RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
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Post By Jen (Guest Post)
(09/22/2008)
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I know people probably post a bunch of these types of posts but I am running out of luck trying to find places that donate money to people with exspensive vet bills. Me and my boyfriend have a 1 1/2 year old Husky mix that has recently had to have surgery. He had luxating patellas and the surgery cost us around $4,200 to get both knees done. We are now having trouble trying to pay off the bill since we keep having to add expenses to it. It has been a little more than a month now since the surgery and he has had an infection and is going to physical therapy weekly to try to get back to normal. If anyone knows what organizations would be likely to help please let me know. I know that as a pet owner one should be able to afford a pet however these are some extreme circumstances that have added up to about $5,000 in one month and it will add up more with the continued physical therapy that is needed. Again please offer any advice that you may have. Thanks!
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RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
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Post By Georgette Ruth (Guest Post)
(08/24/2008)
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Here is an idea you might want to try. Try volunteering your time at the vets office to trade for hours for payment. I had a couple of local bills and suggested that I could volunteer as a trade to pay off my bills. Some disagreed, but several companies loved the idea. I set a plan based on the going hourly rate and signed a contract to work a certain amount of hours until the bill is paid off or at least lowered.
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RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
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Post By Linda (Guest Post)
(08/19/2008)
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This is part of being a responsible pet owner-being able to pay for unexpected expenses. Most puppies don't survive parvo, so in that respect you are lucky. There is veterinary pet insurance available for future issues, you vet probably has fliers about it in the clinic.
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RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
You are not at a stage in life for having pets, you should be free and not tied down, but then again puppies are irresistible. The vet will help you find a home for her, and the vet's staff is probably attached to her by now. Pay the bill however you can, but let your pet-owning days come when you are sitting on a pile of cash and life is stable.
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RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
You might want to try the Web site http://www.modestneeds.org/.
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RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Please do what is best for the dog and find an owner that has money saved for these types of things.
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Request: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
My 5 month old puppy was recently diagnosed with Parvo. She has been in the vet for 3 days now and she has started to show signs of improvement. Is there any way to help with the bills, they are now at $1200.00 and she will still have to stay for another 3 days. Is there anybody that knows any way to help with these bills. My family and I just can't let her go. Please send responses. God Bless!
Cathy from Louisville, KY
Answers:
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Cathy, give me the name, address and phone no. of your vet and if i have extra money this payday I will send whatever I can afford directly to them. (04/10/2008)
By Chi
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
You can also talk to the dr. and explain the situation. Sometimes they can let the dog go home a bit earlier IF they know you'll follow directions to the letter and if they know money is a problem. (04/10/2008)
By Glenn'sMom
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
If you or someone in your family has a skill you MIGHT be able to barter with your vet. I was lucky enough to barter with my dentist on 2 occasions. Of course I had to pay for the cost of my crown, but I bartered for the labor. Maybe you could do the same. Your Vet DOES have to pay his or her employees & for the cost of their overhead. My Dentist told me Strictly "Do NOT tell anybody we are bartering, I don't want others to think I'll do this for everyone!"
So I've kept my mouth shut (until now because he's retired) I'm an artist & I could paint a mural for a vet. Some are good at fixing cars & could do repairs or tune-ups on the Vets car. Some are great with wood or metal work & could build special sized cages that could be used there or sell to customers. Some can sew & could make special Velcro on cotton bandages so animals can't lick at their stitches. Maybe the Vet wants to expand in the near future, & you know someone who could help him build-on to his space, which you could then barter your services with etc, etc, etc.
Type out the list of things you'd be willing to do for labor costs (tell him you'll naturally pay the cost of meds & tests). Then show him your list & tell him you'd be willing to sign a written contract for your bartering services. That way he'll know you are truly serious about really doing your part to "pay" for services rendered.
* I've been living well below the poverty line for many years now (because I love being an artist) So I've had to come up with ways to do things like this. But I must say, that 2 weeks ago when my cat Smokey swallowed the end of a sausage wrapper (from someone's garbage) & he almost died because it got caught-up in his intestines.
I would have never been able to manage to pay for the operation to keep him alive if my mother hadn't loaned me the $800 plus, it cost! I am now looking into animal insurance because I never want to have to ask her again to help me pay for vet bills.
