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What would you do if your dog had an emergency and you couldn't afford to treat it?
Pet owners all over are faced a similar dilemma every single day.
They've been given news by their veterinarian that their pet's chance of surviving depends on some procedure or surgery that is going to cost a significant amount of money and they next have to decide whether they can afford the treatment and medication or not.
Frequently the cost of treating the pet exceeds the owners ability to pay, and the owner takes the other option, euthansia.
Some vets, understanding this dilemma, may offer to save the pet IF the owner surrenders it to them.
If you were faced with this dilemma what would you do? Would you turn it over to the hospital and hope it lives? Could you sign its death warrant because you could not afford the costs?
That was the question that was put to Pat Bergstrom, a back-yard breeder of Shih Tzu's from Minnesota. One of the puppies from her dog's latest litter was in trouble, having trouble breathing and barely hanging on, and she'd brought it to her vet to see what was wrong with it.
A few hours later she was told they'd need to run some expensive tests before they could even tell what was wrong and whether the puppy would survive or, and without the tests she could either take the puppy home or choose to put the puppy down.
Pat couldn't afford the tests.
Then the vet suggested another possibility -- turn the puppy over to the animal hospital and it would try to save the animal.
So Pat opted to give her puppy to the hospital rather than have it put down and as part of the process she signed a document that included: "I understand I am signing over my rights to ***** Animal Hospital because I decline any further medical treatment for my puppy."
Ms. Bergstrom was billed $220 for the office visit and exam and then left.
I'm pretty sure you can guess what happened next.........
The hospital went on to care for the puppy and it survived. Ms. Bergstrom was notified of that fact and according to the story, was given the option of reclaiming the puppy if she would pay for the additional treatment it received.
She refused.
From her perspective, since she'd already paid $220 for veterinary care she said it was ridiculous that she would be asked to pay more. She wanted her dog back, paid in full.
Three days after her refusal the animal hospital sent Bergstrom a letter saying that the puppy had been turned over to a new home.
Pat is steaming mad. And now she has filed to suit against the hospital claiming she was tricked into believing the puppy would die without the tests and costly procedures. She's also planning on filing a complaint with the local veterinary board against the hospital.
We started this story with the title "Moral dilemma".
As you can see, not only is it a pet owner's moral dilemma, but also a veterinarians moral dilemma, for most vets get into veterinary practice because of their love and desire to help animals. And because of tough economic times more and more frequently they are faced with putting an animal down that could go on living simply because the owner cannot afford medical care.
So if you were a veterinarian and were faced with saving a pet who can go on to live (but faced the possibility of a lawsuit if it did) from the owner or putting it down because that's what the owner could afford, what would you do?
Tell us your feelings at our blog: vetlocator.blogspot.com
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To yours and your pet's health,
Adam
VetLocator.com
PS - There's an obvious answer for most pet owners and vets, and that is pet insurance.
Although there is a monthly premium to deal with, your chances of having to choose life or death for your pet because of money is lessened.
Like most insurance, companies, policies and programs vary and there are quite a few to choose from. And don't let the monthly premiums be the deciding factor for insurance. Investigate what is covered, what the deductable is and what the max per year covered in making your decision.
Here are links to some Pet Insurance Providers and an alternative to pet insurance:
And an alternative to pet insurance you can check out Pet Assure which is a discount club, offering 25% off normal vet bills. Dogs $10/mo, Cats $6/mo and they have a family plan that covers several pets.
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