Personal Finance (Not Investing) • Pets - how much would you spend at the end?

We have had a lot of four legged family members - dogs, cats, horses. I have had to put them all down at one time or another. It is difficult, no question.

What it comes down to is the quality of life your pet can expect if whatever procedure being offered is successful.

The advancements in veterinary medicine are great, but too often the answer to the question whether something can be done obfuscates whether it should be done. It is my opinion, and experience, that specialist vets lack judgment with respect to when to offer or recommend procedures that, even if "successful" what will that mean to the animal involved, and who is the procedure "successful" for - the owner, or the pet? Your best advice is to listen to your gut and ask the experience of the generalist vet on the other side of the table (or barn floor, in the case of a horse) and go with your gut.

A lot of this comes down to the people involved. The passing of a pet is also a reminder of our own mortality. Some people, myself included, have made the mistake of not wanting to acknowledge this reality, and try to deny it, by delaying the inevitable. Don't let your pet suffer because of your stubbornness or selfishness in this regard. When it is time to say goodbye, your pet relies upon you to do what is best for the animal. That must always be the standard.

Just my .02.

Statistics: Posted by novicemoney — Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:25 am — Replies 123 — Views 17954