The cost of keeping a dog

I had to rush my dog to the vets the other week because I thought she was having a fit or a stroke. Turned out she'd slightly grazed a front paw and was trying to scratch it with her back paw, not realising that if she lifted both feet off the ground at the same time she would [and did] keep falling over. Thankfully my vet stayed after closing time to see me; had I gone to the emergency vets it would have cost me a minimum of £350 ....

Years ago we had a £280 bill for dimmest-cat-ever who'd jumped off a wall into the side of a car......and only bitten his tongue

Poor lady driver was in a terrible state....

I'm a bit confused, whitewave

Which animal was the vet's bill for?

Millie broke a tooth a couple of weeks ago and it had to be removed under anaesthetic. The vet (like they do) also found a couple of other teeth that she reckoned needed to come out. 'Oh, and while she's under we'll do a de-scale and polish'

The extractions were covered by our insurance because the word 'fracture' appeared on the claim but routine dental work is not covered so we've just received a bill for £88.

Does a Jack Russell terrier need a Hollywood smile?

Apparently yes merlot
Painful subject having been to dentist today!

In fact I'm going to take it up with them because they gave her a de-scale and polish last year when she had her anal glands removed and as the anaesthetic and staff costs are already covered by the insurance, how can they justify another £88?

How many flippin de-scales does a small dog need??

The problem is vets see insurance as a licence to print money and if you don't tow the line the insurance company will cancel your policy.

They have you by the short and curlies!!

toe the line I mean

Bit like dentists too!

anaThe vets bill was for the tortoise - puncture wounds - he is now walking around with a bandage wrapped right around him with pink pigs all over it according to DS.

No - I lie it was for the dog - severed bites from the tortoise

I thought the dog might have cracked a tooth or two on the tortoise's shell!

Been easier if he had really.

Must get ready going out to friends and should be bathing etc. get stuck jibbering on here, and reading all the posts.

Well, the first dog we found and who adopted us cost us nothing, apart from food, a collar and a lead- and aged 19, for the vet to come to our home to put him to sleep.

One of the dogs we've adopted since cost us quite a lot of money when the vet in France administered flea and tick treatment improperly (Practic from Novartis) which she licked on the way back to UK and caused severe ulceration of her mouth, tongue and throat- she had to be put under to examine her, as the vet thought she had a throat tumour- and then quite a long and expensive treatment. She is alive and well, but very old, about 17 (again street rescue dog, so exact age unknown)- and again, I imagine the only cost will be the final visit here by the vet.

Little dachshund we've had to adopt from DD2, also a very sad rescue case- is currently costing us a fortune for insulin and special diabetic food, and of course all the diagnosis tests. I bought him a pram as he is now blind... mind you that was only 30 Euros, and as daft as it sounds- it's really succesful- as some of you have seen from his photo in the Tatler ;) He is 17ish, and so happy to be around, I just can't bring myself to put him to sleep. I will give 300Euros to neighbour for looking after him when we go on hols. Ah well....

All this to say that people often take on animals totally unaware that if things go wrong- it can be VERY expensive. Slinky getsa regular 'cat scan' totally for free (thanks to another rescue, Pudding the cat).

I think we need to see a photo of said tortoise. In fact, if your son could put it on utube I think it could go vial and he might recoup his money tenfold. Certainly video it and send it to one of those animal video programmes.

tegan Will try to suggest it but a bit of a touchy subject at the moment!

I'm assuming Duncan your dog whitewave ? Hence the low profile

Yes Duncan is a cairn terrier and born to hunt!! Persona non grata at the moment and likely to be for some time methinks.
Funny how your offspring feel they are able to show such umbrage, when they would smile politely and say things like "oh don't worry it wasn't anyone's fault" etc. to someone other than their parents.

Time to dig out our sense of humour.

That dog Donald is always in trouble. I seem to remember a sheep, a barbecue and a burnt bum on Glastonbury Tor

DUNCAN has fond memories of that party.

The only dog/cat in existence!

If you remember he stepped in as my familiar at the last moment, rather kind of him I thought.