I love my pets. But how much should you really pay for your pet's medical treatment? This question is on my mind at the moment. Not only are my friends paying alot of money to get their dog radiation treatment for her cancer, but Nibbles is currently having some health issues that we are trying to investigate.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Arrow's treatment is unnecessary or frivolous or anything like that. I'm certain I would do the same for Buttons. I mean, come on....I'm the person who paid thousands of dollars to have a bezoar removed from my cat's intestines only to have him die of heart failure 18 months later. And let's not forget about the huge sum of money we paid to have Nibbles' penis removed in order to save his life (despite the fact that, given the choice, I'm sure most males would choose death over penis removal).
Anyway, Nibbles is hungry all the time and losing weight, which our vet was certain was either caused by a thyroid problem or diabetes. Of course, blood and urine tests proved her wrong--it's neither of those things. Which means it could be something much worse. Possibly. Another blood test simply confirmed that things are slightly off and that could be a sign of cancer or more bladder stones. Or it may be nothing at all.
This far, we've spent a couple hundred on tests that tell us nothing. The vet, of course, prescribed more tests. A chest x-ray ($110) and then, if that comes back clear, an abdominal ultrasound ($250). So, do we get the tests? I know this is not thousands of dollars, but what if the x-ray finds a big tumor? Then what do we do? If we aren't going to spring for expensive treatment, then why even get the x-ray? Very logical, right?
Of course, part of me feels like a horrible person for considering just letting him live and lose more weight and, possibly die soon. But part of me knows that, at this point in our lives we can't be spending our savings on a 9 year old cat. Anyway, I'm not really seeking advice, though you can offer it if you like. This is just what's on my mind these days.
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4 comments:
You raise good questions. And one's I've (obviously) thought about -- sort of. I have often thought about Arrow's treatment, but not really in terms of cost. More in terms of quality of life. But I can also afford NOT to think too much about cost. We don't have kids. We don't pay a huge amount going towards day care. And both of us are working. But I have thought about how taking on a pet is really an expensive prospect. And the decisions about care are intense. And we have two cats...What if they need the same level of care in the near future? Then the idea of cost takes on a whole new level. Long sotry short, I don't have any easy answers, but part of what influences one's choice is the reality of the circumstances one finds him/herself in.
So nibbles is still losing weight?
Nibbles might still be losing weight, but it's a SLOW weight loss. He lost about a pound in the past 6-12 months, I think. But for a cat who eats as much as he does, that seems pretty strange. He's constantly hungry.
Other than that, he seems like his usual self.
It so sounds like thyroid to me. I wonder if, like in humans, the test for thyroid has a high false negative rate...
This is a sensitive issue, but it is one that I have relatively strong opinions on.
My experience as a Pediatrician who has cared for many kids with cancer (or other horrible life threatening diseases) and as a pet owner colors my views, obviously.
I think it is totally acceptable to not seek out a diagnosis that wouldn't change your management. For example, thyroid testing sounds reasonable if there is a management approach you are willing to accept. If you realize that you won't go forward with a treatment if you make a certain diagnosis, I think it is OK to not know- but consider that this is very tough to predict. And nothing is more helpful in making treatment decisions than knowing an as firm as possible diagnosis.
One thing I've thought about recently is that- unlike older humans- babies, young kids, and pets can't understand the benefit of a treatment with a lot of horrible side effects. I think this should affect our decisions regarding their care, to some extent, particularly if the intervention has a low likelihood of success. You can explain to an adult that the treatment for their pancreatic cancer only works in, say, 5-10% of cases- and it will likely be painful, beset with side effects, etc- and they may still chose it because they understand that potential gain. As a parent or pet owner, you can't really explain this- they just suffer without knowing the benefit.
Is the treatment, despite this potential suffering without understanding, truly in their best interest?
Just one more thing to consider in a complicated decision. I wonder what I would do in the same situation with Mino- I bet I would do a lot, but I think I would consider the above in making the decision.
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