January 1st, 2010 → 6:20 am @ admin // 3 Comments
My girlfriend just called me and told me her cat died right before she died she was trying to breathe and went into like a seizure my girlfriend called the emergency clinic and the lady was very rude and wouldn’t take her cat unless she had money. Well like five minutes after she called the cat died, there were no scrachtes on her she was outside for the first time and she wasn’t sure how she got out. She is going to school to become a vet tech she is an animal lover, there are so many animals out there that need attention and people can’t afford it, i mean it’s outrageous what people pay to save their pets i understand they need to make their money but i mean comon just because she had no money to look at the cat she couldn’t do a thing about it but comfort her she died like five minutes later. i think thats why animals don’t get the care they need b/c people can’t afford it is there a different way?
Anonymous
2 years ago
If she died 5 minutes after the phone call, I doubt that taking her in would have made any difference. It may be better this way, the cat died in the comfort of her home and with her owner, rather than during a traumatic visit to the clinic.
To answer your question, yes there is such a thing as pet health insurance. How much it costs depends on the age of the animal when you insure it, and what breed it is, since some breeds are more susceptible to disease than others.
I don’t know where you live, but in Canada we also have something called “care credit,” where you can apply for “financing” on the spot at the emergency clinic (like getting in-house financing for a car or furniture). If you’re approved you get an instant, interest-free loan to pay for the procedure that’s needed.
One downside of pet health insurance is that it may encourage some owners to go overboard in treating their pets, who might be a lot better just left to die in peace. Putting a pet through the trauma of chemotherapy, for example, just so it can live a few more weeks hardly seems worth it from the animal’s point of view. With pets, sometimes, it’s hard to know when to stop, especially because they are not free to make those decisions by themselves.
I understand your anger and your frustration. Keep in mind, though, that there are many human beings who themselves go without medical treatment because they can’t afford either the medical bills or health insurance. Did you know that in the US, medical bills are the #1 cause of personal bankrupcies?
Shawna P
2 years ago
Yes, check with your local vet. Most of them have info about it.
If she’s going to school to become a vet tech, how does she not know this?
billie d
2 years ago
that is a horribly sad story…i think she ran into a freak case of ignorant rudeness and that lady shouldn’t be working there any longer…i would report her…
i was in wyoming years ago and found a little kitty my daughter wanted to keep…we had no money at all…the cat started wheezing one day..i called a vet, told them our money situation and the cat’s condition…she was very nice, told me what i could do, said if i brought kitty in … i could pay out for med when i could..she would charge nothing to look at her…she got well…
but to answer your question, yes…there are a lot of health insurance policies for pets that are quite reasonable…
this sounds unethical, but i have heard of it being done… if you have a pet that has a bad health problem that will cost thousands to fix, they have bought the pet insurance, waited a couple of weeks, then went to a different vet with the animal….then at least they had ins coverage i’m told…
that would be your decision if it ever came up..
i have pet ins on my kitty and it makes me as comfortable as having insurance on myself..it is terribly high for vet bills….but we love out animals and they love us…
but if one vet won’t treat…call another…most have gentle giving hearts….