IT IS A TOUGH DECISION. Your dog — a constant companion for years — has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. High-tech treatments are available, but there are other factors to consider, such as cost, convenience and pet suffering. What should you do?
Elizabeth Stone of Los Angeles chose surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to help Danny, her golden retriever, fight cancer for three years. When his kidneys began to fail, Stone or another family member would insert a catheter just under Danny’s skin, through which he would receive fluids to prevent dehydration and to flush toxins from his kidneys. Pet insurance helped pay the thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.
On the other hand, Alice and Landon Parvin of Fredericksburg, Va., decided to euthanize their 10-year-old Kerry blue terrier, Fergie, after she lost the use of her legs. The Parvins’ vet had referred Fergie to a canine neurologist. An MRI and a spinal tap revealed spinal degeneration. “She wasn’t in pain, be she’d lost her heart,” said Landon. “We couldn’t bear to see her lose her will.” In addition, Fergie’s medical bills had risen to $2000.
Most of the medical treatment that’s available to humans is now available for pets as well, including kidney transplants, heart pacemaker implants, knee ligament repair, hip and elbow replacement, brain tumor surgery and cancer treatment (including radiation and chemotherapy), surgery to control epilepsy, kidney dialysis and diagnostic technology (such as MRI and ultrasound).
Pets are part of 55 million American homes. We own 66 million cats, 58 million dogs, 88 million fish, 40 million birds, 13 million small animals (including rabbits, hamsters and gerbils) and 8 million reptiles. And many are living longer, thanks to scientific advances.
“We see cats living 16 to 20 years, small-breed dogs to 16, and large breeds to 11,” said Dr. Jack Stephens, president of Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) of Anaheim, Calif., the only independent
American pet insurance company. Like humans, however, a longer life for your pet means more age-related diseases, including cancer and spinal degeneration. When you vet detects such a problem, he or she is likely to refer you pet to a specialist or a team of specialists. Even round-the-clock nursing care is available in many cities.
In deciding whether to treat your pet, you will have to weigh cost, practicality, your emotions, pet suffering…and the possibility of loss.
The question is, should you get advanced treatment for your pet? High costs go hand-in-hand with technological advances, such as $2500 pacemakers and $5000 kidney transplants. Intricate surgery or cancer treatment can top $20,000. Dr. Alice Villalobos, director of the Animal Cancer Center in Hermosa Beach, Calif., recommends that pet owners consider their pet’s quality of life in cancer cases: “We might be able to add six months or more. For some, it is not worth an extra $2000, while others are grateful for an additional day or month.”
But for Bill Randall of Harrison, Maine, cost didn’t matter when his 6-month-old Labrador, Albert, needed orthopedic surgery in 1995 and again in 1996. “I should mortgage my house to get this dog well,” he said. “This isn’t my dog. This is family.” Randall spent $3000 for both operations, diagnostics, medication and rehabilitation.
And the purchase price of the animal has nothing to do with the money spent on care. Donna Berriman of Falls Church, Va., paid for several surgeries to remove bladder stones from one of her pet rats, named Cinder. The operations totaled $1200. “Instead of a $3000 show dog, I have a $4 rat, but that doesn’t mean I love it any less,” said Berriman.
For others, however, finances are a determining factor. When Greta, a 14-year-old setter/husky mix, was diagnosed with cancer, her owner, Don Ray of Arnold, Md., had Greta euthanized. “It was a hard decision,” he said, “but paying $500 for each vet visit put it over the top for us.”
When cost interferes with treatment, pet health insurance may be a solution. “Someone who has insurance has a lighter burden,” said Dr. Villalobos. Insurance pays for a portion of office visits, injections, medications, treatments, lab fees, X-rays, surgery and hospitalization. Half a million owners carry pet insurance. VPI says it has paid out $14 million in claim benefits so far.
Americans spend about $5 billion each year on pet health care. When your puppy or kitten is young and vigorous, premium may be as low as $59 a year. Only 1 percent of dogs and cats are now insured nationwide, but pet insurance is beginning to catch on. “Because of insurance, pets are getting more care,” said Dr. Stephens of VPI.
There are other options to help minimize fees, including HMO’s — or simply Mother Nature. “It may cost between $2000 and $4000 for a plate to heal a pet’s leg perfectly,” said Dr. John Saidla of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. “If you don’t have $4000, you might consider forgoing an operation on your pet. Nature was healing broken legs long before vets came onto the face of the earth. I’ve sent animals with broken legs home so the legs could heal with the help of caged confinement. From the animal’s standpoint, that’s not such a bad decision.”
Some pet owners make decisions based on their own medical experiences. “As people go through stages in their own lives, they’re more willing to accept different care for their animals,” said Dr. Saidla.
At times, the options may seem overwhelming. “With so many choices, decisions are getting a lot harder for my clients,” said Charlene Douglas, a pet-loss counselor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., who counsels grieving pet owners online. “People are very attached to their animals. This is especially true as we age or if we don’t have children or a partner. If you’re struggling emotionally –trying to decide whether to treat your pet — a pet-loss counselor can help. It’s the relationship you’re going to miss.
Convenience or practicality may determine your decision, even though you may still be willing to foot the bill. For example, can you rush home from the office twice a day to dialyze your cat? Despite the inconveniences and cost, however, many pet owners get their pets treatment. “We’ve always used animals for medical testing, so it’s only fair that they finally are reaping the benefits,” said Dee Miller of Bridgton, Maine, whose own American short-hair cat, Mifty, underwent hip surgery 11 years ago.
But what happens when the suffering outweighs the cure? Pet owners have the legal option of euthanasia for their animal companions. “It’s one of the blessings we have that human medicine doesn’t,” noted Dr. Saidla.
For more information on pet care, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Web site (http://www.avama.org). Or, to answer questions about your pet, visit the American Animal Hospital Association’s site (http://www.healthypet.com) or send e-mail to aahapr@aol.com.
Karen Feld is the owner of two toy poodles, Cappuccino, 5, and Champagne, who as made it to the age of 12 with the help of veterinary specialists.