I hope there's a way.

February 8, 2010 4:52 PM

Anyone have experience with non-profits that will pay for vet bills?

My friend put a blast on facebook because his 5-year-old cat...well, this is the full quote, which followed an appeal for money:

"blocked urinary tract..we caught it in time so he didn't go into kidney failure, but to have the full procedure will cost between $900-$1200..we've got him at the vet, under sedation to see if they can work the blockage out, but if not, they have to operate..he's 5 years old and might have to die because he can't pee..i hate this world..."

"i did try other places..we took him Sunday to the Animal Emrgency and they wanted between $2000-$3000..the one guy i found today was about as close to non-profit as you can get, but it states on his website that he doesn't do this procedure (and about 5 others)..the place i finally went to has been the cheapest i've been able to find, but not cheap enough..."

I can't help him and it appears none of his fellow facebook friends can, either. What should he do? He's in Northeast Ohio, if that's relevant.

posted by mreleganza to Pets & Animals (6 answers total)

Resources from the Humane Society. If he doesn't qualify for or find financial aid, we used CareCredit (described in the link) for our own cat's expensive surgery. The vet may also be able to work out a payment plan. There are ways to make this happen, especially if he's willing to carry some temporary debt. I hope your friend can find one that works for him.
posted by melissa may at 5:09 PM on February 8, 2010

I think many Vets will work out a payment plan if you can't come up with the cash. If not - putting the cat down so it doesn't suffer might be the most humane option if he can't come up with a way to afford the surgery.
posted by COD at 5:10 PM on February 8, 2010

He can contact Modest Needs to see if he qualifies for a grant. Their turnaround is pretty fast. Their cap on aid is $1000 or 7.5% of annual household income, but they do help with veterinary care costs. They helped pay a vet bill for my cat last summer.
posted by FrauMaschine at 5:18 PM on February 8, 2010

Has your friend tried the Gateway Animal Clinic?
posted by oceano at 5:57 PM on February 8, 2010

This sin't the best option, but a friend got her cat from a vet who suggested she adopt it - basically, the family with the cat gave up the cat, and my friend's family paid for the surgery and adopted the cat. That cat also had a urinary tract issue in the sameish price range - could easily have been similar.

Last time I visited that vet, he had a bulletin board showing various animals in similar situations. I know that there is time pressure, but perhaps an option like this is best.
posted by R a c h e l at 11:10 PM on February 8, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. It looks like the original prognosis was not as bad as feared, but I passed this thread along to my friend for future reference.
posted by mreleganza at 7:14 PM on February 15, 2010