My Effing Cat
(disclaimer: I am irrational, emotional and prone to extreme mood shifts)
I hope that by ranting in this email I'll feel better. Somehow I think not.
As most of you know, Bailey has been ill since winter. She has lost half of her body weight, been puking and had chronic diarrhoea.
FINALLY we broke down to take her to the vet because we figured if she was deathly ill then we would put her down. One does get sick of cleaning up her messes (Keith).
So Keith took her in yesterday to have an assessment. The vet found a mass in her intestines and told K to leave her overnight so they could do some blood work etc. Okay.
Keith explained that if she had a chronic condition we would just put her down.....no heroics here on a 12 year old cat please. We just are not the type of people that will shell out medication on a daily basis to prolong an animal's life who already OLD.
So Keith got a call to pick up the cat today. Turns out she has hyperthyroidism. Who the hell knew cats could get that? For Pete's sake. And if we give her a pill twice a day for the rest of her life she will make a complete turn around and be the cat she used to be. Super. Keith was sent home with a bottle of pills and a bill so FREAKING huge that I cannot bring myself to EVER disclose the amount. It makes me absolutely SICK how much we were charged to find this out. I am royally upset with the vet at his service. He did not explain that this would be expensive. He made it sound like simple bloodwork. He did not tell us they would be charging massive amounts for misc items like.....catheter or IV etc. Let me tell you.....my blood pressure is THROUGH the roof over this.
ANYHOW...after a HEATED discussion, Keith and I have decided that since we have the pills she will get them but once the bottle is gone we are NOT buying anymore. We'll let her get ill again and then put her down. It seems wrong to me to let her improve to only euthanize her but we simply are not prepared with all that is going on in our life with a new baby to shove pills down a cat's throat twice a day for possibly the next 5-10 years. Nope.
Anyhow....I've vented. I don't feel better. And I am very turned off to owning a pet ever again! They are TOO expensive!
9 comments:
YES!!!!
aw Rachel. i had the same thing happen 2 weeks before we had our first-we paid a small fortune to find out what was wrong with kitty(he was 14) and than we put him down. it was heart-wrenching
(((hugglies)))
That sucks BIG TIME! We've had a cat for years and -knock on wood - we've never had to pay a $ for any illnesses, etc. But we got a dog yesterday and I'm already fearful that when we have to go to the vet for her someday we are going to be charged through the moon...........and then I'm going to pissed like you. :)
Sounds like the cat is not the only one who needs to 'take a pill'.
That vet should have phoned you first.....like when you take your car to the shop, the mechanic phones BEFORE putting new tires on, right?!?! UGH!
I can't believe that the vet didn't give you a price estimate before rendering his services! That's not fair. I'd be furious too.
Vets are known for doing that...at least from what I have heard.
Sorry this had to happen to you at such a time as this with the impending arrival of surprise no. 3.
We had a similar situation when Paul went out of for a stag about a month before my due date with Cole and he got a drink & an appy as to keep the cost down and then at the end of the night the guys said "lets just split the bill" - so $350.00 yup...$350.00 later he came home...too late & hungry!!!!
I feel your pain!
*S
I have been shocked at the cost of vet services as well. After our grand pup. . .ate a ear plug and spent costly time at the vet we decided to purchase health insurance when we got Indee our little german shepherd. The cost was really reasonable, I was very surprised. . so . .then she went and played on the road. . .and then she went to the vet. . .we were so glad it would all be covered until. . .we checked our insurance .. .good until 2500. The bill was going to be over 5000 by the time all the surgeries were done. . .couldn't do it. We made the hard decision and felt really sad for a bit. . .but remembered it was a dog. . not a child. .
I feel so bad for you, they really should have given you a bit of a clue as to the cost.
Oh Shawna...that is so UNJUST!
Reminds me of when Keith got hired full time into the fire dept and had to take out the ENTIRE crew for drinks and appies. It was very expensive and I thought completely STUPID!
Post a Comment