nizzles- you erroneously state that vets are not doctors. You couldn't be more wrong, I mean, that's as wrong as anybody can be!

berry and thisisme:

I'm sorry if you can't have children and your pets fill that void. It's not like I don't have a pet and don't understand. I will hate the day my dog dies but that could never be compared to something that I helped to create.

I guess if you have never had children you will not see my point, just as I can't understand your point.

I am sorry if my comments were rude.

By the way I never laughed on the outside, I'm not a total jerk.

I have to agree with berry, owning an animal is one of the better ways to deal with the inability to have children, the loss of a loved one, or just to have as a companion. No one said that they are "human" just that they can help to replace and/or offer love. Vets are much like doctors. Unfortunatly, not all of them are good for different reasons. Maybe one has a bad bedside manner, or another might be a little pricier then the next. The best way to choose a vet is through word of mouth. Animals are an extension of your family, one way other another. Its up to each individual person or family to decide what is right or wrong for all of their family members, including their animals.

Some of us don't have children because we can't, not because we chose not to. Having a pet is like having a child to us, and to have someone laugh at that feeling is a slap in the face. We gladly pay the vet bills because our sweet dog is very loved and would be sorely missed if something happened to him. There are a lot of sacrifices I would make in order to pay those vet bills if it came down to that. Fortunately, my husband and I haven't had to make that choice. Dogs, cats, horses, and other animals are truly family members to most people. No one has said that dogs are humans--just that a dog or other pet can take the place of someone to love when there are no children. Don't judge others based on what you have experienced; try to listen to what someone else might be feeling when you think you need to laugh.

Dogs/Cats = to children?????????

What? Are you insane? If you chose not to have children and got a pet instead it may be a "child" to you but it is not nor will it ever be the same as a child! I have had many conversations with people about their cats having health issues that resulted in death. In the same conversations they said, and I quote " well you know, it would be like if you lost one of your kids". I could hardly keep from laughing.

As far as dental's go, you have it coming if you are willing to do it. I have had many dogs growing up and have one now that is considered a senior. There are many things you can do to help keep a dogs teeth clean. Feed them right and give them the right things to chew on and most problems are avoided.

As much as I love my dog, if it ever comes down to feeding my family or taking the dog for a yearly visit, the family wins. If you have to think about that you have issues.

so why didn't all the dogs die off in the thousands of years before they were given toothbrushes...

u got to be kidding me, giving a dog and a kid equal status, anyone who thinks a cat or dog or whatever as human is nuts..

Having pets are a luxury. If you choose to own a pet then you choose to take care of that pet. There are may different opinions what is the best reccomendations just like in human medicine. In the state of WI your pet is required by law to have a rabies vaccine every three years. If you feel you received poor veterinary care, most likely poor communication was the probelm. Don't blame someone else for your lack of education or understanding. As with any service a customer should ask questions until you understand.

wahoo_35:
You said, "When I was growing up, when the family pet got sick, it was put down and we got a new one."
I guess there is no love or attachment there.
As much as I think that is a very cold hearted way to be, if it works for you, so be it. Maybe that is your way of being pragmatic. Personally, if my humidifier was not repairable, I'd trash it, but I would try to save my pet. JMO

First of all I hope Wahoo_35 doesn't own any animals. You don't sound like you have much compassion.

Vet bills can be much worse then a Doctor bill unless you have pet insurnace. My dog became anemic this year & they gave her a 50/50 chance to live. I made the decision to try & it cost me about $5000. She only lived for a few months & at one point I thought she was recovering. She was the sweetest dog in the world, so I do not regret my decision. I do what is necessary for all my animals.

I also know that somethings are not absoultely necessary. When I was younger no one ever thought of having their dogs teeth cleaned. None of my dogs have & they always get good reviews for tarter control. Rawhide bones & hard dog food work wonders. I do agree with Deborah that some vaccines can make our pets sick. When my dog was diagnosed the first thing they wanted to know is if she was recently vacinated or given front line or heart guard. All these thing that are suppose to help our pets can hurt them.

Not only are people not going to the vet, but they are also surrendering the pets they do have. Just go to the Humane Society & check out all the cats they have.

If it's comes to me or my pets doing without. I'll make the sacrifice because they depend on me for their needs.

I know this is talking about small animal vets but having horses I need the vet to come to my farm sometimes - The TRIP CHARGE IS $55. The vets office is less than 10 miles away and even less if the Vet is coming from his home. Which is the case due to the fact I'm first call of the day. I too have dogs and cats and believe they are healthy due to being active and not over weight

wahoo_35, clean teeth can keep your dog healthy. That's where a lot of infections can start. Additionally, the same can be said for humans.

scubaviolin -- *L* do you honestly think that any of my pets went back to see the same vet after picking one up and being given 1/2 her teeth in a bag? Problem is this is not just one vet or one vet clinic. And Yes... I change vets as often as I feel necessary. I lose faith in a vet and the care that my pets are receiveing and it's on to a another. I challenge things on the bill when presented and I do not let my pets receive the NOT Recommended vaccinations. There is a Rabies Challenge in progress and 3 years is still too frequently for your animal to be vaccinated for it. http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/

Vets are changing vaccination policies but only becauses others concerned about all the dogs dying from being over vaccinated are driving that and actually preforming testing etc.

Just a couple more things: A mouth full of tarter laden teeth causes bacteria to POUR into your pet's body possibly resulting in kidney and heart disease. Anesthesia is filtered out of the body through the liver and kidney, if bloodwork isn't complete prior to anesthesia how do you know that your pet's body is prepared to handle the medication used.

