The Hidden Costs of Owning A Pet

Written by: Samantha Boswell, Vet Assistant, Exotic Animal Rehabilitator

In my last blog, I talked about wellness exams and their importance. We also discussed that wellness exams are required to help keep your pet healthy despite the cost of the exams, bloodwork, vaccines, etc. One thing we did not talk about was the hidden costs of owning a pet. The one thing that many pet owners or pet owners to-be do not think about; emergency and accidental costs.

When you get a pet, you expect it to be healthy, happy and to live the full life expectancy with great quality. However, just like with people, some pets get the short end of the stick; whether that be with illnesses, accidents or emergency situations. In these situations things can get tense between the unexpected high costs and the emotions that are running high. When this happens, we can react or behave in ways we would not normally or have to consider other, more cost affordable options such as euthanasia. This blog is going to go over what to expect during an emergency situation, how to deal with emergency vet clinics and what to expect from the staff side of things. I will also talk about a couple of common emergency illnesses and the costs it takes to fix them and how to prevent them in your pet.

My pet isn't doing right, and I have come to my local emergency vet clinic, now what?

Your pet has been brought into the

emergency clinic and the vet is currently seeing them. Depending on the incident, really does depend on treatment and costs. However, it is important to listen to the emergency vet and follow their advice because when there is a true emergency with your pet, what the response is as well as how timely the medical treatment is received is important. If you think your pet is suffering from poison, you can really help your vet by calling Pet Poison and getting information from them on how to proceed. I will post their contact information down below. They are a paid service and much more affordable if you call vs the emergency vet.

The first thing your emergency vet and their team will do is triage your pet and assess the level of emergency. They will then follow up with you on diagnostics that may be needed such as blood work, x-rays, ultrasounds, urinalysis, etc. to see if they can pinpoint the issue. If finances are an issue, there are a couple of things you can do, which I will mention below, however you can also risk skipping the diagnosis and ask the vet what their best estimation is and what they would assume is the best treatment for the situation. You can then take your pet home with medication and monitor at home. This is very risky depending on your situation because if it is something that is life threatening, being in hospital will make a difference if a crash happens. It really could save their life. This leads me to the final step; treatment. The vet will look over the diagnostic work or if you decline the diagnostics, estimate on the best form of treatment. They will talk with you about what is the best option and why it is the best option, and they will also discuss the more affordable options as well. Usually when it comes to treatment, unless it is life or death, many options can be presented to the owner.

After speaking with the vet and their team, you will also discuss costs and payments. This usually is where people get sticker shock, as paying for the equipment, supplies, staff, and care for your pet is costly. If you get an estimate for an emergency visit and you can't pay immediately, what can you do?

I can't afford the emergency bill, however I do not want my pet to suffer and/or die...

You are not alone. There are many pet owners out there who either do not know the cost of owning a pet, do not have or can't afford insurance, lost their job during the pandemic, currently on disability, and more. There are many reasons in life why finances are an issue and it is not up to your vet team or anyone else to judge. However, because you are not the only one, there are plenty of resources that you can access in Ontario that can help with emergency situations.

First off, straight up ask your vet if they offer payment plans. Some emergency vets have the ability to offer these and will upon request. The worst thing they say is no, and trust me, it is a very common question within the vet industry.

If they do not offer payment plans, then there are a couple of things you can do. There is the obvious ask a family member or trusted friend for a loan, however not everyone has that privilege. So there are pet loan services that you can apply to and get emergency funding. They work quickly, and are able to pay the vet clinic directly. You can also work out a payment plan that works for you over a time period that is manageable to your situation. They are usually very flexible and work with all credit types. The most common companies out there are Pet Card and Pay Bright. I will post their information in the resources section below.

If you are a senior or low income and are in an emergency situation, you can also reach out to the Farley Fund. They are a not-for-profit organization that helps seniors and low income pet owners with their vet bills. Keep in mind though that they are a small, not-for-profit in Ontario and because of this, their funds tend to dry up fairly quickly at the beginning of each fiscal year.

