Sunday, October 3, 2010

Dad and I Differ On This--Do Vets Really Care Or Do They Just Want Our Money?

I have a cat, Manny, who dose not like being picked up, is afraid of going into a carrier, and of course, hates going to the vet. We do take our cats once a year for their annual checkups which my dad never did with his cats. I believe it's a good idea to do but dad didn't for the following reasons:

(1) He felt unless they were sick, it wasn't necessary.
(2) He was afraid they would outlive them anyway and didn't know what would happen to them when he died.
(3) Vet care is not cheap and he was a bit worried about running out of money.

When I was told Manny's teeth should be cleaned and they would put him out to do it, I knew if dad was still alive he would advise me against it. I believe the vets care about our pets and are not just out to get our money. I went along with this and scheduled Manny to have it done. I was doing well getting him to the vet twice in three weeks! But then they called and said his back molars are rotting and should come out. I said, okay, do whatever is best for Manny hoping dad was wrong about vets. We brought him home later that day, had to give him soft food for two weeks and pain medicine for one week which I was very pleased that I could do it! Cost = $500!

We couldn't get Manny back a third time for them to check to make sure everything was okay, but he seems normal and is even more affectionate than ever so we blew off the follow-up visit. Manny absolutely refused to go back. We tried to get him into the carrier for four hours unsuccessfully.

What do you think? Is it worth putting the cats through all this vet care or was my dad right?

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This
Tweet Me from My Funny Dad, Harry

6 comments:

BeadedTail said...

Vets are very expensive but our pets rely on us to get them the care they need so I agree that it is worth it to put them through all the vet care. Often times we don't know they are sick since they can't tell us so the only way to assure they are healthy is to have them checked out. I'm glad you were able to get Manny to the vet for dental care!

P.S. I'm not able to open your other blog for some reason which is why I haven't commented on the last posts.

Michelle aka Naila Moon said...

I found you on Follow 40 Friday and your newest follower.

We do not take our cat to the vet unless she seems really sick. I suppose I have to agree with your Dad on this one. I think they just want your money.

Peace...Naila Moon

http://writing-out-of-the-blue.blogspot.com/

Mountain Woman said...

I think it is absolutely important to take your animals to the vet and it is our responsibility to do so when we take on an animal. So many things can be undetected by us (such as lumps, etc.) but can be detected by a vet. I credit twice yearly regular vet care to my goldens living such long lives. Not all vets are equal though. I've left a few vets who I felt were more interested in the money.
I do understand your Dad though and his reasoning. And the cost of the vet is certainly going up. My bill was over 400.00 last visit with Faeden and most of that was medication costs. You can buy pet insurance which helps.
I think you did the right thing taking care of Manny. Good for you Karen.

Angie, Catladyland said...

Yes, vet visits are important. I do know people that think like your dad, though...and they couldn't ever be talked out of it.

Janiss said...

I'm a little in-between about this, which might make sense when I mention that I don't go to the doctor myself unless I think something is wrong (I have been to the doctor maybe twice in the past 7-1/2 years). I don't take the cats to the vet "regularly," but I do watch them like a hawk, including when they use the litter box, and if anything seems amiss, they go straight to the vet. And actually, this boils down to them going to the vet at least once or twice a year, for the most part (and they get a general checkup, or more when they are there). While they really hate going, they bounce back right away after they return, so I don't think it's too horribly traumatic for them.

Samantha & Mom said...

Hi Karen! Mom makes the Collages and a lot of her picture with graphics at Picnik.com It is free and requires no downloads. It is really easy to use, too!!
Your TX furiends,

"My Funny Dad, Harry" Book Giveaway

Congratulations to all the winners of the giveaway for "My Funny Dad, Harry" at Red Pine Mountain. I am so happy that four of my regular commenters won! Read what Tim thought of it at Everyday Living.