her to suffer

I work in a veterinary ER, I handle going over the euthanasia and comforting clients and pets in their last moments. I understand people wanting to keep their pets alive and doing what they can to save them, but a lot and most of the time it is the owners not wanting to let go and paying thousands and thousands and the animals are in distress and pain and they aren’t being kept alive for them anymore. After working in the ER if my pet were to need thousands or was diagnosed with a terminal illness I would keep them comfy and let them go. I’m also not going to put myself in financial distress to take away from my mortgage and children for my pet. I’ve gone over hundreds of payment plans with clients who are doing treatments for pets and they end up so far in debt that their friends and family have to pay or get credit approval on their behalf. People forget even with pet insurance that you still have a deductible to meet and some things simply just aren’t covered.

@Isabelle This ☝🏼

We took out a credit for my cat and have since paid it back but it was 8k. When he was 12weeks he also needed a surgery and that was 10k and they said he might not ever walk but we went ahead with is...he's 11 and he runs and walks ❤️

@Sydney unfortunately learned this and other things from this experience

@Sarah yeah, unfortunately I was there when he was faced with the news and I know it was a hard decision to make

@s a r a 🥀 aw man, we also have a German shepherd and she's getting up there herself. Wishing all the best for you all

@𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 this is what I believe Isabelle is saying. At a certain point it just doesn't make sense and can actually be putting your pet in more pain

@Hannah unfortunately not everyone is blessed enough to take out loans to cover such an expense but, if it made sense, I believe my dad would have done it

@Kelly I agree completely, sorry for your loss 😞

@Isabelle I agree 100%. It's a hard pill to swallow for people. My neighbor's dog just passed at 17 but she was literally a walking skeleton and should've been out down

@Chris that's so great 🥹

My pets are my family, so if it's something I can fix, i will pay no matter what. But I'm fortunate enough to be able to do that.

For our family it entirely depends on post procedure(s) prognosis, animal age and quality of life, on top of current financial situation. We typically have an agreement with our vet on maximum amount for life saving procedures but for other things it's case by case. Also never feel bad for asking for a second opinion from another vet! We did and it saved us 10K in transport, specialty care, and extra surgery for a relatively minor tooth abscess on our horse.

@Danielle this. There are so many different factors, it's a saddening situation nonetheless. She had pyometra (never heard of it before this) and she went downhill so fast at the end that that vet was our only option. I looked it up later and I saw cheaper prices which was even worse

The amount of people who came in with 18 year olds dogs and 22 year olds cats just shrivelled and in pain is absolutely insane.