Deborah-This falls near the timing of his yearly bloodwork. Sounds like you need a new vet.

scubaviolin -- your dog does not need to have a full blood panel run to go under anesthesia. Why would it be necessary to do another full blood panel if it is done yearly and was last done less then three months prior to the dental? I've had another dog who went into the vet for something I can't remember right now... and I was told that he badly needed a dental. I told the Tech that she better look at his record better. I just paid for him to have a dental not 3 months before so obviously that one wasn't done properly. Asked if the need to the second one meant it would be done free of charge. Suddenly his need for having another dental was dropped.

This is all getting out of control. A dental for a dog? Why? So it can look nice when it drinks out of the toilet?
When I was growing up, when the family pet got sick, it was put down and we got a new one.

I agree that pets are often over vaccinated which is why many vets are changing their protocols for vaccination schedules. Also, saying that all vaccines (except Rabies) is unnecessary is like saying that measles immunizations are unncecessary. While your child PROBABLY won't contract the disease, it is a possibility. What vaccines you choose for your pet IS your decision (expect Rabies which is required by Wisconsin state law) however, what vaccines your vet requires for hospitalization is THEIR decision. As far as accurate price quotes...agreed, you were misled. However, I'll be taking my dog in for a dental tomorrow and will pay whatever price required to keep him healthy and happy. He gets bloodwork EVERY YEAR and I would never consider having him go under anesthesia without it, just as your doctor would never put you under anesthesia without bloodwork.

I should have added getting your pet fixed, too, in addition to the rabies shots.

One more thing.. A wellness exam is supposed to be a once a year type of thing.. much like a physical with a human doctor. I go in and have the wellness exam performed and I want to have my dog vaccinated for Lymes Disease which is initially a series of injections. We go back a month later just to receive the 2nd injection but my bill reflects a second wellness exam. What the exam just the month before doesn't count? Why is another wellness exam required for my dog to have only a 2nd shot in a series?

Unless it's rabies shots, all vet visits for pets are unnecessary. They're a luxury in a world with millions and millions of people without access to even basic medical care. If I was living in one of those countries, I'd think Americans were extremely selfish.

I have pets and they are very much loved.. they are my kids. Think that a big part of this is that with things the way they are with the economy spending does have to be carefully watched. Unrealistic pricing adds to the problem. Example: I was told my dog needed a dental.. Inquired about the pricing for that procedure and you can get the same by just calling the office and asking the charge for a dental for your dog. Don't remember the exact price quoted but it was considerably under $200. Made an appointment and go in that day to have this done.. Now am told that they really need to run a blood panel on the dog before doing the Dental which is over an additional hundred dollars and am given a sheet to sign with estimates for the dental.. both low end and high end estimates. The low end number is close approximately $350 and the high end is close to a grand. And I have to sign a the paper saying that I agree to pay whatever fee it ends up being when I come back to pick the dog up. What happened to the under $200 price I was quoted for a cleaning? There is a huge difference between less then $200 and a $1000. Why does my dog need a full blood panel run when the dog is healthy and showing absolutely no problems just to have a dental performed? The dog has to be there for the day so shouldn't the charge for occupying a crate there be included with the original charge for the dental? I do NOT want to show up to pick up one of my dog who just had a dental done and be stunned to be handed a bag full of very clean teeth that have been pulled during their cleaning. I received no phone call saying there was any problems or that any teeth had to be pulled let alone 1/2 the teeth I took the dog in with. I wasn't even given any explanation as to why all those teeth had to be pulled after the fact and they didn't appear to have any problems just looking at them. This particular dog now missing 1/2 of her teeth went in for yearly dentals and was given all the products out there to prevent tartar build up and all of that. At the time that dog went in... dental was quoted to be $125 and I paid over $600 to take her and her bag of teeth home with me. If I had received a phone call telling me that it was going to be necessary to pull 1/2 of her teeth I would have told them to just clean them and I would take her elsewhere for a second opinion on the need for that to happen.

continued

I've learned and have educated myself.. Over vaccinating your pet's can kill them. I follow Dr. Jean Dodd's protocol for vaccinations as does the 27 vet schools in the United States. I do not allow my pets to have vaccinations that are recommended they do NOT have in that document. Reasons for not having the vaccinations are listed in that document. I have gotten into arguements with Vet Techs as to why they should have the not recommend vaccinations and my pets have NOT had them. I feed them premium grade dog food and label read so they are getting the best. Yes.. I am a multiple pet owner and have been for over 30 years.

I hope that pet owners are mindful that if their animals go unvaccinated the cost of critical care and/or euthanasia often outweighs the money saved by skipping vaccines and wellness exams. Also, keep in mind that vaccines can be harmful if given improperly or to an animal that has allergies (known or unknown) to vaccines. Please remember that the experience and education of a veterinarian and their staff is irreplacable. And no...I don't work for a veterinarian.

I find this very plausible, but just because you have cut back on vet visits, it doesn't mean you are being neglectful to your animals. You can purchase most of the necessary shots for your animal at stores like farm and fleet and administer them to your animals yourself for much, much less. You still need to have some given by a veterinarian though (Rabies for example).

There really is no comparison that can be made between a human child and an animal though. Sure my animals are part of the family and we all love them, but the fact remains they are animals and my children, wife and I have to come first if it really comes down to it. Although I bet you may see a drop in the number of doctor visits for simple colds and coughs in humans as well, with people trying to fight them off by themselves instead of rushing into the doctor for every little thing.

I would bet that the number of vet and doctor visits when something is really wrong remains about the same either way.

That's a shame that people are cutting corners at the expense of their pets! I know that for many of us, we consider our pets a part of the family, as if they were human children! So, my question is: Would you cut back the care of your children when times are tough? Hmmm.