* One more thing I found out when Smokey almost died was that each vet charges different prices. In WA we have several places called "Vets for Less" (which is where I took Smokey) & that operation, meds, overnight stay & exam, etc. would have cost me 3 times what I paid at Vets for Less at any other Vet. I called around & did my checking on prices, & you should too. It can literally save you hundreds of dollars, just by making 5 or 6 phone calls & driving your pet to a different vet that's just as good, but charges less.
* One other thing I found out when Smokey was sick was that when pets stay overnight, unless it's a 24 hour Vet Hospital, the animals are left ALONE & are all by themselves. Smokey was left alone (with other animals) in a cage with blankets on top of him (his temp was very low) about an hour after his major surgery & he was alone all night long. He'd have been in better hands with me at home where I could have kept an eye on him!
I didn't know this until the following day when my daughter suggested I ask if anyone stayed with the animals during the night. The answer was No! Ask your vet: "Is there someone who stays with the animals at night?" & lets just hope they answer honestly! (04/10/2008)
By Cyinda
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Read this: http://vetmedicine.about.com/library/news/bl-animalhelpfoundation.htm
Here is a quote from the above URL:
Where does a pet owner turn when their pet needs life saving medical care? A new fund has been set up to help cover the costs of emergency care and surgery. Many wonderful pet owners find themselves in desperate need of help after a tragic accident or life threatening illness leaves their pet in need of high cost veterinary care. Without pet health insurance, these bills add up quickly and soon become overwhelming. What does a pet owner do? Very often, the family faces the only choice Euthanasia.
With people though, this is never an option. Public hospitals will treat an injured person and allow them to pay later. Often providing a payment schedule which can be met over time. While hospitals are well funded organizations with the resources to incur accounts payable, veterinarians are not.
The PETS IN NEED FUND - set up by Animal Help Foundation, allows caring people to donate to these special pets. There is no limit to the amount of money which can be used to pay for emergency, life-saving veterinary bills. The only limit is what is in the fund. (04/10/2008)
By Cyinda
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
A loan, or you can put up coffe cans around you town with the dogs pic on it and it tells why you need money explain about parvo and cut a slit on tp and put them at gas stations and things!
P.S. My dog died from parvo after 4 days of showing improvement, and they said she would be fine and discharged us and 25 mins aftter, we drought her home I held her in my arms and she past! (04/13/2008)
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Do NOT let the dog go home any sooner than necessary. You CAN'T give them the same level of care, & what if their is an emergency. If the dr. won't let you pay on time then after this is over find a different vet because they don't care about the animals, only money. (04/14/2008)
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Try modestneeds.org (04/14/2008)
By Pat
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
This may not be an option for you, but if there are any other vets in your area, call them and find out what they would charge for similar treatment. If it's a lot lower, you may be able to discuss this with your vet because they know they are in danger of losing your business if they do not lower the charge. We have a vet in our area that wanted to charge our friend more than $800 to pull her cat's tooth, saying the cat could die of infection. She was heartbroken (and broke). I had heard that the vet was very expensive overall. She brought the cat to my vet for a second opinion. They charged her $35 for the visit, determined that the cat was healing very nicely on its own, sent them home, and the cat has been healthy ever since. Now all my friends go to our vet. Also, see if your vet has a payment plan. Surely they must run across this situation all the time. Also try some local no-kill centers, not to give up your pet, but to see if they have any suggestions for you. Everyone will want to help if they can. Good luck! (04/14/2008)
By Natasha
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
Thank you for all the responses, I wish there were more people like you all in the world, We brought her home on Saturday the 12 of April and she seems to be doing great. So far, she's playing with the kids and acting like herself. The final bill was over $2300.00 and the vet said they really couldn't give me any breaks on it. Jefferson Animal Hospital in Louisville KY. Again thank you all once again. God Bless! (04/15/2008)
By Cathy
RE: Ideas To Get Help Paying Vet Bills
I agree with the last post IF (all of us on this site/on the web) help this little one with only a dollar each - this animal (her furry child) can & will be saved.
Send me the name, address and phone no. of your vet and I too will send money directly to your vet for the bill you incur for your animal.
I know what it is like to love a furry baby too as we have 5 of them (cats). (04/15/2008)
By Paula Jo Carr
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