And finally, you can look into pet insurance. There are plenty of companies that you would not think of that would provide pet insurance such as CAA, Costco, OVMA and more. The ones that are pet insurance only companies do tend to be quite expensive, however they also tend to be more flexible in coverage. If you are looking for just basic accident coverage, the other companies work quite well. It is also beneficial to get the insurance when your pet is younger, this is because premiums, deductibles, and coverages will be better than when they are older or have developed underlying conditions. I will post the insurance companies down below as well, both the pet only and general.

What is an emergency and what can wait to see my regular veterinarian?

Great question! How do you know if your pet is facing an emergency or if your pet can wait until the next morning or business day when your regular veterinarian is available? There are a handful of signs that we as the front staff look for when booking in an emergency situation. I will talk about the general ones that relate to everyone, and then I will talk specific ones for cats and dogs.

Some general things that would constitute as an emergency for any animal would be lethargy with vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia together, a diabetic pet going into a diabetic crash, anything traumatic such as hit by a car or fallen from any sort of height, limping and not bearing weight on that leg, prolapses, pyometra, anything neurological such as seizures or immobility and cardiovascular problems such as stroke or heart attack.

If you have a puppy or kitty under 1 year, if it has been lethargic with vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia for more than a couple hours, take them into your local vet. Puppies and kitties gain and lose weight quickly and dramatically and if they lose too much too quickly, especially due to an illness, they may die. So it is important to take your puppy or kitty in.

For cats, there are a few things you really want to watch out for. The first one I will talk about is blockages. They are more common in males than females, however they are life threatening. If you have noticed your cat struggling to urinate, not urinating, or regularly urinating outside of the litter box for 24 hours, immediately bring them into your local (emergency) vet. They will need to be unblocked. This is an expensive surgery that can cost an upwards of $2,000 or more. Blocked cats can't always be stopped, some cats are more prone to it, however it can be prevented by feeding your cat wet food more often than dry kibble. When you feed wet food as their main diet, they will start to urinate in the box more and this is great! This is because it will empty the bladder better than the kibble will, preventing the build up of bacteria and crystals causing blockages. Yes, wet food is more expensive right now, but can you afford a $2,000+ surgery in an instant?

For intact, female dogs you will want to keep an eye out for signs of pyometra. Cats are capable of developing this, however it is more common in females dogs. Pyometra is when the walls of the uterine lining do not shed after her heat cycle and build up bacteria. This is more commonly seen in dogs that are intact and not bred or overbred. If you do not get the surgery to spay your dog, the infection will lead to death. Spaying your dog when it she is young will prevent this infection from occurring; no uterus, no uterine infection. For dogs in general, mostly young dogs, watch out for foreign bodies. This means that the dog has eaten something that will not pass through the system such as clothing, pins, glass, toys, etc. They will need to be surgically removed most of the time in order to prevent organ damage and ultimately death. You will see this shown in your pet as vomiting, diarrhea (possibly bloody), anorexia or bulimia (attempting to eat and bringing it back up). Usually this happens within a couple hours of ingesting something the dog can not digest, and should be taken to the vet immediately.

If you have a pocket pet or an exotic, the moment something is off (ie. not going to the bathroom, lethargic, not eating, etc.) take them to the vet immediately. These pets are very sensitive and when things begin to show externally, usually internally is going haywire. They need immediate help when they are themselves.

Conclusion

Owning a pet has it’s regular expenses, which do add up. However, it is always good to have a back up plan for emergencies. The situations mentioned above, even just a simple accident, can cost thousands at the emergency vet. Down below are some resources that can help those who are eligible and/or can afford it.

Resources

Pet Loan Services:

-PetCard www.petcard.ca

-Pay Bright www.paybright.com

Pet Insurance

-CAA Pet Insurance www.caapets.com

-Desjardins Pet Insurance https://www.desjardinsgeneralinsurance.com/pet-insurance

-Allstate Canada Pet Insurance https://www.allstate.ca/webpages/otherprod/pet-insurance.aspx

-Trupanion Pet Insurance https://trupanion.com/canada/ec/ppc/best-care-b/

-Fetch Pet by the Dodo www.fetchpet.ca

-Pets Plus Us www.petsplusus.com Costco Membership Discount - https://www.costco.ca/pets-plus-us.html?&reloaded=true

The Farley Fund

www.thefarleyfoundation.org

Check your local SPCA for rabies programs, microchipping, training programs and end of life programs.