I Can't Afford It!

We are fortunate to live in a time when cutting edge, high-tech veterinary diagnostics and specialty medicine as well as allied health care are available.

Examples are:

• Specialists in every field of medicine including dental and oral surgery
• MRI ~ CT Scans ~ Ultrasound ~ Endoscopy, Rhinoscopy, Echocardiogram and other minimally or non- invasive diagnostic procedures
• Nuclear Medicine (I-131 treatment for hyperthyroidism )
• Grief therapist (different from simple bereavement counselor) specializing in loss, grief, separation, mourning, anticipatory mourning (a phenomenon that occurs when a serious diagnosis is made or advancing age of animals causes deep worry and concerns,) post traumatic stress disorder and mourning response in animals. Yes, animals experience grief and mourning which can sometimes create physical illness and even death
• Grief therapist capable of helping to manage chronic, catastrophic and terminal illness as well as hospice and comfort care
• Animal behaviorist (different from simple "trainer")
• Physical rehabilitation following injury or orthopedic surgery
• Animal health insurance

If any of these has been recommended by your veterinarian or you are considering exploring what they have to offer on your own, the first response is often, “I Can’t Afford It."

These “costs” are not just financial but emotional, psychological and ~ sadly ~ often only the perception of the cost as opposed to the hard facts.

Scenario #1

An otherwise healthy cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. S/he is a good candidate for I-131 treatment and the cost is over $1,000. It also involves the cat being away from home for 5-7 days while the treatment is carried out in a safe facility. Remember, I-131 is nuclear medicine and produces radioactive body fluids which must be properly handled and disposed of and cannot (by law) be done on an out-patient basis.

It seems like a great deal of money as well as the worry about cats being away from home and family.

While there are a rare, few cats who truly are too sensitive, anxious, etc. to tolerate being away from home, most do very well. There are also a number of cats who are not a candidate for I-131 because they have other or multiple co-existing conditions (e.g.: Chronic Kidney Disease) that are incompatible with the treatment. There are superb facilities and some even offer a “Kitty–Cam” where you can see your cat in real time on your computer screen.

The cost of I-131 treatment (over time) is less than the choice of oral medication at home. When oral medication (Tapazole aka: Methimazole) is the choice, it requires twice daily dosing which may be hard on cats and very frequent monitoring with blood tests and echocardiograms. In addition, Tapazole is not always well tolerated by every cat. Your Vet is well versed in these matters and will determine who is and who is not a candidate for the I-131 treatment.

Scenario #2

Your cat or dog has had a battery of the usual and customary tests and the cause of symptoms remains unclear. Your Vet recommends a consultation with a Neurologist (cost of over $100) and the Neurologist recommends an MRI (cost of over $1,500.) You have no animal health insurance and “bite the bullet” for the procedure and the costs. The MRI is not definitive, shows no pathology, is normal and medical management or additional testing is recommended. The perception may be that “it was all for nothing” and may even extend to the notion that the recommendations were all contrived for profit.

Nothing could be further from the truth! It is equally important to rule out the existence of pathology and learn what it is not as well as what it is.

Scenario #3

Your dog or cat has a behavior problem that may range from uncontrollable behaviors of various kinds to aggression. All behavior problems are a serious life-threatening and life-altering condition for people as well as animals. Many animals lose their home, are relinquished to “shelters” where they languish in poor conditions for months or years or are executed because they are considered unadoptable or you may have been encouraged to and choose voluntary euthanasia. This is a decision that may produce years of regret, guilt and complicated grief.

Your Vet (or someone else) has recommended that you seek the intervention of a qualified animal behaviorist. The costs can range anywhere from $100 ~ $500, depending on where the consultation takes place and how many animals are involved. Many households consist of multi-animal families and different species.

The cost of not seeking this kind of care is incalculable on every level. An incident of inter-dog aggression can result in injuries that require veterinary care that can cost upwards of $1,000. It can also result in death to one of the dogs or a cat in the household and transferred aggression to anyone attempting to intervene also causing serious injuries that may even require hospitalization.

House soiling / inappropriate use of litter box (Feline Elimination Disorder) and household destruction resulting from canine separation disorder or normal, though unacceptable, feline use of furniture as a scratching post can result in the required replacement of carpeting, furniture and other furnishings as well as floor boards, electronic equipment and more. Animals engaged in this behavior are not enjoying themselves. They are seriously distressed and chronically anxious. They can also injure themselves very seriously during the commission of these uncontrolled events and require emergency veterinary care….none of which stops the behavior from reoccurring without professional intervention.

There are many more examples of the high cost of not seeking or not fully understanding the need for these life-saving interventions.

Please discuss this in detail with your Vet, explore the possibilities with the professional who has been recommended and become fully informed so that you can make choices that you and your animal companions can truly live with. Remember: Children believe what you do not what you say. They are deeply affected by the choices and attitudes modeled by their parents and can see themselves as disposable if they should become ill or misbehave.