This is the photo that convinced us he had to
be ours. Note the mischievous glint in
his eye. Photo, Liz Ozaist
That's how I talked my husband down off the cliff after we'd learned that our 9-month-old dachshund, Balthazar, needed stomach surgery, and that it was going to cost over $3,000.
To be fair, the surgery would be no small feat for the four vets taking care of Balty. While my husband and I were at work, the dog had made a snack of some CDs that my husband had left out. Gazing at Balty's snout-to-tail X-ray, I could make out a pile of shards that had settled in his lower intestines and his stomach. As I sat there, all I could think was that I'd do anything to save my pet's life, even if it meant melting down my credit card.
It's a tricky and often sensitive subject. How much is too much to spend on a pet, especially at a time when people are struggling to pay their own medical bills?
A recent Associated Press/Petside.com survey of over 1,000 pet owners found that 62 percent of those polled would shell out $500 for a sick animal. Less than half would pay a $1,000 bill, and only about a third would consider covering $2,000 in medical fees for their pets. Anything over that amount, and most respondents said they'd halt treatment, putting me clearly in the minority.
But I have no regrets, and I'd do it again if I had to. Even when they're healthy, I'll splurge on my pets long before I shell out for the newest Manolos or over-hyped gadgets. There's also the fact that little 12-pound Balty saved me. Not in the dog-miraculously-dials-911-with-paws kind of way. It was more subtle than that, but no less meaningful.
Time-Lapse Tortoise Noms Salad
