Dog Training & Health

[dionna228]

I can't afford it get it fixed, other than surrender what else can i do?

[meezermom]

Hello Dionna...........have you talked to a vet to see if there was anything you could do to pay the bill? Maybe clean kennels or such? It seems unfair that she should have to be given up for this.....how did she break her leg? If you cannot afford to get it fixed, and you do surrender her, please, do not get another dog. It would not be fair at all.....please do some calling around and check with your human shelter or see if there is a low cost clinic that will help. If the break is not severe, it may not cost as much as you think. There is also a credit card you can apply for that is for vet problems only.....you need to do some checking around. I can't remember the name of that card.....

[Jasmer]

Almost all of the vets in my area expect full 100% payment at the time of service, but they also take Care Credit. Care Credit is a medical credit card that doesn't have stringent credit requirements for the purpose of medical and veterinary needs. Unfortunately, the interest rate on Care Credit can be pretty high.

Call every vet in the yellow pages under Animal Hospitals and Veterinarians. Ask them if they make payment plans. I know of ONE vet in my area that takes payment plans but they tend to be pricey and the interest rate they charge can be as high as Care Credit, or higher. Either way, though, a $50-$70 a month payment is much easier to swallow than trying to fork over $200-300. My dog was shot in the chest and the leg. The examination, x-rays, pain meds, and antibiotics put me out $171, which isn't bad at all, and the vet actually removed one of the x-rays from the bill (which is good because they're $70 a pop).

Call the Humane Society or local animal shelters and all vets within a 30-50 mile radius. Human society and private shelters usually know of local vets that will work out payment options or offer a reduced cost for those who qualify. There are many vets out there who do make payment arrangements. As Meezer said, try to haggle and barter a little manual labor to trim the cost as well. A short-staffed vet may appreciate the option of virtually free labor in favor of not charging for the x-ray or medication, or performing the examination and everything at cost.

Don't get your hopes too high, though, vets often don't make payment arrangements under any circumstance for a reason. Like hospitals they are routinely ripped off but, unlike hospitals, are not required by law to render services despite inability to pay.

Since it's a broken leg it's not immediately life threatening, but without proper medical treatment it can maim your dog and, depending on the type of break, can be life-threatening. Compound fractures can cause splintering of the bone. Those splinters can enter the blood stream and cause clots or bleeding elsewhere. If the bone is breaking through the skin then the risk of severe infection is high and has the possibility of becoming systemic. The bone has to be set shortly after the break occurs or the bones will begin to knit back together in the broken position. This may mean the bone heals in an unstable way, and may simply set the dog up to break the leg again in the future. Re-breaking the leg in the future, especially if it never set and healed properly, can be life threatening.

Odds are you won't be able to properly set the bone without getting a proper look at it. X-ray is the best way because it's non-invasive. You also probably won't be able to get hold of a broad-spectrum antibiotic without a prescription. If you cannot find a vet who will work with you by tomorrow evening then you'll need to surrender her. You can take comfort knowing that a broken leg is treatable and she will be rehomed and happy.

I hate to say the same ol' "if you can't afford treatment then don't have the pet" because I don't know if your financial situation prevents you from making payments or if your vet simply won't work with you financially. An ability to make a monthly payment is obviously irrelevant when the vet won't work out a payment plan. However, if even the possibility of a monthly payment or a separate savings account with a small monthly deposit specifically for potential veterinary bills is something that is financially impossible for you then consider not having a pet for a while until you're in a position where these kind of things are something you can handle. Seeing a beloved pet get injured and being helpless to offer aid is very stressful and downright heartbreaking. Don't set yourself up for potential heartbreak.

It's something I'm experiencing right now with my own dog, as it was too late to fix his leg by the time we found him. We're going to put some money into savings every month for a while and ask the vet about having pins put in to stabilize his leg once we get enough money, if necessary. It's something we knew we should have been doing in the first place, but never did, and getting our dog back and finding our new vet unwilling to accept a payment arrangement has caused us a lot more stress and worry over our dog than it should have.

It's hard to give up a loved pet especially when the economy is at least partly to blame for the financial end of the situation, but it's something that you may have to do. Keep the option open and be willing to do what's best for your dog.