At some point in every pet owner's life, there's a good chance a beloved pet may fall seriously ill or sustain a serious injury. And in some cases, the outcome is not a good one. Many pet owners are forced to put their cat, dog or other pet to sleep because they cannot afford the unexpected life-saving veterinary care. But there are strategies that pet owners can use to find financial assistance when the pet owner is in a situation where they cannot afford to pay unexpected and expensive veterinary bills.
"Even a healthy pet can suddenly develop a life-threatening illness like bloat, an infection or an intestinal obstruction. The biggest mistake people make is thinking it can't or won't happen to them," explained Dr. Michael Levine, DVM.
So before a pet owner opts for euthanasia or opts to ignore the problem, consider one of the following financial assistance methods that can help pay for veterinary bills that one can not afford otherwise.
Care Credit
Care Credit offers financing to pet owners seeking financial assistance for special veterinary care, a special veterinary operation or surgical procedure for a pet. Many veterinary clinics enable pet owners to apply for the credit line right in the office, with an answer available within minutes.
Pay for Whatever Amount of Veterinary Care You Can Afford
In the vast majority of cases, some veterinary care is better than no veterinary care at all.
"Just because you can't afford the full gamut, doesn't mean you should avoid the veterinary clinic. In fact, that's probably the worst thing you can do," explained Dr. Levine. "I'm always willing to work with pet owners who can't afford [unexpected or] emergency veterinary care. Sometimes that means charging them only for supplies used or medications, and allowing them to pay for the office visit at a later time. If money is a serious issue, I'll work with a pet owner to make his dollar go as far as possible. I recommend being honest and up-front with your veterinarian and there's a good chance he'll be willing to help your pet. After all - we do this because we love animals. We want to help."
In many cases, even a relatively small amount of money can buy life-saving care for an injured or sick pet. For example, in the case of a serious flesh wound on a dog, $50 to $75 can usually cover the costs of disinfecting the wound, bandaging and life-saving antibiotics - vital care that's necessary to promote healing of the dog's injury and to lessen the chance of serious infection. This amount of money won't cover the costs of stitches, drain insertion or surgical debriding, but a flesh wound in a dog or cat is a case where some care is absolutely better than no care at all.
Visit a Low-Cost Veterinary Clinic
Many non-profit humane organizations host low-cost veterinary clinics, where pet owners are billed only for what they can afford. The downside to these low-cost vet clinics is that they have limited hours of operation and it can take a week or more to get an appointment. So while these low-cost clinics are not ideal for all emergency veterinary situations, these affordable vet clinics can be helpful in less urgent situations.
To locate a low-cost veterinary clinic, call a local SPCA or animal welfare organization - if they do not have a clinic, they can often refer pet owners to another organization that does offer this service. It's recommended that pet owners locate a low-cost clinic in advance, just in case the need ever arises.
These low-cost veterinary clinics do rely on donations, so it's recommended that if a pet owner must visit one of these clinics, they should consider making a donation in the future when their financial situation allows for this.
Take Proactive Measures to Help Pay for Future Veterinary Costs
Across the board, veterinarians recommend taking proactive measures before a costly pet medical situation arises. Consider purchasing a pet health insurance policy from the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program or the Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) company. Pet insurance is an affordable way to get financial assistance when it counts the most - when a pet is sick and in need of diagnostic testing, surgery or other treatments.
If a pet owner's current financial situation does not allow for the purchase of a pet insurance policy, consider starting an fund for unexpected or emergency pet care. Contributing $10 to $20 a week - or whatever amount is affordable - is a great way to save money for unexpected pet care costs. And remember - a pet care fund could very well mean the difference between life and death for a beloved pet.
Dr. Levine concluded with an important note: "Never assume that you cannot afford a trip to the vet's office. I see many, many cases where people assume they can't afford care for their pet, so they delay seeking treatment and when the pet does arrive in my office, their condition is poor. It's best to seek care early on - don't assume you can't afford care, because there's a good chance the vet will work with you to help your pet. If you wait, then it will only be more expensive to treat the pet's illness or injury and the prognosis is worse. I can't emphasize this enough - don't delay treatment."
Related Reading
Ways to Pay for Emergency Vet Bills features additional methods to get life-saving pet care for a sick or injured dog, cat, bird or other pet.
And for other tips on how to save money on pet supplies, pet food and vaccinations, check out Money Saving Tips for Pet Owners.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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